Advertise on podcast: The Growth Minded Accountant

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer, for a timely conversation on what actually drives firm growth in 2026—and why positioning alone is no longer enough. Most tax and accounting firms understand positioning. They’ve defined their services, clarified who they serve, and invested in looking professional. But in a market crowded with competent options and shaped by AI-driven discovery, clarity alone doesn’t convert. Once a prospect knows a firm might be for them, the real decision begins: Do I trust these people? Do I like how they think? Would I confidently refer them? This episode explores why relatability has become the missing layer—the factor that turns relevance into selection and good clients into consistent referrals. Lee and Rebekah break down how buying decisions now happen long before a first conversation, why safe and neutral messaging often leads to being forgettable, and how firms that feel human, easy to describe, and aligned with their clients’ mindset stand out in a crowded market. They also clarify a common misconception: relatability isn’t oversharing or personal branding fluff. It’s a deliberate system—built into messaging, content, reviews, and client experience—that helps the right people feel confident choosing and recommending your firm. This conversation is especially relevant for small and mid-sized tax and accounting firms that rely on referrals, want better-fit clients, and are navigating how marketing, trust, and AI intersect in today’s buying environment. As the profession becomes more automated, this episode makes one thing clear: being unmistakably human isn’t a risk—it’s an advantage.

Most tax and accounting firms don’t actually have a pricing problem. They have a pricing system problem. In this episode of Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why traditional pricing models — hourly billing, fixed fees, even “value pricing” — keep breaking as firms grow, adopt AI, and move toward advisory services. 👉 Download the Pricing System Playbook (Free PDF): https://tinyurl.com/CWPwhitepaper You’ll learn: Why hourly billing collapses as efficiency increasesThe hidden costs of broken pricing systems, including partner bottlenecks, advisory burnout, and revenue without leverageWhy pricing without clear positioning creates resistanceHow narrative, education, and content prepare clients to expect higher-value pricingThe difference between pricing models and pricing architectureHow modern firms price outcomes instead of effortThis episode is for small to mid-sized tax and accounting firms that want to: Move beyond hourly billingOffer tax advisory or CFO advisory servicesScale without burning out partnersAttract better-fit clients who understand their valueIf your firm feels busy but not scalable, this episode explains why — and what to do next. Pricing isn’t a rate card. It’s an architecture. 🔗 RESOURCES The Pricing System Playbook (Free PDF): https://tinyurl.com/CWPwhitepaper 📌 WHO SHOULD LISTEN CPA firms Enrolled Agents & Tax professionals Accounting & Bookkeeping firm owners Advisory-focused firms If you’re interested in building a pricing system that actually scales with your firm, this episode lays the foundation.

Overtime deductions became one of the most misunderstood tax topics coming out of the last election cycle—and that confusion is heading straight into tax season. In this episode, Lee Reams II and Lee Reams Sr. break down what actually qualifies as deductible overtime, why state overtime rules don’t automatically apply for federal tax purposes, and why the 2025 tax season will be far more labor-intensive for firms than most people expect. This isn’t about complicated tax law. It’s about time, communication, and preparation. What we cover: • Why not all overtime qualifies for the federal deduction • State overtime rules vs. FLSA rules—and why the difference matters • Why weekly overtime analysis creates major prep bottlenecks • A real-world example where “earned OT” still results in no deduction • The hidden trap with time-and-a-half vs. double-time pay • Why 2025 puts the burden on firms—not employers • How structured worksheets and standardized intake save hours per return • The curveball many firms miss: tipped occupations • The advisory opportunity hiding inside a compliance headache The big takeaway: Firms that educate clients early, collect cleaner data, and use smarter systems will avoid chaos—and have better advisory conversations with better outcomes. This episode is a must-listen for tax and accounting professionals who want fewer surprises, better client experiences, and stronger margins heading into the 2025 tax season. Download the overtime worksheets: PDF: https://images.client-sites.com/WS-OvertimeDeduction.pdf Google / Excel: https://images.client-sites.com/Overtime_Deduction_Worksheet.xlsx Learn more about tech-enabled firm growth at CountingWorks PRO: https://www.countingworkspro.com/ Thanks for listening—and for doing the work to build a smarter, more proactive firm.

