Sharrin Fuller is an absolute legend with the most unconventional path in accounting

Having not studied accounting and stumbling into the profession, Sharrin has made incredible strides and shown what is possible to achieve. She now helps small firm owners get out the weeds and utilize technology to its fullest!

Sharrin shares so much value here and we dive into many great topics so tune in and give the show a like and subscribe

‘Old school cool’ is a thing, just not when it comes to accounting.

This week features Nick Boscia, a managing partner at Boscia and Boscia PC – and whose family accounting firm in New Jersey is the very subject of the episode. Nick returned to his family firm after PWC to work side by side with his dad in his “old school practice” – not only to ‘learn the ropes’, but to take the business into the 21st century.

They also discuss how Nick’s firm handles the tax organizer process now, how he implemented new tech and processes in his dad’s firm, his philosophy on success and how both him and Yuri prioritize their time and preserve a work/life balance.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

1:28 - Meet Nick Boscia

4:10 - Going from PWC to Dad’s firm

7:19 - Learning to become an accountant and working with your dad

13:41 - Taking over an ‘old school’ firm

18:29 - Adding more tech

24:10 - Invoicing and payment (before Anchor)

27:20 - Financial Cents, using multiple tools

35:37 - “When did you make your first hire?”

42:59 - Diving deeper into process automation

49:15 - Nick’s journey to become a speaker

52:11 - Favorite gig (so far), what’s next?

56:21 - LinkedIn, haters, what you ‘get’ out of it

1:03:35 - Travel and getting deals

1:06:55 - Episode wrap-up

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

Today’s episode sponsor is Cloud Accountant Staffing (CAS). CAS is your go-to partner for finding talented offshore staffing to help you scale and grow your firm efficiently and effectively.

Check them out here and use code YURIAINTFUN for $500 off

https://www.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/lp/yuri

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH NICK BOSCIA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickboscia/

Website: https://www.thebalancedcpa.life/about-5

This week’s episode welcomes “Scale with Purpose” co-authors Jason Blumer and Ian Vacin to tackle the biggest decision firm owners face: is scaling really right for you?

Together, they join Yuri to discuss this big question that many firm owners face: is it worth it, and should you be pushing yourself for more? Or listening to your gut.

Jason and Ian combine anecdotal experience with data, exploring the common struggle where growth stalls or reverses when firms reach "about eight people". They also discuss the challenges of technology adoption, a detailed, mathematical process for solo firm owners to evaluate and select new technology, the human element of growth and much more.

You can find Ian and Jason’s book, “Scale With Purpose” at: https://www.scalewithpurpose.info/

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:36 - Episode open

1:17 - Meet [guests]

2:17 - How Ian and Jason met

3:34 - Sponsorship, working with them and choosing them

9:10 - The pressure around events and sponsorship

11:25 - What is ‘Karbon’?

13:22 - Picking a practice management platform

16:16 - The most difficult thing about selling to CPAs

19:21 - Growth, technology and “adding complexity”

26:20 - How do owners decide what change(s) to make?

33:52 - Decision-making and scaling

40:17 - Diving into Ian and Jason’s book

44:41 - Their process for writing the book

48:33 - The biggest takeaway from

52:10 - The most common problems Ian and Jason hear (as coaches)

57:37 - A mistake Ian and Jason made along the way

1:00:32 - Episode wrap-up

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

Today’s episode sponsor is Cloud Accountant Staffing (CAS). CAS is your go-to partner for finding talented offshore staffing to help you scale and grow your firm efficiently and effectively.

Check them out here and use code YURIAINTFUN for $500 off

https://www.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/lp/yuri

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH IAN AND JASON

LinkedIn (Ian): linkedin.com/in/ianvacin

LinkedIn (Jason): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumer/

Book: https://www.scalewithpurpose.info/

Accountants don’t just do the client work and tax returns. They’re now custodians of some of a client’s most valuable data.

This week’s guest, Nick Mullen, is an expert in information security, IT governance, and compliance in the financial services sector. He’s seen it all when it comes to how small to mid-size firms handle their digital security. What they do badly, what they often miss – and their biggest areas of weakness.

Nick joins Yuri to discuss how small cracks can turn into big problems as well as what you, or small(er) firms can do to enhance security now and in the future. They also swap some real-life stories of ransom and deception, and explore the risks behind remote desktops, off-shoring, how people get socially engineered and more.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:42 - Episode open

1:17 - Intro to Nick and his background

3:41 - What drew Nick’s focus to tax and bookkeeping

5:48 - “You gotta make it easy for them”

9:50 - Data breaches, how do they happen?

14:35 - Social engineering

19:30 - Security and off-shore staff

26:08 - Tips for establishing a basic level of security

30:12 - Remote desktops

35:31 - Ransom, what Nick does when there is a breach

43:25 - Where you can find Nick!

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

The sponsor of today's episode is Abacor - The notetaker tailored for accountants specifically! No more chicken scratch, no more lost notes, everything is now online and recorded and easy to integrate with your PM!

Here is an extra goody for the listeners of this show: 2 FREE months!

Follow these instructions and you shall get 2 months free :)

1. Schedule a demo with Abacor at https://www.abacor.com/
2. Once the demo is complete, they will receive an invitation to trial Abacor for two weeks.
3. Once the trial is over, at checkout, use the code, THEFUNCPA, to receive two months free on their preferred plan when subscribing.

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH NICK MULLEN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rnmullen/

Website: https://www.entoosecurity.com/

This week’s guest JUST started his journey to begin his own firm.

