In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Josh Schneider, CEO of Multiply Advisors, to talk about entrepreneurship, culture, personal growth, and what it really means to build a business with purpose.

Josh shares his journey from leaving the CPA firm world behind to becoming an entrepreneur, the struggles of building from scratch, and how a painful experience with his own accountant ultimately led him to launch Multiply Advisors.

The conversation dives deep into topics that go far beyond accounting — including fear of success, leadership, employee growth, entrepreneurship mindset, and why work should give something back to people instead of simply draining them.

We also discuss company culture, helping employees grow as humans (not just workers), finding rhythm instead of balance, and how entrepreneurs can stay focused through uncertainty.

Plus — Josh shares his love for pizza 🍕 and Mediterranean food 🥙.

Because behind every balance sheet, there’s a story worth telling.

🎧 South Offices Home

https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company

https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist

https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• Leaving the CPA firm world to become an entrepreneur

 • Why Josh founded Multiply Advisors

 • The fear of success vs. fear of failure

 • Entrepreneurship and personal growth

 • Building culture with high expectations and high grace

 • Why work should help humans grow

 • Finding rhythm instead of balance

 • Leadership, employee engagement & curiosity

 • Advice for entrepreneurs starting a firm

 • Favorite foods: pizza 🍕 & Mediterranean food 🥙

Most entrepreneurs think growth comes from working harder.

Nicole Rose Yen believes it comes from better processes.

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Nicole Rose Yen, Founder of Aerial Core, to talk about building systems that actually support growth.

Nicole shares how her background in software and medical businesses led her into accounting, why she pivoted from healthcare into construction and manufacturing, and how helping small businesses became her mission.

They also discuss why processes should exist from day one, how strong systems improve culture, and why businesses struggle when everything depends on one person.

Plus: sushi vs asado, hobbies outside work, and why every founder should protect time away from the business.

If you’re building a business—or thinking about starting one—this episode is packed with practical advice.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

• Why processes matter from day one

• How to scale without chaos

• Why niching down sometimes happens accidentally

• Building cross-trained teams

• Why hobbies actually improve your business

• Construction & manufacturing accounting insights

• The mindset needed to grow a business

🎧 South Offices Home

https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company

https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist

https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

📌 Topics Covered

• Nicole’s background in software & healthcare

• Starting in bookkeeping during COVID

• Why small businesses matter

• Expanding into HR & back-office services

• Pivoting into construction & manufacturing

• Why hobbies improve business performance

• Building process-driven companies

• Cross-trained teams & operational resilience

• Advice for entrepreneurs starting businesses

• Why businesses break without systems

Most businesses don’t fail because of bad ideas.

They fail because they run out of cash—or underestimate how long growth actually takes.

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Michael Coronado, President of Pronto Advisors, to talk about building a firm that has evolved over 35 years.

Michael shares how his father started the business after getting laid off, how they adapted through multiple industry shifts, and why they transitioned from a tax-focused firm to a full advisory model.

They also discuss working with high-net-worth clients, building a niche in real estate, and what most firm owners misunderstand about scaling.

Plus, Michael shares what they’re building next—a new platform designed to bridge the gap between business owners and accountants.

If you’re starting or scaling your firm, this episode is packed with real, practical advice.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

• Why cash flow matters more than revenue
• Why growth always takes longer than expected
• How to build a niche in accounting
• When to say no (and when to say yes and charge more)
• The reality of scaling an accounting firm
• Working with high-net-worth and real estate clients
• Building tools to improve client visibility

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• Origin story (laid off → starting firm)

• Evolution from tax → advisory

• Working with high-net-worth clients

• Real estate niche strategy

• Building and validating a new platform

• Cash flow vs revenue mindset

• Growth timelines (expectations vs reality)

• Pricing, boundaries, and client management

• Saying no vs “yes and charge more”

• Advice for firm owners

43% of professional women in the U.S. leave the workforce to raise children. But 97% would return—if flexible work existed.

