The Unique CPA

Episode 201 of The Unique CPA kicks off a block of episodes focused on building community in the accounting profession, and to start, Randy talks with Ashley Carroll, founder of Operations House, about addressing burnout while driving firm profitability. Ashley details her mission to help accounting firms rethink their business structures and cultures and think of their employees more as human bei...

We have reached yet another mile episode of The Unique CPA , number 200, and Randy Crabtree joins producer Justin Grant to celebrate the show's journey. They reflect on the supportive community that has sprung up around the show, the Bridging the Gap Conference , and plans for the future, while having some fun too with a bloopers segment that's sure to make you laugh along with them. Randy also sh...

Randy Crabtree is joined by Dave Lane, founder of Grove & Grain Leadership, on Episode 199 of The Unique CPA . As a business executive, leader coach, keynote speaker, and fractional COO, Dave discusses his journey and philosophy around the concept of being a "force of awesome." He elaborates on the importance of self-awareness, vulnerability, and identifying your true self for both personal fulfil...

Randy welcomes Michael Haynes, go-to-market specialist and Director of Listen Innovate Grow, on Episode 198 of The Unique CPA. Michael explains how accounting firms can transition from transactional to advisory services, focusing on the importance of understanding client needs and conducting internal analysis to create a comprehensive go-to-market strategy. Michael instructs firms to identify thei...

On Episode 197 of The Unique CPA , Randy Crabtree welcomes Greg Adams, Senior VP and CFO at the American Management Association and author of the novel Green Shade$ . Greg discusses his career journey, his passion for the profession which served as inspiration for his novel—which features an accountant protagonist—and his advocacy for improving the image and perception of accountants. He emphasize...

Episode 196 of The Unique CPA brings Liz Farr, a CPA and influential freelance writer, in conversation with Randy Crabtree. Liz discusses her diverse career path and how she transitioned from biochemistry to linguistics, then eventually to accounting, and finally writing within the profession. Taking a 30,000 foot view, they discuss the significant shifts happening in accounting such as innovative...

Randy Crabtree hosts Brian Floriani on a special Episode 195 of The Unique CPA. The founder of Bernie's Book Bank, Brian shares his moving story behind how he founded the organization in memory of his father, with the goal of addressing educational inequity through book ownership. Brian discusses the significant impact of providing books to under-resourced communities and reveals that a small incr...

On Episode 194 of The Unique CPA , Randy Crabtree chats with Kelly Rohrs, founder of her own CPA firm and co-host of the podcast From Zero to Millions: Accounting Edition . Kelly shares her journey from working in a traditional CPA firm to establishing her own practice and the strategies she employed to make it a success, such as leveraging LinkedIn for exposure and building authentic relationship...

Happy new year to The Unique CPA community! David Hartley joins Randy on Episode 193 to kick off 2025 with a chat about a timely topic: The profession's future and looking forward to the key things that will drive change within accounting. The Partner in Charge of Advisory at Anders CPAs and Advisors, David hits on the shift towards advisory services, emphasizing innovation and the future readines...

Randy Crabtree welcomes Megan Tarnow on Episode 192 of The Unique CPA to discuss Megan's unique niche: the intersection of nonprofits and QuickBooks. A speaker, trainer, and Top 100 Pro Advisor, Megan has lent a hand to numerous nonprofits over the years and even developed a Facebook group for nonprofit finance that boasts over 11,000 members. She explains the concept of fiscal sponsorship and its...

Loren Fogelman joins Randy Crabtree on Episode 191 of The Unique CPA to reveal her keys to enhance accounting firm owners' earning potential while reducing their hours. Having transitioned from sports psychology to business coaching, Loren emphasizes the similarities between athletes and growth-minded firm owners, translating these similarities into concepts like value-based pricing and the import...

Join Randy in his conversation with Josh Malancuk, a state property tax specialist, on Episode 190 of The Unique CPA . Josh discusses his role and the complexities of property tax reductions for businesses. He highlights how most businesses overpay on taxes due to a lack of expertise in reviewing tax assessments and compliance, especially in particular states where the rules differ significantly f...

On episode 189 of The Unique CPA, Randy is joined by Anthony Venette of DeJoy to discuss the intricacies of succession, gift, and estate planning. Anthony shares insights from his career journey, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning for business continuity and ownership transfer, and he delves into succession planning's critical aspects, such as defining goals, internal vs. external tr...

On Episode 188 of The Unique CPA, Randy Crabtree connects with Isaac Perdomo, co-founder of Opzer, with a focus on automation in the profession. Isaac explains how Opzer helps accounting firms streamline their operations through process mapping, optimization, and custom workflow automation. Randy points out that oftentimes, those who would benefit most from automation don't understand just how muc...

Randy welcomes Dan Berenholtz, co-founder and CEO of StanfordTax, to Episode 187 of The Unique CPA . Dan discusses how his company is revolutionizing the tax season process for accountants and clients alike. Detailing his passion for tech entrepreneurship, Dan explores StanfordTax's innovative approach to automating tax data collection, enhancing both client experience and accountant efficiency. H...

Randy Crabtree talks to Lisa Simpson, Vice President of Firm Services at AICPA, on Episode 186 of The Unique CPA . Lisa stresses that essential transformations are needed to ensure a prosperous future for the profession. Fostering a healthy community of accounting professionals and critical shifts in the traditional business model are keys to staying relevant, as are leveraging technology and dive...

On Episode 185 of The Unique CPA , Randy digs into advisory platforms with David Snider, CEO and founder of Harness Wealth. Harness is one such platform making waves in the profession, and David, in discussing his journey from the real estate tech industry to tax and wealth management, explains how these worlds linked together for him to found Harness. Sharing his understanding of how technology c...

Randy Crabtree returns to a very personally important topic to him, burnout, on Episode 184 of The Unique CPA. He sits down with specialist Anna Lovell-Nesmith to discuss the pervasiveness of burnout among accounting professionals. Anna shares her insights on recognizing and managing burnout, emphasizing the importance of time management, prioritization, and personalized strategies, which she prov...

Randy Crabtree engages in an enlightening discussion with Hitendra Patil, seven-time Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential Person, on Episode 183 of The Unique CPA . The President of Global F&A Services for Datamatics Business Solutions, Hitendra is an author and speaker who, like Randy, seeks to improve accounting as a whole. Highlighting the talent shortage and the evolving landscape of the...

We go back in time on this special five-year anniversary Episode 182 of The Unique CPA , as original guest Tim Jipping, founder of Journey Advisors & CPAs, returns to interview Randy Crabtree on the podcast's milestone show. Discussing the podcast's inception, evolution, and its impact on the accounting profession, Randy reflects on things that have surprised him about becoming a podcast host and...

Randy Crabtree talks to Tori McKee, the owner of Best Practice Bookkeeping and Payroll, on Episode 181 of  The Unique CPA , and they focus on burnout. Tori shares her journey of professional transformation, having decided to "burn down and rebuild" her business. Having struggled through 70-80 hour weeks for years, Tori moved away from the traditional CPA firm methodologies she'd always known, adop...

On Episode 180 of The Unique CPA, Chris Williams, the CEO of System Six, joins Randy for a conversation about the direction modern accounting is headed. System Six is a cloud-based finance and accounting firm Chris acquired, and he shares his journey, from his background in investment banking and private equity. With a focus on strong company culture characterized by joy, collaboration, and flexib...

Join us as we take a look back at six top rated episodes and guests to celebrate International Podcast Day on Episode 179 of The Unique CPA. Featuring Josh Lance, Allan Koltin, Tim Petrey, John Garrett, Eric Green, and Al-Nesha Jones, Randy reminisces about each guest and the impact they've had on the Unique CPA Community and the profession as a whole. Get the full show notes and more resources at...

Randy Crabtree is joined by Andrew Leck, CEO of MSI Global Alliance, on Episode 178 of The Unique CPA . An international association of lawyers and accountants, MSI brings professionals together, and Andrew discusses the thriving and collaborative community MSI has created, with a special emphasis on its benefits to mental and physical well-being. Integrating accountants and lawyers under one umbr...

On Episode 177 of The Unique CPA , Randy Crabtree interviews Logan Graf, Chief Tax Officer and Founder of The Graf Tax Co. Logan took an unusual path to starting his own firm, with him jumping into the fully remote model in the middle of Covid, and he's continued on that unconventional trajectory by hiring his first employee through social media. Social media has been a key for Logan for both prof...