Deduct This With Carrie and Lexi

You built this firm because you wanted freedom. So why does it feel like you are more trapped than ever? Somewhere between eight and twenty employees, something broke. The business does not feel the same. Your profitability is dropping. You lost a key staff member. And you are not sure what happened. Ian Vacin and Jason Blumer spent two years interviewing more than 300 firm owners to find out exac...

You already have a brand. The question is whether you're building it on purpose, or letting it build itself by default. Katie Thomas , CPA, knows exactly what it costs to stay invisible. Not in dollars, but in impact. The clients you never reached. The problems you were perfectly qualified to solve but never got the chance to. In this episode of Deduct This, Katie reframes personal branding a...

Growing up, Timothy Wingate Jr. watched his father's construction business ride a financial roller coaster for years. One summer, it was Disney World. Next, it was back to work. Not because the jobs were not there, but because no one ever taught him how to price, plan, or protect what he was building. Timothy decided that the story would not repeat itself for an entire industry. Timothy Winga...

Ever get that sinking feeling when tax season is about to start, and you are already behind? The cleanup. The missing information. The last-minute surprises you promised yourself would not happen again. Hope Brown built her firm so you do not have to live in that cycle. In this episode of Deduct This, Hope Brown, 2025 AICPA and CIMA Global Women to Watch Honoree and Founder and CEO of The Tax Mind...

You know that satisfying moment when everything just works? When a complex client's books close without your team buried in Excel for a week? Michael Chapman decided that feeling should not be rare. It should be the default. After 12 years of building client relationships at Wolf & Company that go well beyond month-end close, Michael watched too many firms confuse data management with adv...

Their team has not worked overtime during tax season. Not once since their launch. After a combined 60 years in traditional accounting firms, Anna Hergenrader and Gwen Hodges launched Hodges and Hergenrader, LLP in 2023 with one rule: people come first. They watched talented staff burn out under the old model of more hours, more people, more chaos. They decided their firm would be different. Here...

You're using tax software for CPAs that hasn't had a significant update since the 1990s. While bookkeeping and advisory tools have transformed with AI and automation, tax software is still making you retype data from QuickBooks, still sending 800-page PDF organizers clients won't read, still operating like it's 1995. You can't sync with modern tools when your software can&...

Your clients are learning tax strategies from TikTok influencers before hearing them from you. They're coming back asking why you didn't tell them about deductions they discovered on Instagram. You have the expertise, but you're buried in compliance work with an auto-responder promising callbacks in 48 hours. Meanwhile, firms offering tax advisory services are charging more, working...

You're responding to IRS letters with beautifully crafted explanations and heartfelt stories about hardship. The IRS keeps denying them. Your documentation is solid, your reasoning is sound, but you're addressing the wrong audience. The person opening your mail doesn't have a tax degree. They're processing hundreds of pieces of correspondence daily, sorting them into boxes base...

Are you using the same tax software you picked five years ago, even though your practice has completely changed? Still telling yourself it's too late in the year to evaluate alternatives? You're choosing software for the firm you had, not the firm you're building. Kristen Keats learned this the hard way. She built a firm around her ideal client, not the clients she had yesterday.  I...

Are you charging $700 for a 1040 while working 70-hour weeks? Still telling yourself your market can't support higher rates? Megan Leesley's response: Stop it. The only real constraint isn't your market. It's your mindset. And when she challenged that belief, she doubled her revenue while cutting her client load in half. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi, Mega...

Your team keeps burning out. You've upgraded your software, hired more people, adjusted workloads, but the tax accountant burnout cycle repeats. What if the real bottleneck isn't your tools or your headcount? In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi , investor and finance expert Brandon Adjei , founder of Bargraph Solutions, reveals why personal development and mindset shifts...

Still buried in paper? Still printing, scanning, storing files, or worrying about security risks in a home office? You’re not alone. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi , business strategist Kari Culumber breaks down how she built a 100% digital, paperless accounting firm, and why modern firms can’t afford not to make this shift. Kari launched her firm at the height of the pandemic...

