Advisory Is an Identity, Not a Service Line

Advisory Is an Identity, Not a Service Line

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] Advisory continues to dominate conversations about the future of public accounting, but what does it actually take to make the shift? In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Chelsea Summers sits down with Matt Rampe, partner at Rosenberg Associates, to discuss findings from IPA's recent advisory survey and what firms are getting right and wrong about advisory growth. Matt shares why advisory is not a guaranteed path to higher margins, how firms should evaluate new service offerings and why partner compensation, governance and culture all play critical roles in successful transformation. The conversation also explores the impact of AI, client experience and strategic planning as firms prepare for a rapidly changing profession. If your firm is serious about growing advisory services, this episode offers practical guidance for turning broad ambitions into measurable action. Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com

Special Repost: Chelsea Summers Joins Accounting Voices' AI Reality in Firms Series

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] Chelsea Summers joins Rob Brown's Accounting Voices podcast for a practical conversation about how AI is reshaping accounting firms. Drawing on data from IPA's practice management and technology surveys, Chelsea shares where firms are seeing real change, what leaders are still getting wrong and what may separate leading firms from the rest by 2027. Topics include the future of pricing, AI training, leadership responsibility, change management and why investing in people may be the most important AI decision a firm can make. If you're looking for a realistic discussion about AI adoption inside accounting firms, this episode delivers insights grounded in data, not hype.

Why Hourly Billing No Longer Works

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] For decades, hourly billing has been the foundation of the accounting profession. But as AI accelerates efficiency and firms continue expanding advisory services, many leaders are questioning whether the traditional pricing model still works. In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Chelsea Summers talks with Michelle Golden-River, founder of Fore LLC, about the evolution of pricing inside CPA firms and why worth-based pricing is gaining attention across the profession. The conversation explores why firms struggle to move away from hourly billing, how pricing models shape firm culture and operations and why AI is putting pressure on firms to rethink the relationship between time and revenue. Michelle also shares practical advice on scope management, client communication and how firms can begin experimenting with new pricing approaches without overhauling everything overnight. Throughout the episode, Michelle offers a grounded perspective on the mindset shifts, leadership and confidence required to modernize pricing in today’s accounting environment.

Advisory Reality, AI Results and the Metrics That Matter

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers unpack key findings from the June IPA Insights Report. They discuss early practice management survey results, including slowing growth, rising technology investments and an unexpected decline in advisory revenue. They also explore findings from a joint advisory survey with Rosenberg Associates, revealing that talent and partner alignment, not client demand, are the biggest barriers to advisory growth. The conversation examines rapidly growing niche practice areas, the current reality of AI adoption, overlooked KPI metrics such as net revenue retention and concerning succession planning trends across firms. Whether you're evaluating advisory services, considering niche specialization or preparing your firm for leadership transitions, this episode provides practical insights grounded in IPA's latest data. Learn more and order the IPA Insights Hot Topics Report at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com/about/ipa-quarterly-insights/

The Confidence Gap in Advisory Services

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE [https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7c] Advisory services continue to be one of the biggest growth opportunities for firms, but many firms are still struggling to scale them effectively. In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Chelsea Summers talks with Eric Eager, CEO and co-founder of 4impactdata, about the “confidence gap” that may be holding firms back. The conversation explores why advisory work feels different from traditional compliance services, how AI is changing the pace of learning inside firms and why many professionals hesitate to make forward-looking recommendations. Eric also discusses the growing importance of human guidance in an increasingly automated environment and explains how emerging technologies like decision intelligence may help firms scale advisory while also accelerating staff development. Throughout the episode, Eric shares practical advice for firm leaders looking to strengthen client relationships, improve confidence across teams and rethink the role of CPA firms in the future business landscape.