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Ashley Connell, CEO of Prowess Project, to talk about the real problem behind talent loss—and how she built a business to solve it.

Ashley shares how she started with a simple insight, tested her idea by working for free, and eventually built a model that helps CEOs match with fractional operations leaders who can run the business.

They also discuss niching down into accounting firms, why community matters more than competition, and what most firm owners get wrong when trying to scale.

If you’re building a firm—or struggling to step out of day-to-day operations—this episode will change how you think about growth.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

• Why women leave (and return to) the workforce
• How to validate a business idea early
• Why your first client matters more than your plan
• How to build an operations function in your firm
• The power of niching down (accounting firms)
• Fractional hiring and scaling smarter
• Why CEOs shouldn’t run operations

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• The 43% workforce stat & insight

• Building Prowess Project from a problem

• First client strategy (working for free)

• From idea → real business model

• Matching CEOs with operators

• Why most firms become “accidental agencies”

• Niching down into accounting firms

• Community mindset in accounting

• How the matching process works

• Advice for founders

Most accounting firms don’t fail because of bad ideas. They fail because nothing gets executed.

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, James Bohan shares how he built his firm starting from one client—and why taking action early mattered more than having everything figured out.

From preparing tax returns by hand to becoming a CFO and eventually launching his own firm, his path wasn’t linear—and that’s exactly the point.

They talk about hiring before you feel ready, building systems as you grow, and how “done is better than perfect” actually plays out in real life.

If you’re thinking about starting or scaling your firm, this episode is a practical reminder:

You don’t need perfect—you need momentum.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

• Why waiting for perfect slows you down
• How one client can start a firm
• The importance of taking action early
• Why hiring sooner can unlock growth
• How to build a niche in accounting
• Offshore hiring and scaling
• Real lessons from building a firm

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• James’ early career and starting as a bookkeeper

• From no accounting experience to CPA

• Transition from firm to CFO role

• Starting his own firm from a single client

• Building a niche in real estate & private equity

• Offshore hiring and scaling a team

• In-person vs online networking today

• Lessons from the GFC and early career struggles

• Systems and hiring early

• Advice for new firm owners

What if something as simple as your name affected how people saw you professionally?

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Astrid Daniela Galvez, Founder of Accounting Specialist & Business Solutions, to talk about building a firm from scratch—and the identity challenges that came with it.

Astrid shares how she started her firm with no clients and only six months of savings, how she landed her first opportunities, and why she made the decision to change how she introduced herself professionally.

They dive into imposter syndrome, building trust as a new firm owner, and what it really takes to grow a business over 13 years.

If you’re starting from zero—or navigating confidence and identity in your career—this episode will resonate.

🎯 What you’ll learn:

• How to start an accounting firm from zero
• How to get your first clients
• Imposter syndrome in the accounting industry
• How identity can impact opportunities
• Why community is key when starting out
• Building trust as a new firm owner
• Lessons from 13 years in business

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• Astrid’s early career and transition into accounting
• Starting a firm with no clients
• First clients and early challenges
• Imposter syndrome and identity in business
• Why she adapted how she introduced herself professionally
• Building trust as a new firm owner
• Working with minority-owned businesses
• The role of community and connections
• Defining an ideal client
• Advice for new firm owners

What makes an accounting firm valuable—and what actually determines how much it sells for?

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Geoff Bruskin, Managing Partner at White Tiger Connections, to break down how accounting firms are built, scaled, and ultimately sold.

Geoff shares his journey into the accounting space through M&A, recruiting, and consulting—and how private equity is reshaping the industry.

They dive into what most firm owners get wrong about valuation, why being involved in day-to-day operations can hurt your exit, and how to build a firm that buyers actually want.

They also explore how AI is starting to impact accounting firms, and what founders should do today to stay competitive.

If you’re thinking about growing, or eventually selling, your firm, this episode gives you the playbook.

