Designing a Firm for the Future

How Accounting Leaders Build Visibility and Trust

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]. Doing great work has always been the foundation of a successful accounting career. But in today's profession, technical excellence alone isn't enough. In this bonus episode of The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown explores why visibility has become a competitive advantage for accounting professionals. As AI reshapes technical work and firms compete more aggressively for talent and clients, the professionals who stand out are often those whose expertise is known, trusted and remembered. Rather than encouraging accountants to become influencers, Rob reframes personal branding as the intentional process of building trust and sharing expertise. He explains why visibility matters at every stage of a career, how firm leaders can strengthen culture and recruiting through their own presence and what practical steps professionals can take to build a reputation that creates opportunities over time. Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting: https://insidepublicaccounting.com [https://insidepublicaccounting.com]

The Perception Gap: Why Accounting Has a Story Problem

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]. The accounting profession has spent years talking about the talent pipeline challenge. But what if the real issue starts earlier? In the first episode of season two, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown kick off IPA's new series, Rewriting the Story of Accounting. Their conversation spans everything from outdated stereotypes to overlooked career opportunities, exploring how accounting has evolved and why the profession needs to do a better job communicating the value, variety and long-term opportunities it offers. They also preview what's ahead in this five-part series, including conversations on firm culture, personal branding and the future of talent in public accounting. Follow the podcast for future episodes as we continue exploring the trends shaping the accounting profession. Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com [https://insidepublicaccounting.com].

What's Next for INSIDE Public Accounting?

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] One year ago, we hit record and hoped someone would listen. In this special episode, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers reflect on the first year of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, the conversations that resonated most and the lessons learned along the way. They discuss memorable episodes, listener feedback and the impact of creating a space for honest conversations about the accounting profession. The episode also offers a preview of Season Two, including deeper multi-part series on the profession's perception gap, the IPA 500, practice management trends, Best of the Best firms, talent challenges and the future of accounting. Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode and helped shape the conversation. Season Two starts next week.

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.