The Authority Company

Bridget Way spent nearly two decades in the trenches of tax season before asking one question that reshaped her entire business: what if doing great work didn't have to mean burning out?A CPA based in the mountains of Colorado, Bridget rebuilt her firm around AI after a disconnected family trip to Utah during COVID convinced her there had to be a better way to work — one where technology creates more capacity while preserving the relationships that make the job meaningful.

In this conversation, Bridget and Joe cover:

• The funeral story about her grandfather (also an accountant) that reshaped how she saw the profession
• Why she calls herself a "QuickBooks desktop warrior" and how cloud accounting changed everything
• The panic-call moment in Utah that triggered her shift to boundaries and automation
• How she quantified saving 500 hours in year one of using AI
• Why she believes AI won't replace small accounting firms — and how she uses it as a "personal assistant" instead
• The generational shift in accounting culture (Gen X grind vs. Gen Z boundaries)
• How "firing" the wrong-fit clients gave her freedom
• What her grandfather — an old-school Enrolled Agent who refused computers — might think of her AI-powered practice today

Bridget is the author of Upskill or Out: AI, Small Business, and the New American Dream — part personal story, part practical guide to using AI to build a stronger, more sustainable business.

Learn more about Bridget at https://www.upskillorout.com.

Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Bridget's journey from tax-season burnout to AI-powered firm
00:23 – Meet Bridget Way, CPA and author of *Upskill or Out*
01:01 – The story of her grandfather's funeral and its impact
02:23 – Seeing her grandfather, the accountant, in a new light
03:17 – Young Bridget: marketing major turned numbers person
04:10 – What is an Enrolled Agent vs. a CPA?
05:01 – Confessions of a "QuickBooks desktop warrior"
06:12 – The rise of cloud accounting and alternatives to QuickBooks
07:01 – Transferable skills and the post-COVID hiring shift
07:59 – The Utah trip: the moment everything changed
09:36 – Realizing "I don't have to work 16-hour days"
09:55 – Changing the business model — and the client fallout
11:37 – The AICPA Vegas conference "tech awakening"
13:15 – First AI experiment: cleaning up a messy client file
14:40 – The automation hack that saves the most time and money
16:44 – How she quantified saving 500 hours in year one
17:45 – Why AI won't replace small accounting firms
18:31 – Using AI as a "personal assistant" to punch above her weight
19:30 – Bundling in HR and other adjacent services for clients
20:12 – The post-COVID accountant shortage and AI stepping in
21:09 – Are Gen Z accountants embracing AI and boundaries?
22:34 – AI absorbing the "mundane" work so people don't have to
22:54 – Gen X banter: adapting through the pre/post-internet era
23:22 – How Millennials and Gen Z reshaped work-life boundaries
24:52 – Does tax season still get "crazy" in her practice?
25:43 – The ski trip during tax season story
26:15 – Handling clients who think "a computer is doing my taxes"
27:47 – "You know you've made it when you can fire clients"
29:09 – Redefining success: time and presence over the corner office
30:27 – "You're less edgy during tax time now" — her kids notice the change
32:04 – What would her grandfather think of her AI-powered practice today?
33:42 – Where to find Bridget's book and close

Brendan P. Keegan joins Joe Pardavila on The Authority Company Podcast to challenge one of the most common ideas in modern leadership: work-life balance.

Brendan is an award-winning president and CEO, investor, board member, and author of Unbalanced on Purpose: Move Beyond the Myth of Perfect Balance and Live With Intention.

After raising more than $10 billion in capital, leading over 250,000 people, and helping drive major growth at companies like Merchants Fleet, Brendan brings a clear and practical framework for living and leading with more intention.

In this conversation, Brendan explains why balance looks different for every person, every role, and every season of life. He breaks down the “delusion of busyness,” why your goals should drive your schedule, how leaders can protect family time without losing their edge, and why discipline creates more freedom.

This episode is a practical conversation for entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders, and high performers who want to build a meaningful life without pretending every area deserves equal time all the time.

