Host John Randolph kicks off a special two part conversation with Allan Fisher, president and founder of Premier Financial Search, on Episode 63 of CPA Life. Continuing the theme of recruiting in the profession, they explore the ongoing transformation in public accounting, focusing on building a sustainable, people-centric work culture. Allan’s “unconventionally conventional” path to recruiting did take him through work as an accountant, so as a recruiter, he is able to frame things “from the other side.” He discusses how firms that have adapted to retain talent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have seen better talent acquisition and lower turnover, emphasizing empathetic leadership and enhanced benefits, and stressing that it’s not enough to just show up to an interview with a candidate anymore—you need to send your best. This all ties into the necessity for a progressive approach to recruitment, ensuring firms attract and maintain top talent by continuously improving their practices and culture.

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John Randolph delves into the evolving landscape of recruiting in public accounting with Kerry Billington, Managing Partner at Spartan Placements, on Episode 62 of CPA Life. Kicking off a month-long series focused on perspectives in the recruiting space, their conversation highlights the significance of culture, flexible work environments, and the impact of private equity in the industry, as Kerry provides insights into recruiting trends, the role of AI, and strategies for attracting and retaining top talent in the profession. She emphasizes the need for transparency, autonomy, and the right work-life balance to keep professionals engaged and fulfilled, with a simple, unifying theme: That listening to what people want is the best thing you can do to land the workforce you need.

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The concluding part two of John Randolph’s conversation with Chris Johnson awaits on this special Episode 61 of CPA Life. Expanding his thoughts on accountability and “extreme ownership,” Chris discusses the challenges inherent in self-reflection and holding oneself and one’s firm to a higher standard. Given the significance of not tolerating poor performance and attitudes within teams, the ability to self-reflect is paramount. Chris also introduces his firm’s unique “Spark of Joy” initiative, where employees and even clients are given money to enable them to perform acts of kindness in the community. The pair conclude by delving into the importance of integrating AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney into business processes to enhance productivity and creativity. Chris emphasizes continuous learning, prompt engineering, and the use of AI to streamline tasks and foster innovation, and he has made several examples of useful AI prompts publicly available to facilitate this for others in the profession. Chris’s commitment to community impact and leveraging technology truly mark his unique approach to leadership and business growth.

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Continuing the momentum of the new Season 3 of CPA Life is this special two part conversation between John Randolph and Chris Johnson, CEO of CJ CPAs in San Antonio, Texas. Chris started his career in a way typical of many accounting professionals, with a spell in the Big Four and with a local firm before being presented with an unusual opportunity that ultimately led to him founding CJ CPAs. And although many firms claim to value their employees, be committed to work-life balance and innovative practices, and so forth, Chris has proven they mean what they say, with an offered 50K sign-on bonus (the highest publicly known bonus in American accounting history) being one such indicator that they do things a little bit differently. Tune in for part one of this conversation with insights on the value of real honesty, data-driven decisions, and building a culture that nurtures personal and professional growth.

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We return to part two of our special 2025 kickoff Episode 58 of CPA Life as John Randolph “switches sides” to be interviewed by producer Justin Grant. Focusing on evolving definitions of career success and the need for firms to offer flexible, individualized opportunities to retain talent, John goes deeper in exploring the impact of remote work, its relationship to proactive hiring practices, and the need for smaller firms to leverage their agility to compete with larger firms. Although such firms face challenges in attracting and retaining talent, John’s insights into their ethos and the competitive advantages it actually provides them is content you do not want to miss as you plan for strategy for the coming year and beyond.

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John Randolph “sits on the other side of the studio” on this special two-part Season 3 kickoff episode of CPA Life. With hosting duties accounted for by producer Justin Grant of ProfessionalProductions.net, John delves into the challenges firms will face in 2025 and beyond, such as losing key talent, increased competition and specialization in the profession, and the need for technological adaptation. Highlighting the importance of embracing remote work and modern recruitment strategies to attract and retain top talent, John also explores the potential and mindset of new entrants into the profession, marking an optimistic view of the future—at least, for those firms willing to do what it takes!

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Season’s Greetings from CPA Life! Today, we look back at one of John Randolph’s most impactful conversations of 2024, where he was joined by accounting legend Ron Baker of VeraSage. The two delved deep into the groundbreaking topics of value and subscription-based pricing and client advisory services. The author of eight books, Ron’s extensive writings, keynote speeches and general advocacy on these and other topics are distilled down in this Rewind episode. Tune in to discover Ron and John’s insights on niche expertise, the value of transformations over transactional services, and strategies for retaining talent in your firm while enhancing client relationships.

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John Randolph sits down with Roman Villard, co-founder of Full Send Finance, on Episode 56 of CPA Life. Sharing his journey from finance major to starting his own firm, Roman emphasizes the importance of a culture-forward approach and how that has helped Full Send shoot out of the blocks, growing from zero to 12 full-time employees in just over two years. Highlighting the need for technology to attract and retain talent, Roman dives into things that have given Full Send cross-generational appeal, such as work-life balance, which is achieved in large part through hybrid working, and the significance of creating a resonant brand narrative. Touching on so many vital aspects that can make or break the success of your own firm, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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Join host John Randolph on Episode 55 of CPA Life, as he talks to James Rainwater, founder of RainwaterCPA, about his journey and unique approach to public accounting. James discusses his non-traditional career path, how he ultimately discovered he prefers the public accounting space over private, and the evolution of his fully remote firm, which is in its second iteration after James founded a much more traditionally focused firm over 20 years ago. Emphasizing the benefits of a nationwide client base, subscription-based pricing, and intentional communication within a geographically dispersed team, James also shares insights on incorporating social media for client acquisition and the importance of flexibility in building a successful, people-focused CPA firm.

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Eric Joern started his accounting career at James Hamlin & Co., a traditional firm founded in the 1960s in Antioch, Illinois, right out of college. He joins John Randolph on Episode 54 of CPA Life to talk about his role in transforming that firm into Kaizen CPAs and Advisors, where he now serves as partner. Doing away with traditional CPA practices to focus on team wellbeing, sustainability, and national impact, Eric shares his journey, the firm's rebranding efforts, and strategies for maintaining a balanced work environment. With a roughly 50/50 split between in-office and remote workers, systems and processes are key to Kaizen’s success, and maintaining cultural cohesion within the firm, a top priority, highlighting the importance of flexibility, adaptability, and support for remote employees in building a thriving, modern-minded CPA firm.

Get the full show notes and more resources at CPALifePodcast.com