In today’s episode of Spiraling Up, we explore one of the boldest moves in the accounting world: the creation of Sorren, a new Top 50 accounting firm formed through the merger of 16 independent firms.

We’re joined by two of the leaders behind this remarkable merger — Tara Davis, National Marketing Director, and Heath Alloway, Growth Partner — who take us inside the real story:

• How five long-time peer firms planted the seed for a larger merger
• How the idea spread to 16 firms within the BDO Alliance
• What it takes to align cultures, systems, processes, and people
• How they brought together hundreds of employees under a new shared mission, vision, and values

From the M&A strategy to the brand rollout, from overcoming fears and rumor mills to building trust and identity, Tara and Heath share candid insights into the challenges and breakthroughs that shaped Sorren’s launch.

Whether you're navigating a merger, thinking about joining one, or simply curious about how large-scale integration actually happens, tune in for this masterclass in communication, culture, and leadership during transformation.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Welcome
01:30 Mergers and Acquisitions
05:42 Background
14:36 M&A Brand Therapy Session
15:29 How Do We Bring 16 Firms Together? 
23:07 Rebranding Worries
26:03 Rebranded Company's History
29:32 How To Advise An Exhausted Rumor Killer
33:58 We've Been Bought Out By The Man
39:45 The Impact on a CPA'S Career Trajectory
48:04 How Will a legacy Employee's Voice be Heard? 
51:47 Pivotal Story
52:21 Welcome
52:47 All Things M&A
53:31 Current Climate For Quality
55:36 Due Dilligence Before Brand Integration
57:27 Success Stories and Nightmares

Visit Sorren's website: https://sorren.com/
Connect with Heath on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heath-alloway/
Connect with Tara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taradavis-sorren/

The Spiraling Up crew takes the show on the road to Southlake, Texas, for a special live recording with Paige Byrd and Elyssa Stephenson, co-presidents of the award-winning interior design and procurement firm Thiel & Team.

Together, they dig into what it takes to grow a thriving professional services business—balancing creativity, client management, and operational excellence. Then, things take a fun turn as they play Date, Marry, Dump: Business Edition—debating which marketing strategies and workplace trends they’d keep, test, or toss in today's marketplace.

From thought leadership and speaking gigs to LinkedIn trends, company retreats, and even questionable office décor choices (yes, fake fig trees make an appearance), this episode blends laughter with serious insights about running a high-performing firm that still knows how to have fun.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:03 Why Hinge is in Texas
02:21 Meet the Co-Presidents of Teal and Team
06:18 The Evolution of THIELCON
07:24 Canyon Creek Renovation
09:25 The Year of the Travel Maximizer
11:01 Experience in Business and Leisure
17:32 Game Time: Date, Marry, Dump
19:35 Thought Leadership Vehicles
25:55 Aesthetic Annoyances
30:16 Website and Digital Experience
35:19 Unfortunate Workplace Communications
36:50 Company Culture Initiatives
42:22 Remote/Hybrid Work Quirks
45:13 Branding Strategies
52:19 Conclusion and Contact Information

Visit Thiel & Team's website: https://thielandteam.com/
Connect witih Paige: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-byrd-a0a44210/
Connect with Elyssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elyssa-stephenson/

What if winning work felt a little more like dating? 

In this episode of Spiraling Up, Joe and Mary-Blanche sit down with marketing pros Amy Cuddy (Wilmot Sanz) and Abby Harrington (Gilbane Building Company) to unpack the parallels between proposal pursuits and modern matchmaking. From the principal in charge who “flies in and out” to the designer who just can’t stop tweaking, Amy and Abby share how to manage every personality type you’ll encounter in business development — and when it’s time to swipe left.

They’ll also play a round of The Business Development Dating Game, where red flags and green flags fly fast. Whether you’re chasing RFPs, courting clients, or trying to build better teaming partnerships, this episode will help you navigate the pursuit process with humor, empathy, and a few laughs along the way.

00:00 Welcome to Spiraling Up
03:19 Introducing Amy and Abby
07:52 Principal In Charge
08:48 Project Manager
12:42 Marketing Manager
14:43 Marketing Director
16:02 Business Development
18:35 Swipe Left Or Right?
20:03 Pick Up Line 1
21:30 Pick Up Line 2
23:38 Pick Up Line 3
26:29 Pick Up Line 4
27:54 Pick Up Line 5
29:38 Pick Up Line 6
30:56 Pick Up Line 7 
32:42 Pick Up Line 8 
35:36 Pick Up Line 9
38:09 Pick Up Line 10 
39:30 Pick Up Line 11 
41:18 Pick Up Line 12
42:30 Conclusion

Connect with Amy Cuddy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypcuddy/
Learn more about Wilmot Sanz: https://www.wilmot.com/

Connect with Abby Harrington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-f-harrington/
Learn more about Gilbane Building Company: https://www.gilbaneco.com/

Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study Today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into classic rom-com territory with 'How to Lose a Lead in 10 Days.' Austin McNair, Mary Blanche Kramer, and Joe Pope discuss seven surefire ways to lose a lead, from neglecting your website to giving prospects only one option. 

The team touches on the importance of social media, the pitfalls of responding to every RFP, and why you should never just talk about your services. Plus, learn how to involve your subject matter experts and tailor your pitches to prospects' actual needs. 

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome
04:04 Have a Disorganized Business Development Process
13:52 Neglect Your Company's Website
19:10 Hide Your Subject Matter Experts
24:38 Respond To Every RFP That Comes Your Way
29:20 Limit Content To Focus on Your Firm And Services
36:19 Ignore the Prospect's Business Situation 
43:17 One solution at one price
48:49 Pivotal Story: Sprout Social Report
58:13 Conclusion

Participate in the 2026 High Growth Study today: https://hingemarketing.com/survey

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team welcomes Wayne Larson, the CRM Plumber, for a lively discussion on how to un-clog your CRM pipes. From bad data to cumbersome reports, learn how to clean up your tech issues. Finally, the team dissects common branding missteps, taking lessons from Cracker Barrel and Patron Tequila. 

