Blake Oliver: Why Busy Season Is Optional

Blake Oliver: Why Busy Season Is Optional

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2238275/fan_mail/new] Busy season is brutal. The pay never feels like enough for the hours. The work gets repetitive. Most accountants accept this as the cost of the profession. Blake Oliver doesn't buy it. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Blake Oliver, CPA and founder of Earmark, makes the case that virtually every problem plaguing the accounting profession is self-inflicted. From arbitrary tax deadlines to billable hours models that punish the people they're supposed to reward, Blake argues that the profession built its own cage, and that the way out is simpler than most people think. The conversation also covers the three types of data every accountant is missing, why bookkeeping is the most underrated foundation in the profession, and how Blake built a fully remote firm that evaluated people on output rather than hours — before that was common practice. Whether you're grinding through your tenth busy season or quietly wondering if there's a better way to run a firm, this episode gives you a framework and the permission to think differently. What You'll Learn * Why Blake Oliver believes all the major problems in accounting are self-inflicted, including busy season * How the billable hours model creates a direct incentive for firms to overwork their staff * The three types of data every accountant needs to forecast a business: accounting, operational, and people data * Why advisory services aren't a product you sell, but a regular meeting you get paid to show up to * How to build a fully remote accounting firm that measures output, not hours * Why bookkeeping is the strongest foundation for high-value accounting work * How arbitrary deadlines like April 15th create workload crunches that firms can manage around * What it actually takes to leave the traditional firm model and build something better Connect With Blake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver [https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver] SUBSCRIBE TO CANOPY PRACTICE SUCCESS If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

Ali Bawi: Your Accounting Data Is Telling You Something — Are You Listening?

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2238275/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Ali Bawi, an entrepreneur-turned-CPA, makes the case that firm owners are sitting on a goldmine of data they're not using. Ali has worked across the spectrum — from Fortune 100 corporate strategy to transforming small, traditional tax offices — and he's seen the same pattern play out every time: big companies use their numbers to drive decisions, while smaller firms use them to check a box. Ali walks through exactly what it looks like to apply a Fortune 100 mindset to a small firm. He breaks down a real engagement where he helped an overwhelmed, underpriced tax office escape $250-a-month retainers, cut unprofitable clients, and build a business model that actually worked. He also shares lessons from a creative small business client that loved trade shows — until the data showed the website was far more profitable, with a fraction of the effort. Whether you're buried in busy season or starting to think about what your firm's next chapter looks like, this episode is a practical guide to running your business with the same intentionality you'd bring to your best clients. What You'll Learn * Why accounting is the language of business — and how to use it to make better decisions, not just file returns * How Starbucks uses data to understand customer behavior, and what accounting firms can learn from it * Why a "good client" and a "profitable client" are not the same thing — and how to tell the difference * How to break down your revenue streams by actual profitability, not just top-line revenue * Why fixed-fee pricing and task-based time tracking can replace hourly billing without losing visibility * How one traditional tax office was transformed by building a practice management system with full owner visibility * Why delegating work to the right skill level is both a profitability decision and a morale decision * How to use Excel to find your ideal pricing — no expensive software required Connect With Ali LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-bawi/ SUBSCRIBE TO CANOPY PRACTICE SUCCESS If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Right Tech Starts with Knowing Who You Serve

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2238275/fan_mail/new] Most accounting firms evaluate technology the wrong way. They start with the tool instead of starting with the client. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Roman Kepczyk — one of the most respected firm technology consultants in the profession — lays out the three-step framework he uses to help firms build a tech stack that actually fits: understand your client base, evaluate how your work is allocated, and lean on your community before you ever open a demo. Roman explains why the same tax software can be the right answer for one firm and the wrong one for another, how post-season debriefs become the fuel for real improvement, and what firms consistently get wrong about AI. He also takes on the myth of throwing out your timesheets — and why the message has been misunderstood. Whether you're thinking about switching practice management software, introducing AI, or just trying to get the right work to the right people, this episode gives you a practical framework for evaluating where your firm stands. What You'll Learn • Why your ideal client profile is the foundation of every tech decision your firm makes • How to run a post-tax-season debrief that actually leads to change • Why senior-level people are often doing low-value work — and how workflow tools fix that • What AI vendors are getting wrong when they claim AI capabilities • Why community is the most underrated resource for evaluating accounting software • How to use the Lean Six Sigma premortem to identify risks before a project fails • What the "throw out your timesheets" movement actually means — and what it doesn't • How tiered pricing models eliminate the guesswork around billing and scope creep Connect With Roman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romankepczyk/ RightWorks: https://rightworks.com SUBSCRIBE TO CANOPY PRACTICE SUCCESS If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Cost of Overcomplicating Accounting, with Geni Whitehouse