Learn more about Brendan P. Keegan and other Authority Company authors at: theauthoritycompany.com

Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Brendan P. Keegan
00:43 - Why “Unbalanced on Purpose” challenges work-life balance
01:17 - Why everyone’s balance looks different
02:47 - What unconscious imbalance looks like
03:34 - Choosing family moments without walking away from ambition
06:08 - Why goals determine your work schedule
07:45 - Brendan’s vacation communication system
08:52 - Should leaders expect others to work like they do?
10:15 - The investment banker and teacher example
11:29 - The delusion of busyness
15:04 - Why busyness is really a prioritization issue
16:20 - The six circles of connection
19:00 - How Brendan prepared his family during a company sale
20:38 - The mistake that hurt his health early in his career
22:13 - Will pulling back from work make you lose your edge?
23:54 - Why discipline creates more time
26:37 - What leaders get wrong about working harder
28:38 - Grind shaming and judging other people’s goals
31:14 - Brendan’s life after running companies
33:11 - Building one million fearless leaders
34:09 - Closing thoughts

Why do so many family businesses struggle after the founder steps away?

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila speaks with Alejandro Cárdenas Villa, author of "Legacy Traps: Why Family Businesses Fail and How to Protect Yours", about the relationship problems, succession mistakes, and emotional decisions that can threaten a multigenerational company.Alejandro explains why founders often spend too much time searching for the next great CEO and too little time preparing their children to become responsible owners. He also reveals the early warning signs of conflict, why family relationships can distort business decisions, and why leaders should never hire a family member they aren’t willing to fire.

The conversation explores Alejandro’s provocative principle that “family comes last” when making business decisions. Protecting the company means considering its employees, customers, suppliers, and future, even when a difficult decision affects a child, sibling, cousin, or parent.

Joe and Alejandro also discuss the value of independent board members, the role of honest feedback, and the safeguards families can establish before a conflict, transition, or crisis begins.

Alejandro Cárdenas Villa works with cross-border and multigenerational families facing succession, governance, conflict, and ownership challenges. His work draws from psychology, management, law, and finance.

Learn more about Alejandro and other leading authors at TheAuthorityCompany.com.

Chapters
00:00 Why family businesses struggle after the founder
01:43 The truth behind the third-generation failure statistic
02:55 Why heirs must learn how to become owners
05:10 Early warning signs of a Legacy Trap
06:32 “The thing is not the thing” in family conflict
07:44 Why survival should come before success
10:19 Why family comes last in business decisions
12:43 What happens when you fire a family member
14:04 The emotional conflict founders often miss
15:07 Never hire someone you can’t fire
16:02 Why objectivity is difficult in a family business
18:13 What successful family businesses do differently
20:57 The value of an independent advisor
24:04 The first safeguard every family should establish
25:50 Where to find Legacy Traps

Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown joins The Authority Company Podcast to discuss her book Revolutionary Leadership: A Power Playbook for Black Women and the urgent need to rethink how leadership is recognized, developed, and supported.

In this conversation, Dr. Brown explains why Black women remain underrepresented in top executive roles, how traditional leadership systems often miss the skills Black women already bring, and why organizations need to redesign advancement systems instead of relying on performative programs.

Joe and Dr. Brown also explore the power of representation, the difference between networking and “friend-raising,” how caregiving builds real leadership capability, and what leaders should stop doing if they genuinely want to cultivate Black women leaders.

This episode is a powerful conversation about equity, leadership, community, systems change, and the future of work.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Black women make up nearly 8% of the U.S. population but hold just over 1% of top executive leadership jobs.
• Why representation matters when people are trying to imagine themselves in positions of power.
• How leadership systems can be redesigned instead of patched with short-term programs.
• Why caregiving develops many of the same skills organizations claim to value in executives.
• How “friend-raising” creates deeper, longer-term relationships than traditional networking.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown
00:56 The leadership gap for Black women
02:19 Why representation matters
03:01 The pipeline problem in leadership
04:04 Why systems need redesign
05:23 Becoming a revolutionary pathmaker
06:25 How to redesign broken systems
07:31 What traditional leadership models get wrong
09:46 Friend-raising vs. networking
11:41 The transactional truth about networking
13:00 Why thriving together creates power
14:08 What has changed for Black women leaders
15:05 Caregiving as leadership training
17:48 How caregiving builds empathy
18:58 Why community matters more than ever
20:18 How mobility changed community
22:43 Building community with intention
24:26 How adults can practice friend-raising
28:32 Friend-raising in business
30:46 What leaders should stop doing
32:05 Why leaders need to talk to people directly
33:28 Why exit interviews come too late
33:53 Why Dr. Brown dedicated the book to her daughters
34:53 Closing thoughts

• What leaders should stop doing if they want to support Black women’s advancement.

How do successful companies stay fast, hungry, and focused as they grow?In this episode of Entrepreneur | Authorities, Joe Pardavila welcomes back Matthew Domo, CEO and founder of FifthVantage.

