Join Chayton Farlee and Parker Ling as they discuss the Enrolled Agent (EA) certification and explore various career options in accounting. Parker shares his reasons for choosing the EA path instead of becoming a CPA, highlighting the unique opportunities for growth in the tax field. They also discuss how taking charge of your career and specializing in a specific area can lead to greater fulfillment. To cap off the episode, they delve into a comparison of the EA and CPA exams and discuss the importance of following your career dreams.

Connect with Parker Ling, EA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/parker-ling-ea-a17569195/

Check out Big 4 Transparency

https://www.big4transparency.com/

In this conversation, Chayton Farlee and Kaden Cook interview Yuri Kapilovich, also known as The Fun CPA. They discuss the importance of networking on LinkedIn, the value of meaningful relationships, and the need for authenticity on social media. They also talk about the journey from staff to firm owner, the significance of gaining diverse experiences, and the importance of managing workload and expectations. They touch on the challenges in public accounting, such as the pipeline issue and the need for firms to prioritize their staff. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, communication, and creating a positive work culture. The conversation revolves around the importance of prioritizing people in the accounting profession. The guests emphasize the need to take care of employees, treat them well, and ensure their happiness and satisfaction. They discuss the limitations of traditional rewards like "pizza parties" and highlight the value of meaningful conversations and mentorship. The guests also talk about the benefits of working at smaller firms and the opportunities for building relationships and networking. They share their experiences hosting networking events and emphasize the importance of creating a fun and enjoyable environment in the profession.

Chapters

3:23 Authenticity and Building Meaningful Relationships

06:14 From Staff to Firm Owner: The Journey and Importance of Diverse Experiences

10:05 Managing Workload and Expectations: The Key to a Balanced Schedule

17:24 Prioritizing Staff: Building a Positive Work Culture in Public Accounting

22:40 Continuous Learning and Adaptability: Keys to Success in the Accounting Profession

31:22 Putting People First in the Accounting Profession

33:22 The Benefits of Working at Smaller Firms

36:18 The Importance of Building Relationships and Networking

Connect with our guest Yuri Kapilovich, CPA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Check out Big 4 Transparency here!

Donovan Fox, a BYU accounting student and former KPMG intern, shares his journey into accounting and his experience as an intern. He discusses how he chose accounting after initially planning to go to dental school, and how he was drawn to the field after taking an accounting class.

Donovan also talks about his internship at KPMG, where he worked on assurance and audit projects for clients like Cafe Rio and a real estate company. He highlights the importance of work-life balance and the supportive culture at KPMG.

Donovan also shares his current part-time job at Cornerstone Technologies and the challenges of being the only accounting professional in the company. He emphasizes the need to continue learning and growing in the accounting profession and to help others along the way.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donovanfoxaccounting/

Check Out Big 4 Transparency

https://www.big4transparency.com/

There are a few accounting firms that are leading the way into the future. One of the most innovative firms doing this is Dark Horse CPA's! They have created a whole new structure and culture that is going to change the way that accounting firms operate forever!

Marcus Steinfeld is an accountant at Dark Horse CPA's and is a great mentor to young accounting professionals! In the episode he digs into what makes Dark Horse special and how young accountants can leverage mentors to have a more fulfilling career.

A bonus Xero vs QuickBooks debate is included at the end that you will not want to miss!

Check out our Sponsor Big 4 Transparency! https://www.big4transparency.com/

Connect with our Guest Marcus Steinfeld https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-steinfeld-181288ba/

Check out Dark Horse CPAs

https://darkhorse.cpa/

Accounting Conversations is taking a massive step into the future by welcoming a new cohost, Kaden Cook CPA, CMA!

Kaden will bring the perspective of a Senior Associate to each episode as well as the experience of working at one of the leading Cloud Accounting Firms, Summit Virtual CFO!

Together Chayton and Kaden hope to bring new perspectives and fun conversations to future episodes!

Special thanks to Big 4 Transparency for sponsoring this episode! Dom is leading the charge in bringing compensation transparency to the accounting profession! Make sure to visit the website below to add to the data base or analyze your current salary.

https://www.big4transparency.com/

Content creation has taken the accounting world by storm. It is a great way to build a brand and stand out from the crowd! It is proving the world wrong that accountants are boring!

