Thrivecast: A Podcast for Accountants

In this episode of the Thrivecast, Jason Blumer sits down with Rhonda Butler and Trey Touchstone, partners at HKB CPAs in Louisiana, for one of the final episodes of the show. The conversation is a candid look at what real CPA firm transformation looks like — messy, non-linear, and absolutely worth it.  Trey and Rhonda share how they discovered Thriveal, what pushed them to seek outside coaching a...

In this episode of the Thrivecast, Jason Blumer sits down with longtime friend and CPA leader Barrett Young to talk about the messy, honest journey of building a firm—and the transitions that shape us along the way.  Barrett shares his story from becoming a CPA, to launching his own virtual firm, to eventually closing it and joining an 80-year-old accounting firm where he is now a partner. Along t...

Kenji Kuramoto is the Founder and former CEO of Acuity, a pioneering outsourced accounting and fractional CFO firm that built and maintained financial functions for thousands of innovative entrepreneurs. Under his leadership, Acuity became one of Accounting Today’s Top Firms for Technology and a Top Firm to Work For, before merging into Sorren in 2025. In this episode, Kenji joins Jason M. Blumer,...

In this episode of Thrivecast, host Jason M. Blumer, CPA sits down with Salim Omar, CPA—nationally recognized CPA firm consultant, author, and industry thought leader—to explore how CPA firms are evolving in response to changing demographics, advancing technology, and shifting expectations among firm owners. With more than 30 years of experience in the accounting profession, Salim has worked close...

This Thrivecast episode, the final one of 2025, features a solo conversation led by Jason , who reflects on seasons of change and intentional leadership as he looks ahead to 2026. Drawing on nearly 25 years of firm ownership and 15 years of leading Thriveal , Jason explores how change—whether chosen or forced—can become a catalyst for growth when approached strategically. He shares personal insigh...

In this episode of The Thrivecast, Jason Blumer interviews Heath Alloway, Growth Partner at Sorren, who brings extensive experience from BKD and the Upstream Academy. Heath introduces a transformative framework he calls the "four pillars of success": culture, people, clients, and wise growth. This sequencing is deliberate—growth sits last because it exists to fuel the other three, challenging the...

On this episode of the Thrivecast, Jason Blumer sits down with Dr. Kristy Short to reveal a profound truth about professional services: firms unconsciously choose mediocrity through their communication patterns. We explore how the accounting profession's default toward compliance-based content creates an invisible prison of sameness—a sea of templated messaging that transforms unique practices int...

In this episode of The Thrivecast, host Jason Blumer interviews Chad Davis, partner at LiveCA, one of Canada's original virtual accounting firms. Chad brings over a decade of experience building remote-first operations and shares practical insights about AI adoption and automation strategies. He emphasizes that automation should never be a firm's top three priorities, positioning AI as a powerful...

In this episode of The Thrivecast, host Jason Blumer interviews change management expert Alice Grey Harrison, who brings 25 years of experience managing transformation in large professional service firms. Alice Grey opens with a fundamental insight: whether you're working with 25 people or 20,000 people, change challenges remain the same because "we're people." She debunks the stereotype that acco...

Alan Whitman challenges firm leaders to embrace uncomfortable questions as catalysts for organizational transformation. His central thesis: we are already advisors, trapped not by capability but by inherited paradigms that no longer serve our evolving purpose. Jason and Alan discuss how advisory and compliance were once integrated, but now we've artificially separated them. Modern firms must posit...

In this episode, we chat with Katrina Nacci, a CPA based in Frankfurt, Germany who helps European companies navigate US accounting standards. Originally from Boston, Katrina describes her work as "bridging the gap with two A's" - taking companies from local European accounting to US GAAP or IFRS when they're seeking American investors or planning IPOs. After 12 years abroad and experience at PwC a...

The world is constantly evolving. Clients are changing. That means we have to meet them where they are. Accountants are no longer strictly “service providers”. Go ahead…add “technology advisor” to your resume. It sounds scary, but it’s true. Accountants must start embracing new technology and AI in order to free up ourselves for the services that clients are actually wanting. “There’s an app for t...