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
06:20 Becoming a CRM Plumber
07:04 The Current Conversation on CRM
10:40 Five Scenarios
11:54 Our Data is a Mess
18:31 Metrics
23:51 Users
29:46 Marketing Teams
35:01 Partners are Questioning CRM's Value
41:56 High Growth Study and AI
45:49 Pivotal Story
58:19 Conclusion

Connect with Wayne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larsonwayne/
Visit A-Sesh Tech: https://www.aseshtech.com/

Buy or Sell? Relationships are the #1 asset to your organization.

In this episode of Spiraling Up, Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche sit down with Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan, Global Account Manager at Introhive for a game of ‘Buy or Sell?’ This fun conversation centers on the importance of building stronger business relationships. 

Then, the gang cuts through the GEO vs. SEO hype in this week’s Pivotal Story inspired by a post by Jeremy Moser.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
04:26 Dr. Ryan O’Sullivan
08:29 Gameshow - Buy or Sell?
10:50 Buy or Sell #1
14:35 Buy or Sell #2
20:54 Buy or Sell #3
24:36 Buy or Sell #4
31:49 Buy or Sell #5
35:38 Buy or Sell #6
39:42 Buy or Sell #7
44:28 Buy or Sell #8
48:52 Pivotal Story

Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-osullivan-uk/
Visit IntroHive: https://www.introhive.com/

Fight back against toxic workplace cultures ✊

In this episode of Spiraling Up, the Hinge team dives into the evolving landscape of work culture, featuring an insightful discussion with John Garrett, author of 'What's Your And?' Garrett emphasizes the importance of valuing employees beyond their job titles and integrating personal passions into professional life. The conversation also explores the impact of AI on productivity, managing work-life balance, and creating a people-centric workplace. 

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction
04:54 Introduction to John Garrett
11:27 Toxic Takes
13:01 Toxic Trait #1
20:21 Toxic Trait #2
22:53 Toxic Trait #3
30:22 Practical Ways to Apply Your 'And'
35:43 Toxic Trait #4
39:46 Sharing Hidden Talents
43:01 Connect With John Garrett
44:01 Pivotal Story: The Infinite Workday
54:41 Final Thoughts

Connect with John Garrett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejohngarrett/
Visit John Garrett's Website: https://www.thejohngarrett.com/

In this episode, Matt Tait, Co-Founder of Decimal joins the show to play a game of 'Would You Rather?' with Austin, Joe, and Mary-Blanche. 

Spinning a digital wheel to decide the questions, Matt is given abominable choices across 5 various categories: people, growth levers, profit centers, leadership, and business killers. This fun, gameshow-style podcast interview showcases important business leadership lessons in an entertaining way. Then, the gang explores why CMOs have shifted their strategies from client acquisition to client retention.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction & Limited Banter
01:58 Would You Rather: Spin the Wheel Edition
06:42 Cash Flow Nightmares or AI Disruption?
09:43 Ignore Major Issues or Over-Flag Minor Concerns?
13:58 Sacrifice Margin for Fast Growth or Slow But Profitable?
19:58 Spend $100k On Brand or Outbound Sales?
25:54 Employee Happiness or Maximum Profits?
28:57 Hire Veterans or Young Talent?
33:21 Scale w Toxic Performer or Fire Them Now?
36:51 GTM Strategy: Go Deep or Broad?
39:28 Learn More About Decimal
40:03 Pivotal Story: CMOs Focus on Client Retention

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtait83/
Visit the Decimal Website: https://www.decimal.com/

In this special Intern Takeover episode of Spiraling Up, the 2025 Summer Intern, Sabrina Alperin, hosts an exciting gameshow very similar to (but definitely different than) the popular gameshow, Jeopardy!

Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe compete to answer questions in categories like 'Everything Sabrina,' 'Marketing Mayhem,' and 'Hinge Story.' Sabrina also shares insights from her internship at Hinge, discussing the importance of SEO, social media strategies, and the role of AI in marketing. The episode wraps up with Sabrina's plans for the future as she returns to Vanderbilt University.

Connect with Sabrina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinaalperin/

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Welcome
02:32 Intern Puts Marketing in Jeopardy
22:36 And the winner is...
23:31 Gen Z Perspective on B2B Marketing

In this episode of Spiraling Up inspired by the hit 1999 movie, "10 Things I Hate About You", Austin, Mary-Blanche, and Joe dive into the top ten things they hate about professional services websites. They discuss issues from huge navigation menus to poor SEO optimization and offer illustrative examples of websites that are doing it right. 

Hinge's Art Director Christian Baldo, also joins the show to share his perspective on why brands (and the world) has gone gray. And don't miss the unique closing segment where Joe reads a heartfelt poem about these website woes. 

View the Hinge website portfolio here: https://hingemarketing.com/portfolio#website-design

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro + Banter
04:22 Pivotal Story: Is the World Losing Color?
15:53 Complex Main Navigation
21:18 Bad Homepage Headlines
25:36 Stock Imagery
30:24 Websites With No Filtering Tools
33:07 Lack of Case Stories
37:16 Lack of Expert Bio Pages
39:40 Attributing Thought Leadership to the Company
43:33 Lack of Video
47:40 Lack of Employer Branding
51:09 Poorly Optimized For Search
55:40 List Recap
56:38 Slam Poet Joe