Advertise on podcast: The Fun CPA Podcast

What if April 15 was just another day at your CPA firm? After years of overwhelming tax seasons, too many clients, and inefficient processes, Brenda Cannon decided something had to change. At one point, 105 clients submitted their tax documents on the same day, leaving her firm buried in work and Brenda questioning how much longer she could keep doing things the same way. Brenda joins Yuri Kapilovich on The Fun CPA Podcast to share how she completely changed the way her firm operated. From letting go of roughly 500 clients and raising fees to implementing a tax preparation scheduling system, she found a way to make tax season manageable without sacrificing her weekends. They also get into choosing the right practice management software, setting boundaries with clients, and the lessons Brenda learned when she eventually sold her firm after 15 years of ownership. For firm owners who feel like they're constantly playing catch-up, Brenda's experience offers a different way to think about running a CPA practice.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:08 - Meet Brenda Cannon 2:21 - The breaking point that changed everything 5:32 - Lessons from building a firm to 1,500 clients 8:26 - Raising fees and letting go of 500 clients 11:51 - How to identify clients who aren't a good fit 17:24 - How scheduling tax prep transformed tax season 19:33 - Choosing the right practice management software 23:35 - Getting clients to submit documents on time 27:45 - Making tax preparation scheduling work 34:40 - Scheduling business and individual returns 37:35 - Lessons from selling a CPA firm 42:26 - What makes a firm more valuable to buyers 45:05 - Life after selling the firm 51:35 - Episode wrap-up     ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/     CONNECT WITH BRENDA CANNON   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-cannon-cpa-223a10273/   Website: https://bcannoncpa.com/

AI isn’t a tool. It’s a lifestyle.  Jan Haugo, AI architect and founder of SmartAccountant.ai, joins Yuri to break down how accountants can start using AI safely and practically, without getting lost in the hype.  Jan shares her path from earning her accounting degree as a single mom to running a cloud-based CAS practice long before the cloud was the norm, and how she kept client relationships strong while taking her firm virtual.  They dig into Jan’s green, yellow, red method for deciding what data is safe to put into AI, the difference between free, paid, and enterprise tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, and what SOC 2 compliance really tells you about a vendor. Jan also walks through her RCRQ prompting framework and how to keep AI from simply telling you what you want to hear.  The conversation also explores why firms should build AI workflows instead of asking one-off questions, how recording yourself can turn into ready-made SOPs, why solo firms may benefit from AI the most, and where the accounting profession is headed as transactional work disappears.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Why AI is the hottest topic in accounting  1:33 - Meet Jan Haugo  2:16 - Earning an accounting degree as a single mom  3:01 - Leaving a CPA firm to start her own practice  4:41 - What sparked Jan’s interest in technology  6:54 - Growing to 150 clients with a five-person team  8:12 - Going cloud-based before it was popular  9:42 - Keeping client relationships during a virtual transition  11:18 - How to start using AI if you’ve been afraid of it  14:16 - AI security concerns for accountants  15:11 - The green, yellow, red method for client data  17:37 - Free vs. paid AI and staying inside the enterprise bubble  20:05 - What SOC 2 compliance really means  24:18 - What firm owners get wrong about AI  26:38 - The RCRQ prompting framework  30:14 - How to stop AI from telling you what you want to hear  33:51 - Building AI workflows instead of one-off questions  35:31 - Deciding if a task is for AI or your “OG brain”  38:53 - Inside Jan’s WorkflowCon sessions  41:31 - Recording yourself to create SOPs  45:23 - Why a firm of one still needs SOPs  48:42 - Using AI to run a lifestyle firm  51:25 - Deciding whether to buy or build AI tools  54:33 - How to vet AI vendors and products  56:54 - The future of the accounting profession  1:01:22 - Where to connect with Jan  1:03:17 - Jan’s “Read Anything in 10 Minutes” custom GPT  1:04:33 - Closing thoughts    SPONSOR Today's episode sponsor is Financial Cents bringing you an amazing 2 day free online CPE event. Sign up here:  https://workflowcon.com/?utm_campaign=28894380-WorkflowCon%202026&utm_source=TheFunCPA-YuriKapilovich&utm_medium=social   ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH JAN HAUGO    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janhaugo/    Website: https://www.smartaccountant.ai/

