Randy welcomes Dan Berenholtz, co-founder and CEO of StanfordTax, to Episode 187 of The Unique CPA. Dan discusses how his company is revolutionizing the tax season process for accountants and clients alike. Detailing his passion for tech entrepreneurship, Dan explores StanfordTax's innovative approach to automating tax data collection, enhancing both client experience and accountant efficiency. He also highlights the integration of AI and future developments in tax technology that aim to make the profession more profitable and less time-consuming.

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Randy Crabtree talks to Lisa Simpson, Vice President of Firm Services at AICPA, on Episode 186 of The Unique CPA. Lisa stresses that essential transformations are needed to ensure a prosperous future for the profession. Fostering a healthy community of accounting professionals and critical shifts in the traditional business model are keys to staying relevant, as are leveraging technology and diversity to drive growth. As talent retention, compensation, and the importance of flexibility remain on the forefront of people’s minds, Lisa encourages firm leaders to engage with these topics because unlike the recent past, there won’t be another time when accounting students are “falling from the sky.” It will take major adaptations to keep your firm relevant in the coming age of change in the profession.

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On Episode 185 of The Unique CPA, Randy digs into advisory platforms with David Snider, CEO and founder of Harness Wealth. Harness is one such platform making waves in the profession, and David, in discussing his journey from the real estate tech industry to tax and wealth management, explains how these worlds linked together for him to found Harness. Sharing his understanding of how technology can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of tax advisors, helping them to better serve their clients, David spotlights various industry challenges, the importance of specialization, and the need for innovation in the tax advisory space, all of which he has addressed in creating a unifying platform that can aid advisors in client acquisition and managing their practices more efficiently.

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Randy Crabtree returns to a very personally important topic to him, burnout, on Episode 184 of The Unique CPA. He sits down with specialist Anna Lovell-Nesmith to discuss the pervasiveness of burnout among accounting professionals. Anna shares her insights on recognizing and managing burnout, emphasizing the importance of time management, prioritization, and personalized strategies, which she provides through her work as a burnout specialist. Randy stresses the importance of creating awareness, and they agree it’s vital to seek help when you need it and find joy both inside and outside of the office. No matter where you feel you are mentally, this is one episode you won’t want to miss.

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Randy Crabtree engages in an enlightening discussion with Hitendra Patil, seven-time Accounting Today Top 100 Most Influential Person, on Episode 183 of The Unique CPA. The President of Global F&A Services for Datamatics Business Solutions, Hitendra is an author and speaker who, like Randy, seeks to improve accounting as a whole. Highlighting the talent shortage and the evolving landscape of the profession amidst technological advancements and AI, Hitendra emphasizes the value of better narratives around the profession, especially as they relate to AI. He points at value pricing, client experience, outsourcing, and adapting business models as keys forward.

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We go back in time on this special five-year anniversary Episode 182 of The Unique CPA, as original guest Tim Jipping, founder of Journey Advisors & CPAs, returns to interview Randy Crabtree on the podcast’s milestone show. Discussing the podcast's inception, evolution, and its impact on the accounting profession, Randy reflects on things that have surprised him about becoming a podcast host and the podcast “scene” in general, the influence guests like John Garrett, Josh Lance, Al-Nesha Jones and more have had on him, and the broader changes in the industry that the show has come to reflect as it has evolved, including improvements in work-life balance and the integration of tech. Join us for a nostalgic and insightful look back—and forward—at The Unique CPA.

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Randy Crabtree talks to Tori McKee, the owner of Best Practice Bookkeeping and Payroll, on Episode 181 of The Unique CPA, and they focus on burnout. Tori shares her journey of professional transformation, having decided to “burn down and rebuild” her business. Having struggled through 70-80 hour weeks for years, Tori moved away from the traditional CPA firm methodologies she’d always known, adopting useful tech. Highlighting the power of community, she explains how she “found her people” on #TaxTwitter, which helped her through these transitions and also led her to come out of her shell and attend conferences on her own for the first time. Tori’s truly unique perspective of saying enough is enough and deciding to rebuild from scratch is one you certainly don’t want to miss.

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On Episode 180 of The Unique CPA, Chris Williams, the CEO of System Six, joins Randy for a conversation about the direction modern accounting is headed. System Six is a cloud-based finance and accounting firm Chris acquired, and he shares his journey, from his background in investment banking and private equity. With a focus on strong company culture characterized by joy, collaboration, and flexibility, the conversation covers Chris’s plans for the future of System Six, including potential acquisitions and expanding services to include tax and advisory offerings. Personal interactions are at the core of what Chris looks to do, with the desired effect being to maintain strong work culture while weathering the challenges of integrating new services and acquisitions.

Get the full show notes and more resources at TheUniqueCPA.com