Can’t hire fast enough? Losing great people? Feeling the talent pipeline shrinking more every year? You’re not alone. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi , CPA and career strategist Mike Manalac , known online as Mike from Accounting , breaks down exactly what today’s accounting talent is looking for, why they’re leaving, and how firms can evolve to keep their best people. With exp...

When COVID hit, Joey Albertson didn't plan to start a firm. She just wanted to help small businesses drowning in chaos. That impulse to serve turned into The Profitability Project and Bookflow, two thriving businesses built on one non-negotiable rule: always be home for dinner. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi, Joey reveals how she turned pandemic panic into a seven-person...

Ever get that gut feeling when a client’s name pops up, and your stomach drops? You’re not alone. In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi, firm owner and tax strategist Nick Boscia of The Balanced CPA shares how learning to offboard clients changed his firm’s culture, profitability, and sanity. Nick opens up about: Overcoming the fear of losing revenue when letting go of clients Review...

What if protecting your health wasn’t just a personal priority but a professional strategy? In this powerful episode of Deduct This , CPA and podcast host Randy Crabtree opens up about his own health crisis and the wake-up call it delivered to his career, his firm, and his mindset. If you've ever worn burnout like a badge of honor or felt like stepping back wasn’t an option, Randy’s story wil...

What should you measure to grow a profitable, durable firm without burnout or busywork? In this episode, entrepreneur and fractional CFO Bob Wang shares the KPIs that move the needle, how to align pricing and compensation with outcomes, and what buyers look for when valuing firms. You’ll learn: • Why output-based compensation can outperform billable hours • How to align incentives across pricing,...

Want to scale your firm without losing your sanity or your personal touch? In this energizing episode of Deduct This, CPA and firm owner Yuri Kapilovich (aka The Fun CPA) shares how to use tech not to replace relationships but to enhance them. From $100/hour bus rides to building a “lifestyle firm” with a $2,000 minimum fee, Yuri reveals how he streamlined his practice with cloud-based tools, scal...

Should You Switch in October? Why Now Might Be the Best Time for Tax Pros Still using tax tools that “mostly work”? You might be holding your firm back without realizing it.  In this episode of Deduct This with Carrie and Lexi , tax professional and educator Kat Khalandach shares how small, strategic changes can lead to massive wins in efficiency and confidence at work. Kat opens up about: Overcom...

What if working less was actually the key to earning more? In this eye-opening episode, business strategist Geraldine Carter shares how tax pros can break out of the burnout cycle, simplify their practice, and scale with less stress, without sacrificing profit. • Why billable hours are broken and what to replace them with • How to shift your mindset from volume to value • The “ Knock It Off ” list...

Are you curious how real tax pros are using AI in their firms today and where they're drawing the line?    In this episode of Deduct This , CPA and firm owner Steven Gabrielsen shares how he's harnessing AI to streamline workflows, free up time for advisory work, and boost client service without sacrificing the human relationships that define his practice. What you'll learn: Steven&...

Discover why subscription-based pricing and AI aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the keys to building a resilient, growth-oriented tax practice. In this in-depth interview, tax strategist Chris Picciurro walks you through: His pivot from hourly billing to a subscription model inspired by client feedback How predictable monthly revenue powers better cash flow, deeper client relationships, and a talent...

Take Your Firm Anywhere: Remote Work Success with ProConnect Tax Join Randy Hughes, CPA, EA of Counting Pennies LLC , as he reveals how he’s run a thriving U.S. tax practice from Jamaica for nine years, no office required. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Choose the right cloud technology to keep your team productive wherever you are Build discipline and structure in a home-office environment...

Unlock the key provisions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” and learn how to guide your clients through these critical tax law updates. In this deep dive, Nadia Rodriguez breaks the legislation into three clear buckets: What’s now permanent, what’s brand-new, and what’s enhanced and shows you how to: Spotlight new deductions (up to $25K for qualified tips, $12.5K for overtime pay, and $10K in auto-loan...