At Amazon, Matt created Amazon Web Services' first database and pioneered the database-as-a-service category.Matt breaks down Amazon’s influential “Day One” leadership mindset and explains why it’s an operating discipline rather than a corporate slogan.

The conversation explores how leaders can create urgency without chaos, give teams autonomy while maintaining accountability, and recognize the early signs of organizational complacency. Matt also explains why vague goals such as “make it simple” can slow teams down and waste valuable time.

Joe and Matt discuss working backward from the customer, improving the employee experience, measuring real business outcomes, and avoiding vanity metrics. They also examine why many companies are spending heavily on AI without changing how decisions are made or how employees work.

Matt closes by sharing one Amazon practice every entrepreneur and business leader can use: write the future press release before creating the strategy deck.

What You'll Learn:
Amazon’s Day One leadership mindset
The warning signs of Day Two thinking
Creating urgency without creating chaos
Balancing autonomy with accountability
Why companies become complacent
Working backward from the customer
Defining simple, seamless, and delightful experiences
Using AI to create measurable business outcomes
Why AI spending becomes a vanity metric
Writing a future press release before building a strategy

Matthew Domo is the author of "Everybody Wins: The Business Leader's Mission Possible Guide to AI Success"

Subscribe to Entrepreneur Authorities for conversations with the leaders, builders, and thinkers helping entrepreneurs make smarter decisions in a changing world.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:59 What “Day One” Really Means
02:00 Warning Signs of Day Two Thinking
03:39 Where Complacency Starts
06:00 The Problem With Checking Boxes
07:19 How Amazon Created Urgency Without Chaos
10:56 Autonomy Requires Accountability
13:55 Why Innovation Can Slow a Company Down
17:03 Leading Through Rapid AI Change
18:05 Defining Seamless and Delightful
21:20 What Does “Simple” Actually Mean?
24:54 Working Backward From the Customer
26:00 The Employee and Leader Experience
28:24 The Real Cost of AI Tokens
30:24 Why AI Failure Is a Leadership Problem
31:53 The Amazon Lesson Entrepreneurs Should Steal
34:33 Everybody Wins

Shep Rose built a public image around charm, adventure, and saying yes to almost everything. As one of the breakout stars of Bravo’s Southern Charm, he became known as the fun-loving guy who could turn any room into a party.

But in his new book, Nothing in Moderation: A Psychedelic Reckoning With Excess, Shep opens up about what happens when that persona starts to cost you.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila talks with Shep Rose about fame, drinking, gambling, BravoCon, Andy Cohen’s warning, and the hard question of whether being “the life of the party” is still worth it.

Shep also shares why he turned to ayahuasca in Costa Rica, what he learned from the experience, and why the real work of change starts after the breakthrough moment. From ADHD and reality TV to gratitude, family, and the future of Southern Charm, this conversation goes deeper than the version of Shep most people think they know.

Watch this episode if you’re interested in reality TV, personal growth, addiction-adjacent behavior, psychedelics, fame, or the messy process of becoming a better version of yourself.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Life in Charleston and the summer crowds
01:42 The meaning behind Nothing in Moderation
02:11 Why Shep always said yes
03:00 Growing up with ADHD
04:44 “Why do I always lick the jar?”
06:06 Addiction, excess, and living too hard
08:40 The BravoCon breakdown
10:53 Andy Cohen’s warning
13:19 “You have more to offer than being the life of the party”
15:06 The pressure to perform on reality TV
16:00 Balancing authenticity and self-control
18:08 Why Shep tried ayahuasca
19:45 The “exit guy” realization
21:16 What the ayahuasca retreat was really like
23:01 Why the reckoning wasn’t a cure-all
24:28 What ayahuasca taught him
26:13 The Ritz-Carlton of ayahuasca
27:00 What a bad trip can look like
30:05 What moderation looks like now
31:39 The future of Shep Rose on TV
33:22 Comedy, book tour, and life after Southern Charm
35:50 Shep’s biggest takeaway: gratitude
36:52 Why Southern Charm connected with viewers
39:54 Where to find Shep’s book

Why do some brands become part of our lives while others disappear?

In this episode of Entrepreneur Authorities, Joe Pardavila sits down with branding expert and author Ernie Ross to explore the hidden forces that shape the way people connect with products, companies, and ideas.

Ernie is the founder of an award-winning branding and innovation agency and the author of Intangience: How Human Connection Creates Value Between People, Brands, and Ideologies.

