In Episode 7 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I am joined by Chase Birky, CEO and Co-Founder of Dark Horse CPAs. Dark Horse takes a different approach to the franchise model, having built incentives around elevating the group as a whole and sharing equity in the overall organization rather than a traditional franchise and fee model. Chase and I discuss many topics ranging from the limitations of the partnership model at scale, Employee Stock Option plans for firms, sale of secondary shares by employees, and how to offer an alternative to the traditional CPA firm model.

This episode is sponsored by Pluvo, by rain technologies. Pluvo is a one-stop-shop for business owners and decision makers to plan, strategize and project their finances with unparalleled efficiency. Pluvo integrates directly with QBO, offering you a smoother process and includes a suite of FP&A tool supporting forecasting, scenario planning and financial reporting. Reduce the amount of time you are spending on manual tasks, and focus on strategic decision making instead. Pluvo is a great addition to your firm if you are looking to step up your game in virtual CFO services with clients or improve the internal finance function of your firm. Check them out in the episode’s show notes.

Check Pluvo out here: https://bit.ly/pluvorain

Follow Chase

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chasebirky/

Dark Horse: https://abetterway.cpa/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In episode 6 of the Big 4 Transparency podcast, I am joined by Craig Hausz, co-founder and CEO of CMH Advisors. What makes Craig’s experience unique is that in addition to being a CPA, he is also a Certified Financial Planner, which allows his firm to offer both tax & accounting services as well as wealth management. In this episode we discuss the synergies in offering both services to clients, giving a more 360 coverage of clients’ financial wellbeing while maximizing profitability. We discuss the difference in pricing models in financial advisory versus accounting services and how accounting professionals can do a better job in valuing the services they offer. We also cover topics like the 150 hour rule, variable compensation based on billing, and the early days of launching CMH advisors. 

This episode is sponsored by Pluvo, by rain technologies. Pluvo is a one-stop-shop for business owners and decision makers to plan, strategize and project their finances with unparalleled efficiency. Pluvo integrates directly with QBO, offering you a smoother process and includes a suite of FP&A tool supporting forecasting, scenario planning and financial reporting. Reduce the amount of time you are spending on manual tasks, and focus on strategic decision making instead. Pluvo is a great addition to your firm if you are looking to step up your game in virtual CFO services with clients. Check them out in the episode’s shownotes.

Check Pluvo out here: https://bit.ly/pluvorain

Follow Craig:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craighausz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CPATaxTeam

CMH Advisors: https://www.cpataxteam.com/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In Episode 5 of The Big 4 Transparency Podcast, we’re joined by Mike Manalac, Accounting manager at Google, and author of No Flux Given, the playbook on how to land your dream job in accounting.

Mike shares learnings from his journey to landing his dream job at Google, and how years of preparation were needed in order to get him to where he is today. Mike shows the type of foresight, planning and determination that is needed to land the most competitive positions, and shares what he learned along the way so you can save years on your own journey.

This episode is sponsored by Pluvo, by rain technologies. Pluvo is a one-stop-shop for business owners and decision makers to plan, strategize and project their finances with unparalleled efficiency. Pluvo integrates directly with QBO, offering you a smoother process and includes a suite of FP&A tool supporting forecasting, scenario planning and financial reporting. Reduce the amount of time you are spending on manual tasks, and focus on strategic decision making instead. Pluvo is a great addition to your firm if you are looking to step up your game in virtual CFO services with clients. Check them out in the episode’s shownotes.

Check Pluvo out here: https://bit.ly/pluvorain

Follow Mike:

Website: https://www.mikefromaccounting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemanalac/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In Episode 4 of The Big 4 Transparency Podcast, we’re joined by Scott Scarano, President of Padgett NC and founder of Accounting High.

Scott breaks the mold of what you picture when talking about an accounting professional. He may own his own firm doing roughly $2M in annual revenue, but he has implemented EOS (the Entrepreneurial Operating system) to the firm and has been able to step back almost entirely and focus on more creative pursuits in life. Scott is passionate about rap music, psychedelics and teaching people how to have the success he’s had in balancing growth and lifestyle in the world of accounting. 

One of the initiatives accounting high runs is an annual bracket challenge where people vote on their favourite things in accounting. If you could take 2 minutes to go vote for Big 4 Transparency, that would be hugely appreciated. Just go to https://app.accountinghigh.com/. 

This episode is sponsored by Pluvo, by rain technologies. Pluvo is a one-stop-shop for business owners and decision makers to plan, strategize and project their finances with unparalleled efficiency. Pluvo integrates directly with QBO, offering you a smoother process and includes a suite of FP&A tool supporting forecasting, scenario planning and financial reporting. Reduce the amount of time you are spending on manual tasks, and focus on strategic decision making instead. Pluvo is a great addition to your firm if you are looking to step up your game in virtual CFO services with clients. Check them out in the episode’s shownotes.

Check Pluvo out here: https://bit.ly/pluvorain

Follow Scott:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscarano/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottscarano

Accounting High: https://www.accountinghigh.com/

Vote for Big 4 Transparency in the bracket challenge: https://app.accountinghigh.com/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In Episode 3 of The Big 4 Transparency Podcast, we’re joined by Andrea Davis, the founder of Linked Workforce, and former Director of Resource Management at Baker Tilly.  

Andrea gives us a view of the conversations that are happening behind the scenes at some of the largest accounting firms, ranging from what is being done to address the talent crisis all the way to how COVID-19 has impacted the priorities and behaviors of the broader workforce. She also shares an emerging philosophy in resource management called the skills first approach which can help employees feel more fulfilled while also allowing employers to get more value out of their employees. 

Follow Andrea:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-davis-rmcp-9a6147208/

Linked Workforce: https://linkedworkforce.com/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In Episode 2 of The Big 4 Transparency Podcast, we’re joined by Patrick Dichter, the owner of Appletree Business Services. 

As a non-CPA with more of a sales background, Patrick has acquired multiple accounting practices to form the firm he runs today. He provides a unique point of view on business practices in the industry and shares some actionable advice on how to improve firm operations. 

A big thank you to this episode’s sponsor Canopy. Check out Canopy here and see how they can help your firm operations: https://bit.ly/GetCNPY

Follow Patrick:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pdichter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/patrickdichter

Personal Blog: https://patrickdichter.com/articles/

Get in touch with me

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

In Episode 1 of The Big 4 Transparency Podcast, we’re joined by Brandon Hall, CEO of Hall CPA PLLC.

His non-traditional take on running an accounting firm has inspired many and unlocked impressive growth for his firm. Brandon is running a modern, remote-first CPA firm, projected to do over $10M in revenue this year. 

In this episode, he shares his journey, what’s involved in running his firm, and refreshing takes on the current state of the accounting industry. He shares insights on how his team is compensated, how he generates pipeline for his firm, and the benefits of not only being a content creator in the space, but also fostering the spark in your employees to become content creators themselves. 

Follow Brandon:

Newsletter: https://brandons-newsletter-bcbda5.beehiiv.com/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5HVpWVrEhB8VHzEA0iVIgE?si=380aaf733ed24414

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonhallcpa/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhallcpa

Get in touch with me: 

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Email: [email protected]

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dopiscopo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

Your introduction to Big 4 Transparency (https://www.big4transparency.com/). In this episode, I will provide a brief overview of Big 4 Transparency, and what listeners can expect from this podcast going forward.