The IC-DISC Show

By David SprayBusiness Entrepreneurship

The IC-DISC Show episodes

September 10Known, Remembered, Chosen with Mark McIntosh
A warm introduction gets the meeting almost every time. Most firms never make one on purpose.
In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Mark McIntosh, founder of RevGrow in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to talk about how professional service firms actually win work on LinkedIn without pitching anyone.
I should disclose up front that I'm a RevGrow client, and so is my wife Christine. That's part of why I wanted Mark on the show. When I started, I had about 20 LinkedIn connections and used the platform once in a while to look someone up before a meeting. Today I have more than 4,000, and I've picked up clients who found me by searching for IC-DISC.
Mark grew up in a small farming town in Illinois and came to Texas in 2011 doing business development for Crowe, the CPA firm, before building RevGrow around a done-for-you approach he calls non-salesy. He walked through the mechanics: the profile rewrite, the Sales Navigator searches that surface both ideal clients and referral partners, the messaging that gives first, and the daily outreach his team runs for review and approval.
The part that surprised me most was what he does with warm introductions. Mark treats them as something you engineer rather than something you wait for, running reports to find who in a client's network can open a door, then making the introduction respectfully instead of pitching through it.
I also shared a case study of my own from an industry conference, where a mass email produced opt-out rates we'd never seen before and no meetings at all, and the same list approached through LinkedIn filled my calendar until I had to ask them to stop.
Mark's second book with 90-Minute Books, Known, Remembered, and Chosen, was about two weeks from finished when we recorded.
Show highlights
Twenty connections to more than 4,000, and clients who arrived by searching LinkedIn for IC-DISC, from a platform I'd barely used.
An introduction from someone a person already knows and trusts converts at roughly 95%, which is why Mark builds a process around introductions rather than leaving them to chance.
Referrals are great but unpredictable, and there are rarely enough of them, so the fix is to start conversations on purpose instead of waiting.
The same conference attendee list produced opt-out rates we'd never seen before by email, and 20 booked meetings through LinkedIn, before I had to call it off for lack of calendar space.
Our own return on what we've spent with RevGrow is running at roughly 10 times, and it keeps climbing because the revenue recurs after the spending stops.
Recipients decide in about 20 seconds whether to reply, so the profile and the first message have to connect the dots for them immediately.
The economics need a client worth having: RevGrow's clients typically see lifetime values from $25,000 up to about a million.
Most firms are already sitting on 5,000 or 6,000 connections they've never worked, which Mark describes as having all the gold you need in your existing network.
Links
LinkedIn - Mark McIntosh
RevGrow
About IC-DISC Alliance
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/076-known-remembered-chosen-with-mark-mcintosh/
40 min
June 18Running Toward the Minefield with Scott Abels
The biggest opportunities often sit in the work everyone else is afraid to touch.
In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Scott Abels, a CPA and business valuation specialist in Austin, to talk about why he built his practice around estate, trust, and gift valuations, the one area most professionals avoid.
Scott spent 25 years in corporate finance at Dell and Motorola before launching his own firm. He moved from CFO consulting into valuation, then narrowed further into estate and trust work, an area with its own IRS code sections, examination rates above 20% on large estates, and the highest error rate he's seen. He walked through the landmines, retained rights and marketability discounts among them, where a single mistake can wipe out a client's discounts entirely.
What struck me was his case for getting the valuation expert in during planning, not after, when it's often too late to fix anything. The same logic shows up in his turnaround standard of 30 to 45 days and the dozen questions he tells attorneys to ask before hiring anyone.
Scott also revealed a project he'd been quietly working on, a plain-English book for Texas attorneys, and his answer for how the busiest professionals actually want to be helped.
Show highlights
The riches really are in the niches: narrowing from CFO work to a field with fewer than 10 true specialists turned a commodity service into a moat.
The IRS examines large estates more than 20% of the time, because it knows that's where taxpayers try to avoid taxes, so the valuation has to hold up.
Get your valuation expert involved during estate planning, not after; retained rights and other landmines often can't be fixed once the structure is set.
A buy-sell agreement signed and executed perfectly still won't bind the IRS, which weighs economic reality over legal form every time.
