Building in the Wild

In this episode of Building in the Wild, Roman and Stacey pull back the curtain on how Full Send’s data, automation, and AI service line evolved from an accounting and finance practice into a technology-enabled growth partner for SMBs.

They discuss why AI is only as good as the data behind it, how businesses can leverage enterprise-level concepts without enterprise-level budgets, and where companies should actually start when exploring automation and AI initiatives. Along the way, they share real-world examples from SaaS, e-commerce, construction, and professional services clients.  

⏱️ Chapters

00:35 – How Full Send Expanded Beyond Accounting Into Data & AI

04:39 – The Three Service Lines: Data, Automation & AI

13:16 – Real-World Example: SaaS Analytics & Revenue Intelligence

17:19 – E-Commerce Data, Customer Behavior & Scenario Modeling

21:18 – Construction & Professional Services Workflow Optimization

23:55 – Why AI & Automation Workshops Matter

27:28 – AI Strategy Across Departments, Teams & Leadership

29:04 – The Future of SMB AI: Building Without a Playbook

✅ Key Takeaways

• AI starts with data. Clean, structured, accessible data is the foundation for meaningful automation and AI outcomes.
• Not every problem requires AI. Many operational bottlenecks are solved faster and cheaper through straightforward automation.
• SMBs can leverage enterprise concepts. Data warehousing, analytics, process mapping, and workflow optimization are now accessible to smaller businesses.
• Custom solutions often outperform off-the-shelf tools. Purpose-built apps and workflows can create significant operational advantages.
• Workshops reveal the biggest opportunities. Mapping processes and identifying friction points is often the fastest path to ROI.
• Every department has AI opportunities. Sales, marketing, operations, finance, and customer success can all benefit from targeted automation.
• The AI landscape is still being defined. Companies that experiment, iterate, and move quickly may have advantages over larger organizations constrained by legacy systems.

📢 Whether you’re exploring dashboards, workflow automation, AI agents, or broader operational transformation, the goal remains the same: create better outcomes, remove friction, and help your team focus on higher-value work.

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

After a brief hiatus, Building in the Wild is officially back for Season 4. In this episode, Roman and Stacy dive deep into a topic many accounting firms avoid—or approach too traditionally: tax.

But this isn’t a conversation about compliance for compliance’s sake. It’s a transparent, behind-the-scenes look at why Full Send is preparing to launch a tax practice built differently—one centered on relationships, systems, autonomy, and sustainable work.

This episode doubles as both a vision cast and an open invitation for the right person to help lead what comes next.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Full Send is building a tax practice from the ground up, not acquiring one
• The focus is advisory-first tax, not compliance-only work
• The role requires an entrepreneurial CPA willing to build and execute
• Strong systems and culture are the solution to tax-season burnout
• Relationships matter more than volume, speed, or checklists
• The opportunity blends ownership with stability, not one or the other
• Full Send prioritizes sustainable work, autonomy, and whole humans

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Season 4 Kickoff & Why Tax Now
Returning from hiatus, studio commitment, and why tax is the next evolution

04:30 – Building vs. Acquiring a Tax Practice
Lessons from acquisition attempts and choosing a blank slate approach

08:40 – The Unicorn Role: Head of Tax
Entrepreneurial mindset, ownership, and early-stage execution expectations

13:30 – Culture, Soft Skills & Being a Good Neighbor
Humanity, humor, and relationship-first service inside and outside the firm

15:20 – Fixing Busy Season with Systems
Why burnout is a systems problem—and how intentional design changes it

18:30 – Advisory-First Tax Services
Proactive planning, right-fit clients, and moving beyond compliance

26:50 – Compensation, Timing & Hiring Philosophy
Fair incentives, post–April 15 timing, and patience in finding the right fit

29:20 – What “Full Send” Really Means
Commitment, autonomy, and supporting life beyond work

A candid conversation about reimagining tax—why Full Send is building an advisory-first practice from scratch and who it’s for.

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

🎙️ How We’re Building a Profitable Accounting Firm Without Burning Out | Building in the Wild – S3E2

🔔 Subscribe for behind-the-scenes content on growing a modern accounting firm

📢 In this candid episode, Roman and Stacey reflect on building Full Send in Year 3—navigating remote culture, profitability trade-offs, team growth, and staying focused. From how in-person strategy shapes better outcomes to how they’re modeling growth without chasing profit distributions, this one’s packed with real talk for firm owners building in the wild.