His work focuses on a simple idea: something only has value when it holds meaning for someone.During the conversation, Ernie explains why Coca-Cola has become one of the most recognized brands in the world, why traditional advertising often falls flat, and how entrepreneurs can shift their messaging from features and functionality toward genuine emotional connection.

He also shares stories from his work on political campaigns in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, including a classified ad that helped create a national conversation and a powerful 30-second campaign built around a melting candle.

The conversation covers:
• Why successful brands focus on meaning
• What Coca-Cola understands about human connection
• The difference between value and worth
• Why facts alone rarely persuade people
• How emotional messaging changes buying decisions
• The difference between propaganda and poignant messaging
• How to identify the business you’re really in
• Why entrepreneurs should view their company through the customer’s perspective
• The economic opportunities emerging across the Caribbean

Ernie also shares a practical exercise from Intangience: ask what you’re offering your customer beyond the basic function of your product or service.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Why meaning creates value
01:45 Growing up in Guyana under a dictatorship
02:36 What scarcity teaches us about value
03:07 Why messages need to resonate
03:43 What Coca-Cola really sells
05:41 How Coke created a brand built around connection
06:54 How Coca-Cola became associated with Christmas
07:17 The challenge of telling an emotional story
08:00 The pillars of purpose
10:16 The difference between value and worth
11:43 Why advertising fails
13:01 How framing changes perspective
15:11 The flower shop example every entrepreneur should hear
17:07 Propaganda versus poignant messaging
20:12 The broken mirror lesson
21:42 Building political campaigns that connect emotionally
22:31 The classified ad that went viral
25:28 A campaign that helped change Guyana
28:22 The overlooked business opportunities in the Caribbean
32:00 The first exercise entrepreneurs should take from Intangience
32:43 Final thoughts

Most acquisitions look strong on paper. The real challenge begins after the deal closes.

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with J. Michael Coffey, author of G.A.L.E. Force: Navigating Strategy, Culture, and Value Creation in Modern M&A, to explore why so many mergers and acquisitions fail to meet expectations, and why culture often becomes the biggest obstacle after closing.Michael shares lessons from helping H.E. Parts acquire 14 companies, expand into seven countries, and eventually become part of Hitachi. He explains the principle behind his G.A.L.E. Force framework: global aim, local execution.

Joe and Michael discuss the evolution of private equity, the rise of growth through acquisition, the hidden complexity of post-merger integration, and why financial projections often miss the human realities that determine whether a deal succeeds.

Michael also shares stories from Chile, global mining operations, competing against industry giants like Caterpillar and Komatsu, and what it feels like to move from acquirer to acquiree.If you’re a CEO, founder, investor, private equity leader, operator, or executive involved in M&A, this conversation offers a practical look at how companies can create lasting value after the deal is done.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:43 Buffalo Bills vs. Jets
01:00 How private equity changed M&A
02:55 Why the book opens in Chile
03:10 Building H.E. Parts as a David vs. Goliath story
04:13 Why mining operations never stop
05:10 Why global customers needed H.E. Parts in multiple markets
06:21 Expanding into Australia, Chile, Peru, Canada, the U.S., and Zambia
07:00 Competing against OEM giants like Caterpillar and Komatsu
08:24 The power of being small and agile
08:53 Is mining still the Wild West?
10:07 Centralized ownership vs. decentralized operations
10:26 What “global aim, local execution” means
12:49 Why customers wanted an alternative solution
13:44 Why culture is the nemesis of modern M&A
14:02 How global and local cultures clash after acquisitions
15:37 Why you can’t force one culture on another
16:28 Innovation as a shared cultural principle
18:00 The Chile soccer story
19:23 Turning local culture into a business advantage
20:47 Why culture gets ignored during dealmaking
21:36 Why culture ranks low before close and first after close
23:04 Why many deals miss their financial goals
23:29 The “hockey stick” problem in projections
25:00 How G.A.L.E. Force improves post-close success
26:16 Moving from acquirer to acquiree
26:43 Why leaving H.E. Parts was emotionally difficult
28:24 When founders struggle with the decision to sell
29:39 Where to find G.A.L.E. Force
29:51 Closing

Every email receipt, loyalty card, online search, app permission, and free Wi-Fi connection can reveal more about you than you realize.

In this episode of Entrepreneur | Authorities, Joe Pardavila speaks with data science and AI expert Wes Chaar, author of Data Independence: Reclaiming Privacy in an Era of Evolving Tech, about how companies follow our digital breadcrumbs and turn personal information into profit.

