The Modern CPA Success Show

The accounting profession is opening up. The firm owners who see that clearly right now are the ones who will come out ahead.  Tom Wadelton and Adam Hale share key takeaways from the LEA (Leading Edge Alliance) North American Regional Conference 2026, one of the top CPA firm conferences in the industry. They cover what the profession's biggest thinkers are saying about where accounting firms...

AI is shrinking the time it takes to do accounting work and for firm owners still billing by the hour, it is quietly shrinking their revenue, too.  Mark Wickersham, mentor to over 400 accountants at Value Pricing Academy Ltd, tackles the two skills separating profitable accounting firms from overworked ones: value pricing and AI. Mark has spent 25 years teaching accountants how to stop trading hou...

You built your CPA firm from the ground up. So why does it feel like it is running you instead of the other way around?  Geraldine Carter, Founder and Business Coach at Geraldine Carter LLC, talks about what it really takes for CPA and accounting firm owners to stop overworking, start charging what they are worth, and design a firm that fits the life they want. Geraldine has spent a decade coachin...

AI is already here. If you are still billing by the hour and running your team on timesheets, you are building on a foundation that is cracking fast.  Blake Oliver, Founder and CEO of Earmark and one of Accounting Today’s top 100 most influential people, talks about the billing revolution happening right now in accounting. Blake breaks down why the billable hour is the root of inefficiency in acco...

Your CPA firm is growing but is your team growing with it?  Terrell Turner, co-founder of TLTurner Group, talks about how growing CPA firms can take control of their capacity. Terrell shares the exact framework his firm uses to measure workload, standardize processes, and know with confidence when to add more clients without overwhelming the team. Terrell brings a manufacturing mindset to accounti...

Still trying to grow your firm by working more hours? That approach has a ceiling. Ryan Lazanis, CPA and founder of Future Firm, shares what he learned building and selling an online accounting firm from scratch, and why most firm owners stay stuck running a practice instead of a business. You will hear why clarity on what you actually want comes first, why your service packages need to sell a tra...

Still pricing by the hour? You are limiting your cash flow.   Ron Baker, founder of VeraSage Institute and co-founder of THRESHOLD, talks about why the billable hour fails business owners and what to do instead. You’ll hear why pricing is a core skill, why mindset blocks change, and why most firms stay stuck even when better models exist.  Learn how fixed pricing removes surprises and builds trust...

If you want cash flow freedom, you cannot separate money from leadership. Your revenue, team performance, pricing power, and long-term stability all reflect how you lead. Scotty Scarano, Rapping Custodian at Accounting High, shares how he is reshaping how people view accounting, financial literacy, and career development.   Listen to how to Build Cash Flow Freedom Through Leadership. Resources: ●...

You can’t afford to plan your finances based on how things used to work. Cash flow pressure, pricing changes, technology shifts, and new reporting demands are forcing business owners to think ahead instead of reacting late. Daniel Hood, Editor in Chief of Accounting Today, on where business finance is heading and what small business owners should prepare for now. You learn how advisory services, v...

Running a business is more than putting out fires and checking boxes. Thinking like an owner changes how you make decisions and lead your team. Chad Davis, co-founder at LiveCA LLP & AutomationTown.io, joins the conversation to explore what it truly means to behave like a business owner. You'll hear real talk on financial ownership, setting priorities, letting go of control, and why emoti...

As a small business owner, you wear a lot of hats and it’s easy to feel like the pressure never stops.  Randy Crabtree, Co-Founder of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals, shares lessons that push you to rethink how you run your finances. He talks about passion, problem solving, and building systems that help you get better cash flow, and long‑term stability for your business. You’ll hear how he...

Being the boss doesn’t automatically make you a business owner. Running a business requires you to think differently, act strategically, and lead with clarity. Chris Papin, CPA, Attorney & Business Advisor at Papin Speaks, talks about what it really means to behave like a business owner. From facing hard truths about failed marketing to balancing emotional attachment with accountability, Chris...