In this episode of Thrivecast, Jason sits down with award-winning educator Dr. Scott J. Allen, Ph. D., an expert in leadership development, the future of work, and executive communication, to discuss the crucial distinction between technical expertise and leadership ability in accounting firms. Episode Highlights: - Why the most skilled accountants aren't always the best candidates for leadership...

Welcome to Thrivecast! In today’s episode, Jason Blumer sits down with Rob Nixon, a global expert in driving profitability for accounting firms. They unpack the nitty-gritty of critical utilization, productivity, and efficiency concepts. They’ll explore how the pandemic has reshaped virtual work, the historical changes in accounting efficiency, succession planning, and transforming firms into vehi...

In this solo Thrivecast episode, Jason reflects on opportunities that the new year brings. He shares the sad conclusion of the Businessology Show and said goodbye to make way for new ventures and focused growth. He emphasizes the importance of recommitting to new paths in the services industry and highlights Thriveal’s exciting future plans. He invites listeners to join him in embracing change, gr...

Welcome back to Thrivecast! In this episode, Jason sits down with Brett Kelly, founder, and CEO of Kelly Partners Group, a global accounting firm that went public in Australia in 2017 and is now leading in the US as well. They sit down to discuss the evolving world of leadership and business strategy. Brett highlights the importance of fostering bottom-up leadership, aligning business practices wi...

Welcome back to The Thrivecast! Today, Jason sits down for part 2 of his episode with Ian Vacin where they finish their teaching from the highly successful Deeper Weekend conference. This episode is a follow up from Ian’s sessions at Deeper Weekend and they dive into the Qualitative Research they are doing for their upcoming book on Human Capacity. Come learn about the 7 qualitative research findi...

Welcome back to Thrivecast! In today’s episode, Jason chats with Ian Vacin, co-founder and chief customer officer of Karbon. Known for his extensive background in industrial engineering, high tech manufacturing, and an MBA, Ian brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the table. Together, they dive deep into the intricacies of capacity planning and resource management for accounting firms, drawing...

Welcome back to Thrivecast! In today's episode, Jason and Jackie Meyer, dive into the dynamic world of tax planning and strategic leadership. Holding a doctorate in strategic leadership, Jackie discusses the significance of setting personal boundaries, the value of in-person meetings, and her journey in hiring a CEO to focus on her book and career advancements. We'll explore the high ROI potential...

Welcome back to Thrivecast, where we get into the ins and outs of the ever-evolving landscape of the accounting profession. In this episode, we have a thought-provoking conversation with Rob Brown, CEO of Accounting Influencers, hailing from the historic city of Nottingham, UK. Rob shares his journey from a high school math teacher to becoming a leading figure in training and developing accounting...

Welcome to a special solo episode of Thrivecast! In this unique installment, Jason examines a concept crucial for every firm entrepreneur: Owner Rest. As we enter conference season, it's the perfect time to explore how stepping away strategically can refuel and recharge you. In this episode, you'll discover the distinction between 'rest rest' and 'owner rest' and why both are essential for sustain...

Welcome to another Thrivecast episode, where Jason and Calvin Harris dive deep into the evolving landscape of the accounting profession. They tackle the intricate rules and regulations that impact the mobility of CPAs across states, emphasizing the crucial role of state CPA societies in advocating for the profession and protecting public trust. Calvin Harris, the CEO of the New York State Society...

Welcome to another episode of Thrivecast. Today, we’re diving deep into the transformative journey firms undergo when moving from traditional consensus-based models to streamlined business-oriented models. Jason’s thrilled to have Jeremy Clopton, managing director of Upstream Academy, joining us to share his experiences and the complexities this transition entails. They’ll explore how embracing a...

Welcome back to Thrivecast, where we dive deep into the mechanics of running a firm and the trends shaping the professional landscape. In today's episode, we're excited to have Tom Hood, EVP of the AICPA and Business Learning Institute, join us to unravel the complexities surrounding the CPA profession. We tackle the hotly debated 150-hour rule for CPA exam eligibility and discuss its ten-year jou...