Between 2 Firms

Crystal Wambeke joins Nick to break down how she went from a government accounting role to building a bookkeeping firm from the ground up, including a 9-year side hustle phase that eventually turned into a full-time practice. She shares how early client acquisition came from platforms like Craigslist and Elance, why being selective with clients paid off long term, and how hitting capacity and burnout forced her first hire a few years in. Crystal walks through her current 7-person team structure, including the role of a client success manager and how work flows from senior account managers to associate bookkeepers, plus the challenges of maintaining clear communication across email, text, and internal tools like Slack and ClickUp. The conversation also dives into her niche in fraud examination work, which now makes up a portion of firm revenue, how her background in loss prevention led to becoming a Certified Fraud Examiner, and how writing a book unexpectedly became a source of inbound leads. They wrap with lessons on delegation, system tradeoffs, and the realities of scaling a firm without formal marketing.

To connect with Crystal, visit her firm's website:

https://www.wambekeassociates.com/

or follow her on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/wambeke-associates

To check out her book referenced on the podcast visit:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692923160

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Nick and Matt use this episode to unpack the firm’s current bookkeeping process from end to end, framed by the reality that tax season pushed the podcast onto a three-week hiatus and exposed a few operational weak points along the way. They talk through the lessons from launching an accounting podcast during busy season, why they are shifting to an every-other-week cadence for now, and how a growing backlog forced them to get more honest about capacity, cleanup work, and what a good-fit bookkeeping client actually looks like. They also break down their full client journey, including discovery calls, intake and filtering, pricing off estimated time, three-tier proposals in Ignition, mandatory cleanup work, and the move toward a more structured onboarding process with clearer expectations on both sides. From there, they walk through how the bookkeeping pod operates day to day, with Financial Cents, QuickBooks Online, customer success handoffs, review standards, month-end close, management reporting, and time-budget tracking all working together to deliver monthly books while tightening the system in real time.

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Perry Mayer joins Nick to break down how he went from corporate internal audit and public accounting into building Vital Accounting Services on the side, then making the leap full-time after realizing there was never going to be a “perfect” moment. They get into what changed once Perry left corporate, including rebuilding his network from scratch, leaning hard into tax-accountant referral partners, and growing the firm by focusing on bookkeeping, cleanup work, and fractional controller/CFO services rather than tax. He shares how he structures fixed-fee tiered packages, why he refuses to track time unless absolutely necessary, and how he manages client expectations around cleanup timelines with a 90-day ramp-up. The conversation also covers hiring experienced accountants in the Philippines, the tradeoffs of offshore staffing and time-zone overlap, why review capacity can become the bottleneck as a firm scales, and what Perry is doing to build a more boutique, white-glove firm for clients in the $1M to $10M range.

To connect with Perry, visit his firm's website:

https://vitalacct.com/

or follow him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-mayer-cpa

To watch the previous episode we did with Jonathan visit:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MibdfhCpFire5sUKdV4kG?si=hUKULOQDTBuR-UOlSojpmA

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Darren King joins Nick to unpack how he went from a small-firm public accounting career to launching Darren King CPA in Sandpoint, Idaho, after watching multiple firm buyouts reshape client experience, pricing, and internal culture. He shares why the last private-equity buyout became the “now or never” moment to go solo, what it felt like to start with zero true side-practice clients, and how he built early momentum through past-client pull, subcontract work to keep the lights on, and a surprisingly effective referral-partner strategy of cold outreach to dozens of local bookkeepers. Darren explains why he’s tax-only by design, how he runs a simple one-call intake process (prior return first, then engagement letter), where his minimum pricing lands, and how he uses TaxDome as the all-in-one backbone alongside CCH Access, QBO, and a lean supporting stack. The conversation also covers capacity planning as a solo, turning down bad-fit work, staying local and relationship-driven, and building a firm around reasonable hours, autonomy, and a long-term vision of staying small.

To connect with Darren, visit his firms website:

https://www.darrenkingcpa.com/

or follow him on LinkedIn:

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

https://www.facebook.com/people/Darren-King-CPA-PLLC/61576615540774/

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Nick and Matt kick off a “special episode” format that pulls back the curtain on how they’re building Saga Accounting Solutions, starting with a quick firm update before zooming into their top-down growth plan: an org chart vision for what a mature 20 to 25 person firm should look like, how responsibilities shift as the team grows, and how they reduce “additional duties” by clarifying true ownership of areas like software and facilities. They then break down the constraints that drive every scaling decision, cash, talent, and systems, including their reserve rule of thumb, a capacity scorecard to quantify workload instead of relying on vibes, and how fixed-fee pricing still gets translated into internal budgeted hours for planning. The conversation closes on the lever they see as most powerful, pricing, and the decision path they use when demand outpaces capacity: hire when reserves support it, or raise prices to protect service quality and keep growth sustainable.

