Beyond the Bottom Line

What if the "raise" that was supposed to keep you happy was actually the moment you realized you needed to leave?

In this episode, Miguel Alexander Centeno joins Alex Roman, host of Humans in Accounting, for a wide-ranging conversation about the real path from Big Four tax to founding Centurion Firm. It's a rare chance to hear Miguel on the other side of the mic, answering the kinds of questions he usually asks his own guests.

For any founder or business owner who has ever wondered whether the leap from a stable paycheck to building something of their own is worth it, this conversation is a grounded, honest look at what that decision actually costs and what it can return. Miguel walks through the inflection point that pushed him out of public accounting (an 8% raise offer after growing an engagement into the millions), the reality of his first year in business (a $56K gross, and not even hitting his own salary target), and the mistake that nearly burned him out early: saying yes to every client regardless of fit.

The conversation also digs into how Miguel and his team found their footing by identifying the right niches: Airbnb hosts and digital marketers in the early days, and how that same instinct for finding "who you're uniquely positioned to serve" still shapes Centurion Firm's work today, including their focus on the R&D tax credit. Miguel and Alex also get into where AI fits into the future of accounting, why Miguel sees it as a tool rather than a threat, and the advice he'd give someone considering the leap in 2026.

Other insights from this episode include:

• The moment Miguel realized incremental raises weren't going to get him where he wanted to go
• Why "who wants to pay me for this" was Miguel's version of testing product-market fit
• The real numbers behind his first year in business, and why he didn't hit his own goal
• The client-mix mistake most new firm owners make, and how to avoid burning out on the wrong clients
• How Miguel identified Airbnb hosts and digital marketers as his first profitable niches, and why
• The role outbound sales played in scaling the firm, and bringing on Ashton as the first hire focused on it
• Miguel's take on AI's role in accounting, and why he sees it as an opportunity rather than a replacement
• The advice Miguel would give someone thinking about leaving a Big Four firm to start their own practice today

About Our Guest

Miguel Alexander Centeno is the Managing Partner of Centurion Firm and host of Beyond the Bottom Line. After beginning his career in Big Four tax at PwC, he left in 2017 to build a strategy-first tax advisory practice for founders, startups, and growing businesses.

Learn more about Humans in Accounting and Alex Roman's podcast.

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or [email protected]

Most business owners think they need a CFO. What they actually need is a controller.

In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Miguel Centeno sits down with Nikole Mackenzie, founder of Momentum Accounting, to unpack why so many growing businesses hire the wrong financial help at the wrong time, and what actually causes a business to look profitable on paper while running out of cash in the bank.

For founders and business owners, this episode tackles one of the most common blind spots in running a company: assuming your P&L tells the whole story. Nikole breaks down why a business can show a profit and still have no cash at the end of the month, walking through the two biggest culprits, timing differences between when revenue is earned and when cash actually arrives, and balance sheet items like equipment purchases, debt principal payments, and owner distributions that never show up on the P&L at all.

The conversation also gets into the practical side of managing cash: how to read a cash flow statement, why days sales outstanding (DSO) is one of the most useful metrics for catching a collections problem early, and why chasing high-interest debt like credit card cash advances is usually a symptom of a business that isn't actually profitable, not just a timing issue. Nikole and Miguel also break down the real difference between a bookkeeper, a controller, and a CFO, and why most business owners skip a step they need.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why "profitable on paper, no cash in the bank" usually comes down to timing differences or balance sheet items invisible on the P&L
• How to read a cash flow statement, starting with the operating activities section
• Why distributions and debt principal payments never appear on the P&L, and where they actually show up
• The tax consequence founders often miss: distributions taken in excess of income get taxed at 20%
• Why DSO (days sales outstanding) is a key early warning metric for collection issues
• How to tell the difference between a cash flow timing problem and a business that simply isn't profitable
• Why high-interest debt (credit card advances, quick-cash lenders) is often a red flag rather than a solution
• The real difference between a bookkeeper, a controller, and a CFO, and why most businesses need a controller before they need a CFO
• Why "CFO" is a title anyone can claim, while CPA is an actual certification

About Our Guest

Nikole Mackenzie is the founder of Momentum Accounting, a remote team working with small businesses across the U.S. to build out their full financial operating system, including bookkeeping, controller-level reporting, and CFO-level strategy. Momentum works with roughly 60 monthly recurring clients ranging from $1M to $10M in revenue, spanning SaaS, professional services, and trade industries like disaster restoration, HVAC, and plumbing.