Lukas Sundahl is doing this better than anyone. He consistently puts out hilarious and relatable content that shows the world how great accounting is! He has made accounting fun!

In this episode of Accounting Conversations, Lukas Sundahl digs into his unorthodox career journey from a Personal Trainer to a Fractional CFO.

He also gives great advice on how young accounting professionals can take advantage of social media and create their own content! Lukas proves that it is way easier than you might think!

Lukas Sundahl, CSCA, MBA, CMA

Lukas Sundahl, CMA, CSCA, MBA | LinkedIn

Accounting Couture

Accounting T-Shirts | Accounting Couture

For decades accountants have been overworked, underpaid, and unsatisfied with their work. Work and life were not balanced.

Today there is a group of accountants who are changing the game. They are tech-forward, happy, incredibly smart, content creators, and they have a work-life balance. This group is finally doing everything right that has been done wrong for the past decades.

They have one big secret, it is pricing! They charge what they are actually worth which allows them to work less and work only with the clients they want! Pricing is one of the biggest keys to changing the profession!

Logan Graf is changing the game and educating young firm owners about pricing. He creates amazing content on what it is like to be a small firm owner. Logan is incredibly transparent about his accounting journey and everything that is going on at his firm. He has documented his entire journey as a small firm owner!

This transparency allows anyone interested in owning their own firm someday to see exactly what it can look like when done the right way!

In the episode, Logan discusses his firm, and content creation, and gives priceless advice on how young accounting professionals can take advantage of all of the opportunities that are present in the profession right now!

Connect with Logan Graf, CPA

Logan Graf, CPA | LinkedIn

Check out Logan's YouTube Channel

Logan Graf - YouTube

Connect with Chayton Farlee

Chayton Farlee | LinkedIn

The future of the accounting profession will rely a lot on technology. Automation and AI are helping take the data entry and mundane jobs away from accountants so that they can focus on more important tasks.

For accounting professionals to be relevant in the coming years it is imperative that they are tech savvy and that they become automation experts.

Entry-level accountants can have an impact from day one if they know how to leverage technology to save time and money.

Isaac Perdomo is an accounting automation expert. He co-founded Opzer which helps firms implement technology that can transform the way that they do business.

Issac shares the latest on technology in the accounting industry and he gives great tips for how accounting students and young professionals can learn to automate their work right now!

Connect with Isaac Perdomo

Isaac Perdomo | LinkedIn

Check out Opzer

Check out Isaac's YouTube Channel

Connect with Chayton Farlee

Chayton Farlee | LinkedIn

One of the most underrated benefits of getting an accounting degree is the versatility that it brings. There are hundreds of different paths that an accounting major can take. Tax and Audit are just the tip of the iceberg.

With so many different paths to take it is essential that young accounting professionals find great mentors who can guide them.

This week's guest is Freeman Scott Bedwell, CPA. He is a Senior Tax Manager at Richey May. Freeman gives amazing advice on how to make the most of your career!

He also discusses how mentorship and finding the right firm to work at are key to long-term success. Freeman is passionate and such a great example of an accountant who has found fulfillment in their career.

You will not want to miss this episode!

Connect with Freeman Scott Bedwell, CPA

☀ Freeman Scott Bedwell, CPA | LinkedIn

Connect with Chayton Farlee

Chayton Farlee | LinkedIn

The accounting field has changed immensely in the past decade. With those changes have come challenges but also great opportunities. With the right mindset, today's accounting students are uniquely positioned to ride the wave of change to success!

Two major things that young accounting professionals can do to ensure success in their careers are to focus on technological skills, and always have a growth mindset! Technology is changing the profession at a rapid pace, and those with the right skillset will jump to the top!

This week's guest is Kevin Kimball, MAcc, CPA, CIDA. He is the Accounting Department Chair at Brigham Young University Idaho. Kevin is helping the next generation of accounting students be incredibly successful! He has helped implement programs and courses that prioritize technology and lifelong learning.

In the episode, he shares his accounting journey, describes the innovative things that BYU-I is doing for its accounting students, and gives amazing career advice!

Connect with Kevin Kimball, MAcc, CPA, CIDA

Kevin Kimball, MAcc, CPA, CIDA | LinkedIn

Connect with Chayton Farlee

Chayton Farlee | LinkedIn