On a recent podcast episode, Glenn and I had an opportunity to talk with Dr. Christopher Loo. Here are some of the ‘takeaways’ from that interesting conversation about how to go from building a ‘practice’ as a professional to building a business. Many entrepreneurs...

You’re grinding away, paying your employees, and paying yourself. Things are ok. They could be better. You’re busy. But, don’t allow being busy to be the excuse for overlooking these 3 things I see repeatedly in small CPA firms. Once addressed, your profits will...

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Even though you don’t practice medicine, establishing a good project management system for your business advisory firm will prevent plenty of headaches for all team members.  Managing clients and all of the details...

The art of communication while leading others This is Part 3 of a three-part series. Here are the links to the other articles in this series. Part 1: Exponential growth starts with defining your why and building your vision Part 2: Empowering others so you can lead...

Empowering others so you can lead into the future This is Part 2 of a three-part series. Here are the links to the other articles in this series. Part 1: Exponential growth starts with defining your why and building your vision Part 3: The art of communication while...

Exponential growth starts with defining your why and building your vision This is Part 1 of a three-part series. Here are the links to the other articles in this series. Part 2: Empowering others so you can lead into the future Part 3: The art of communication while...

By Julie Smith and Ryan Conn This is part 2 of a collaborative article. Not long ago, we found ourselves talking about the questions we get from other practice leaders about how to execute change- big change- successfully in our firms.  We’ve both led our...

By Julie Smith and Ryan Conn In a recent meeting of the minds, we had an opportunity to reflect on a pivotal journey that both of us have lived and led. A journey that is prevalent in the public accounting profession today for leaders of hundreds (even thousands) of...

By Julie Smith and Will Hill This was the question we found ourselves discussing recently. It’s a challenging question that begins with…what do you think your firm culture is? Can you describe it? And, how do you actually know if you have a positive culture? According...

Zunie Nguyen of Yogi CPA and Julie Smith of Harper & Co. Share Recognition NASHVILLE (Dec. 6, 2021) –  Zunie Nguyen, CPA, and Julie Smith have been named dual 2021 recipients of CPA.com’s Innovative Practitioner Award, which recognizes innovation in...

It’s this simple: you have to believe in yourself and believe in those around you. Of the hundreds of entrepreneurs I’ve worked with in my career, there is common denominator for every one of them who has staying power and who grows his or her business. They know how...

Four years ago, we made a strategic decision to update our firm’s vision and execute a big change. In a profession generally resistant to change, this was a daunting move. Our business and tax clients needed proactive advice and a partner to hold them accountable...

Did you know that pilots prefer to take off into a headwind? In short, it helps them achieve ‘wheels up’ faster because they don’t have to gain as much ground speed. Change is a headwind in business, and strong leaders don’t just embrace it…they run straight into it...

By Julie Smith and Adam Tarnow That was the question we found ourselves discussing recently. It’s a challenging question and at first, we thought this might just be one of those questions that would be fun to debate during a happy hour with your...

It has become a de facto standard, a lot of us do it. Over the past few years, apps like PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, and Zelle have made it easy and convenient to pay and accept payments for personal and business transactions.  Until 1/1/22… It wasn’t required for...

The crucial role every business needs to get to the next level Every business owner starts their journey with a sense of passion and purpose. It’s both exciting and terrifying. An emotional roller coaster that climbs up a steep hill and plunges down the other side,...