Wes explains how a simple email address can help businesses connect your purchases, online behavior, location, interests, and spending habits into a detailed customer profile. He also reveals why airlines offer free Wi-Fi, how retailers use loyalty programs as data acquisition tools, and why two people may see different prices for the same hotel room or product.

The conversation also examines the growing power of artificial intelligence, the difference between personalization and manipulation, and the anxiety younger workers feel as AI transforms white-collar careers.Wes shares his proposal for giving individuals greater control over their personal information through what he calls the “data vote,” along with a new regulatory framework built around transparency, accountability, protection, equality, and respect.

Who should own your personal data? How much control should companies have over it? And should you receive a share of the money your information helps generate?

Listen to the full conversation to learn how the data economy works and what it may take to reclaim your digital independence.

What You'll Learn:
How companies connect small pieces of information to create a detailed customer profile
Why stores ask for an email address or phone number at checkout
How loyalty programs act as data collection systems
Why airlines may profit more from customer data than ticket sales
Why free services often generate value through user information
How AI relies on personal, behavioral, and creative data
Where personalization can cross into emotional manipulation
Why AI is causing anxiety among Gen Z and white-collar workers
How companies may use personal data to set different prices
Why government agencies can sometimes buy data without seeking a warrant



Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:59 – The Digital Breadcrumbs You Leave Every Day
02:00 – What Happens When You Give a Store Your Email
03:38 – How Companies Use Data Beyond Advertising
05:17 – The Privacy Trade-Off We Make for Convenience
06:42 – Why Free Platforms Want Your Data
07:30 – AI Runs on Your Personal Information
09:27 – The Idea of a Personal “Data Vote”
10:17 – When Personalization Becomes Manipulation
13:20 – How Companies Predict and Influence Emotion
15:19 – Why Gen Z Is Pushing Back Against AI
16:32 – AI’s Impact on White-Collar Jobs
20:04 – Which Industries Use Personal Data Most Aggressively?
20:33 – How Airlines Became Data Companies
22:14 – Loyalty Programs as Data Acquisition Tools
23:37 – The Real Reason Airlines Offer Free Wi-Fi
25:55 – Why Two People May See Different Prices
27:40 – Governments Buying Data Without Warrants
29:00 – A New Framework for Data Regulation
32:20 – Why Europe Leads the U.S. on Technology Rules
34:45 – Who Should Own Your Personal Data?
37:04 – Data Independence and Final Thoughtsin control or compensation for their data
What Wes Chaar means by a personal “data vote”

What does “real trading” mean in a market dominated by algorithms, AI, dark pools, high-frequency trading, meme stocks, and commission-free apps?

In this episode of The Authority Company Podcast, Joe Pardavila sits down with Daniel Schlaepfer, founder of Select Vantage and author of Real Trading: Why Stock Markets Will Always Need a Human Touch, to unpack how modern markets really work and why human judgment still matters.

Daniel explains why long-term wealth depends on patience, compound interest, and high-quality investments. He also breaks down how technology has changed trading, why “free” trades may come with hidden costs, and how retail investors can misunderstand the plumbing behind the stock market.

Joe and Daniel discuss AI bubbles, SpaceX valuations, meme stocks, payment for order flow, retail trading apps, market regulation, and why professional traders still play a critical role in keeping markets liquid, honest, and fair.

If you invest, trade, follow Wall Street, or simply want to understand what’s really happening behind the scenes of the stock market, this conversation is a must-watch.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:43 Stock market vs. real estate for building wealth
01:20 Why patience matters in investing
02:11 Compound interest explained
03:33 How low interest rates created “free money”
04:30 Why Daniel wrote Real Trading
05:20 Is there an AI bubble?
06:00 SpaceX, Amazon, and market irrationality
07:13 Why retail investors need professional guidance
08:36 Why human traders still matter
09:35 AI, regulation, and accountability
11:56 How AI changes jobs and productivity
13:34 AI as an efficiency tool
15:08 What happened to the old trading floor?
16:41 How traders now work from home
17:44 What meme stocks really are
19:17 How retail traders can squeeze big institutions
20:17 Why we only hear the winning trading stories
21:10 What “real trading” means
22:00 How modern market plumbing affects investors
23:00 Why free trading has hidden costs
24:07 The auction house analogy for trading
25:45 Why traders need to understand market mechanics
26:23 How firms make money from retail order flow
27:51 The Facebookification of Wall Street
28:21 What regulators should understand
29:00 Is trading becoming legalized gambling?
30:20 Closing thoughts