Differentiation, confidence, and connection can transform firms.

Capstone Conversations
By Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines

Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk, founder of BBR Companies and one of the accounting profession’s most respected marketing strategists, joined Jean Caragher for a compelling episode of Capstone Conversations—this time as a newly inducted member of the Association for Accounting Marketing Hall of Fame.

• Follow Jean Caragher on CPA Trendlines here. | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | Catch Jean Caragher's other show, Gear Up for Growth, here. | And browse all the shows in the CPA Trendlines broadcast network here

Ruszczyk, who was also named AAM’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014 and has made Accounting Today's Top 100 and CPA Practice Advisor’s Most Powerful Women in Accounting lists, spoke candidly about how far marketing has come in accounting—and how far it still needs to go.

“Accounting marketers bring a perspective to firm strategy that many partners don’t have,” she says. “It’s not just about brochures and branding—it’s about growth strategy, mergers, business development, and client alignment.”

Despite industry progress, Ruszczyk says many firms still struggle to stand out in a crowded market. “Everyone says, ‘our people are great,’ but that’s just noise,” she says. “What clients care about is: what can you do for me?”