The Unique CPA

On Episode 151 of The Unique CPA, Darryl Bates-Brownsword joins Randy Crabtree to discuss the importance of succession planning and its associated challenges. They delve into the benefits of early exit planning, with Darryl identifying the transition from selling hours to value-based service offerings as a key obstacle. Ultimately, exit planning is vital for businesses, and for CPAs looking to boo...

Curt Mastio, who established Founder's CPA, joins Randy for Episode 150 of The Unique CPA . They delve into Curt's transition from Big Four to his own firm, the complexities of dealing with the blockchain and crypto industries, and FinTech niche and the unique challenges it presents for accountants. They also discuss modern firm practices, tax planning strategies including utilizing R&D tax credit...

On Episode 149 of The Unique CPA, Joe Woodard joins Randy to discuss hot topics like the Private Equity revolution in accounting and the Scaling New Heights conference coming up in Orlando in June. Joe introduces the Woodard Ideal Practice Model, a multi-partite plan for firms to both determine and differentiate their services, and he offers wisdom about the difference between management and leade...

Randy Crabtree talks to Jen Cryder, CEO of PICPA, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, on Episode 148 of  The Unique CPA . They discuss the role of state societies in accounting, with a focus on bringing some of the ideas that larger firms have come up with to smaller firms and adapting those ideas to fit. Jen draws on her extensive experience as an audit senior and partner...

In this episode, Randy Crabtree chats with Al-Nesha Jones, founder of ASE Group, about her career transition, starting her own firm, and the lessons she learned to get it to where it is today. ASE Group serves as a beacon of DEI, employing full-time mothers and championing a four-day workweek with empowered employees and flexible schedules based on value billing that isn't timesheet based. Al-Nesh...

On Episode 146 of The Unique CPA, Randy Crabtree is joined by Jeremy Wells, founder of JWellsCFO, to discuss Jeremy's transition from grad school and earning a PhD, into a teaching career in academia, then changing careers mid-stream, resulting in him earning and maintaining both his EA and CPA. Jeremy's and his transition from teaching to tax advising was multi-faceted, and buffeted by a mentor w...

Randy Crabtree welcomes Accounting Today Editor-in-Chief Dan Hood back to The Unique CPA on Episode 145 to discuss the significance of community in the accounting profession. They explore the shift to other forms of communication and education that has developed over the past several years, from social media to webinars, then shift gears to focus on the good, old-fashioned conference: their value...

On Episode 144 of The Unique CPA, Randy Crabtree chats with Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners and White Glove Payroll. They delve into the impact of Private Equity on accounting through an examination of the newly announced strategic partnership between HD Growth Partners and ASCEND. Tim strongly believes that the Private Equity model provides for a new paradigm in the accounting profession, a...

On Episode 143 of The Unique CPA, Randy Crabtree chats with Amy Vetter about her diverse roles both inside and outside her career life, and the value of authenticity. A CPA, a yoga instructor, a technology business executive, an author, and more, Amy discusses her experiences with identity and career transitions, and the Business Balance Bliss concept she constructed as a result. Amy goes into her...

On Episode 142 of The Unique CPA, we take a look back at Tri-Merit's Live Chat featuring Randy Crabtree, Nick Pantaleo, and Dan Chodan discussing the changes in the Employer Retention Credit (ERC), the impact of the moratorium, and the benefits of the amnesty and voluntary disclosure programs for the coming year. They delve into the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, risks o...

On Episode 141 of The Unique CPA, join Randy Crabtree as he takes a dive into the dynamic world of accounting marketing with the insightful Karen Reyburn of The Profitable Firm. As a CPA turned marketing guru, Karen shares her expertise on effective client education, the power of niche marketing, and how accountants can leverage AI to transform their practices. Explore the importance of understand...

On Episode 140 of The Unique CPA, fellow podcast host Ed Kless of the Sage Thought Leadership podcast and The Soul of Enterprise with Ron Baker, talks to Randy about the importance of the shift from traditional to value-based pricing, knowing your target market, and the fact that what you are offering is access to knowledge, not a service. They delve into the implementation of subscription pricing...

