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/ 

We are taking a look back on an episode from the archives! Enjoy this retelling of how Accounting Practice Academy came to be.

In this episode of the podcast, we have Ian Brennan (APA’s Creative Director), and my wife Carol Poe (PGA Buyer Specialist/APA’s right-hand woman) who played a pivotal role in the creation and execution of the workshop. This workshop wouldn’t exist without them and there’s some fun stories as to why that’s the case.  

The main reason it wouldn’t exist without them, they filmed and produced the workshop! The pandemic left us without a studio or film crew and so, we created our own little film studio in the office. There was a lot of determination, and good humor that went into developing this workshop that we are so proud of. In the end, doing this project with a less than traditional film style gave us the opportunity to revise, condense and perfect our virtual course. 

*Notable Moments*
1:14: Welcoming Carol and Ian on the podcast 
2:58: How the pandemic changed filming 
5:00: Filming the first several modules and deciding they weren’t good enough 
8:40: Re-writing the module videos 
9:00: Building the course while people were already in the workshop
11:50: Perfecting the workshop to add the most value from start to finish 
13:30: The big moves members made last session
15:20: Ian’s passion for the project 

In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, Brannon is joined by Morry Brown, California market leader at Poe Group Advisors and a longtime family friend. Morry shares his journey from Goldman Sachs to helping CPA firm owners navigate the evolving landscape of firm sales, particularly as private equity (PE) ramps up its interest in the accounting profession. 

Making Informed Decisions in a Rapidly Changing Market
Morry and Brannon explore why having multiple offers and opportunities to talk to different buyers gives sellers more leverage and clarity about what matters most. They also discuss why PE buyers are increasingly interested in younger firm owners who aren’t necessarily ready to retire and what this means for those owners. From roll-up strategies and scalable efficiencies to risks around long-term PE timelines, Morry breaks down what firm owners need to consider if they’re eyeing a potential exit in today’s fast-evolving environment.
Timestamps

1:09 – Intro: Morry Brown’s background & joining Poe Group Advisors
3:13 – Why PE buyers are drawn to CPA firms
5:00 – Market changes, rising valuations, and firm consolidation
7:02 – Inside the PE acquisition process & what headline numbers miss
11:14 – Fit vs. price: what really matters when selling
16:01 – Understanding PE timelines, fund mandates & market uncertainty
19:30 – PE can improve firm performance—but it depends on the vision
22:27 – Industry roll-up comparisons: Blockbuster, Waste Management, AutoNation
24:10 – AI + outsourcing: the next evolution in firm efficiency
26:00 – Book rec: Life by Keith Richards
27:17 – Wrapping up: connect with Morry via the Poe Group Advisors website

In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, we are joined by Wayne Findlay—entrepreneur, founder of Findlay & Co., and CEO of The Back Room. Wayne shares his global perspective on how accounting firms can stay competitive in today’s talent-scarce landscape by leveraging offshoring, modern tech, and clear growth paths for team members. If you’re a firm owner thinking about scale, succession, or private equity, this episode is full of practical, real-world insight.

Get in touch with Wayne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynenz/

Episode Timestamps

01:12 – Introduction of Wayne Findlay and the founding of The Back Room

04:09 – Why offshoring is becoming more common in U.S. & Canadian firms

05:50 – Global talent shortage & the retention pressure from PE

09:09 – The win-win of delegation and internal growth

12:10 – How to use AI wisely and keep firm data secure

16:18 – His firm’s expansion into Colombia and why it’s strategic for U.S. work

19:00 – Preparing your firm for sale: what PE buyers want to see

22:45 – Funny story from an accounting conference

25:33 – Book rec: The Four Principles of Management

27:57 – Connect with Wayne and see him at upcoming conferences

The Power of Authenticity in Attracting Talent and Changing Perceptions

In this episode of the Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, we interviewed fellow podcaster and reputation-building expert Rob Brown. Rob is the host of three accounting-related podcasts with a collective following of over 50,000 listeners and is the author of Build Your Reputation. He has spent over two decades working in business development and training for accountants, who he found to be passionate but often struggling with the interpersonal side of growing a firm.
After a life-changing stroke, Rob recalibrated his career to focus on helping accountants shape their stories, amplify their impact, and build personal brands that not only elevate their firms—but the profession as a whole.