Link to org chart:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TfJhYtmg1aPwoQQhcyhhYJDZV46RfCYerCxx8UNfOew/edit?usp=sharing

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Jeremy Roman of R Tax Services joins Nick to unpack how he inherited a 40 year family tax practice in Evansville, Indiana and rebuilt it from the ground up. Jeremy shares the shock of discovering the firm was a 2,500 return 1040 mill averaging about $55 per return, why he standardized pricing immediately, and how he used policies and systems to stop discounting, fire the wrong clients, and protect his team’s time. He walks through the full overhaul, moving from Drake and Square to TaxDome, ClickUp, ProConnect, engagement letters, portals, and a real review process, while shifting from nonstop in person appointments to drop offs and virtual delivery. The conversation also covers Jeremy’s 2025 reset, raising the base return to $225, introducing three tiers including an advisory option, cutting bank products, and aiming for fewer returns, better margins, and a healthier life for his family and staff.

To connect with Jeremy, visit his firms website:

https://rtaxservices.com/

or follow him on LinkedIn:

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

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Jonathan Tiralosi of Bullseye Bookkeeping joins Nick to share how he went from KPMG and a pharma month-end close role to going full-time with only six months of runway and about $2,000 per month in recurring revenue. They break down the turning point that unlocked growth, which was cold-calling CPAs across five counties and turning those conversations into a tax pro referral flywheel through white-label and partner relationships. Jonathan also covers why he stays bookkeeping-only, how he delivers monthly financials with client-facing insights, and how he tiers reporting from P&L insights to cash flow reporting, Loom videos, and meetings. The conversation wraps with the tools and systems behind his workflow, including Financial Cents and Anchor, plus lessons on pricing cleanups versus catch-ups and building a firm that does not require long hours and weekends forever.

To connect with Jonathan, visit his firms website:

https://bullseyebookkeepingllc.com/

or follow him on your platform of choice:

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

https://www.instagram.com/bullseyebookkeeping/

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Josh Schneider joins Nick to break down how a rough early CPA-firm experience and a later “breakthrough year” as an entrepreneur pushed him to launch Multiply Advisors with a bigger goal in mind: building toward 1,000 monthly clients. They dig into what he learned from interviewing 100 business owners, including the insight that 88% weren’t happy with their current accounting support and why switching providers is still so sticky. Josh shares how he’s trying to close the gap between compliance and real value, including faster “sit rep” style reporting and his Action Intelligence Report concept to give founders usable signals instead of waiting 30 days for perfect financials. The conversation also covers building a centralized client-communication model, experimenting with dashboards and automation, and why he’s built a significant portion of his team in the Philippines.

To connect with Josh, visit his firms website:

https://www.multiplyadvisors.com/

or follow him on your platform of choice:

https://www.instagram.com/thejoshuaschneider/

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

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Kim Kelleher and Heather Deibele join Nick to break down how they each found their way into accounting, from Kim’s “accidental accountant” path that started with volunteering as a treasurer to Heather’s jump from engineering and startup ops into a fully remote, QuickBooks Online only firm. They walk through how a few years of coffee chats turned into a deliberate merger, the branding process that became Luma Accounting, and the culture systems they’ve built around “Best Experience Ever” for both clients and team. Kim and Heather share how they’ve standardized discovery, cleanup, and onboarding so client relationships can be owned by “Lantern Leaders” with “Light Keepers” supporting the monthly flow, plus why that structure finally lets them work on the business instead of staying stuck in delivery. The conversation also covers niching into construction and the trades (including job costing), experimenting with pricing that’s trending toward a percent-of-revenue model, and the tech stack behind it all, from Ramp and Gusto to Double, Airtable, Slack, and their early testing of Ping Assistant to capture meeting context, action items, and follow-through.

To connect with Kim & Heather, visit their firms website:

https://lumaaccounting.com/

or follow them on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/luma-accounting-llc

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

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

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

Hector Cantu joins Nick to break down how he’s built and refined his firm’s service model, including the shift from taking any client to packaging the right work for the right audience. They dig into Hector’s three-tier offering, how he structures proposals and sets expectations, and what he’s learned about pricing as the scope moves from basic compliance to higher-touch advisory. Hector also shares why bundling bookkeeping and tax creates a smoother client experience, how he builds repeatable workflows and client-facing systems (including Financial Cents), and how serving Spanish-speaking clients has become a meaningful differentiator. The conversation is a practical look at designing a firm around clarity, process, and sustainable delivery.

To connect with Hector, visit his firms website:

https://www.cantutaxconsulting.com/

If you would like to connect with us visit:

https://sagaaccounting.com/

or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854