The Wize Way

Most firm owners don’t realize they’ve built habits that keep them trapped inside their own business. They’re working harder, staying later, and solving every problem themselves - but every time they step in, they take the job back. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Ed Chan breaks down the #1 habit that’s holding firm owners back - bypassing their team. He explains why every time you answer...

Most firm owners try to “fix the business” by working harder, staying later, and holding everything together with sheer willpower. But if you’re the bottleneck … no amount of effort will set you free. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , we are joined by Megan Sexton, owner of MJO Bookkeeping, and she shares a raw and powerful journey from burnout to freedom through hiring and building a trus...

Most firm owners try to “fix the business” without ever fixing the real ceiling that’s holding them back. The result? Burnout, endless busyness, and a business that feels more like a cage than freedom. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Gay Hendricks, best-selling author of The Big Leap, shares powerful insights on: ✅ The Upper Limit Problem that keeps even successful people stuck ✅ How st...

Most firm owners think SOPs are about writing endless manuals. The result? Overwhelm, wasted effort, and documents no one reads. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Thomas unpacks: ✅ Why SOPs should solve problems, not just document processes  ✅ The large/medium/small framework that keeps your team out of “SOP hell”  ✅ How policies like “No Triangles” and “No Bypass” protect culture and ac...

Onboarding That Boosts Retention Most firm owners treat onboarding as a checklist. The result? Confused hires, wasted training, and early staff turnover. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , Dani Bray unpacks: ✅ Why onboarding starts before day one (and how pre-boarding builds trust)  ✅ The 30/60/90-day structure that sets hires up for success  ✅ How daily huddles and end-of-week check-ins...

Marketing That Actually Works for Accountants Most firm owners treat marketing like an expense, not an investment. The result? Stop-start campaigns, wasted dollars, and no real flow of quality leads. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , Jamie Johns breaks down how to: ✅ Keep your marketing consistent so momentum builds  ✅ Use niche positioning to attract clients who value expertise  ✅ Defi...

Stop Talking Tactics. Start Leading Strategy. Most firm owners turn board meetings into long tactical checklists. The result? Burnout, disengaged leaders, and no real progress toward growth. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , Thomas breaks down how to: ✅ Keep board meetings purely strategic (not firefighting)  ✅ Use a 90-day plan to drive clarity and action  ✅ Track the Fab 5 KPIs that g...

Struggling to keep your best people? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Dani and Kristy reveal how to: ✅ Build career pathways that retain A-players ✅ Spot the red flags driving staff away ✅ Create a culture where top talent thrives If you want to protect your investment in people and keep them engaged long term, don’t miss this one. ________________   PS: Whenever you’re ready… here are...

Thinking about acquiring another firm? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Jamie Johns unpacks the 10 critical things to look for in a potential acquisition  and the red flags that should make you walk away. Joined by Tim and Kristy & Dani, Jamie shares: ✅ The four ways to grow your firm (and why M&A is the fastest one) ✅ The biggest mistakes first-time acquirers make ✅ Why cultura...

Is your firm stuck because every client wants to talk to you? That’s not loyalty, that's a business bottleneck.  In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Ed Chan unpacks:  ✅ Why owners become the bottleneck in client relationships ✅ The hidden cost of flat teams (where one person does everything) ✅ How to build a Client Minding Team that frees you to scale ✅ Transitioning client trust wit...

Most firms think growth means chasing new clients. But your next big revenue leap is already sitting in your existing client base. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Ed Chan unpacks how to: ✅ Monetise existing clients without feeling “salesy” ✅ Use a Monetisation Sheet to uncover hidden revenue ✅ Build a referral system that brings in A-class clients ✅ Avoid scaling chaos by fixing your...

The problem with most firm owners is that they work harder than their business. If your profit margins aren’t hitting 25%, there’s a reason — and it starts with your team structure and capacity planning. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Brenton Ward, Ed Chan, and Jamie Johns reveal: ✅ How to separate your effort from the business’s performance ✅ The ideal team productivity % by role (Fin...