The right tech stack can help a small firm serve more clients with fewer people.  AJ Zepeda joins Yuri to share how he went from small business accounting, big firms, and a COO role to co-founding Maverick CPA, a three-partner firm based in East Texas.  AJ explains why he wanted the freedom to make decisions without red tape, how his partners keep him from implementing too many tools too fast, and why Maverick started on budget-friendly software before moving to Karbon once cash flow and team size made sense.  They also break down Maverick’s full tech stack, including Karbon, StanfordTax, Ping, Quo, ProConnect, Anchor, Notion, Slack, Make, and Claude. AJ shares how these tools connect so that documents, phone calls, meeting notes, and workflow updates move through the firm with little manual effort.  The conversation also explores why AJ would rather build a $2–3 million firm than a massive one, his plans to niche into construction and law firms, and how he’s using podcasting and content as AJ the Accountant to help other firm owners grow.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Introduction and AJ’s background  2:26 - Living in East Texas and local insights  3:12 - AJ’s experience at big and small firms  4:10 - Deciding to start Maverick CPA  5:30 - Initial tech stack and budget considerations  8:07 - Tech choices at startup and scaling  11:18 - Switching from initial to more advanced tools  12:00 - Deep dive into StanfordTax and Karbon integration  14:02 - Using Ping and Quo for communication and phone  16:09 - Integrating phone calls and meeting notes  19:25 - Full tech stack overview and automation  21:40 - Workflow management and client tracking  23:03 - ProConnect and client process automation  25:16 - Tech frustrations and future improvements  28:50 - Firm growth goals and scaling strategy  32:10 - Marketing, niching, and podcasting  37:08 - AJ’s personal brand and social media  39:41 - Closing thoughts and future plans    SPONSOR Today's episode sponsor is Ping Assistant, a note taker made for accountants, so go check them out here: https://www.pingassistant.com/   ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH AJ ZEPEDA    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajtheaccountant/  Website: AJaccountant.com

You may never feel completely ready to start your own firm. Nick Vernon joins Yuri to share how he left a successful career as a controller and launched a tax firm without any public accounting experience. Nick explains how he built confidence one return at a time, learned to separate a healthy challenge from work he wasn’t prepared to handle, and used savings and contract work to make the transition less risky. They also break down the technology behind Nick’s solo firm, including TaxDome, StanfordTax, Drake, and Claude. Nick shares how these tools help him collect documents, research tax questions, communicate with clients, and operate without an administrative employee. The conversation also explores the tradeoffs between scaling and staying small, why freedom requires discipline, and how to build a firm around the life you actually want.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Using AI and automation in a tax firm 1:07 - Meet Nick Vernon 3:10 - Starting a firm without public accounting experience 5:45 - Learning tax without knowing every rule 7:16 - Knowing which clients and returns to decline 11:30 - What gave Nick the confidence to leave his job 16:04 - Deciding when it was finally time to quit 18:53 - Using contract work to ease the transition 20:40 - Nick’s technology stack 24:22 - TaxDome versus StanfordTax organizers 34:01 - Walking away from the golden handcuffs 35:00 - Creating a financial runway before leaving 36:44 - Why freedom requires structure and discipline 39:58 - Competing with bad tax advice online 45:38 - Scaling a firm versus staying intentionally small 50:14 - Building the firm you actually want 53:22 - How networking can shape your business 54:50 - Where to connect with Nick 56:18 - Closing thoughts  SPONSORS Today's episode is sponsored by StanfordTax: Helping you manage tax document collection in the smoothest way possible.  Go check them out: https://stanfordtax.com/     ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/     CONNECT WITH NICHOLAS VERNON   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-vernon-cpa-mba-0281b734/

Marit Burmood joins Yuri to talk about what it really takes to build an accounting firm that fits your life instead of taking it over. After years of juggling tax work, kids, and a growing client list, Marit realized she was doing far more for clients than she was actually getting paid for. Once she learned how to package that value, her firm went from earning roughly $50,000 to $60,000 a year to bringing in at least $10,000 a month. She and Yuri talk about pricing the knowledge accountants tend to give away for free, creating recurring revenue, and recognizing when a client is no longer worth the stress. They also share how they use TaxDome, what they have learned from building personal brands online, and why growing a successful firm does not have to mean building a massive one.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Meet Marit Burmood 5:04 - How different generations communicate with their accountants 11:59 - The decision that transformed Marit’s firm 16:05 - Pricing the knowledge accountants give away for free 19:36 - What CAS services actually include 24:50 - Finding the clients who need more than tax preparation 31:36 - Packaging tax prep into multiple service tiers 34:10 - Using TaxDome to automate workflows and centralize communication 38:21 - Building a personal brand as an accountant 47:26 - What is the actual goal of social media? 54:28 - Why accountants do not need a huge firm or online following 1:00:16 - Marit’s book, Think Before You S Corp 1:02:31 - Final advice and where to connect with Marit    SPONSOR Today's episode is sponsored by TaxDome Check them out and book a demo: https://taxdome.com/   ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/     CONNECT WITH MARIT BURMOOD   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marit-burmood/   Website: https://www.maritburmoodcpa.com/

After working with over 1,000 accounting firms, from solo practices to firms generating over $100 million, Petar Iliev has a pretty clear view of what separates firms that stay dependent on the owner from those that can actually scale.  Petar joins Yuri to talk about the shift from running a practice to building a business. What is the “standard”? What should you know, or prioritize?  They also get into how Petar would build an accounting firm from scratch, why he would choose a specific niche, and how he would handle everything from finding leads to onboarding and retaining clients.  Along the way, Petar shares some practical ideas around pricing, communication, automation, and AI that firm owners can start applying without completely rebuilding their businesses.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - How TaxDome identifies high-intent leads  0:50 - Meet Petar Iliev  3:14 - Electronic music and European work culture  9:00 - What successful accounting firms do differently  14:38 - Building a business that can run without you  20:40 - How Petar would build an accounting firm  28:20 - Niche marketing, industry events, and SEO  30:12 - Using lead scoring to find serious prospects  36:46 - Why speed wins accounting clients  40:30 - How successful firms use AI and automation  46:25 - Creating a better client experience  53:14 - Retention, pricing, and service packages  1:02:00 - Turning feedback into reviews and referrals  1:06:40 - Building a client status tracker with AI  1:07:38 - Balancing business and Brazilian jiu-jitsu      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH PETAR ILIEV    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/p-iliev/    Website: https://taxdome.com/

Bad tax advice has never been easier to find. Jasmine DiLucci is a tax attorney, CPA, and enrolled agent who has built a large online following by calling out illegal strategies and the people selling them. She joins Yuri to talk about why unqualified influencers gain so much credibility online, why disproving their claims takes far more work than making them, and what people misunderstand about the tax strategies used by the wealthy. Jasmine also shares how she took over her parents’ firm, fixed its billing and client problems, and grew it into a team of 45 people. They get into pricing, firing bad clients, building the right team, and how educational content helped Jasmine establish trust with better clients. The wealthy still plan around taxes. They just understand that saving money is rarely worth risking the entire business.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:53 - Meet Jasmine DiLucci 2:42 - Becoming a tax professional in high school 4:28 - Why bad tax advice wins online 9:08 - Growing up in a family tax firm 14:07 - Taking over and fixing her parents’ firm 17:36 - Why accountants struggle to communicate their value 19:07 - How better clients eliminate most firm problems 27:20 - Growing the firm to a team of 45 28:40 - Jasmine’s accounting firm technology 31:55 - How Jasmine started creating tax videos 36:00 - Managing the demands of social media 40:07 - Creating a roadmap for legal tax planning 43:31 - The real risk behind viral tax strategies 45:48 - How wealthy people make tax decisions 49:32 - Closing thoughts and where to find Jasmine      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Newsletter: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH JASMINE DILUCCI   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taxleverage   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taxleverage/   Website: https://jasminedilucci.com/

A $500,000 firm with employees may not leave its owner much better off than a $300,000 solo practice.   Aaron Zimmerman joins Yuri to talk honestly about that tradeoff and the kind of accounting firm he actually wants to build. After leaving his job and launching Brickhouse CPAs, Aaron grew the firm to roughly 75 clients and 120 tax returns while developing a niche serving real estate investors.   Rather than chasing headcount or revenue for its own sake, Aaron has focused on strong pricing, better-fit clients, and enough flexibility to spend time with his family. He shares how he found his first clients, why he started with three-tiered pricing, and how a solid financial foundation gave him the freedom to turn down work that didn’t make sense.   Aaron and Yuri also compare their technology, workflows, and client experience before digging into the bigger question facing many firm owners: once the business provides a great income and lifestyle, what exactly are you scaling toward?   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:41 - Meet Aaron Zimmerman 2:13 - The reality of owning a CPA firm 4:10 - Building a niche around real estate investors 6:21 - Aaron’s path from employee to firm owner 9:18 - Cutting through information overload and technology choices 11:30 - Preparing financially to launch a firm 15:36 - Finding clients through local real estate communities 20:48 - Raising prices as the firm approaches capacity 22:49 - The tradeoffs of hiring and scaling 28:22 - Projecting $250,000 to $300,000 in revenue 30:27 - Reducing administrative work before tax season 31:39 - Aaron’s accounting technology stack 40:51 - Managing workflows and creating a better client experience 43:55 - Aaron’s four-and-a-half-month honeymoon 47:16 - Controlling the workload instead of chasing more revenue 49:00 - Building a firm without building a large company 51:43 - Final advice and where to connect with Aaron    SPONSORS Today' episode is sponsored by Stanford Tax: Helping you manage tax document collection in the smoothest way possible. Aaron does a deeper dive on how he uses Stanford Tax in his firm around 31 minute marker.  Go check them out: https://stanfordtax.com/ ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Newsletter: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/   CONNECT WITH AARON ZIMMERMAN   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondzimmerman/   Website: https://www.brickhousecpas.com/

Mike Libbey joined his father’s accounting firm straight out of college, becoming its first employee and working alongside him from the family living room. Today, Mike is a partner and COO at YBL, a modern virtual firm with approximately 30 employees and $3.75 million in annual revenue. Mike shares how the firm grew, why hiring an operations manager changed what he believed was possible, and how he gradually removed himself from client work to focus on strategy, technology, and growth. He also explains why firm owners should document their processes before they need to hire, even if that means simply turning on Loom and talking through the work as they do it. The conversation also looks at AI’s rapidly expanding role in accounting. After building roughly 40 internal and client-facing apps, Mike believes the profession’s future is not simply about producing tax returns faster. It is about using technology to become a more deeply integrated financial partner while continuing to provide the judgment and peace of mind clients actually value.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Introduction 0:44 - Meet Mike Libbey 2:16 - Joining his father’s accounting firm 5:16 - Growing up around the accounting grind 10:50 - From two people to a 30-person firm 13:13 - Building a modern firm without the traditional CPA path 18:17 - Early hiring mistakes and the importance of operations 24:01 - How to document, delegate, and escape client work 31:11 - Knowing when the firm can afford its next hire 35:05 - Revenue, profit, and defining the firm you actually want 39:25 - Creating space to experiment with AI 41:43 - Building useful apps without knowing how to code 46:38 - What AI means for the future of accounting 52:02 - The changing role of entry-level accountants 55:12 - Protecting work-life balance while running the firm 58:15 - Building a public presence through YouTube and social media 1:02:05 - Final thoughts on making accounting more fun      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH MIKE LIBBEY   LinkedIn: Mike Libbey | LinkedIn    Website: https://mikelibbey.ybl.ca/

More money does not automatically create peace of mind. Without a healthy relationship with money, greater wealth can simply magnify the same anxiety, guilt, and uncertainty that were already there.  Matt Fizell, CFP® and founder of Harmony Wealth, joins Yuri to explore the human side of financial planning. Matt shares how early experiences shape the way people save, spend, and invest, and why even highly successful clients can struggle to enjoy what they have built. The real goal is not always maximizing the number. Sometimes it is understanding what “enough” looks like and creating a plan that gives someone permission to live.  The conversation also turns to the relationship between financial planners and CPAs. Matt and Yuri discuss how better communication, clearer expectations, and thoughtful pricing can create stronger partnerships for everyone involved. They also examine what it means to build a firm intentionally, work with the right clients, and charge enough to make the work sustainable.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Why more money does not eliminate financial anxiety  0:55 - Meet Matt Fizell of Harmony Wealth  2:18 - Leaving commission-based insurance for fee-only planning  6:39 - How wealth magnifies your relationship with money  11:57 - When disciplined savers struggle to enjoy their success  15:25 - Financial planning beyond investments  20:44 - Bitcoin, speculation, and investment regret  25:58 - Building a comprehensive financial plan  30:28 - Better partnerships between CPAs and financial planners  38:22 - Advisory work, communication, and fair compensation  43:36 - Setting minimum fees and qualifying referrals  45:14 - Designing the firm and client base you actually want  52:14 - The problem with complicated pricing models  55:43 - Wake surfing with country singer Jake Owen  59:01 - The future of CPA and financial planner collaboration      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH MATT FIZELL    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fizell-0606134a/    Website: https://planwithharmony.com/

In this episode of The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri sits down with Daniel Pinkous, founder and CEO of Truss, for a conversation about the messy, frustrating reality of tax workflow. They talk about why client document collection still creates so much friction for CPA firms, how Truss is trying to make that process easier, and why the best software should remove headaches instead of creating another system to manage. Daniel also shares the story behind building Truss, from entering the accounting space as an outsider to bootstrapping the company through some very real founder pressure. It’s a conversation about better systems, better client experiences, and building something that actually solves the problems firm owners deal with every day. Join my new newsletter here:  https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/ Learn about Truss here: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Meet Daniel Pinkous and Truss 2:52 - How Daniel found the CPA workflow problem 5:15 - What Truss does for tax firms 7:04 - Why client intake breaks down every year 13:41 - Replacing the traditional portal experience 16:30 - Using AI to clean up document collection 20:50 - Smarter questionnaires and client checklists 25:19 - Automating workpapers and tax organization 30:00 - Prep partnerships and outsourcing options 36:23 - Max AI, transcripts, and reducing missed items 41:02 - Making return delivery easier for clients 44:10 - Building Truss without outside funding 49:40 - The hard moments of bootstrapping 53:14 - Faith, support, and staying grounded 57:36 - Where to find Daniel and Truss    ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH DANIEL PINKOUS   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-p376152/   Website: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa

Mike Payne joins Yuri to talk about building BOSS Advisors, growing the firm to more than $2 million in revenue and eventually selling it.  They discuss how Mike combined accounting and legal services under one roof, landed a major client during his first week in business and dealt with the pressure that came with the firm’s growth. Mike also shares what led him to sell, how he chose the right buyer and what life has looked like since the acquisition.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Working 36 hours straight and hitting burnout  0:50 - Meet Mike Payne  1:18 - Combining accounting and legal services  8:28 - Starting BOSS Advisors and landing a major client  15:07 - Reaching the firm’s next growth ceiling  19:51 - The personal cost of building the business  29:27 - Finding the right buyer and selling the firm  36:13 - Making more time for family  39:57 - Creating healthier boundaries with work  43:04 - Building an audience and professional community  50:22 - Where to connect with Mike    ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH MIKE PAYNE    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelpaynejdcpa/    Website: https://themikepayne.com/

Erin Pohan is the founder of Upkeeping, a bookkeeping and payroll firm, and Wave Seattle, a conference for women in accounting. In this episode, Erin shares what it actually looked like to build her firm, grow a team, and figure things out without ever feeling completely ready. She and Yuri talk honestly about the pressure to scale, the challenge of hiring before there is enough work, and why success does not have to mean building the biggest firm possible. The conversation also gets into a difficult season of burnout caused largely by one high-paying client. Erin explains how the work began affecting her health and family life, why walking away from the revenue felt terrifying, and how that decision ultimately gave her more freedom without hurting the business long term.   Episode Highlights:   0:00 - Intro 1:57 - Erin’s background and the start of Upkeeping 3:21 - Going from employee to firm owner 10:46 - Why you may never feel ready to launch 14:42 - Hiring your first team member 19:47 - What does success actually look like? 23:42 - Setting boundaries with clients 27:22 - Erin’s vision for her firm 30:00 - Burnout, overwork, and one major client 36:11 - What burnout looked like physically and emotionally 39:52 - Letting go of misaligned clients 43:09 - The financial upside of owning a firm 49:11 - Building community through accounting events 54:20 - The hidden costs of hosting events 1:03:47 - Imposter syndrome and finding your lane 1:08:13 - Where to find Erin 1:08:46 - Episode wrap-up    ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH   Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/   Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/     CONNECT WITH ERIN POHAN   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinpohan/   Website: https://www.upkeeping.co/

In this episode, Yuri reflects on the 2026 tax season, sharing the highs, lows, and lessons learned along the way. Whether you're a solo CPA or managing a growing firm, this episode offers practical insights into tools, workflows, and mindset shifts to navigate busy periods more effectively. Breakdown of the 2026 tax season experience and key challenges facedDocument collection pitfalls and exploring new tech solutionsSoftware considerations: Drake, ProConnect, Stanford Tax, Soroban, TrussStrategies for managing workload, burnout, and client communication    00:00 - Introduction and episode overview  01:10 - Reflecting on the confidence at the start of the season  04:00 - Highlights: $140K revenue and billing methods  05:22 - Business entity handling: 60 S-corps, 93 1040s, and 60 1065s  07:47 - Podcasting and balancing workload  08:48 - The main issue: Document collection breakdown  09:42 - Challenges with Tax Dome and new features  11:23 - The importance of team access and oversight  12:47 - Workflow issues: Tracking submission and missing documents  13:42 - Burnout from managing incomplete document submissions  15:18 - Exploring alternative software solutions  16:55 - Comparing Drake, ProConnect, Stanford Tax, Soroban, and Truss  21:21 - Features of Soroban and AI document integration  22:23 - Truss: All-in-one platform with robust features  25:09 - Stanford Tax’s efficient work paper generation  27:02 - The power of automation and AI in modern tax prep  28:28 - Concerns with multiple platforms and risk diversification  29:23 - The importance of starting lean and growing with tools  30:52 - The value of tackling challenges step-by-step  33:01 - Considering ProConnect and its features  34:23 - Potential benefits of ProConnect’s auto-import  35:40 - Personal insights on transitioning software and managing risk  37:57 - Evolution of the firm: From Google Drive to advanced PM tools  40:04 - Final thoughts: Keep it simple, start small, grow smart  42:13 - Upcoming projects and personal life updates  43:11 - Closing remarks and thank you to listeners

In this episode of The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri sits down with Isaac Perdomo, CEO and founder of Opzer, to talk about automation, AI, and where accounting firms should actually start.  Isaac shares why firms do not need to overhaul everything at once, and why the best place to begin is usually with the painful, repetitive work they are already doing every day. From client reminders to workflow tracking to simple AI-powered daily prep, the conversation focuses on practical ways firm owners can save time without making things more complicated.  They also talk about the challenge of getting teams to adopt new tools, how to test automations safely, and why small improvements can make a real difference during tax season. It’s a practical conversation for firm owners who know they need better systems but are not sure where to begin.    Episode Highlights:    0:00 - Intro  0:46 - Meet Isaac Perdomo  1:44 - How Isaac got into accounting automation  3:08 - Where firms should start with automation  4:44 - Why accountants tolerate broken processes  6:32 - Tax season pain points and client intake  8:59 - Using automation to improve follow-up and workflow  11:23 - How to test automations without breaking things  12:30 - Why DIY automation can feel overwhelming  15:18 - Choosing what is worth automating  16:15 - Simple AI use cases for email and daily planning  18:28 - Setting up Claude tasks and meeting prep  24:26 - Isaac’s process for finding automation opportunities  27:04 - Conferences, relationships, and accounting communities  31:14 - Content, YouTube, and sharing what he is learning  32:44 - Where to find Isaac and Opzer      ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH    Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.    Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.    CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/    Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/      CONNECT WITH ISAAC PERDOMO    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-perdomo/    Website: https://opzer.co/