Deduct This With Carrie and Lexi

Stop Growing by Accident: How to Build an Accounting Firm You Actually Wanted

You built this firm because you wanted freedom. So why does it feel like you are more trapped than ever? Somewhere between eight and twenty employees, something broke. The business does not feel the same. Your profitability is dropping. You lost a key staff member. And you are not sure what happened. Ian Vacin and Jason Blumer spent two years interviewing more than 300 firm owners to find out exactly what separates the 5% who push through from everyone else. Their research became the book Scaled with Purpose, and in this episode, Ian walks through the patterns they found and what they mean for how you build your practice from here. In this conversation, you will learn: * Why the scaling plateau between 8 and 20 employees hits nearly every tax and accounting firm, and how to recognize it before it costs you * How to align revenue growth with capacity planning so your team can service what you sell * What organizational design and spans of control have to do with firm profitability * Why internal training is the single biggest differentiator between firms that lead and firms that lag * How to sequence technology adoption so it accelerates your workflows instead of compounding your problems * What intentional firm builders do differently from those who grow by accident and later have to unwind it Hosted by Ian Vacin, co-author of Scaled with Purpose and co-founder of Karbon Explore ProConnect Tax to streamline tax preparation: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ [https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/] Connect with the hosts: 🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond [https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond] 🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard [https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard] Follow Ian Vacin: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianvacin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianvacin/] Website: https://bbizsolution.com/how-to-work-with-uskarbonhq.com [http://www.karbonhq.com/]   #IntuitTax #TaxPro #ProConnectTax #FirmGrowth #TaxPracticeManagement #AccountingFirm #ScaledWithPurpose #WorkflowEfficiency #FirmCulture #TaxAutomation #SustainableGrowth #DeductThisPodcast #IntuitAccountants

Stop Being Invisible: How Five Minutes a Day Can Transform Who Finds Your Firm

You already have a brand. The question is whether you're building it on purpose, or letting it build itself by default. Katie Thomas, CPA, knows exactly what it costs to stay invisible. Not in dollars, but in impact. The clients you never reached. The problems you were perfectly qualified to solve but never got the chance to. In this episode of Deduct This, Katie reframes personal branding and content marketing entirely: it is not about being salesy, it is about being findable by the people who need you most. If you have been hiding behind great work and wondering why the wrong clients keep showing up, this conversation will shift something for you. Discover how Katie's impact, influence, and income framework changes the way tax professionals think about growing an accounting firm. Learn why the most powerful personal branding move you can make right now takes less than five minutes, how to use LinkedIn as your one platform strategy instead of trying to be everywhere at once, and how to stop attracting the wrong clients by getting specific about your ideal client from the start. Whether you are stuck in the feast or famine cycle of tax season or trying to expand into year-round advisory services, this episode gives you a clear and actionable path toward accounting firm marketing that actually works. What you'll learn: * Why expertise without visibility is just invisibility (and what to do about it) * How to use content marketing to attract ideal clients to your CAS or advisory practice without feeling like you are selling * The one LinkedIn platform strategy that works better than trying to be everywhere at once * Why giving away your knowledge for free actually builds your client base, not shrinks it * How to position your tax or accounting firm so the right people find you and the wrong ones self-select out * The single action you can take today to start building visibility and personal branding for your firm Marketing is not sleazy. Marketing is serving. And the tax pros who understand that are building the kind of accounting firm you actually want to work in. Explore ProConnect Tax to streamline tax preparation: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ [https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/] Connect with the hosts: 🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond [https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond] 🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard [https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard] Follow Katie Thomas: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katiethomascpa [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiethomascpa/] Website: https://bbizsolution.com/how-to-work-with-usleaders-online.com [https://www.linkedin.com/redir/redirect/?url=www%2Eleaders-online%2Ecom&urlhash=G8Xk&isSdui=true]   #TaxPro #IntuitTax #ProConnectTax #DeductThisPodcast #CASAccounting #ClientAdvisoryServices #TaxPracticeManagement #ContentMarketing #AccountingMarketing #PersonalBranding #TaxMarketing #IdealClients

Stop Serving Everyone: How Niching Down to Construction Transformed Timothy Wingate Jr’s Firm

Growing up, Timothy Wingate Jr. watched his father's construction business ride a financial roller coaster for years. One summer, it was Disney World. Next, it was back to work. Not because the jobs were not there, but because no one ever taught him how to price, plan, or protect what he was building. Timothy decided that the story would not repeat itself for an entire industry. Timothy Wingate Jr., EA, Founder of G&F Business and Financial Consulting, built his entire practice around one of the most underserved industries in tax and accounting: construction. After two years of trying to serve every type of client and losing his mind in the process, he made the leap and never looked back. Today, his firm runs like a well-oiled machine.  Standardized chart of accounts, repeatable onboarding workflows, and a client advisory model built specifically for construction contractors that goes far beyond the tax return. Timothy breaks down what it actually takes to serve construction clients well, why most contractors are losing money before the job even starts, and what happened to his firm when he stopped trying to be everything to everyone. In this episode of Deduct This, you will learn: * Why construction accounting requires a specialized chart of accounts structure and how incorrect setup throws off every KPI your client relies on * What deferred revenue is and why it is non-negotiable for proper revenue recognition in construction bookkeeping * How construction contractors lose profit through incorrect pricing before a single job begins, and the difference between markup and margin that most owners get wrong * How Timothy uses the asset depreciation feature in ProConnect Tax and the de minimis safe harbor to uncover tax planning opportunities other accountants miss * Why niching down to one industry made his practice simpler, more scalable, and significantly more profitable, and the question he says every tax pro on the fence should ask themselves The construction industry does not need more generalists. It needs advisors who have studied the audit guide, interviewed contractors, and know exactly what questions to ask at onboarding. Deferred revenue, revenue recognition, and the de minimis safe harbor are not advanced topics here. They are the baseline. Timothy built that practice. This episode shows you how. Explore ProConnect Tax to streamline tax preparation: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ [https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/] Connect with the hosts: 🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond [https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond] 🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard [https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard] Follow Timothy Wingate Jr.: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/twingatejr/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/twingatejr/]Website: https://bbizsolution.com/how-to-work-with-ushttps://tinyurl.com/ynnkatcm [https://tinyurl.com/ynnkatcm]  #TaxPro #IntuitTax #ProConnectTax #DeductThisPodcast #ConstructionAccounting #TaxPlanning #NicheAccounting #ClientAdvisoryServices #TaxAutomation #WorkflowEfficiency #ContractorAccounting #FirmGrowth