Timestamps:
 00:21 – Introduction of Rob Brown and his background
 2:40 – How Rob moved from education to accounting business development
 8:00 – The talent crisis and why firm branding matters
 12:40 – Authenticity and representation in your firm’s story
 17:19 – How to build a personal brand (without burning out)
 26:46 – Scaling, saying “no,” and making space for growth
 32:27 – Who’s responsible for the profession’s brand?
 37:00 – Brannon shares why he chose accounting
 40:00 – Funny personal story from Rob
 44:30 – Book recommendation: Deep Work by Cal Newport

The Evolution of an Industry in Real Time

In this episode of the Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, Brannon Poe is joined by Dan Hood, Editor-in-Chief at Accounting Today, to explore the shifting tides of the accounting industry. From his start as a receptionist to laying out physical newspapers and magazines to leading one of the profession's most respected publications, Dan shares his unique vantage point on the industry’s past, present, and rapidly approaching future.

AI Is Here—But We’re Just Getting Started

Dan and Brannon dive into the transformative role artificial intelligence is beginning to play in accounting. While the AI boom is still in its infancy, the industry is already seeing an influx of capital and enthusiasm for automation, agentic AI systems, and data-driven insight. Dan emphasizes the importance of starting small—testing tools, cleaning data, and learning to interact with AI—to position CPA firms for long-term impact and return on investment.

Dan Hood is Editor-in-Chief at Accounting Today, where he’s spent decades covering the accounting profession’s biggest trends, challenges, and opportunities. You can connect with Dan via LinkedIn or visit AccountingToday.com to explore more of his work.

Timestamps:
00:42 – Introduction of Dan Hood, Editor-in-Chief at Accounting Today
01:50 – Dan’s career journey from receptionist to editor
04:22 – AI’s growing impact on accounting and data usage
11:20 – Starting small with AI: how to learn and scale
16:05 – Scaling your firm: "What got you here won’t get you there"
21:50 – The shift in revenue per employee as firms grow
24:20 – Letting go to grow: moving toward zero billable hours
26:10 – Advisory services, PE firms, and new ownership models
29:30 – The challenges of the traditional partnership model
32:00 – Wedding story: accountants aren’t boring!
34:48 – Book rec: Say Nothing
39:03 – Closing thoughts and where to connect with Dan

Providing Salary Transparency to Practitioners

In this episode of the Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, Dominic Piscopo shares with Brannon about his startup–Big4Transparency. This service provides accounting firms with data around salary compensation, breaking up the data by sector, geography, and position seniority. It is easy to use and accessible for firm owners who value their employees and want to compensate them fairly. They offer a tiered price model based on firm size and additionally offer recruitment services. To learn more, you can visit their website here: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Dom is the founder of Big 4 Transparency, the largest crowdsourced database of accounting salaries on the market with over 18,000 rows of cleaned, standardized data. Big 4 Transparency is where 250,000+ accounting professionals go for high-quality salary data. Dom created this based on his own experience as a CPA working in tax at Deloitte and his frustrations with how difficult it was to find proper salary data - he’s now built a business around it charging firms a subscription fee for access to in-depth analytics on this data set with quarterly updates, helping them set salaries without all the leg work of being involved in compensation surveys.

Following Your Passions to Find Balance

Brannon and Dom discuss their shared experiences starting out their careers in Big 4 Firms. In Dom’s experience working for a Big 4 before striking out on his own, he highlights the value of following all your disparate passions. He shares how his side business as a bartender and DJ for weddings led to cross-pollination with his tax work. With prospective clients meeting him through his side jobs and discovering the possibility of utilizing his tax services. The opportunity to find new and exciting opportunities outside of the traditional mold is important to keeping balance, as well as feeding your work-life balance. 

Connect with Dom:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

Email: [email protected] 

Big4Transparency: https://www.big4transparency.com/ 

Timestamps:

00:47 - Introduction of Dominic Piscopo and his service: Big4Transparency

8:30 - The Image Problem in the Accounting Industry 

14:50 - How new technology provides an opportunity to add value

17:22 - Balancing a side business as a DJ with a Big 4 job

22:06 - Breakdown of how Big4Transparency works

A Shifting Profession

The accounting profession is evolving, and Seth Fineberg has had a front-row seat to these shifts. A seasoned journalist who found his niche covering the accounting industry, Seth brings a unique perspective on how the field has transformed—and where it’s headed next. In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan, Brannon Poe sits down with Seth to discuss the modernization of accounting firms, the talent shortage, and why more professionals are rethinking the traditional firm model.

The Divide Between Tradition and Innovation
According to Seth, with over 1.4 million accountants in the U.S., the industry is divided when it comes to change. Seth estimates that roughly 55-60% of professionals are adapting to a modern approach, others still resist shifting away from legacy structures. The pandemic and ongoing talent shortages have forced many firms to rethink their operations, prioritizing value over volume. Seth shares insights into how firms are transitioning into more advisory-driven roles, integrating wealth management services, and leveraging AI to automate routine tasks—all while maintaining the essential human element of accounting.