It’s 2026—and most accounting firms are still trying to grow advisory revenue by chasing new clients. More leads. More traffic. More strangers. But the most profitable advisory opportunity most firms have isn’t out there. It’s already inside their client list. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explain why existing clients are your biggest advisory advantage—and why firms that understand this grow faster, charge more confidently, and build advisory practices that actually scale. You’ll learn: Why current clients are 3–5x more likely to buy advisory servicesThe real difference between compliance and advisory, and why it changes how you sellWhy most advisory proposals fail—even with trusted clientsHow education “foams the runway” before advisory conversationsWhy advisory works best as a portfolio of client moments, not a single offeringHow systems and playbooks make advisory predictable instead of effort-basedIf advisory feels harder to sell than it should, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do differently in 2026. Your best advisory revenue isn’t in future leads. It’s already in your relationships.

In 2026, most tax and accounting firms don’t have a software problem. They have an experience problem. In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II explains why stacking “good tools” has quietly become the biggest source of friction inside modern firms—and why AI-first firms are already pulling away. You’ll hear why: Most firms only use 20–30% of the software they pay forTraining doesn’t compound—it resetsClients aren’t difficult—they’re overwhelmedStaff has become the invisible integration layerTraditional software is becoming the bottleneckAI-first thinking simplifies everything clients touchThis episode isn’t about replacing your tax software or chasing the latest tool. It’s about rethinking the experience your clients and staff live inside every day—and asking what no longer needs to exist in 2026. If your firm only works because you know how to navigate the mess, that’s not scale. That’s risk. 🎧 The Growth Minded Accountant explores what it really takes to build a modern, scalable firm—covering AI, client experience, growth strategy, and the systems that separate firms pulling ahead from those stuck maintaining complexity. Subscribe for weekly episodes.

Most tax and accounting firms are not broken. They are incomplete. In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton introduce a simple but powerful framework that explains why so many firms feel harder to run than they should. Every firm has three layers. The Work Layer handles compliance and deliverables. The Team Layer organizes people, tasks, and workflow. The third layer, the Client Experience Layer, is where most firms struggle, not because they are doing something wrong, but because no one ever taught them to build it. This is the layer where onboarding happens, communication lives, proposals are signed, payments flow, and clients understand what comes next. It is also the layer clients actually experience. When this layer is missing, firms become reactive. Bottlenecks feel normal. Advisory gets pushed off. Stress becomes part of the job. When it is in place, everything changes. As the accounting profession moves into the AI and advisory age, the firms that invest in the Client Experience Layer are not just reducing friction. They are the firms positioned to lead, with clearer narratives, stronger trust, and more scalable client relationships. This episode is a foundational conversation for firm owners who want a modern, predictable, and lower-stress practice heading into 2026 and beyond. 🎙️ The Growth-Minded Accountant Hosted by Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton

As we close out the year, this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant is a little different. No guest. No hype. Just an honest look at what’s coming next for tax and accounting firms. In this year-end solo episode, Lee Reams II shares his 2026 predictions—not based on headlines or fear-driven narratives, but on patterns he’s seen repeat over the last decade. The short version: By 2026, AI will be the standard. What will separate winning firms from everyone else won’t be technology—it will be relationships. In this episode, Lee covers: Why not using AI will be a problem—but using AI won’t be impressiveWhat happens when knowledge and answers become cheapWhy trust, context, and communication become the real differentiatorsHow advisory is moving downmarket, not just upmarketWhere platform pressure and automation show up firstWhy adoption will be slower than the headlines suggest—and why that’s an opportunityLee also reflects on a Forbes article he wrote in 2016 about artificial intelligence and cloud accounting—and why many of those predictions played out almost exactly as expected. 🧠 Read the Forbes article referenced in this episode: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2016/10/11/will-artificial-intelligence-and-cloud-accounting-replace-the-accountants-of-tomorrow/ This episode isn’t about replacing accountants. It’s about building firms that use automation to free up time—and reinvest it into better relationships. If you’re thinking about how to position your firm heading into 2026, this conversation is for you. Happy New Year—and welcome to what’s next.