Yuri is joined by Kendall Castro, who, as of a few months ago, recently became a business owner. Together, they break down Kendall’s path to starting his own business, the one critical moment that kicked everything off and most importantly:

What his experience has been so far.

From pricing, adding new business and making more money – to concerns, burnout and cost of entry. Yuri and Kendall cover every aspect of his launch and the months that have followed.

Additionally they discuss larger topics within the industry such as educating clients, burnout and more.

If you’re on the edge of beginning your own entrepreneurial journey, this is the perfect episode to get you pointed in the right direction.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:37 - Episode open

0:51 - Kendall’s background + entry in the profession

3:22 - Kendall’s ‘itch’ to go out on his own

5:42 - After being let go / before launch

8:14 - Educating, “being a one man army”

11:32 - Getting started, bringing people in, pricing

16:00 - Cost of entry, collecting money and software

19:38 - Balancing year 1 w/ future scaling

21:39 - The firm’s trajectory, adjusting client volume

26:25 - What Kendall’s days look like

28:32 - Kendall’s advice to new business owners

30:10 - Getting clients, how Kendall plans to scale

31:59 - Wrap-up, where you can find Kendall

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

The sponsor of today's episode is Abacor - The notetaker tailored for accountants specifically! No more chicken scratch, no more lost notes, everything is now online and recorded and easy to integrate with your PM!

Here is an extra goody for the listeners of this show: 2 FREE months!

Follow these instructions and you shall get 2 months free :)

1. Schedule a demo with Abacor at https://www.abacor.com/
2. Once the demo is complete, they will receive an invitation to trial Abacor for two weeks.
3. Once the trial is over, at checkout, use the code, THEFUNCPA, to receive two months free on their preferred plan when subscribing.

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH KENDALL CASTRO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-castro-cpa-realtor/

Website: https://castrocpaadvisory.com/

Many guests on The Fun CPA have left their jobs, some of them at the ‘Big 4’ to begin their own business, or move to something tax and accounting adjacent.

This week’s guest is a little different! Blake Carroll works for a ‘Big 4’ firm, PwC, and has done so for the past 8 years.

As a Deployment Consultant for PwC, Blake is responsible for facilitating the development of high-performing teams by supporting workload balancing, enhancing team effectiveness, and fostering career growth opportunities for employees.

Blake joins Yuri to share his view on climbing the career ladder in one of the biggest and most competitive firms in the country – as well as what new CPAs can do to advance further and get paid more.

He also shares a sneak peek into how PwC is approaching the pipeline issue, his experience with scheduling, drawing boundaries, saying “no” at work, and much more!

For those of you looking to stay with a big firm for the start, or even majority of your career – this episode will give you a valuable look into what you can expect on an entry-level, all the way to senior roles.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:35 - Episode open

1:13 - Meet Blake

3:08 - Blake’s early career

6:49 - The process of being promoted (when you’re starting out)

11:34 - Scheduling, saying “no”

17:20 - Promotion and pay raises

20:14 - Are bigger firms concerned about pipeline?

23:01 - AI and Credentialling

25:45 - Coaching for the CPA exam

29:41 - Social media and comparisons

32:05 - “The sooner you can start the better”

35:01 - What has changed now (trackers and studying)

38:35 - Wrap up: Where you can find Blake

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH BLAKE CARROLL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-carroll-cpa-03690b98/

Website: https://www.blakecarrollcoaching.com/

Michael Eckstein isn’t like most accountants.

He doesn’t talk like most accountants. Or think like them.

And he certainly doesn’t approach building a business the same way as them, either.

In this episode, Yuri and Michael sit down to discuss topics big and small – from client horror stories and biggest tax “beefs” to how Michael started his firm and why he built it around one central thing.

Additionally, they tackle some hot topics that come up again and again in LinkedIn and elsewhere: minimum fees, taking on more (or less) clients and designing your business around your life (and not the other way around).

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:36 - Episode beginning

3:16 - Mike’s journey and background

9:14 - What made Mike a “travelling accountant”

11:02 - Taking on clients and protecting your time

15:39 - LinkedIn, tech and getting business

18:11 - LinkedIn cringe stories

21:20 - Minimum fees, setting it and increasing it

26:43 - Mike’s goal for LinkedIn

34:45 - A day in the life of Michael Eckstein

37:46 - Biggest ‘beef’ with taxes

43:35 - Perfectionism in the industry, value-pricing

51:41 - Network building, client horror stories

1:03:11 - Wrap-up

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL ECKSTEIN

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-eckstein

Website: https://restingbusinessface.com/about/#about

This week’s guest has achieved what many in the industry dream of.

A successful firm AND a successful exit.

Kenji Kuramoto is the founder and former CEO of Acuity, a pioneering outsourced accounting and fractional CFO firm that built and maintained financial functions for thousands of innovative entrepreneurs.

Kenji sits down with Yuri to discuss creating and growing his company – what he learned, what he would change and the central theme of the episode:

Should every firm scale?

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:37 - Episode beginning, Top-5 rappers

3:12 - Meet Kenji

8:17 - What made Kenji want to leave

13:46 - Taking the leap

23:29 - The early days of Acuity

28:57 - “would you do it the same way?”

31:14 - Where is the bottleneck?

36:13 - “Should everyone scale?”

42:45 - Balancing your life + the business/scaling

51:35 - Kenji’s post-exit mission

53:58 - If you’re an early-stage founder…

56:16 - Episode wrap-up

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH KENJI

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjikuramoto/