It’s Going to be Good: Building Your Accounting Firm

What do you do when the company you lead starts to feel like a job you might actually hate? The bad news is that no one can answer that for you. The good news is that it just requires that you start! As a business owner, all options are options. The question is " What do you want your company, and your life, to look like? " Shifting focus from the operational problems you're continuously solving i...

It's easy to conflate the work you're "good at" with the work you should be doing. And it's so hard to prioritize the work that you may actually enjoy, because it doesn't feel like "real work." As leaders, we spend so much of our time doing things that feel productive, but is it the most important and essential work that you can do? And can the work you enjoy and the work you should be doing overl...

When your company gets to a certain size, you start to feel like you can't grow without hiring or promoting more managers. But great managers are hard to find! And finding one who is also an expert in their field is even harder; it's like trying to find a unicorn.  So we've decided to solve this problem in a completely different way. Your true value-add as a business owner is typically in the big...

It's too easy to get into the weeds of running a business and never really pop your head up to see the bigger picture. We're firm believers that taking a step back and looking at things from a different "elevation" can take you and your firm to the next level! ...no pun intended.  Taking time to be in the same space, connect personally, look ahead to the future, and take ourselves out of the day-t...

Mistakes are inevitable. How you handle them is what really matters. When you catch an error, do you already know how you're going to handle it? Do you have a system for owning mistakes or will you lean on your default to guide your response? Over-apologizing, justifying, or shifting blame is easy, but not that effective. But how do you avoid these, address the issue head on and not end up losing...

Success in sales is when a good-fit client says "Yes" to you and your company. Sustainable success is getting your clients to continue saying "Yes," over and over again, but, how do you do that? There are three things clients are looking for before they say "Yes" to you: 1.) Do they like you? 2.) Do they think they can trust you? 3.) Do they think you are smart and capable? Join us as we unpack th...

In the Accounting Industry, we place a high priority on technical excellence and we pride ourselves on our level of competence. But when it comes to the pesky task of talking to other humans... we don't always approach it with the same level of effort. If you've had clients respond with a confused "what?" when you've asked them for something or given a team member direction only to find they were...

Product Leadership vs. Operational Excellence vs. Customer Intimacy -- What is most important to you and your firm? Focusing on all of these elements of your business means you're focused on none. So, it's essential to identify your primary focus, so you can find the right clients, team members and balance within your firm. We've decided the our clients' experience is our top priority, but there a...

You don't set out to build an unhealthy, dysfunctional team - it kind of just happens, especially if you're not aware of and combatting the common pitfalls of managing people. It's hard enough to vet someone for the technical knowledge and skills, let alone that they've got the integrity, work ethic, and values to align with your company's mission and vision.  Listen in as Anna and Jill discuss ho...

Going from solopreneur to managing a team is an enormous undertaking and it most certainly requires some serious mindset shifts. Expanding your firm's reach by deciding to hire a team is the easy part. Actually bringing in humble, hungry and smart team members who make your company better is the key to not just growing your company, but sustainably scaling your firm.  Listen in as Anna and Jill di...

It sometimes feels like accounting professionals must be resigned to one of two fates: we're either the hero who swoops in and saves the day or the villain who didn't make it happen. Listen in as Anna and Jill talk about how they see the clients' role, the accountants' role, and how Accrew navigates the grey area in between. Links to resources mentioned in this episode Link to Building a Story Bra...

Extra in busy season is inevitable. Miserable is a choice. During busy season, if clients aren't responsive or don't send everything over to you early, it feels like you only have two options: you can either be the hero who swoops in and saves the day for your client OR you are the villain if you didn't finish everything, even though you didn't have what's needed. There is another option, though....

Do you think creating a mission and values for your business is a useless box to check? We did too... until we actually did it. Listen as Anna and Jill discuss why we created Accrew's Mission & Values, the process we went through to make them, and how we use them every day with our team and clients. Links mentioned in this episode Link to Another Ben Johnson - Creative Strategist & Indepen...

Anna and Jill go deeper in their continued discussion of their roles of Visionary and the Integrator. They also discuss how they vet ideas and come to team based decisions at their firm. Links mentioned in this episode Link to Rocket Fuel Book Follow the Going to Be Good Podcast on Social Media twitter.com/goinggoodpod/ linkedin.com/company/goinggoodpodcast/ facebook.com/people/Goinggoodpodcast/ i...

Anna and Jill discuss the book Rocket Fuel's two main roles, the Visionary and the Integrator, how they each fit in those roles, and how these roles have helped them grow their firm. Links mentioned in this episode Link to Rocket Fuel Book Follow the Going to Be Good Podcast on Social Media twitter.com/goinggoodpod/ linkedin.com/company/goinggoodpodcast/ facebook.com/people/Goinggoodpodcast/ insta...

In this premier episode of the It's Going To Be Good podcast, Anna Ready and Jill Chun tell their entrepreneurial journeys, how they crossed paths, and why they decided to work together. They also discuss how Arrested Development influenced the name of the podcast. Follow the Going to Be Good Podcast on Social Media twitter.com/goinggoodpod/ linkedin.com/company/goinggoodpodcast/ facebook.com/peop...