Accounting Conversations

Join Chayton Farlee and Parker Ling as they discuss the Enrolled Agent (EA) certification and explore various career options in accounting. Parker shares his reasons for choosing the EA path instead of becoming a CPA, highlighting the unique opportunities for growth in the tax field. They also discuss how taking charge of your career and specializing in a specific area can lead to greater fulfillm...

In this conversation, Chayton Farlee and Kaden Cook interview Yuri Kapilovich, also known as The Fun CPA. They discuss the importance of networking on LinkedIn, the value of meaningful relationships, and the need for authenticity on social media. They also talk about the journey from staff to firm owner, the significance of gaining diverse experiences, and the importance of managing workload and e...

Donovan Fox, a BYU accounting student and former KPMG intern, shares his journey into accounting and his experience as an intern. He discusses how he chose accounting after initially planning to go to dental school, and how he was drawn to the field after taking an accounting class. Donovan also talks about his internship at KPMG, where he worked on assurance and audit projects for clients like Ca...

There are a few accounting firms that are leading the way into the future. One of the most innovative firms doing this is Dark Horse CPA's! They have created a whole new structure and culture that is going to change the way that accounting firms operate forever! Marcus Steinfeld is an accountant at Dark Horse CPA's and is a great mentor to young accounting professionals! In the episode he...

Accounting Conversations is taking a massive step into the future by welcoming a new cohost, Kaden Cook CPA, CMA! Kaden will bring the perspective of a Senior Associate to each episode as well as the experience of working at one of the leading Cloud Accounting Firms, Summit Virtual CFO! Together Chayton and Kaden hope to bring new perspectives and fun conversations to future episodes! Special than...

Content creation has taken the accounting world by storm. It is a great way to build a brand and stand out from the crowd! It is proving the world wrong that accountants are boring! Lukas Sundahl is doing this better than anyone. He consistently puts out hilarious and relatable content that shows the world how great accounting is! He has made accounting fun! In this episode of Accounting Conversat...

For decades accountants have been overworked, underpaid, and unsatisfied with their work. Work and life were not balanced. Today there is a group of accountants who are changing the game. They are tech-forward, happy, incredibly smart, content creators, and they have a work-life balance. This group is finally doing everything right that has been done wrong for the past decades. They have one big s...

The future of the accounting profession will rely a lot on technology. Automation and AI are helping take the data entry and mundane jobs away from accountants so that they can focus on more important tasks. For accounting professionals to be relevant in the coming years it is imperative that they are tech savvy and that they become automation experts. Entry-level accountants can have an impact fr...

One of the most underrated benefits of getting an accounting degree is the versatility that it brings. There are hundreds of different paths that an accounting major can take. Tax and Audit are just the tip of the iceberg. With so many different paths to take it is essential that young accounting professionals find great mentors who can guide them. This week's guest is Freeman Scott Bedwell, C...

The accounting field has changed immensely in the past decade. With those changes have come challenges but also great opportunities. With the right mindset, today's accounting students are uniquely positioned to ride the wave of change to success! Two major things that young accounting professionals can do to ensure success in their careers are to focus on technological skills, and always have...

Many different degrees have different career paths. An accounting degree is so special because it opens the door to so many different opportunities. Accounting professionals can choose from hundreds of different roles and many different career paths! The guest for this week's episode is Dr. Jack Castonguay, PhD, CPA. Dr. Castonguay is a professor at Hofstra University and is also the Vice Pres...

Many students struggle to land and find good jobs after graduating from college. Getting that first job when you still have no experience is extremely difficult, but there is a hack that can help you be prepared to land your dream role right out of school. That is internships! Internships are incredibly important to career development. Not only do they provide the perfect place to learn while the...

To really learn accounting, it is critical to have real-world practice along with everything you are learning in the classroom. Joseph Timothy, CPB is the perfect example of a student who went out of his way to make learning accounting outside of the classroom a priority. He has been providing tax and bookkeeping services at H&R Block for over two years now along with studying full-time. He al...