From Reactive to Proactive: Building a Tax-Minded CAS Practice with Hope Brown

Ever get that sinking feeling when tax season is about to start, and you are already behind? The cleanup. The missing information. The last-minute surprises you promised yourself would not happen again. Hope Brown built her firm so you do not have to live in that cycle. In this episode of Deduct This, Hope Brown, 2025 AICPA and CIMA Global Women to Watch Honoree and Founder and CEO of The Tax Minded Bookkeeper, shares how she created a proactive system that keeps both her team and her clients out of reactive mode. She explains what tax-minded bookkeeping really means: building books with tax planning in mind from day one, rather than categorizing transactions after the fact. You will hear how she runs proactive Q3 and Q4 check-ins, collaborates with client bookkeepers with permission, and uses a Client Advisory Services model to connect bookkeeping, advisory services, tax planning, and tax preparation into one continuous client partnership. Hope also shares why she transitioned from Lacerte to ProConnect Tax, how Intuit Tax Advisor enables real-time analysis throughout the year, and how connected workflow integration increases workflow efficiency and reduces manual workarounds. From bottleneck analysis to peer benchmarking to AI-driven firm operations, she walks through the structure that supports a sustainable CAS practice without sacrificing client experience. What you will learn: • How to shift from tax season only compliance to proactive tax planning using structured Q3 and Q4 check-ins • How tax-minded bookkeeping reduces cleanup, supports accurate month-end close, and prevents downstream tax issues • How a CAS practice model connects bookkeeping, advisory services, and tax preparation into recurring advisory revenue • How to evaluate tax technology through bottleneck analysis, workflow efficiency review, and post-season lessons learned • How to use AI for firm operations, marketing systems, proposals, and strategic decision support If you want a sustainable CAS practice built on proactive tax planning, structured workflow integration, and fewer surprises, this episode gives you a clear blueprint you can apply immediately. Explore ProConnect Tax to streamline tax preparation: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ [https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/] Connect with the hosts: 🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond [https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond] 🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard [https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard] Follow Hope Brown: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-brown-msa-afsp-463a44239/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-brown-msa-afsp-463a44239/]Website: https://bbizsolution.com/how-to-work-with-us [https://bbizsolution.com/how-to-work-with-us] #TaxPro #IntuitTax #ProConnectTax #DeductThisPodcast #TaxPlanning #ClientAdvisoryServices #CASPractice #TaxPracticeManagement #WorkflowEfficiency #AIinAccounting #Bookkeeping #MonthEndClose

From Spreadsheet Chaos to Advisory Clarity: How Michael Chapman Built a Multi-Entity CAS Practice That Actually Scales

You know that satisfying moment when everything just works? When a complex client's books close without your team buried in Excel for a week? Michael Chapman decided that feeling should not be rare. It should be the default. After 12 years of building client relationships at Wolf & Company that go well beyond month-end close, Michael watched too many firms confuse data management with advisory work. Spreadsheet reconciliations passed off as strategy. Teams spending hours on intercompany splits instead of client conversations. Manual workarounds held together by hope. When multi-entity clients with complex structures started coming to his CAS practice, he refused to scale the chaos. He rebuilt the foundation instead. The turning point came when Michael's team implemented Intuit Enterprise Suite for a client with tangled intercompany transactions. Work that once required Excel breakdowns and cross-entity reconciliation now posts and flows automatically. The transition was so smooth, Michael says he is not sure there was a transition at all. What you will learn in this episode: * The multi-entity onboarding strategy Wolf & Company uses to set clients up for success from day one * How Michael evaluates new technology without getting paralyzed by the options * What his team actually does with the time that automation gives back * Why a piece of advice he received early in his career about perspective and staying above the work still shapes how he leads today Michael proves that scaling a CAS practice is not about adding more people to a broken process. It is about building the right foundation so your team can do the work clients actually hired you for. Explore Intuit Enterprise Suite to streamline intercompany workflows and give your team more time for real client advisory work: https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/ [https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/] Connect with the hosts: 🎙 Carrie Hammond: https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond [https://linkedin.com/in/cahammond] 🎙 Lexi Bonicard: https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard [https://linkedin.com/in/lexibonicard] Follow our guest: 💼 Michael Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annahergenrader/https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chapman-cpa-0956972b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-chapman-cpa-0956972b/]  🔗 Website:https://www.wolfandco.com/ [https://www.wolfandco.com/]  #TaxPro #IntuitTax #IntuitEnterpriseSuite #DeductThisPodcast #CASAccounting #ClientAdvisoryServices #OutsourcedAccounting #WorkflowEfficiency #MultiEntityAccounting #IntercompanyAccounting #AdvisoryServices #CloudAccounting