AI-powered search is fundamentally changing how people discover tax and accounting professionals — and the 2026 tax law reset is about to separate firms that are prepared from those that aren’t. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton unpack two major forces converging at the same time: • Why AI search tools are reducing visibility for generic tax and accounting websites  • How discovery now works when search engines synthesize answers instead of ranking pages  • What the 2026 tax reset means for client expectations, planning demand, and advisory opportunities  • Why narrative, authority, and clarity matter more than templates and keywords  • How firms can transition from compliance-heavy work to higher-value advisory without increasing headcount This conversation isn’t about chasing trends or fear-based marketing. It’s about understanding how visibility, trust, and firm growth now work — and how growth-minded tax and accounting professionals can position themselves to win heading into 2026. If you’re a CPA, EA, or tax professional thinking about the future of your firm, this episode will challenge how you think about discovery, positioning, and advisory growth.

Most accountants say the same thing:  “I’m already too busy… why would I need marketing?” In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the real reason fast-growing firms keep winning—while others unknowingly fall behind: 👉 Being busy today doesn’t keep you remembered tomorrow. 👉 Visibility—not workload—is what protects your firm. 👉 Top of Mind is the moat every accounting firm needs in 2025 and beyond. Lee and Rebekah explore why so many firm owners misunderstand marketing, the three layers every modern firm runs on, and why the client experience layer now determines trust, retention, and referrals. They also unpack one of the most overlooked growth levers in the profession:  your custom narrative. Your positioning, tone, personality, and story don’t just help humans recognize you — they help AI understand you, match you with the right clients, and elevate your visibility across search engines and AI assistants. In today’s world, your narrative is no longer optional branding. It’s infrastructure. In This Episode: Why “I’m too busy” is a dangerous mythThe three layers of every accounting firmWhat Top of Mind actually means (and what it doesn’t)Why referrals come from memory, not talentHow AI tools decide who to recommendWhy your custom narrative fuels the AI layerWhat consistency looks like in real firmsHow CountingWorks PRO helps firms stay top of mind automaticallyKey Insight: Firms don’t grow because they shout louder. They grow because they show up consistently. Visibility is the moat. Narrative is the differentiator. Top of Mind is the advantage.

Stop billing by the hour. Start communicating your value. Step into advisory with confidence. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II sits down with Linda Hunt, founder of SUM Solutions and creator of The Perfect Pricing Formula, to unpack the shift every bookkeeper and accounting professional is facing right now: moving from task-based work to outcome-based advisory — all while navigating the rise of AI.  Together, Lee and Linda dive into: Why hourly billing caps your income and erodes your confidenceHow AI tools can become your “unfair advantage” rather than a threatWhat the Minimum Aligned Price is — and why most firms are charging below itHow to build simple, profitable packages that clients actually understandThe mindset blocks that sabotage pricing conversationsHow to set boundaries, avoid scope creep, and keep client relationships healthyWhy positioning and niches matter more than ever in the AI eraHow to use analytics, KPIs, and AI-generated insights to move into advisory — even if you don’t “feel” like an advisor yetLinda and Lee also break down the emotional side of pricing: the nervous system response, the discomfort, the instinct to over-explain or discount, and how to shift from “task doer” to true strategic partner. If you're a bookkeeper, accountant, or fractional CFO looking to raise prices, package services, or step confidently into advisory, this conversation delivers practical takeaways you can implement immediately. Learn More About Linda Hunt & SUM Solutions Want support with pricing, packaging, or advisory?  👉 Visit: https://www.sumsolutions.com/ Book a Financial Clarity Consult to explore how Linda can help your firm grow. About The Growth Minded Accountant Hosted by Lee Reams II, this podcast helps modern accounting firms scale through better pricing, better communication, and better use of AI — without losing the human layer that clients value most. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the show. It helps others in the profession find us.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the impact of Intuit’s new $100M partnership with OpenAI and what it means for the future of the profession. Clients are no longer starting with Google or referrals. They’re starting with AI — and they trust the answer. We cover: Why the compliance-first model is getting compressedHow AI has become the new referral sourceWhy advisory is not just for high-net-worth clientsThe human moat: what AI can’t replaceThe Four Pillars of Trust in the AI eraHow narrative, positioning, and visibility determine who AI recommendsThis is not the end of the profession — it’s the end of the old profession. Advisory-first firms will become the obvious choice. Here’s how to thrive.