⸻

⏱️ Chapters

00:30 – Why We Prefer In-Person Strategy (But Stay Remote-First)
04:50 – How Retreats & International Visits Boost Team Morale
07:00 – Balancing Profit with Team Health in Year 3
09:00 – Sales vs Delivery: Building Alignment for Sustainable Growth
10:30 – When Saying Yes to a Client Backfires (and What We Learned)
12:00 – Why Fit Is More Important Than Revenue in Client Selection
14:00 – Lessons from 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan
15:30 – Narrowing the Service Offering Without Losing Creativity
17:00 – Building a Scalable Business Model (Not Just Revenue)
20:00 – Structuring Roles to Keep Founders in Their Zones of Genius
21:00 – Why Profitability is a Tool for Team Investment
22:00 – Hiring Senior Talent First—And the Cost Tradeoff
25:30 – The Chicken-Egg Problem: Hire Before Revenue or After?
27:00 – What Our Forecasting Models Actually Look Like
30:45 – Reinvesting vs Distributing: Why We’re Playing the Long Game
36:00 – Why Employee Trust Is More Important Than Chasing Short-Term Profit
38:00 – Profit, Happiness, and Building a Long-Term Team
39:00 – Final Thoughts: Communicating the “Why” to Build a Firm That Lasts

⸻

✅ Key Takeaways:

✔️ Focus beats everything—niching down helped Full Send grow more sustainably
✔️ Hiring senior talent early costs more upfront but unlocks scale
✔️ Profitability isn’t just a number—it’s a tool for reinvesting in team and process
✔️ Nearshore hiring enables flexibility and redundancy, not just cost savings
✔️ Transparent, strategic decision-making builds long-term team trust

⸻

💬 How are you balancing growth and profitability in your firm? Drop your story below—we’d love to connect!

🔔 Like & subscribe for monthly episodes on what it really looks like to build in the wild.

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

🚀 Lessons from a Year of Growth: Building a Firm in the Wild

📢 What happens when you build a firm from the ground up—live, in public? In this episode, we reflect on a full year of rapid growth, team expansion, and the challenges of scaling. We cover:

✔️ How we grew 116% YoY while maintaining team balance

✔️ Lessons from hiring, leadership, and culture-building

✔️ Launching a data intelligence practice & what we’ve learned

✔️ Why firm owners must focus on long-term vision over short-term gains

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 - Introduction: Reflecting on a Year of Growth

00:48 - Building in Public: Why We Share Our Journey

02:10 - Why We’re Relaunching This Podcast & What’s Changed

02:56 - Expanding Our Team: Hiring in Argentina & Growing the Firm

04:42 - 116% YoY Growth: Managing Scale Without Burnout

06:31 - How We Built a Strong Firm Culture (Without Forcing It)

08:03 - 56,000 Slack Messages: How We Built Our Culture

11:04 - Balancing Work, Growth & Personal Priorities as Owners

14:37 - How We Protect Team Well-Being While Scaling

19:00 - Launching a Data Intelligence Practice: What We’ve Learned

23:08 - How Data & Accounting Services Are Converging

25:23 - Building Internal Systems & Automation for Scaling

29:42 - Private Equity, Firm Mergers & The Future of Accounting

32:26 - Why People-First Firms Will Outperform M&A Profit-Driven Firms

34:08 - Website Relaunch: Why We Moved to TheFullSend.com

37:54 - Hiring Plans & What’s Next for 2024

40:08 - Final Thoughts: Why The Journey is the Real Reward

✅ Key Takeaways:

✔️ Intentional hiring & leadership structure help firms scale without breaking.

✔️ Firm culture happens naturally—when you focus on people, not just policies.

✔️ Expanding into new services (like data intelligence) requires education & strategy.

✔️ Automation & internal systems are key to sustainable growth.

✔️ Long-term success is about balance—between profitability, purpose, and people.