Connect with Miguel Centeno on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

Most people think resilience means toughing it out. Ashton has learned it's actually about not making a bad moment worse. In this minisode, Miguel sits down with Ashton to learn the habits that keep him steady under pressure, from how he structures his day around his own energy to the boundaries that protect his focus, to the mental process he runs before responding to an angry client instead of reacting to one.

The lesson underneath it all: the instinct to match someone's frustration, whether it's a client or your own kid, is almost always the wrong move. What actually works is separating the facts from the emotion, owning what's yours to own, and letting the rest go. For founders who feel like every bad interaction threatens to derail the whole day, this episode is a reminder that staying calm isn't a personality trait. It's a practice, built one small decision at a time.

Most business owners think cybersecurity is about hackers in hoodies breaking through firewalls. The reality is far simpler, and far scarier: your biggest security risk is your own people.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Matt Mulcahy, founder of Miami Cyber, to unpack what cybersecurity actually looks like for small and mid-sized businesses in the age of AI. Matt shares how a $25 million wire transfer was approved by a real executive on a real video call, except the "executive" on the other end was an AI-generated deepfake. From there, the conversation moves into the practical: how AI is changing phishing, why passwords are on their way out, and what it actually means to adopt AI responsibly instead of just rolling it out and hoping for the best.

If you're a founder trying to figure out where AI ends and risk begins, this episode breaks down exactly what to prioritize first.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why "vishing" (voice phishing) is now a real threat, thanks to AI's ability to clone a voice from just 10 seconds of audio
• The most common cybersecurity gaps Matt sees in companies under 20 employees, and why most IT providers don't prioritize that segment
• Why policy should come before technology when rolling out AI in your company, and what that policy conversation should actually cover
• The hidden risk of giving employees AI tools without training, and why "buying licenses" isn't the same as adoption
• Why passkeys and authenticator codes are replacing SMS-based two-factor authentication, and what business owners should switch to now
• The real difference between a company that's "using AI" versus one that's leveraging Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI directly to their business data
• Why Matt believes the technology itself is the least important part of a successful AI rollout, and what actually drives success or failure

About Our Guest

Matt Mulcahy is the founder of Miami Cyber, a technology services firm built around a service-first approach to cybersecurity, IT, and responsible AI adoption for small and mid-sized businesses. With a background spanning technology consulting, managed IT services, and AI implementation, Matt works closely with founders to make sense of a fast-moving technology landscape. Miami Cyber recently became a certified Anthropic partner, and Matt is an active member of the Miami founder community, where he regularly hosts educational events focused on AI readiness and cybersecurity.

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or [email protected]

We're bringing this one back because the conversation is more relevant than ever, AI search isn't slowing down, and neither is the impact on your business visibility.

Many business owners are watching their website traffic drop without understanding why. Miguel experienced this firsthand when Tax Hack's blog traffic plummeted from 88,000 to 3,000 unique visitors.

The culprit? AI overviews are changing how people find information online.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ryan Russell, founder and CEO of BizIQ, to get answers. If you're seeing similar drops or wondering how to stay visible as AI changes search, this episode breaks down what's actually happening and what to do about it. Ryan Russell shares findings from asking AI platforms directly where they source their business recommendations — and the answers point to clear actions you can take.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Where AI platforms actually get their business information (spoiler alert: your Google Business Profile matters more than you think)
• Why AI search and traditional search work together, not against each other
• The ranking factors that determine if you show up in AI recommendations
• Practical tactics for optimizing your Google Business Profile, including the underutilized Products & Services section
• Content strategy in the AI era: quality vs. quantity and what's actually working
• The truth about using AI-generated content on your website
• Three actions you can take this week to test and improve your AI visibility

About Our Guest

Ryan Russell, Founder & CEO of BizIQ, a search optimization expert whose team researches how businesses can adapt to AI-driven discovery.

Visit biziq.com/contact for a free audit or consultation

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or [email protected]

Most founders learn leadership through business books, mentors, or painful trial and error. Miguel learned some of his most important leadership lessons at the dinner table.

In this minisode, Miguel reflects on how raising kids, especially through the messiest, most humbling moments, quietly shaped the way he leads his team. The same instinct that makes a founder dangerous at work, the certainty that you know best, is the exact instinct that can damage trust at home and in the office. What fatherhood forced Miguel to learn is that passionate people don't need to be corrected. They need to be heard.