AI and automation are changing everything — including how accountants grow. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II talks with Adam Lean, CEO of The CFO Project, about how technology is helping tax and accounting pros finally scale beyond compliance work and step into lucrative CFO advisory roles. Adam shares how The CFO Project’s advisors average nearly $2,000 per month per client with 87% retention, using a repeatable system that helps business owners generate positive cash flow — and gives accountants a way to stop trading time for money. You’ll learn: How to productize and scale CFO servicesWhat separates a true advisor from a fractional CFOWhy your soft skills (not just technical ones) drive retentionThe simple, nine-step system for delivering consistent resultsAnd why AI is actually empowering, not replacing, accountantsIf you’ve ever wanted to break free from commodity pricing, upsell your best clients, and build recurring advisory revenue — this is your roadmap. 👉 Explore more at thecfoproject.com

AI isn’t killing accounting. It’s reorganizing it. In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton dig into how automation is reshaping the profession... compressing the repetitive, low-value work at the bottom and expanding opportunities at the top where strategy, storytelling, and human relationships live. This isn’t about fear. It’s about leverage. The smartest firms are using AI to scale faster, deepen client connections, and free up time for higher-value work. You’ll also hear how CountingWorks PRO is leading the shift with AI-driven systems that personalize client experiences, automate proposals, and help five-person firms perform like twenty. What You’ll Learn: Why the traditional accounting pyramid is flipping and what’s nextWhat tasks AI can handle today and where humans still need to leadHow to “trust but verify” your AI workflowsThe four biggest risks firms need to manageWhy the next two years are for scale, not survivalHow AI is changing the path for young professionalsFavorite Quotes: “AI isn’t replacing people... it’s replacing inefficiency.”“AI doesn’t make you less human... it gives you time to be more human.”“The real disruption won’t come from AI... it’ll come from the firms who learn how to lead with it.”Listen if you want to: Understand what’s really happening with AI in accountingCombine automation and expertise for smarter growthBuild a modern firm that thrives on change👉 Learn more: CountingWorks PRO 📩 Subscribe: The Growth Minded Accountant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. #AIAccounting #FutureOfWork #AccountingFirms #Automation #Advisory #TaxProfession #CountingWorksPRO #LeeReams #GrowthMindedAccountant

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “yes” to one more client favor — knowing it won’t make it to the invoice — this episode is for you. Host Lee Reams II, founder of CountingWorks PRO, and co-host Rebekah Barton break down one of the most common profit leaks in accounting and advisory firms: service creep. They’ll walk you through: What service creep actually looks like (and why it’s so easy to miss)Why even seasoned pros struggle to say noHow to set better boundaries with clear engagement letters and proposalsPolite, ready-to-use scripts for out-of-scope client requestsSimple automation tools that protect your time and marginsYou’ll also learn how modern firms are using digital proposals, client intake, and automated engagement renewals to turn scope creep into structured, billable work — without awkward client conversations. 💡 Key takeaway: Saying “no” isn’t the goal — saying “yes” the right way is. Quotes & Data Mentioned: 89% of firms have avoided scope conversations (Ignition Scope Creep Survey)Firms lose roughly $85,000 a year in unbilled work (Libeo Survey)Up to 20% of revenue disappears through service creep (ScopeKeeper Advisory Report)If you’re ready to protect your profit, empower your team, and create a firm that values your expertise — this episode is a must-listen. 🎙️ The Growth Minded Accountant — helping accounting and advisory professionals grow smarter, stronger, and more profitable.

Referrals have always powered accounting firm growth — but what happens when word-of-mouth goes digital? In this episode, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack how AI is quietly reshaping visibility, referrals, and client acquisition for accountants. From ChatGPT’s recommendations to Google’s new AI-driven search, algorithms are already deciding which firms get found — and which disappear. You’ll learn: Why AI is the new middleman between you and your next clientHow algorithms interpret trust, authority, and authenticityThe three moves every accountant should make now to stay visibleWhy “cookie cutter” firms are being erased — and how narrative winsIt’s not science fiction — it’s the next referral revolution. Tune in to learn how to make sure AI knows your story before your competitors do.