In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, we sit down with Kristen Corey, founder of Media Books Agency, to talk about how accountants can use marketing to strengthen their brand, attract ideal clients, and communicate value beyond compliance work. With experience in both public accounting and marketing, Kristen shares how her journey from working as an auditor to owning her own marketing agency taught her the importance of storytelling and connection in the profession.

Key Timestamps

00:57: Introduction of Kristen Corey and her journey from auditor to marketer

03:00: Building a marketing career abroad and launching Media Books Agency

07:00: The importance of communication skills for accountants

10:10: Why every firm needs marketing, even if referrals are strong

13:05: Using AI tools like ChatGPT for tone, content, and creative brainstorming

16:31: Marketing strategies for small accounting firms under $5M

17:29: The power of newsletters and relationship-based marketing

20:41: Under-the-radar marketing tactic: consistency on social media

23:54: Funny story: catching potential fraud during an internship

27:20: Book recommendation: Extraordinary Circumstances by Cynthia Cooper

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.

In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, we sit down with Jody Padar, known across the industry as The Radical CPA, to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the accounting profession. Jody shares her journey from founding one of the first cloud firms in 2010 to working in tech startups like Botkeeper and now launching her newest venture, XcelLabs. Her mission is to prepare firms for 2030 by building AI-first practices that leverage automation to expand the capacity for empathy, client connection, and creativity in order to transform advisory work.

Timestamps:

00:00: Using AI strategically to enhance advisory work
01:06: Jody’s career journey and launch of XcelLabs
04:00: PE capital, fintech, and aging leadership disrupting the accounting industry
08:00: How money movement and tech are transforming accounting
10:11: How to leverage AI to build deeper client relationships at scale
13:20: PE-driven competition for top accounting talent
14:26: Using AI to rewrite firm operations and scale
15:24: ChatGPT, Claude, and creative thinking over automation
23:20: Using AI for unbiased performance feedback
27:35: Book Recommendation: Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can and Can’t Do

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.

In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, we sit down with Mike Schwarz, CEO of MyZone AI, to explore the evolving need for modern accounting firm leaders to adopt AI. In this episode, we discuss how AI is impacting the world and what the projected implications are for small business owners in every industry.

There are some key strategies for implementing AI in this episode. We encourage you to learn about the ways it can help your business without becoming overwhelmed by it. Even just thirty minutes a day learning AI tools can add up to major advances in your accounting firm. Watch in the player above or listen through the player below to hear more!

Timestamps:

00:00-02:30: Introduction of Mike Schwarz

03:10-06:45: Rethinking firm capacity and leadership challenges

08:15-11:30: Building systems that balance efficiency and employee well-being

11:40-13:10: AI as a catalyst for change in compliance and advisory work

17:50-19:30: Leveraging AI for efficiency and expanding firm capacity

23:15-25:00: Maintaining the human advisory touch alongside automation

25:45-28:00: Leading through change and fostering trust in new tech

28:00-29:45: The future of AI in predictive analytics and decision-making

31:00-33:30: Advice for firm owners navigating transformation

33:45-End: Closing thoughts and how to connect with Mike

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.