For founders who pride themselves on having the answers, this episode is a useful disruption. The strongest teams, like the strongest families, aren't built by the person who's always right. They're built by the person willing to hold their convictions loosely enough to let others lead. That's a lesson you can't find in a business book. Sometimes it takes a teenager pushing back on AP Spanish to teach you what your leadership team has been trying to tell you all along.

Most entrepreneurs are great at building systems for their business. Calendars, processes, accountability, all of it. But very few build systems for being present. Miguel has been an entrepreneur and a father since he was 17, and one of the hardest lessons he's learned isn't about scaling a firm, it's about learning to actually show up for the moments happening right in front of him.

In this minisode, Miguel shares what it really means to create space for memories and why that discipline matters whether you're a parent or not. The insight is simple but easy to miss: your most vivid memories form when your mind is clear, not when your calendar is full. For founders constantly carrying the weight of what's next, this episode is a reminder that presence is a practice, and that the life you're building a business to support deserves the same intentionality you bring to work. Tune in for a conversation that will make you rethink how you transition out of work mode.

Why do so many AI initiatives fail despite the massive investment and excitement surrounding artificial intelligence?

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Art  Shectman , Founder and CEO of Elephant Ventures, to discuss how businesses can move beyond AI experimentation and start creating real operational impact. An MIT-trained engineer and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience, Art shares practical insights on AI adoption, agentic workflows, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

From building autonomous robots at MIT to helping enterprises deploy AI at scale, Art has spent his career at the intersection of technology and business transformation. This conversation explores why organizations struggle with AI implementation, how to identify the right opportunities for automation, and what leaders should focus on as AI continues to reshape the way companies operate.

Other insights from this episode include:

• Why most AI pilots fail and how to improve your chances of success

• How to think about AI agents as semi-autonomous coworkers

• The importance of context, organizational knowledge, and human oversight

• Why shorter development cycles are becoming a competitive advantage

• How founders can avoid common cash flow and scaling mistakes

• The role relationships and trust play in building a successful business

• Practical approaches to AI governance and risk management

• How Amazon is helping fund AI proof-of-concept projects for qualifying businesses

• Why the future of AI depends more on discernment and decision-making than technology alone

About Our Guest

Art  Shectman is the Founder and CEO of Elephant Ventures, a digital innovation firm that helps organizations transform ideas into scalable technology solutions. An MIT-trained engineer and longtime entrepreneur, Art has spent more than two decades building innovative systems, leading technology teams, and helping companies navigate digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Learn more about Elephant Ventures at elephantventures.com

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or [email protected]

In this special edition of Beyond the Bottom Line, Miguel breaks down the most important tax and strategy updates shaping how business owners should plan right now.

For the first time in several years, businesses are operating in a more stable tax environment without constant retroactive changes reshaping prior filings. With clarity from recent legislation, the focus now shifts from reacting to planning.

Miguel walks through what this new landscape means for founders, operators, and investors and how to think strategically about taxes instead of just compliance.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

•  The return of 100% bonus depreciation and how it impacts capital investment decisions 
•  What business owners need to understand about QBI deductions and phaseouts 
•  Updates to the R&D tax credit and retroactive opportunities for prior years 
•  Why entity structure (S Corp vs C Corp vs LLC) matters more in a stable policy environment 
•  How to think about tax planning across compliance, reporting, and advisory layers
•  Changes impacting SALT deductions, itemized vs standard deduction strategy, and withholding planning
•  Emerging opportunities in cost segregation and accelerated depreciation strategies
•  What recent updates mean for platform-based businesses (Airbnb, Turo, e-commerce sellers, etc.)
•  Listener Q&A on R&D eligibility for internal tools, automations, and cost segregation qualification 

In the closing segment, Lucy joins Miguel to answer listener questions about practical application, especially around R&D qualification for automation tools and how to determine whether a property qualifies for cost segregation.

This episode is designed to give business owners clarity on what’s changed and how to use it to make better financial decisions going into the next planning cycle.

In this minisode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton discuss one of the firm’s core values: Harmony in Life, Success at Work. They break down why building a successful company isn’t about maximizing hours worked, but about managing energy, creating space to recharge, and giving people the flexibility to fully show up both personally and professionally. From four-day workweeks and Flex Fridays to burnout culture, parenting, and the future of work in an AI-driven world, they share how prioritizing well-being has become one of the company’s strongest retention and performance strategies.