Overstep on discounts and the penalty isn't just losing them; the IRS can throw out your whole valuation and re-value with no discounts at all.
Before hiring a valuation pro, ask their guaranteed turnaround time and whether they offer audit defense; vague answers signal it's a side service, not their focus.
Links
LinkedIn - Scott Abels
About IC-DISC Alliance
About ETG Valuations
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/075-running-toward-the-minefield-with-scott-abels/
47 min
May 18Fifty Years of Precious Metals with Larry Drummond
The strongest industries are built on relationships that outlast individual transactions.
In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Larry Drummond, Executive Director of the International Precious Metals Institute (IPMI), to talk about what fifty years of industry collaboration has taught him about trust, transparency, and building lasting business connections.
Larry shared how IPMI started in 1976 when a group of New York-area scientists came together to share data across competing precious metals companies. After 25 years at Engelhard and a leadership role at Metalor, he came out of retirement in 2018 to lead the organization he had served as a volunteer board member and past president.
What struck me most was Larry's description of an industry where someone can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same time. He shared examples of refiners picking up the phone to ask competitors for help during operational setbacks, knowing the favor would be returned without losing customers in the process.
The conversation reminded me that even in commodity-driven businesses, transparency and verified trust create the foundation for everything else. With IPMI's 50th annual conference coming up in Orlando, Larry's perspective is a great preview of what makes this industry tick.
Show highlights
In precious metals, the same company can be your customer, vendor, and competitor at the same exact time.
IPMI was founded in 1976 by New York-area scientists who recognized the value of sharing data across competing companies.
When operations go down, refiners call competitors for a week of help, knowing the favor will be returned without customer poaching.
Record-high gold prices flooded refiners with material, but financing costs and capacity limits turned some lots into losers.
IPMI memberships pay for themselves through the price discount on a single annual conference registration.
Portable x-ray guns have transformed the industry, letting even small operators verify what they have before shipping it up the chain.
Links
LinkedIn - Larry Drummond
About IC-DISC Alliance
About IPMI
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/074-fifty-years-of-precious-metals-with-larry-drummond/
33 min
April 27From One-Room to 40,000 Pounds a Day
Today on the IC-DISC Show we're talking with John, Clive, and Kelly Hess from CompuCycle in Houston. John started in the metals business in South Africa back in 1966, came to the US in 1986 to run a brass and copper distribution company, and spun off a small scrap division that eventually became CompuCycle.
Clive joined in 1996 fresh out of U of H. Kelly came aboard in 2013 from the nonprofit world and now runs the company as CEO. Three decades later they're processing 40,000 pounds a day and hold more certifications than any other electronics recycler in Texas.
In this conversation, the Hess family talks about the moment the Basel Accord shut down their entire plastics market overnight, why they think scrap metal companies handling electronics is now a liability risk for corporate customers, and how they built their own plastic washing line to solve a problem the rest of the industry was still struggling with. Kelly also shares a partnership they've built with Pearland ISD that turns scrap dismantling into job training for autistic students ages 18 to 22.
Whether you're in recycling or not, the Hess family's thinking on running a multigenerational business, earning certifications most competitors won't bother with, and treating customer problems as a moat instead of a cost is worth your time.
Show highlights
How John Hess went from manufacturing copper ingot in South Africa in 1966 to building Houston's largest electronics recycler
Why being R2 certified isn't enough, and what Compu-Cycle did after watching certified downstreams still send material to landfills
The day the Basel Accord shut down their entire plastics market overnight, and how they engineered their way out
Why scrap metal companies handling electronics has become a liability risk for their corporate customers
The partnership with Pearland ISD that turns scrap dismantling into job training for autistic students
What changed when Kelly came in from the nonprofit world and the family started hiring people smarter than themselves
Links
LinkedIn - Gordon Driscoll
About IC-DISC Alliance
About CompuCycle
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/073-from-one-room-to-40-000-pounds-a-day/
55 min
March 17Software as a Competitive Advantage with Gordon Driscoll
Today on the IC-DISC Show we're talking with Gordon Driscoll. Having spent his early career at Goldman Sachs investing tens of millions into metals companies, he kept noticing they were running their operations on Excel spreadsheets and software from the 1980s. That gap became Green Spark, a cloud-based platform now in over 900 scrap metal recycling locations.