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

Key Takeaways:

1. Initial Inspiration: Chelsea's experience at UTEP, dealing with technological gaps, motivated her to create FundMiner.
2. Market Validation: She validated the market need through her network and professional organizations.
3. Partnership: Finding a skilled partner was crucial to the success of FundMiner.
4. Raising Capital: Early fundraising taught Chelsea the importance of financial planning and understanding the needs of a technology company.
5. Accelerator Experience: Chelsea shares her transformative experience at Techstars Boulder, emphasizing community and mentorship.
6. Sales Cycle: Strategies for managing long sales cycles, including building a robust pipeline and market education.
7. Future Planning: The necessity of balancing immediate operational tasks with strategic future planning.

Getting in Touch:
Interested listeners can find out more about FundMiner by visiting their website at www.fundminer.com or by searching for FundMiner on social media platforms like LinkedIn.

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: X @fullsendcpa
Chelsea Lamego

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
Full Send LinkedIn
Full Send Website
FundMiner Website

👉 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL 👈

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

Transforming Venture Capital: The Sweater Ventures Journey with COO Emma Clark

In this in-depth conversation, Emma Clark, COO of Sweater Ventures, shares her journey from a background in FinTech and her pivotal role at Recurly to join Sweater Ventures, aiming to democratize access to venture capital. Through self-reflection on her pathway and experiences in the Boulder startup scene, she highlights the innovative approach of Sweater Ventures in opening venture capital investment to a broader audience. The discussion covers the creation of the Cashmere Fund, regulatory hurdles, marketing strategies, and the operational challenges of leading a fintech startup at the intersection of technology and investment. Additionally, Emma elaborates on the company's evolution towards enabling other fund managers to launch similar offerings and her vision for the future of accessible private market investments.

00:00 Introduction and Getting to Know Emma
01:20 Journey to Sweater Ventures: From FinTech to Venture Capital
03:58 The Mission of Sweater Ventures: Democratizing VC Investment
05:23 Operational Challenges and Achievements as COO
06:22 Expanding the Team and Launching the Cashmere Fund
08:03 Navigating the Venture Capital Ecosystem and Fundraising Insights
19:23 Building Trust and Educating Investors
28:01 Future Directions and Expanding the Platform
36:39 Reflections and Advice for Aspiring COOs
39:16 Vision for Sweater's Future and Final Thoughts

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: @fullsendcpa, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdvcpa
Emma Clark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadonaho/

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gofullsend
Website: https://www.fullsendfinance.com
Sweater Website: https://www.sweaterventures.com/

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL👇
https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendfinance

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

S02:03 - Founder Navigating Pivots, Fires, and Apricots.

This is a story about Founder vision and why it's imperative to stay aligned with your ethos, vision, and values. We dive into an exploration of Copycat's evolution from a Hollywood-sourced copywriting company to a full fledged narrative agency. As a Founder, Shawn has developed a stronger Founder muscle than many develop over a lifetime.

00:00 Welcome to the World of Copycat: The Origin Story
01:10 The Hollywood Dream and the Shift to Copywriting
02:25 The Birth of Copycat: A Quality Control Revolution
05:02 From Screenwriting to Copywriting: A Creative Journey
06:47 Building the Copycat Team: A Mission to Make the Internet Readable
07:58 The Vision of Copycat: Elevating Copywriting Standards
09:57 Copycat's Unique Approach: Specialization and Quality
10:50 Gaining Traction: The Seed Round and Classroom Idea
17:16 Scaling Challenges and the Importance of Quality Control
23:41 The Impact of AI and Future Goals for Copycat
24:40 Doubling Down on Growth and Discipline
25:06 The AI Revolution: ChatGPT's Impact
27:22 Adapting to AI: Challenges and Strategies
29:21 The Importance of Narrative in Content Creation
33:57 Navigating Business Challenges and Restructuring
42:31 A New Direction: From Copywriting to Narrative Agency
45:01 Embracing Creativity in a Sea of AI Content

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: @fullsendcpa, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdvcpa
Shawn Rolph: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-rolph-253406a1/

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gofullsend
Website: https://www.fullsendfinance.com
Copycat Website: https://www.copycatcopywriters.com/

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL👇
https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendfinance

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

Understanding Venture Debt with Brian Parks of Bigfoot Capital

This episode features a detailed conversation with Brian Parks, the founder of Bigfoot Capital, a company providing a different capital option for founders to pursue growth. Roman and Brian discuss the world of venture debt, with Brian explaining how his past experiences as an operator led him to see the need for a differentiated form of capital beyond equity. He highlighted the importance of aligning the business plan with venture debt and discussed how Bigfoot Capital aims for more flexibility and alignment with business needs than traditional bank offerings. Brian also touches on the importance of qualitative over quantitative measures in their evaluation process and the necessity to consider the implications of over-leveraging a business with debt.

