AI Won't Replace Great Accountants - Miguel Centeno

AI Won't Replace Great Accountants - Miguel Centeno

Will AI replace accountants? Miguel Centeno doesn't think so. He believes the firms that thrive won't be the ones avoiding AI—they'll be the ones learning how to use it better than everyone else. In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Miguel Centeno, Managing Partner at Centurion Firm and host of Beyond the Bottom Line, to discuss building an accounting firm, finding the right clients, pricing based on value, and why AI is changing the profession without replacing it. Miguel also shares how he left PwC, landed his first clients, built a niche, and the mindset that helped him grow a successful firm. If you're building an accounting firm—or wondering how AI will reshape the profession—this episode is for you. 🎯 What you'll learn • Why AI won't replace great accountants • How to leave a Big Four firm • Finding your ideal client profile • Pricing based on value instead of hours • Why niching down accelerates growth • Patience vs growth as a firm owner • Building a modern accounting practice Topics Covered • Miguel's journey from PwC • Starting Centurion Firm • Landing the first clients • Biggest early mistakes • Finding a niche • AI in accounting • Value-based pricing • Favorite food 🍴 • Advice for firm owners 🎧 South Offices Home https://southoffices.com/ [https://southoffices.com/] 🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/ [https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/] 📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices [https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices]

Why Every CPA Needs a Mentor - Nancy Benet

Every successful CPA has technical skills. Not every CPA has a mentor. In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Nancy Benet, CPA, entrepreneur, and CEO of Fix It Accounting, to discuss the lessons she learned from building her firm after multiple failed businesses, crushing debt, and starting over from scratch. Nancy shares why mentorship completely changed the trajectory of her business, how she built a recognizable accounting brand, and why helping the next generation of firm owners has become one of her biggest missions. They also discuss leadership, recurring revenue, advisory services, hiring, delegating, and creating a firm that can operate without the owner being involved every day. 🎯 What you'll learn • Why every CPA should have a mentor • Lessons from five failed businesses • Building a recognizable accounting brand • How to create recurring revenue • Delegating and stepping out of day-to-day operations • Hiring great people and building culture • Advice for firm owners starting today 🎧 South Offices Home https://southoffices.com/ [https://southoffices.com/] 🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/ [https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/] 📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices [https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices] TOPICS COVERED • Nancy's career journey • Five failed businesses before accounting • Starting Fix It Accounting • Building an online accounting brand • Mentoring firm owners • Franchise model explained • Pulling herself out of operations • Hiring and leadership lessons • Why mentorship matters • Advice for new firm owners

Why Great Companies Put People First - Monica Siciliano

Most business owners think payroll is their biggest expense. Monica Siciliano sees it differently. She believes people are a company's greatest opportunity. In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Monica Siciliano, Partner at De Novo HR Consulting and Zinman & Company, to discuss leadership, business advisory, human resources, and what really drives long-term business success. Monica shares how she transitioned from business operations into HR consulting, why accounting and human capital naturally overlap, and what entrepreneurs often underestimate when building a company. They also discuss career changes, generational leadership, company culture, and why fulfillment matters just as much as financial success. If you're building an accounting firm—or any business—this conversation offers practical lessons that go far beyond accounting. 🎯 What you'll learn • Why payroll is more than just an expense • The overlap between HR and accounting • What entrepreneurs underestimate about hiring • Why career changes aren't failures • Managing different generations in the workplace • Balancing fulfillment, enjoyment and financial success • Advice for firm owners and business leaders 🎧 South Offices Home https://southoffices.com/ [https://southoffices.com/] 🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/ [https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/] 📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices [https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices] TOPICS COVERED • Monica's path into HR consulting • Becoming partner at Zinman & Company • Why people drive business performance • Working with entrepreneurs • Young professionals and credibility • Generational leadership • Challenges every growing business faces • Advice for founders • Career fulfillment vs financial success

How to Grow an Accounting Firm Through Referrals and Relationship - Seth Kamens

Most accounting firm owners focus on technical expertise. Seth Kamens believes that's the wrong place to start. In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Seth Kamens, founder of Kamens & Associates, to discuss how he grew a firm from a handful of clients into a practice serving more than 2,000 clients across the world. Seth shares why he left corporate accounting, what he learned from Big Four culture, and how listening became one of the most valuable skills in his career. They discuss building trust with clients, growing through networking, scaling a firm organically, and why the best accountants aren't necessarily the smartest people in the room. Along the way, Seth shares stories about his first major client, receiving a call from a client who received a billion-dollar acquisition offer, and how accounting relationships often become much more than vendor relationships. If you're building an accounting firm—or simply want to become a better advisor—this episode is packed with practical lessons. 🎯 What You'll Learn • Why Seth left corporate accounting • Building a firm from 15 clients to 2,500+ • The networking strategy that grew his practice • Why listening is more important than selling • How to build long-term client trust • Lessons from scaling a boutique firm • Why relationships matter more than expertise • Advice for accountants starting a firm today 🎧 South Offices Home https://southoffices.com/ [https://southoffices.com/] 🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/ [https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/] 📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices [https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices] TOPICS COVERED • Leaving Deloitte and corporate accounting • Starting a firm from scratch • Growing through networking and referrals • The difference between Big Four and boutique firms • Why clients hire accountants they trust • From 15 clients to thousands • The billion-dollar client story • Sales without selling • Advice for future firm owners

Building a Virtual Accounting Firm Before Remote Work Was Cool - Josh Zweig

Remote work wasn't trendy in 2012. For most accounting firms, it wasn't even an option. But that's exactly when Josh Zweig decided to build a virtual accounting firm. In this episode of Humans in Accounting, Alex Roman sits down with Josh Zweig, Co-Founder and CEO of LiveCA, to discuss how a simple desire for location freedom led to one of Canada's first fully virtual accounting firms. Josh shares his journey from PwC to entrepreneurship, how he built a remote practice using Skype and QuickBooks Desktop, and what it was like convincing clients—and the accounting profession—that work didn't need to happen inside an office. They also discuss living in Argentina, building a distributed team, delegation mistakes, the evolution of accounting technology, and how AI is changing the profession today. If you're building a modern accounting firm, this episode offers a unique perspective from someone who was doing remote accounting long before it became mainstream. 🎯 What You'll Learn • How Josh built a virtual accounting firm in 2012 • Why remote work was controversial in accounting • The early days of cloud accounting • Lessons from scaling a distributed team • Delegation mistakes firm owners make • How AI is changing accounting roles • Why human accountability still matters • What future accounting firms may look like 🎧 South Offices Home https://southoffices.com/ [https://southoffices.com/] 🌎 Nearshore Accounting Company https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/ [https://southoffices.com/nearshore-accounting-company/] 📞 Talk to a CPA-led nearshore team specialist https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices [https://calendly.com/alex-southoffices] TOPICS COVERED • Josh's journey from PwC to entrepreneurship • Becoming one of Canada's first virtual accountants • Building LiveCA remotely in 2012 • The evolution of cloud accounting • Remote work before it became mainstream • Living and working from Argentina • AI's impact on accounting firms • Human accountability vs automation • Delegation and scaling lessons • Advice for future firm owners