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2238275/fan_mail/new] Why Most Accountants Stop at the Diagnosis — and What to Do Instead With Geni Whitehouse, CPA and Founder of The Impactful Advisor Most accountants are trained to be historians. They tell you what happened last month and how bad it looks. What they're rarely trained to do is help you fix it. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Geni Whitehouse — CPA, author, educator, and the force behind The Impactful Advisor — makes the case for a fundamentally different way of working with clients. Geni shares why accounting's biggest problem isn't technical skill, it's communication: the jargon, the unexplained financial statements, and the habit of delivering a diagnosis and walking out of the room. The conversation covers how to shift from reactive tax work to proactive advisory, why clients come to accountants in a fear and shame-based state, and how a simple question — "where do you go to see if your business is on track?" — can change an entire client relationship. Geni also walks through the SCOPE grid, a five-dimension framework she uses with winery clients to surface what's really driving financial problems. Whether you're just starting to offer advisory services or looking to make your existing approach more consistent, this episode gives you a concrete path from "random acts of consulting" to a repeatable method you can run with every client. What You'll Learn * Why accountants are trained as historians — and what it takes to become a true advisor * How the "x-ray technician" analogy explains the gap between diagnosis and real help * Why clients arrive at accounting meetings in a fear and shame-based state — and how to respond * What the SCOPE grid is and how to use it to uncover the real drivers behind financial problems * Why starting with "what's working" breaks down client resistance before you address what's broken * How niche focus (Geni works exclusively with wineries) builds credibility and deepens advisory conversations * What "random acts of consulting" means — and how to replace it with a standardized advisory method * Why humor is a legitimate tool for breaking down barriers to learning in client and team settings Connect With Geni LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evenanerd/ SUBSCRIBE TO CANOPY PRACTICE SUCCESS If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

Mark Kohler: Stop Surviving Tax Season. Start Scaling From It.

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2238275/fan_mail/new] Stop Reacting to Deadlines and Start Harvesting Profits. Is your firm buried in returns, just waiting for April 15th to finally breathe? Most firm owners view tax season as a period of survival, but CPA and Tax Attorney Mark Kohler joins host Chad Saley to challenge that model. Mark argues that tax season isn’t just about compliance, it’s "Harvest Season." In this episode of Canopy’s Practice Success podcast, Mark shares the exact roadmap he used to build a multi-million dollar firm by shifting from high-volume tax prep to high-value advisory. If you’ve ever wanted to work with fewer clients, make more money, and actually leave the office at 5:00 PM during tax season, this is a must-listen. Inside this episode: * The "Exit Interview" Strategy: Why the best time to sell advisory is the moment you deliver a tax return. * Separating the Wheat from the Tares: How to identify your "Avatar" and fire the "D" and "F" clients that are burning out your team. * The $2 Million Math: How 100 advisory clients can out-earn a pool of 2,000 compliance clients. * Overcoming Firm Friction: How to get partners and associates on board with a new model without losing control of the ship. * Rapid Fire Strategy: Mark’s take on S-Corp reasonable comp, overused buzzwords, and the biggest pricing mistakes firms make. Key Takeaways: * The Paid Consult Hook: Stop giving away your best ideas for free. Learn how to charge for the initial strategy session. * The Three-Year Transition: Transitioning to advisory doesn't happen overnight—Mark explains how to "chunk" the transition to reach full advisory status in 3-4 years. * Scale Without Burnout: Build systems that empower your team to implement strategies while you remain the strategic gatekeeper. About Mark Kohler: Mark J. Kohler is a CPA, Attorney, and co-founder of KKOS Lawyers and Main Street Tax Pros. He is a national best-selling author and a leading expert on tax planning and wealth-building strategies for small business owners. Resources Mentioned: * Main Street Tax Pros: mainstreetprofessionals.com [http://mainstreetprofessionals.com] SUBSCRIBE TO CANOPY PRACTICE SUCCESS If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.