Bringing in the right people can transform your CPA firm. Hiring is a strategic move that drives your growth. If you're looking to make smarter hiring decisions, this episode is for you. Will Spengler, founder of Frederick Fox, shares how his team finds strong controller and finance candidates in markets like Dallas, and what firms should do to stay competitive. You’ll get insights into how r...

If your numbers feel disconnected from your decisions, it’s time to change that. Profit-Focused Accounting helps you align operations so you can stop guessing and start leading with confidence. Discover a clear roadmap to financial maturity with the five pillars of profit-focused accounting. Learn how to build cash flow that supports growth, know why accurate and timely reporting must come first,...

You started your business to grow, not to get stuck in spreadsheets. Today, smart tools make it easier than ever to stay ahead. In this episode of The Modern CPA Success Show, we sit down with Jeff Seibert, CEO and co-founder of Digits, to explore how AI is transforming small business finance. We cover how Digits uses machine learning to automate up to 93% of bookkeeping, how their proprietary led...

In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, small business CFOs are navigating complexities that demand more than spreadsheets and manual processes. In this episode of The Modern CPA Success Show, Ahikam Kaufman, co-founder and CEO of SafeBooks AI, explains how AI is transforming financial operations, enhancing data integrity, and streamlining decision-making.  With over 20 years of expe...

When the time comes to consider selling, it’s easy to feel buried in uncertainty and daily chaos. How do you prepare your business for sale? In this episode, Tom Wadelton and Adam Hale from Summit Virtual CFO by Anders walk you through what it really takes to prepare your business for sale. They share straightforward insights into how to think beyond putting out daily fires and start making strate...

Many firms find themselves delivering outsourced accounting but struggling to break into true advisory work.   In this episode of The Modern CPA Success Show, Amy Bridges, Senior Manager of CAS Professional Services at CPA.com, shares how firms like yours can build a thriving CAS practice that’s scalable, efficient, and impactful. Amy's journey into the world of CAS is anything but ordinary....

In our year end wrap up: Jody, Brett, Tom, Hannah, and Jamie share favorite moments from the show, podcasting resolutions and holiday gift wishes. the hosts reflect on personal anecdotes and provide their aspirations for the upcoming year. They also introduce a new behind-the-scenes team member. "If we have the ability to make our clients feel like heroes, that’s a complete home run. For me,...

Title : Why Did the Accountant Cross the Road? To Connect with Clients on a Deeper Level! Quote : "My clients had and still have amazing reputations in what they do. Most of them don't need huge numbers of new clients; it's more about reputation management and keeping the marketing ticking over." -Chantal Cornelius Summary : In this episode of the Modern CPA Success Show, the h...

" As an owner of a business, it’s really nice to have control, knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and how much cash I have. " -Adam Hale Summary : In this episode of the Modern CPA Success Show, hosts Tom and Adam discuss their firm's cash flow management service. They highlight the critical role of cash flow in business health, distinguishing it from financial forecasting....

"If you want to understand your pricing, I need to know what your service packages are. If you want to understand how you're going to onboard a client, I need to know what your service package is." - Adam Hale The finer details of this episode: ● Importance of service packages for accounting firms, focusing on clarity in offerings, pricing, and alignment with target client segments...

In this special episode of The Modern CPA Success Show, four speakers with Halloween-themed personas—Jamie Nightmare, Hannah Hexed Hood, Adam Haunted Hale, and Joey Killing Kenny—engage in a lively draft-style discussion about their favorite Halloween movies. Jamie, the enthusiastic host, sets the stage and outlines the draft rules. Hannah humorously admits her limited horror movie experience, whi...

"They swapped out ‘accounting’ for ‘advisory’ in CAS, but I still believe it’s 'client accounting and advisory services.' At scale, especially with small businesses, it’s hard to separate the two. You need a foundational understanding of their accounting model to help architect it in a way that truly tells their story." – Adam Hale   The finer details of this episode: The shift...

“If you're only working in the business, you're doing it wrong. Cut your activities in half. You have to free up time to think about the business, to work on the business.” – Simon Severino The finer details of this episode: • Transition from traditional tax-based practices to advisory-oriented services in accounting. • Challenges faced by accounting firms in defining and marketing their...