In this conversation, Gordon talks about what it took to break into an industry where relationships go back generations, why he thinks most business owners are thinking about software wrong, and how his team earned credibility by acting more like a partner than a vendor. He also shares a customer story that stuck with me about a scale operator who got his first lunch break in six years.
Whether you're in scrap or not, Gordon's thinking on sustainable growth, earning the right to disrupt, and treating technology as a competitive advantage rather than a cost center is worth your time.
Show highlights
Why a Goldman Sachs investment banker left finance to build software for scrap yards
The massive technology gap Gordon kept seeing in companies handling tens of millions in materials
How Green Spark grew to 900+ locations by acting like a partner, not just a vendor
The customer story about a scale operator getting his first lunch break in six years
Why Gordon believes you have to earn the right to disrupt an industry, and what that looks like in practice
The mindset shift from treating software as a cost center to using it as a competitive advantage
Links
LinkedIn - Gordon Driscoll
About IC-DISC Alliance
About Green Spark Software
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/072-software-as-a-competitive-advantage-with-gordon-driscoll/
43 min
January 29IC-DISC from Start to Finish: The Complete Setup and Compliance Guide
Setting up an IC-DISC the right way can mean the difference between maximizing tax savings and having issues down the road.
In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam, IC-DISC specialist and tax attorney, to walk through the complete IC-DISC setup and compliance process from start to finish. This conversation was inspired by a CPA request for a comprehensive guide covering every step of the IC-DISC journey.
Brian breaks down the entire process chronologically, from the initial consultation to determine if a business qualifies, through the critical formation steps that can make or break your IC-DISC. We cover proper capitalization requirements, the infamous 90-day election window, why non-interest bearing bank accounts matter, and the draconian 60-day payment rule that catches many businesses off guard. He explains the difference between simple and transaction-by-transaction calculations, sharing an example where detailed analysis increased a client's commission from $4 million to $17 million on $100 million in export sales.
Whether you're a CPA learning about IC-DISC for the first time or a business owner considering this strategy, Brian's systematic approach demonstrates why working with a true specialist matters when navigating these complex regulations.
Show highlights
A detailed transaction-by-transaction calculation increased one client's IC-DISC commission from $4 million to $17 million on the same $100 million in export sales.
Missing the 90-day election filing window requires a private letter ruling costing $35,000-$40,000 to fix, making it cheaper to just set up a new IC-DISC.
The 60-day payment rule requires paying at least 50% of your estimated commission in cash or promissory note within 60 days of year-end to avoid disqualification.
Setting up an IC-DISC with no par value stock is a fatal error that will cause the IRS to reject your election, regardless of everything else done correctly.
A non-interest bearing bank account is essential because even $1.50 of interest income can disqualify your IC-DISC if no commission is paid that year.
Export sales typically need to reach $3-5 million before an IC-DISC makes economic sense, though exceptions exist for businesses with exceptionally high profit margins.
Links
LinkedIn - Brian Schwam
About IC-DISC Alliance
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/071-ic-disc-from-start-to-finish-the-complete-setup-and-compliance-guide/
1 hr 1 min
December 12, 2025IC-DISC Myths, Mistakes, and Opportunities with Brian Schwam
Avoiding simple mistakes with the IC-DISC can mean the difference between maximizing tax benefits and leaving money on the table.
In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam, National Managing Director of International Tax Services at WTP Advisors, to talk about the most common IC-DISC misconceptions that trip up practitioners and the underutilized opportunities many businesses are missing.
Brian walks through the critical timing rules that confuse even experienced CPAs, including the 60-day and 90-day payment requirements that many practitioners misapply. He explains how the reasonable estimate safe harbor actually works and why paying the minimum amount can accidentally cap your commission at twice that figure. We cover the ordering rules for distributions, the often-misunderstood $10 million threshold, and why the transactional calculation method isn't nearly as impossible as people think. Brian also clarifies that IC-DISC dividends are subject to the net investment income tax, despite what some practitioners might believe.