00:18 Diving into Venture Debt with Brian Parks
01:21 Brian Parks' Journey with Bigfoot Capital
02:39 Understanding Venture Debt and its Impact
03:59 The Reality of Raising Capital and its Consequences
06:10 The Shift in Capital Deployment in Companies
08:45 The Cost of Equity and Debt Explained
12:37 The Challenges of Capital Availability and Business Sustainability
23:46 The Importance of Financial Planning and Forecasting
29:11 Brian Parks' Personal Full Send

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: @fullsendcpa, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdvcpa
Brian Parks, CFA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parksbrian

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gofullsend
Website: https://www.fullsendfinance.com
Bigfoot Website: https://bigfootcap.com/

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL👇
https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendfinance

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

In this episode, hosts Stacey and Roman discuss the progress of the second season of 'Building in the Wild' in 2024, reflecting on internal growth, frequent changes, and constant evolution in their own journey as well as those of their clients. Speaking at length about their accounting firm, the hosts share insights from their plan to reinvent their podcast and their processes, aiming for stronger alignment between client needs, service delivery, and messaging. The discussion revolves around the constant need for evolution and value-based decision-making in every stage of the company's growth, the importance of flexibility and adaptability, and the critical role of staying true to core convictions, even in difficult situations. This episode sets the stage for holistic growth, opening a window for audience to closely observe the hosts' journey of 'Building in the Wild.'

01:01 Introduction to Season Two

01:37 Reinventing the Podcast and Ourselves

02:03 Future Plans for the Podcast

02:58 The Art of Reinvention in Early Stage Companies

03:35 Assessing and Adapting Our Hiring Approach

04:17 Aligning Client Messaging with Our Services

04:41 Evaluating Our Client Attraction Strategy

08:05 The Importance of Clear Website Messaging

08:58 Adapting Our Service Delivery to Client Needs

14:08 The Impact of Changes on Our Internal Processes

16:47 Staying True to Our Convictions Amidst Change

19:31 Conclusion: Building in the Wild

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: @fullsendcpa, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdvcpa
Stacey Feldman, CPA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyfeldmancpa

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gofullsend
Website: https://www.fullsendfinance.com

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL👇
https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendfinance

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Full Send | Accounting & Data

Startup vs Corporate: Comparing Work Experiences and Evaluating Opportunities

In this discussion, Stacey Feldman and Roman Villard explore the differences between working in a startup and a larger corporation, focusing on the advantages of each as well as the challenges. They discuss the pace and nature of learning in both environments, the impact one can have in a startup, and how a smaller team heavily influences the work culture. They also touch on the importance of understanding business dynamics within a startup, the concept of 'doing work that matters', and the influence a worker can have on company culture. Furthermore, they provide advice on evaluating opportunities in both types of companies, emphasizing the importance of due diligence and reaching out to people to understand their experiences.

00:00 Introduction

00:00 Learning from Younger Generations

00:53 The Importance of Cultivating a Positive Culture

01:33 Personal Experience in the Startup World

02:37 The Benefits of Working for a Startup

05:30 The Risks and Rewards of Startup Work

07:20 The Role of a Startup Employee

08:40 The Growth of PopSockets

09:16 The Reality of Startup Equity

11:46 The Importance of Lifelong Learning

18:05 The Impact of Each Employee in a Startup

22:11 The Importance of Values in a Startup

25:50 The Balance Between Doers and Reviewers in a Startup

28:33 Advice for Those Looking to Join a Startup

33:06 Conclusion

👥 CONNECT WITH US 👥
Roman Villard, CPA: @fullsendcpa, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdvcpa
Stacey Feldman, CPA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyfeldmancpa

👣 FOLLOW US 👣
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gofullsend
Website: https://www.fullsendfinance.com

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL👇
https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendfinance

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Full Send | Accounting & Data