Quality leadership that grows your accounting practice isn’t about pushing your team to work harder. While it may sound counterintuitive, modeling a healthy, balanced life is what actually moves the needle. In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, Rob Dube opens the conversation by emphasizing that when leaders prioritize wellness, the team will follow suit. This results in less burnout, fewer mistakes, better client service, and a more harmonious work environment. If you are happy in your work and life, your team and CPA practice will thrive as well.

Brannon and Rob also discuss the importance of vulnerability and authentic connection to maintain effective leadership. By sharing your personal story with partners, employees, and close peers, leaders build trust and authentic engagement. Some practical ways to start doing this could be asking for feedback from your close friends and peers on what your strengths and weaknesses are, allowing leaders to shed their “armor”. This can lead to more self-awareness and foster deeper relationships and a higher-energy workplace.

To conclude, Rob and Brannon discuss the importance of setting boundaries to prioritize high-value work. The effectiveness of avoiding hustle culture, taking time off, and delegating lower-value tasks ensures that leaders remain energized for what truly matters. By focusing on purpose, energy, and mindful action, leaders can build resilient teams, sustainable practices, and more fulfilling lives.

Timestamp List: Key Sections:

• 02:00 - Introducing The Ten Disciplines
• 04:00 - Climbing the Two Mountains: Achievement vs. Meaning
• 07:00 - Chaos vs. Awareness: Tuning Into Your Body
• 11:00 - Understanding the Driven Personality
• 14:00 - Vulnerability and the Inner Story
• 21:00 - Practical Steps to Peel Back the Armor
• 26:00 - Combatting Hustle Culture and Setting Boundaries
• 31:00 - Delegating and Avoiding Low-Value Work
• 37:00 - Resources and Key Takeaways

Link to full listing: https://poegroupadvisors.com/practice/sc2038/

Firm Highlights:
- Young, energetic owner committed to staying 10+ years to run and grow the firm.
- Selling 70–100% equity, with plans to offer key employees an ownership stake.
- 3+ CPAs on staff and over 20 employees.
- High-net-worth clients with strong loyalty and consistent referrals.
- 78% of services tied to business clients.

The Evolving Role of Private Equity
In this special episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, Brannon meets with Morry Brown, regional market leader here at Poe Group Advisors, formerly of Goldman Sachs, to share a timely update on how private equity is impacting mergers and acquisitions in the accounting profession today.This was a live discussion with an informative Q&A at the end.

Morry and Brannon dive deep into the steady rise of PE-backed deals and discuss the impact of outside capital on CPA firm sales. They unpack why it is funding partner buyouts and, therefore, reshaping the structure of firm operations themselves. Morry highlights why many of these investors view the accounting profession as a “sticky” industry, given its recurring revenue streams. This makes CPA firms especially attractive compared to other industries with less stable revenue projections.

Pros and Cons for CPA Firms
Brannon highlights that while PE firms often bring significant advantages (including technological advancements and recruitment capital), the deal structures they propose can be unrealistic when compared to traditional sales. Morry reflects that the earnouts and layered incentives within these deal proposals are becoming increasingly common. This can, unfortunately, create complications for sellers who are looking for a cleaner transition than private equity can provide. Brannon and Morry both emphasize the importance of owners thinking carefully about what they want. Especially, considering that a straightforward deal that looks less flashy on paper might be better in practice than a larger quote that relies on a complex earnout structure that would lead to a messy exit.

What CPA Firm Owners Need to Know for the Future
So what do the next 12–18 months look like for the industry? With interest rates and capital funds shifting consistently, Brannon and Morry believe that not all private equity buyers will remain active to the same degree. For firm owners, this simultaneously creates opportunities and reasons to be cautious. Before deciding your next steps in the future of your firm, get clear on what your own goals are outside of the changing tide within the industry. Whether you want to maximize your firm’s value, ensure continuity for your staff, or simply exit without complexity, knowing your goals will help you make them a reality.

Timestamps:
02:00 – Introductions of Morry and Brannon

06:30 – Why private equity is interested in accounting firms' sales

10:15 – PE-backed deals vs. traditional sales: what’s the difference?

14:45 – Earnouts, incentives, and PE’s risk of overcomplication

20:10 – Possible benefits of PE investment: talent and technology upgrades

26:00 – Market shifts: Interest rates and deal pace

31:30 – Practical advice for firm owners considering PE offers

43:58 – Question and Answer period from firm owners like you!

From A Big Four Firm to Entrepreneurship
In this special episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, Brannon sat down with Raffi Yousefian, a NY/DC-based CPA and entrepreneur, to discuss his journey to building a thriving tax practice. Raffi began his career at EY before launching his own firm in 2016, growing rapidly before making the bold decision in 2022 to niche down into three verticals. By 2023, he doubled down on his fastest-growing and most rewarding segment: restaurants. He dedicated his brand to that niche and sold off the rest with the help of Poe Group Advisors.

Timestamps:
00:37 – Intro of Raffi Yousefian his background from EY to launching his own firm and finding his niche

04:00 – Why Raffi left public accounting to become an entrepreneur

06:50 – Doing less to grow more: The power of niching

11:45 – Selling off part of a firm: Risk vs. reward

15:20 – Why focus builds deeper expertise and stronger advisory

20:00 – Benchmarks, AI adoption, and automation in accounting

27:33 – DJ life during tax season: A funny story

31:48 – Book recommendation: Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

33:00 – Connect with Raffi via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffiyousefian/