AI-Native Accounting

"We can't go out and just upload tax returns to ChatGPT because it's gonna be faster." Barry Brown, founder of EBITDA Advisors, joins Kacee Johnson and Bebe Kim to explain why the future belongs to firms that adopt AI deliberately, not recklessly. Looking at firms of every size, they break down why AI adoption and AI results are turning out to be two very different things. Connec...

Were we wrong about how AI would change work? Pascal Finette, Co-Founder & Chief Heretic of radical, joins Kacee Johnson to explore why AI is impacting cognitive work faster than routine work and what that means for organizations trying to adapt. They also discuss why employees still hesitate to trust AI systems and why the ability to outlearn competitors may become more important than the tec...

“You're not going to take an old process and fit it into a new tech box.” Carla McCall believes the firms struggling most with AI are often the ones trying hardest to preserve the way they’ve always operated. As Managing Partner of AAFCPAs and former Chair of the AICPA, Carla shares why firms need to rethink management habits, communication structures, and even how young professionals are trai...

Most accounting firms are jumping into AI headfirst, buying tools, chasing models, and wondering why nothing is sticking. Thomas DeMayo, AI lead at PKF O'Connor Davies, one of the top 20 accounting firms in the country, has a different approach entirely. He breaks down why your knowledge layer has to come before any tool decision, what AI can and cannot do in audit, and why the billable hour i...

If AI can deliver the outputs, why would clients still pay for the accountant? Allan Koltin , CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, joins Kacee Johnson to explore how accounting firms must evolve from service providers to value creators in a rapidly changing landscape. They also explore: Why firms heavily dependent on compliance may see revenue decline Private equity is moving from large firms to mid-si...

We may be overestimating AI adoption today, and underestimating its long-term impact. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor , Founder and CEO of KET Solutions LLC and past Chair of the AICPA, joins Kacee Johnson to explore how leaders are preparing for a more AI enabled profession. She challenges traditional views on ROI by shifting the focus from cost savings to productivity and impact, and explains why AI flu...

In accounting, complexity has never been higher, and neither has opportunity. With Top 100 firms growing 8.58% in 2025, Daniel Hood, Editor-in-Chief of Accounting Today, joins Kacee Johnson to unpack why firms between below $1B are outperforming the broader market. They also get into: • How cross-selling improves client retention and increases revenue per client • Why growth is funding technology...

If you only learn one thing about accounting tech in 2026, it's MCPs. EVP of K2 Enterprises and NMGI’s co-founder & CEO Randy Johnston joins Kacee Johnson for a grounded conversation on what's real and what's noise in AI for accounting right now. They cover: • MCPs replacing APIs and why every platform will have one • The surprising swing back to single-vendor suites • Why large-si...

What does responsible AI look like inside the world’s most trusted profession? Susan S. Coffey, CEO of Public Accounting at the AICPA, joins Kacee Johnson to explore the non-negotiable guardrails for AI in accounting and how the profession can innovate without compromising its standards. They also get into: • why AI in accounting must remain auditable • why reverse mentoring with younger professio...

CAS practices are growing 30% annually. But most firms still can't scale past bookkeeping. In this episode, Kane Polakoff, Partner and CAS Practice Leader at CohnReznick, shares how they are approaching AI adoption with discipline, transparency, and professional responsibility. In this episode, we cover: • The AI question clients are already asking firms • How and when to be transparent about...

Three of the most influential builders in modern accounting software explain the shift every firm will feel as AI reshapes the profession, both in the near term and the decade ahead. In this episode, Dan Wernikoff (Intuit QuickBooks), Craig Walker (Digits), and Jeff Seibert (Digits) sit down with Kacee Johnson to break down what’s actually coming next. You’ll hear them discuss: • How AI goes far b...

As AI accelerates work automation, how do accounting firms prove their value? Ron Baker, co-founder of Threshold, joins Kacee Johnson to explore ‘outcome focused accounting’. In this episode, they dive into: • designing firms around long term transformations rather than hours. • why trying to be all things to all clients undermines firm effectiveness. • tracking client impact through time saved, t...

On AI Native Accounting, Kacee Johnson sits down with Joe Woodard, founder & CEO of Woodard Group and trainer of 125,000+ accounting professionals, as they explore ways accountants can move past skepticism and take practical steps to integrate AI into their workflows. • how low-code AI tools replicate a decade of manual efficiency gains • global trends showing which countries and firms will fa...

AI is step one. The real win is becoming a tech-agile accounting firm. On AI Native Accounting this week, Kacee Johnson sits down with Lindsay Stevenson, Chief Transformation Officer at BPM (Top 50), to unpack how her teams moved from curiosity to ~80% daily Copilot usage and what broke along the way. • grassroots rollout that beat a formal “AI committee” • how BPM handles duplicated agents, ROI,...

Join host Kacee Johnson for the second episode of AI-Native Accounting, featuring an engaging conversation with Dan Luthi, Partner at Ignite Spot. Dive into how AI is revolutionizing the accounting profession, from enhancing daily operations to elevating client services. Dan shares his experiences working with diverse businesses and his involvement in advisory boards that shape cutting-edge accoun...

Join host Kacee Johnson for AI-Native Accounting's inaugural episode, recorded live at Scaling New Heights. She sits down with Dawn Brolin, CEO of Powerful Accounting Inc., and Matt Gardner, Co-Founder & CEO of Hiline. Together, they explore the practical impact of AI on firms, discussing real-world applications and benefits they're seeing and using today. Discover how AI is being inte...