Accounting is changing for the better! It will involve more remote work, better work-life balance, better pay, and increased opportunities to add REAL value to clients. How can young professionals navigate the new and unknown landscape? In this week's episode, Randy Crabtree shares key insights that all young accountants can use to get the most out of their accounting careers and take advantag...

Accountants do so much more than just compliance, they help their clients understand financial data and they help their clients' businesses grow. To really add the most value possible to your clients, you must be a master communicator! Jeff Bartsch is the world's best storyteller! He spent 20 years in Hollywood telling stories for names like ABC, Netflix, NBC, Disney, Apple, and many more!...

An accounting career doesn't just have to be crazy busy seasons at a huge firm downtown, stay-at-home parents can have incredible careers as well! Erica Goode, CPA is changing the game for accounting professionals. She started her career out at KPMG and then moved into industry accounting at Walgreens. Since then, she has had a family and built her own accounting firm at the same time. Erica i...

The future of the accounting profession is incredibly bright! The guest of episode 14 of Accounting Conversations is Seth Fineberg. He is an accounting industry expert, consultant, speaker, and editor. There are not many people who know the industry better than he does. He has followed the industry through all of its ups and downs over the past few years. The main focus of the episode is all of th...

With the national debt continuing to rise, higher tax rates seem to be on the horizon. Dave Spence is a CPA and CFP who is on a mission to help all CPAs understand the implications of future tax rate hikes on their client's income. All CPAs have an amazing opportunity to add value to their clients and to increase their own revenue! In the episode, Dave discusses the history of tax rates in the...

Scotty Scarano is not only a firm owner, but he is a rapper, a podcaster, and the founder of Accounting High! He is one of many people who is making the accounting profession fun and changing the profession for the better. Scotty has one of the most unique paths to becoming a firm owner of anyone in the field! The episode covers the cool things that Scotty is doing at Accounting High, including th...

Having a career and a family can be incredibly hard, but Caitlynn Eldridge CPA has done both! Not only is she the founder of Eldridge CPA, but she previously worked at Deloitte and Union Pacific. Caitlynn is the perfect example of how much flexibility a career in accounting can give a young professional. Caitlynn is also an advocate for the profession and is going back to school to get her MBA so...

If you are a young accounting professional, this episode is for you! Hannah and Joey are the perfect mentors! They give great advice on how to find career mentors and take advantage of the early years of your career! They also discuss the challenges facing the accounting profession and why they are still so positive about the future of it. Don't forget to check out their podcast, The Young CPA...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own your very own accounting firm? Tony Wilson is one of the brightest minds in the accounting space and in this episode, he shares his accounting entrepreneurial journey. Tony also shares insights he gained while working at a top 10 firm and while working in industry. Tony is a great example of how you can shape your accounting journey to fit what y...

Would you like to learn how to best prepare for the CPA Exams? Blake Carroll, CPA is a CPA Exam Coach and shares key insight into how to be most successful when taking the CPA Exams. Blake also shares his experience at PWC and how accountants can find new opportunities without ever burning bridges. Follow Blake Carroll, CPA on LinkedIn Blake Carroll, CPA | LinkedIn Check out Blake's Coaching W...

Want to learn about other paths for young accounting professionals outside of public accounting? This week's guest, Kaden Cook, CPA, CMA chose a career path that did not involve tax or audit. The episode covers what that path looks like, what it's like working for a virtual firm, should I get the CMA or the CPA and so much more! Connect with Kaden Cook, CPA, CMA Kaden Cook, CPA, CMA | Link...

Want to learn how to save time and automate your life? Check out this episode of Accounting Conversations for great life and Excel advice from Derek Henry, CPA! Derek started his career in accounting and is now a Financial Services Consultant at Workday. He is an Excel Macros Master and is the Owner of Excelevate! In the episode, Derek dives into how young accounting professionals can use Macros t...