Matthew May, the president of Acuity, returns to The Unique CPA on Episode 139, and he gives Randy the insider's perspective on Benefit Corporations, better known as B Corps. Acuity started the process of being recognized as a B Corp in 2020, and Matthew talks about the community that surrounds B Corps, the employee-centric image being a B Corp projects, and the difficulty that faces service firms...

On Episode 138 of The Unique CPA, Randy Crabtree chats with Greg Kyte about his unusual journey in accounting. From the controversies around the CPE available for listening to his Drunk Ethics podcast, as well as Oh My Fraud, another podcast Greg co-hosts, they discuss the importance of finding a niche in accounting in order to make yourself, and your work, more interesting—which has a cascading b...

The first episode of The Unique CPA in 2024, Episode 137, features Jason Blumer of Blumer CPAs, Thriveal, and Deeper Weekend. Jason started Thriveal to support accounting firm owners by building a community and resources for them to seek support. As he tells Randy , this led to Deeper Weekend, his exclusive annual conference for around a hundred accounting firm owners. The event fosters peer learn...

Episode 136 of The Unique CPA features Ilya Radzinsky, co-founder of TaxDome, talking to Randy about how TaxDome's practice management platform helps accounting firms organize their work, clients, and teams in an efficient yet easy-to-use way. TaxDome streamlines workflows, provides visibility for managers, and creates a professional client experience through their secure online portal. Ilya also...

Episode 135 of The Unique CPA features the important topic of mental health in the accounting profession. Gaynor Meilke talks to Randy about her experience with mental health struggles from a young age and how she now helps others, including children, tackle their challenges. She provides insights into the stressors accounting professionals face and signs of burnout. Randy also opens up about his...

Randy Crabtree gets together with Will Lopez of Gusto on Episode 134 of The Unique CPA to talk about innovation in the accounting profession. Will shares his entrepreneurial journey from running his own practice to developing People Advisory as a service offering for accountants at Gusto. He explains the structured approach firms can take to modernizing by constantly experimenting and keeping serv...

Dan Hood, Editor-in-Chief at Accounting Today, returns to episode 133 of The Unique CPA to talk to Randy Crabtree about the keys to creating an unbeatable company culture. They discuss the intricacies and the delicate balance between rules and relationships that attracts top talent and builds a sustainable firm environment. Discover what can truly set firms apart and ordered, pre-planned strategie...

Episode 132 of The Unique CPA features an inspiring conversation with Rich Kane about his experience surviving a stroke at a young age. Rich talks to Randy about his harrowing stroke story and recovery journey, including the lingering effects it's had on his daily life and career. Both of them discuss the emotional impact the stroke has had on their lives. For accounting professionals, this episod...

Episode 131 of The Unique CPA features Randy's insightful discussion with Michael Ly, CEO of Reconciled, a leading virtual bookkeeping and accounting firm. Michael talks about building Reconciled from the ground up and his key strategies for growth, including acquiring other accounting firms. He provides valuable perspectives on remote work culture, the current state of AI in accounting, and his o...

Episode 130 of The Unique CPA features Giles Pearson, the co-founder and CEO of Accountests, who talks to Randy about his background in public accounting and how his 18 years as a partner at a large firm. This inspired him to create Accountests to help firms make more informed hiring decisions. He discusses the various technical skills and personality tests Accountests offers and how they can help...

Discover how to bring joy to accounting with cloud technology on Episode 129 of The Unique CPA! Kellie Parks talks to Randy Crabtree about her passion for bookkeeping and how she helps accounting professionals love cloud accounting as much as she does. Learn about the templates and tools Kelly provides to streamline your firm's processes and hear tips for implementing new technologies step-by-step...

On Episode 128 of The Unique CPA, Randy welcomes tax attorney and author Eric Green, the founder of Tax Rep Network. Eric's goal with Tax Rep Network is to help tax professionals build successful IRS representation practices. He shares stories, including one where he helped clients resolve large tax debts and avoid penalties, and another horror story that saw a preparer potentially on the hook for...

Randy welcomes a very special guest, legendary hospitality leader Horst Schulze, on episode 127 of The Unique CPA. The co-founder and former COO of Ritz-Carlton hotels, as well as the founder of Capella Hotel Group, Horst shares invaluable insights on achieving excellence through defining a specific goal for your business, empowering employees, and making customers feel cared for. Underlying his p...