What you’ll learn:

• How to build an accounting firm with exit in mind
• What determines the value of an accounting firm
• Why founders hurt their own valuation
• The difference between SDE and EBITDA
• How private equity is changing accounting
• How AI will impact bookkeeping and operations
• What buyers look for during due diligence

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

Topics Covered

• Geoff’s path into M&A and accounting firms

• Building White Tiger Connections

• Private equity in the accounting industry

• Accounting firm valuation basics

• SDE vs EBITDA explained

• What affects exit value

• Why founders lower their own valuation

• AI in accounting firms (current vs future)

• Niche strategy for accounting firms

• How to build a firm to sell

Scaling an accounting firm sounds simple—until you’re the one stuck doing everything.

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Chase Damiano, Founder & CEO of Human at Scale, to break down why so many accounting firm owners struggle to scale—and what actually needs to change.

Chase shares his journey from Accenture to building and scaling a coffee business, and how that experience led him to work closely with accounting firms as an operations partner.

They dive into the real reasons firms get stuck: lack of visibility, weak systems, unclear roles, and founders who become the bottleneck.

If you’ve ever felt like your firm is growing… but you’re still overwhelmed, this conversation is for you.

Because scaling isn’t about working more—it’s about building a business that works without you.

What you’ll learn:
• How to scale an accounting firm without burning out
• Why most accounting firms hit growth plateaus
• How to stop being the bottleneck as a firm owner
• The operational systems every firm needs to grow
• How to get out of day-to-day client work

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

Topics Covered

• How to scale an accounting firm sustainably
• Why firm owners burn out while growing
• The biggest bottlenecks in accounting firms
• Lack of visibility and operational data
• Why meetings don’t drive real progress
• Systems, SOPs, and workflow breakdowns
• CEO vs operator mindset shift
• Revenue plateaus and how to break them
• Why niche focus accelerates growth
• The power of the accounting community

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Tracy Brantingham, CEO of Building Profits LLC, to explore how she built her firm from just three clients into a growing business — and the decisions that shaped that journey.

Tracy shares her background in construction accounting, how she transitioned from employee to business owner, and the role networking played in getting her first clients and scaling early on.

We also talk about why she chose not to niche down, how her firm approaches client relationships and technology, and what it takes to build systems that support long-term growth.

Plus — we dive into hybrid work, building team culture, moving to monthly recurring revenue, and the importance of community when growing a business.

Because behind every balance sheet, there’s a story worth telling.

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• From employee to business owner in accounting

• Getting the first clients through networking

• Why Tracy chose not to niche down

• Construction accounting and client complexity

• Hybrid work and building team culture

• Moving from hourly billing to monthly recurring revenue

• Scaling a firm with systems and structure

• The importance of community and mentorship

• Favorite food: chips & salsa 🌮

In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Chris Meyers, Partner at Welch LLP, to explore how a career in accounting can evolve across industries — and why human relationships still matter more than ever.

Chris shares his journey from starting at Welch as a student to working in government, including roles at the Bank of Canada and as CFO within public finance, before returning to the firm as a partner.

We also dive into how accounting firms are evolving, the role of client relationships in a world shaped by AI, and why vulnerability and communication are becoming key differentiators in the industry.

Plus — we talk about career growth, scaling a service line, favorite foods (pizza 🍕 and steak 🥩), and practical advice for professionals and entrepreneurs.

Because behind every balance sheet, there’s a story worth telling.

🎧 South Offices Home
https://southoffices.com/

🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company
https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/

📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist
https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices

• Chris’s career journey from Welch to government and back

• Working in finance during the global financial crisis

• What a full-service accounting firm actually does today

• The rise of Client Accounting Services (CAS)

• Why human relationships matter in accounting

• Generational differences in client communication

• Scaling a service line inside a firm

• Favorite foods 🍕 pizza & 🥩 steak

• Advice for professionals and entrepreneurs