Most firm owners think growth means more ads, more hires, or more hustle. But what if you could grow without any of that? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers , Ed Chan breaks down the 4 smartest (and often overlooked) levers you can pull to grow your firm, starting with what you already have. From turning happy clients into referral machines, to selling more ser...

In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers , Brenton Ward and Jamie Johns unpack the rising trend of private equity firms targeting accounting practices.  Discover the five key factors every firm owner should consider before selling. Also, explore the mindset shifts required to lead through growth and why the ability to pause before reacting is a game-changer.  So, if...

In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , Brenton Ward is joined by Jamie Johns and Ed Chan unpack how top firms use workflow scheduling and capacity planning to stay efficient and scale.  From recurring bookkeeping tasks to locking in advisory work and filling calendars with purpose, this episode shows how smart planning drives real growth. ________________   PS: Whenever you’re ready… here are t...

In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers , Brenton Ward sits down with Jamie Johns to unpack one of the most pivotal roles in any accounting or bookkeeping firm: the Senior Client Manager (SCM). Jamie reveals why the SCM is often the hardest role to hire—and the most powerful when done right. They explore how the right SCM can free up the owner’s time, create team le...

In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers , Kristy Fairbairn sits down with Jamie Johns to unpack the real secret behind his 7-hour workweek: delegation done right .  Jamie shares how true delegation goes beyond assigning tasks — it's about micro-training, documenting, and playing your team to their strengths. He explains why systems, checklists, and policies are...

"You don’t create success. You attract success by the person you become." – Jamie Johns In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast , Brenton Ward sits down with Jamie Johns—CEO of Sky Accountants and Co-Founder of Wize Mentoring—to unpack the three golden traits every successful client manager must have. Jamie shares:  ✅ Why these soft skills matter more than technical expertise  ✅ How to...

In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers , Kristy Fairbairn and Tim Causbrook dive into the power of the Quad Activities framework — a simple yet transformative tool that helps firm owners break free from the trap of busy work.  Learn how spending time in Quadrant 2 (important but not urgent) is the key to scaling your business, empowering your team, and reducing own...

In today's episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers, Tim Causbrook with Jamie Johns and Ed Chan dive into the critical importance of having a Lead Allocation System in place.  They discuss their strategy for consistently converting leads and the significance of building meaningful relationships with potential clients from all industries. With competition increasing, it&...

Looking to hire a new Accountant, Bookkeeper, or Administrator? Try WizeTalent and get exclusive access to the system we built to help growing accounting and bookkeeping firms find qualified candidates!  https://thewizeway.com/wizetalent-cta-thank-you Why do great staff leave — and how do you get them to stay? In this episode, Wize Talent Coach Dani sits down with Tim Causbrook to uncover the real...

TIME and FOCUS ~ are two important factors for work productivity. Now, how to achieve both without losing the other?   In today's episode of The Wize Way for Accountants & Bookkeepers, Brenton Ward and Jamie Johns break down why daily huddles are the secret weapon of high-performing accounting and bookkeeping firms.  Jamie shares how a simple 15-minute meeting can unblock bottlenecks, kee...

In today's episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers, Jamie Johns and Thomas Sphabmixay deep dive into the nitty-gritty of building a successful accounting or bookkeeping firm with Wize 7-Division model — the core structure behind every thriving, scalable business. As your firm grows, the real challenge isn't doing more — it's evolving from wearing every hat to...

In this week’s episode of The WizeFactor Chat, we sit down with Daniel Vasin, Director of Vasin Holdings Pty Ltd—an accounting firm based in Australia. Daniel shares his journey from joining the family business in 2007 to taking full ownership in 2015—and the tough years that followed. Growth had stalled. Key clients were leaving. And the fire that once drove him? Gone. That all changed when he di...

Are you stuck doing low-level admin tasks in your firm—wondering why growth feels impossible? In this episode, we unpack the hidden trap many firm owners fall into: thinking they’re “working on the business” while drowning in emails, client follow-ups, and team support. We reveal why hiring another accountant won’t solve the problem—and how the right admin support can unlock your time and allow yo...