The Big 4 Transparency Podcast

In Episode 57 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Giles Pearson, a former partner at PwC New Zealand who went on to be the Co-Founder of Accountests, a pre-employment testing service for accounting firms looking to make sure the talent they’re bringing in will suit their needs and meet their skill and knowledge requirements. Connect with Giles: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gil...

In Episode 56 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Lynnette Oss Connell, AKA your burnout bestie. Lynnette is a former firm owner who has been through all of the stages of burnout, and has become passionate about the topic of burnout in the world of accounting over the last few years. We cover many of the best practices she recommends to prevent and recover from burnout, and discuss he...

In Episode 55 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Nishaad Ruparel, President of Ascend, a modern platform for regional accounting firms backed by Alpine. In this episode we talk all about how Ascend made the decision to start investing in public accounting, and their unique approach to how they invest. We also talk about trends in the accounting industry, limitation of the traditional...

In Episode 54 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Ryan Bakke, a young CPA who grew his firm to $3M+ in revenue in just a few years. Ryan talks to us about what he does differently is his marketing and sales approach, using old-school direct response type messaging and catchy hooks to build his audience and client list. Check out our sponsor, Forwardly for B2B payments made easy: https...

In Episode 53 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by David Leary, Co-host of the accounting podcast and co-founder of Earmark to talk about his journey as a non-CPA building in the accounting space, the inner working of The Accounting Podcast, and covering some industry news. We also talk about how accountants have the skillset to benefit greatly from improvements in AI, and a look behin...

In Episode 52 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by a former colleague of mine, Erica Newman, who is now a Senior Manager in recruitment for Deloitte Caribbean and Bermuda Countries. Erica shares her experience moving to the Caribbean with Deloitte, what to expect when relocating to work in that region, and how to make the move. Connect with Erica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...

In Episode 51 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Graham McGuire, the brand new founder of Kingswood accounting, a firm launched just about a month ago. In this episode, we cover the first steps Graham is taking with a brand new firm, how he’s finding his niche, and how he made the jump. Follow Graham on his journey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamcpa/ Get in touch with m...

In Episode 50 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Abir Syed, also known as The Cranky CPA on TikTok, and a co-founder of UpCounting, a firm specializing in e-commerce that combines accounting, advisory, and growth marketing to offer a one-stop shop to support high-growth e-commerce businesses. Follow Abir: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abir-syed/ Get in touch with me: Website:...

In Episode 49 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Seth Fineberg, the founder of Accountants forward, which is both an accounting blog and a business that consults with vendors and service providers in the accounting space on how to better connect with accounting professionals. In this episode, we talk about how technology changes have impacted other professions throughout the years, a...

In Episode 48 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Daniel Hood, editor-in-chief at Accounting Today. In this episode, we talk about Dan’s career in media in the accounting space, what makes covering the accounting industry unique, and where all of these conversations about the industry and its struggles are leading us. We also cover Accounting Today’s recent PE summit conference, as we...

In Episode 47 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Kendale King, founder of CPACon and KCK CPA. In this episode, Kendale and I talk about the first edition of CPACon, a new conference looking to do things differently and celebrate the CPA profession. We also talk about accounting for entertainers and becoming a specialist in the crypto space. Follow Kendale: LinkedIn: https://www.linke...

In Episode 46 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Eric Rabinovich, VP at Live Oak Bank, a bank with a specialized branch for accounting and tax firms, helping them access capital for M&A transactions and operating capital. In this episode, we explore options for partner buyouts, ESOPs, firm acquisitions, and firm working capital all through SBA loans. Follow Eric: LinkedIn: https:...

In Episode 45 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Robert Gauvreau, Founder and CEO of Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law and Advisory, a Canadian firm offering both accounting and legal services. Robert’s firm is unique in that he’s reached $20M in revenue as the only equity partner and has huge ambitions to scale to $100M while retaining full ownership and control. We also talk about the im...

In Episode 44 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I share my opinion on PE in the accounting industry based on the deep dive I did into the data collected on Big 4 Transparency as well as conversations I had with guests in previous episodes. Get in touch with me: Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/ Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/ Email: dom@big4transparency.com Twitter: htt...

In Episode 43 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Marianne Galante, Founder of Galante Talent Strategies, and former Executive Director of Resource Management at KPMG. In this episode, we talk all about the impact that a strong back-office function can have on large firms and the role they play in a firm’s growth. We also talk about how resource management has evolved over the last de...

In Episode 42 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Brant Hansen, co-founder of Hansen Harding, an intermediary firm that works with Private Equity to facilitate deals with accounting firms. In this episode, Brant walks us through the reasoning behind these private equity deals, how PE generates their returns on these deals, and the factors that will most often lead to a deal’s outcomes...

In Episode 41 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Michael Hoover, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Bennett Thrasher. In this episode, we cover what Bennett Thrasher does differently to remain fiercely independent and entrepreneurial at scale, how that makes them a unique place to work, why so many firms are doing PE deals and the positives and negatives of these deals. Follow Mi...

In Episode 40 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners, a regional accounting firm that was acquired this year by Ascend, a platform for firms backed by PE. Tim shares his journey with the acquisition, what it’s like working with Ascend, and how the acquisition has changed things for his team. Tim also talks about his views on the accounting industry a...

In Episode 39 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Sharrin Fuller, CEO of Glass Wallet, an advisory group focused on helping firms scale more effectively as well as CEO of Core Financial Pros, an accounting firm focused on the health & wellness sector. In this episode, Sharrin and I discuss where many firm owners get stuck, and some really simple changes to make to your firm and y...

In Episode 38 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Mike Sylvester, Partner at SBS CPA Group, and most recently the founder of the collaboration room, a community for accounting professionals. In the episode, we talk about Mike’s late career pivot into accounting, how he and his wife scaled their firm together, and how they are currently doing their succession planning to retire while...

In Episode 37 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Tony Wilson, Founder of Acquip, a virtual CFO firm for digital agencies, and Tax-Minded, a community for professionals in the tax space. In this episode, we discuss how Tony decided his area of specialization and the niche for his firm to focus on. We also cover rotational programs and the type of student jobs that will set you up for...

In Episode 36 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Ben Wann, Owner of CFO Consultants LLC, a firm built up by acquisitions. Ben walks us through how he’s made 3, and maybe soon to be 4 acquisitions in the accounting space over the last 18 months. We also get deep into the details of how he financed these acquisitions, where he found these firms, and how he’s working on integrating the...

In Episode 35 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Tal Ben Bassat, CFO and COO at Anchor. Tal has a background as a CPA as well as an attorney working in prosecuting white collar crime. He shares how being educated in both areas gave him the base he needs to be a great generalist in the business world when it comes to finance and operation and how that led him to a COO and CFO positio...

In Episode 34 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Blake Oliver, host of the Accounting Podcast, and CEO / Founder of Earmark. In part 2 of this interview, we discuss the new generation of accountants and what people are seeking from their careers, where remote work is falling short, and the flaws in the current firm model. Check out our Sponsor, Forwardly: https://www.forwardly.com/p...

In Episode 33 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Blake Oliver, host of the Accounting Podcast, and CEO/Founder of Earmark. In part 1 of this interview, we discuss Blake’s early career, transitioning to music all the way to selling his cloud-based accounting firm and how he taught himself how to build the firm along the way. We also dive deep into the topic of processes and the incre...