The conversation shifts to creative structures most companies never consider. Brian explains how multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates instead of ordinary income rates, saving both employment taxes and up to 17% in federal tax for recipients. He describes evergreen dividend resolutions that eliminate the stress of year-end cash movements and shared-DISC structures that make the strategy economical for smaller exporters with under $3 million in sales. These approaches work for both flow-through entities and C corporations looking to avoid double taxation.
After more than three decades in international tax, Brian brings clarity to a strategy that looks deceptively simple on paper but contains hidden complexity at every turn. This episode delivers practical guidance you can use immediately, whether you're a practitioner helping clients or a business owner evaluating your own structure.
Show highlights
Paying the minimum 50% under the 60-day rule accidentally caps your total IC-DISC commission at twice that amount, limiting flexibility.
Companies with export sales over $10 million can still use an IC-DISC—the cap only limits income deferral, not eligibility.
Multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates, saving up to 17% in federal tax versus ordinary income.
The transactional calculation method isn't impossible—most companies in 2025 can pull the data needed to maximize their IC-DISC benefit.
Evergreen dividend resolutions eliminate 60-day and 90-day payment stress by automatically distributing commission rights on December 31st each year.
Shared DISC structures let exporters with under $3 million in sales split compliance costs while each partner keeps their full tax benefit.
Links
LinkedIn - Brian Schwam
About IC-DISC Alliance
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/070-ic-disc-myths-mistakes-and-opportunities-with-brian-schwam/
53 min
November 21, 2025Subscription Pricing Success with Raffi Yousefian
Success in professional services isn't about doing more—it's about doing less, but doing it exceptionally well.
In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Raffi Yousefian, CEO of The Fork CPAs, to talk about how extreme specialization transformed his accounting firm from a general practice into the leading restaurant and bar controllership service in the country. Raffi shares the counterintuitive journey of deliberately shrinking his client base to accelerate growth, ultimately tripling revenue within 18 months of selling off 30% of his practice.
We explore how Raffi evolved from serving three industries to exclusively focusing on restaurants and bars, and why weekly financial reporting creates competitive advantages that monthly statements simply can't provide. He breaks down the economics of restaurant operations, explaining why 2% savings in food costs can represent an entire profit margin when you're working with businesses that operate on 5-7% net profits. The conversation reveals how subscription pricing combined with deep industry expertise solves the profession's labor shortage by making firms more profitable and attractive to talent.
What strikes me most is how Raffi's specialization philosophy mirrors successful models in other industries, from medical concierge services to dating apps. If you've ever wondered whether narrowing your focus could actually expand your opportunities, this conversation provides a compelling roadmap.
Show highlights
Raffi sold off 30% of his accounting practice to focus solely on restaurants and bars, then tripled the remaining 70% within just 18 months.
Weekly financial reporting in restaurants isn't a luxury—it's survival, since a 2% swing in food costs can represent your entire profit margin.
The Fork CPAs moved from "insecure niching" with three industries to hyper-specialization, proving that doing less actually accelerates growth when done with expertise.
Restaurant operators typically process 300-400 invoices monthly for a $3-4 million location, making specialized systems and processes non-negotiable for profitability.
Subscription pricing in accounting solves the labor shortage by making firms more profitable, allowing them to pay better and attract talent to the profession.
Specialization creates resonance with ideal clients who say "you sound like my soulmate" rather than casting a wide net and hoping something sticks.
Links
LinkedIn - Raffi Yousefian
About IC-DISC Alliance
About The Fork CPAs
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/069-subscription-pricing-success-with-raffi-yousefian/
54 min
October 22, 2025Beyond Banking Silos with Randy Gartz
In this episode of the IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Randy from Trinity Bay Capital to talk about how specialized capital advisory bridges the gap between growing companies and the financing they actually need.
Randy spent 17 years in traditional banking at First City and other institutions before moving into capital finance in the mid-1990s. His transition came from frustration with banking silos that prevented common-sense solutions for growing companies. After traveling extensively as a capital finance professional and later serving as president of a bank, he launched Trinity Bay Capital to help companies access everything from asset-based lending to purchase order financing. His approach differs from typical brokers because he pre-qualifies deals using his banking expertise, then targets just three carefully selected lenders rather than shotgunning dozens of institutions.
What makes Randy's work compelling is how often he solves problems without charging fees. One client I referred received three competitive term sheets that gave him leverage to renegotiate with his existing bank, getting everything he wanted at no cost. Randy's focus on matching companies with conventional banks whenever possible, even when capital finance would pay higher fees, demonstrates how his business model prioritizes client outcomes over transaction volume. His internal 48-page reference guide of specialized lenders reflects decades of relationship-building across oil and gas, maritime, manufacturing, and distribution sectors.
Randy's philosophy that "I don't need to work, I do this because I enjoy it" explains why 75% of his pipeline comes from Texas energy companies that conventional banks won't touch, and why he celebrates when clients find better deals elsewhere.
Show highlights
Randy turns down fund management opportunities that would pay more because accepting them would recreate the banking silos he left to escape.
Trinity Bay Capital targets just three carefully selected lenders per deal instead of shotgunning 12-20 institutions, achieving 95% term sheet success rates.
A construction mat company couldn't get financing because their primary assets wear out quickly, until Randy found lenders who advance directly on depreciating equipment.
Randy helped a frack pipe manufacturer secure $30 million after eight conventional banks declined, simply by knowing which bank was allowed to do oil and gas deals.
One client found a better deal independently, and Randy celebrated it instead of pushing his commission, telling him "as long as I can work with you, that's awesome."
Randy's success fee from conventional banks is often reduced compared to capital finance companies, but he always takes clients there first because it's what they deserve.
Links
LinkedIn - Randy Gartz
About IC-DISC Alliance
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/068-beyond-banking-silos-with-randy-gartz/
34 min
September 18, 2025Highest and Best Use with Mike D'Onofrio
Every business transaction has hidden tax opportunities waiting to be discovered, if you know where to look.
This week on the IC-DISC podcast, I spoke with Mike D'Onofrio from Engineered Tax Services, who's spent 17 years helping business owners maximize their tax strategies through engineering-based specialty tax services.
Mike joined ETS after working in corporate M&A and private equity, where he first recognized the critical need for specialized tax expertise during business transitions, and what struck me about Mike's approach is how his firm combines professional engineering expertise with tax strategy to deliver comprehensive solutions.
They handle everything from cost segregation studies and energy incentives to insurance optimization, processing hundreds of cost segregation studies weekly across every property type imaginable.
Mike's philosophy centers on what he calls "HABU" - highest and best use - focusing on their core expertise while partnering with specialists like us for complementary strategies that create immediate opportunities for businesses to improve cash flow.
The conversation reinforced something I've noticed across successful advisory relationships: the best results come from specialists who stay in their lane while building collaborative teams. Mike's emphasis on maintaining human intelligence alongside technology adoption resonated with my own experience that relationships still drive business success.
Show highlights
ETS processes hundreds of cost segregation studies weekly, from single-family rentals to NFL stadiums, proving tax strategies scale across all property types.
The recent bonus depreciation bill plus R&D tax credit enhancements now allow 100% first-year expense capture, creating immediate cash flow opportunities.
Mike's "HABU" principle (Highest And Best Use) drives their decision to stay specialized rather than compete with partners in overlapping services.
Engineering expertise combined with tax strategy creates unique value—ETS knows roof types, electrical systems, and construction costs that insurance carriers demand.
After recognizing insurance as clients' second biggest pain point after taxes, ETS launched a complementary insurance division leveraging existing property data.
Mike advises his 25-year-old self to surround himself with people much smarter, crediting uncomfortable situations with experts as his greatest learning opportunities.
Links
LinkedIn - Mike D'Onofrio
About IC-DISC Alliance
About Engineered Tax Services
Show notes: https://exportadvisors.com/podcast/067-highest-and-best-use-with-mike-donofrio/
36 min

About The IC-DISC Show

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Join host David Spray as he interviews business owners and industry leaders about the IC-DISC program. Insights and anecdotes to help privately-held U.S. exporters increase their after-tax income.

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