Embracing the Future
As the conversation wraps up, Seth reflects on the bigger picture—how accountants can embrace change, stay positive, and focus on what they can control. With the industry on the brink of major transformation, those who adapt will find themselves at the forefront of a more dynamic, engaging profession. Tune in to hear why the future of accounting is filled with opportunity, and how the right mindset can help you navigate it.

If this conversation inspires you to start improving your practice, check out Accounting Practice Academy. We have a workshop that focuses on improving your cashflow to above 50% and reducing your owner hours to under 2,000 annually.  

Timestamps:

1:25 - Introduction of Seth and his path to working as a journalist in the accounting industry.

8:27 - How the younger generation of accountants is finding more balance.

18:22 - The talent shortage and how it combined with the pandemic pushed the industry to modernize.

22:10 - the innovative suture of the accounting profession.

37:00 - Funny story about karaoke at the Engage conference

45:44 - Book recommendations and closing off: 

The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin: https://www.amazon.com/World-We-Make-Novel-Cities-ebook/dp/B09TZXTJD5 

This week, we’re celebrating a special occasion on The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast! In honor of Brannon Poe’s birthday, we flipped the script—our Marketing Director, Bailey Ball (who also happens to be Brannon’s daughter), took over the mic to interview him. Their conversation takes us on a journey from the earliest days of our company, when Bailey was in elementary school, to the thriving 20+ person team we have today.

Time Stamps:

3:20 - The early days of the company and how it grew into what it is now

8:30 - Working with family - the pros and cons

13:40 - Advice for hiring family members

21:00 - Major changes in the accounting industry – Technology, Private Equity and Remote work

28:40 - What can we do as M&A to help sellers and buyers make good choices

34:22 - Advice for listeners

35:42 - Brannon’s most outlandish deal experience 

39:26 - Wrapping Up & book reccomendations: Walter Isaacson’s biographies [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Walter-Isaacson/author/B000APFLB8?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true# ].

In this episode of The Accountant’s Flight Plan Podcast, Brannon sat down with Giles, founder of Accountests and a seasoned accounting professional with 25 years of experience in public accounting and 18 years as a partner in a firm. Giles founded Accountests after years of frustration with the unpredictability of hiring in the accounting profession; hiring seemingly qualified candidates to later realize that they were not the right fit. 

Accountests is a structured testing approach to help CPA firms make better hiring decisions. His firm provides assessments that measure both technical and soft skills, ensuring that candidates—from college graduates to senior managers—are the right fit before they are brought on board.

With the ongoing talent shortage in accounting, firms can no longer afford to rely on outdated hiring methods. The reality is that the pipeline of qualified professionals is not getting any stronger. As firms explore technology, automation, and offshoring to fill the gaps, the hiring process itself remains a critical piece of the puzzle. Giles explains how firms can leverage testing to gain a first-mover advantage—allowing them to receive a resume, assess a candidate, and confidently make a hiring decision in a matter of days rather than weeks. Without a defined process, many firms fall into the trap of hiring reactively rather than proactively.

One of the key takeaways from this discussion is the role of testing in evaluating both hard and soft skills. While firms often worry that assessments might scare candidates away, the reality is quite the opposite—strong candidates appreciate a structured and transparent process. Some firms use testing after an offer to determine training needs, but Giles suggests integrating it earlier in the process to make more informed decisions from the start. A well-explained assessment process helps candidates understand their own strengths and how they align with the role.

To wrap up, Giles shares some of his favorite business books, including Shoe Dog (https://amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike-ebook/dp/B0176M1A44 )and works by Richard Branson (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APPS34), as sources of motivation for growing a business.

For those looking to refine their hiring strategy and develop stronger teams, his firm, Accountests, provides a data-driven approach to making smarter, more confident hiring decisions. Connect with Giles on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-pearson-fca-8a175843/?originalSubdomain=nz ) or visit https://www.accountests.com/ to learn more.

Time Stamps: 

00:50 - Introduction of Giles and what led him to the development of Accountests. 

4:50 - The current state of the staffing shortage and the impact it will continue to have on smaller firms

7:02 - Is the adage “Hire slow fire fast” still true in today’s market?

11:40 - Using testing to asses both hard and soft skills to expedite and simplify the hiring process

20:14 - Testing for leadership capabilities and career growth within your organization