The Growth Minded Accountant
Hosted by Lee Reams II and CountingWorks PRO, "The Growth Minded Accountant" is your go-to podcast for independent tax and accounting pros ready to level up. We’re here to show you how AI, digital marketing, and cutting-edge tools — the kind that only the big guys had access to — can help you save time, win new clients, and keep your practice thriving. From leveraging AI agents to boosting ROI on every client interaction, we cover it all. Tune in to stay sharp, learn strategies that work, and make sure you’re always one step ahead. The playing field just got a lot mo...
The 3 Tax Season Signals That Reveal Your Firm’s Next Growth Opportunity
Tax season isn’t just the busiest time of year for accountants.
It’s also one of the most revealing.
In this micro-episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton break down the three signals that show up repeatedly in client conversations during tax season—and what those signals reveal about the future growth of your firm.
They call them the SUC Signals:
Surprise – “I wish I had known that earlier.”
Urgency – “I need this done by Friday.”
Confusion – “W...
Micro Episode #3: Stop Walking Into Tax Meetings Unprepared (5-Minute AI Prep)
Tax season doesn’t excuse bad preparation.
In this solo micro-episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams shares a practical 5-minute AI workflow to help you walk into every client interview informed, confident, and positioned as an advisor — even during your busiest stretch of tax season.
Most accountants don’t feel underprepared because they don’t care.
They feel underprepared because they’re overloaded.
Back-to-back meetings.
No time to reread prior returns.
No mental space to spot planning opportunities.
In this episode, Lee explains:
• Why “directional aw...
The One Question That Turns Tax Prep Into Advisory Revenue
There’s a moment at the end of every tax interview that most firms rush through.
And it’s quietly costing them six figures a year.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams shares a simple but powerful framework — the Post-Tax Bridge — that helps tax and accounting firms turn compliance conversations into advisory opportunities without selling, pitching, or slowing down tax season.
You’ll learn:
• Why most firms unintentionally close advisory doors in March
• The exact question to ask that creates continuity instead of closure
• How to sequence th...
The Tax Interview Mistake That Keeps You Stuck in Compliance
Most firms treat the tax interview like data collection.
The smartest firms treat it like positioning.
In this micro episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee breaks down a simple shift that can fundamentally change how clients see you. Not after tax season. Not when you launch a new advisory package. But in the first few minutes of your tax interview.
Clients decide what you are very quickly. If the conversation starts with forms, documents, and checklists, you are framed as a processor. If it starts with context, change, and forward-looking questions, you...
Capital Advisory for Accountants: How Smart Businesses Actually Fund Growth
Capital decisions are some of the most important—and irreversible—choices a business owner will ever make. Yet many tax and accounting professionals don’t get pulled into the conversation until after the deal is already done.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, we break down how small and mid-sized businesses actually access capital today—and why accountants are uniquely positioned to guide these decisions before funding is locked in.
Host Lee Reams is joined by Sven Nelson, Founder & Owner of Aevi Business Capital, who brings o...
Positioning Gets You Found. Relatability Gets You Chosen.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer, for a timely conversation on what actually drives firm growth in 2026—and why positioning alone is no longer enough.
Most tax and accounting firms understand positioning. They’ve defined their services, clarified who they serve, and invested in looking professional. But in a market crowded with competent options and shaped by AI-driven discovery, clarity alone doesn’t convert.
Once a prospect knows a firm might be for them, the real d...
Why Pricing Keeps Breaking in Tax & Accounting Firms (It’s Not Your Rates)
Most tax and accounting firms don’t actually have a pricing problem.
They have a pricing system problem.
In this episode of Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why traditional pricing models — hourly billing, fixed fees, even “value pricing” — keep breaking as firms grow, adopt AI, and move toward advisory services.
👉 Download the Pricing System Playbook (Free PDF):
https://tinyurl.com/CWPwhitepaper
You’ll learn:
Why hourly billing collapses as efficiency increasesThe hidden costs of broken pricing systems, including partner bottlenecks, advisory burnout, and revenue without leverag...Overtime Deductions, Client Confusion & Smarter Tax Prep
Overtime deductions became one of the most misunderstood tax topics coming out of the last election cycle—and that confusion is heading straight into tax season.
In this episode, Lee Reams II and Lee Reams Sr. break down what actually qualifies as deductible overtime, why state overtime rules don’t automatically apply for federal tax purposes, and why the 2025 tax season will be far more labor-intensive for firms than most people expect.
This isn’t about complicated tax law.
It’s about time, communication, and preparation.
<...Your Best Advisory Revenue Is Already on Your Client List
It’s 2026—and most accounting firms are still trying to grow advisory revenue by chasing new clients.
More leads.
More traffic.
More strangers.
But the most profitable advisory opportunity most firms have isn’t out there.
It’s already inside their client list.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton explain why existing clients are your biggest advisory advantage—and why firms that understand this grow faster, charge more confidently, and build advisory practices that actually scale.
You’ll learn:
Your Tech Stack Isn’t the Problem — The Experience Is (2026 Reality Check)
In 2026, most tax and accounting firms don’t have a software problem.
They have an experience problem.
In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II explains why stacking “good tools” has quietly become the biggest source of friction inside modern firms—and why AI-first firms are already pulling away.
You’ll hear why:
Most firms only use 20–30% of the software they pay forTraining doesn’t compound—it resetsClients aren’t difficult—they’re overwhelmedStaff has become the invisible integration layerTraditional software is becoming the bottle...The Third Layer Tax and Accounting Firms Are Missing
Most tax and accounting firms are not broken.
They are incomplete.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton introduce a simple but powerful framework that explains why so many firms feel harder to run than they should.
Every firm has three layers.
The Work Layer handles compliance and deliverables.
The Team Layer organizes people, tasks, and workflow.
The third layer, the Client Experience Layer, is where most firms struggle, not because they are doing something wrong...
2026 Predictions for Accountants: AI Will Be the Standard. Relationships Decide Who Wins.
As we close out the year, this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant is a little different.
No guest.
No hype.
Just an honest look at what’s coming next for tax and accounting firms.
In this year-end solo episode, Lee Reams II shares his 2026 predictions—not based on headlines or fear-driven narratives, but on patterns he’s seen repeat over the last decade.
The short version:
By 2026, AI will be the standard.
What will separate winning firms from everyone else won’t be technolo...
AI Search, the 2026 Tax Reset, and the End of Generic Tax & Accounting Firms
AI-powered search is fundamentally changing how people discover tax and accounting professionals — and the 2026 tax law reset is about to separate firms that are prepared from those that aren’t.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton unpack two major forces converging at the same time:
• Why AI search tools are reducing visibility for generic tax and accounting websites
• How discovery now works when search engines synthesize answers instead of ranking pages
• What the 2026 tax reset means for client expectations, planning demand, and advisory opportunities
• Why n...
Top of Mind Is Your Moat: Why “Being Busy” Isn’t a Growth Strategy for Accounting Firms
Most accountants say the same thing:
“I’m already too busy… why would I need marketing?”
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the real reason fast-growing firms keep winning—while others unknowingly fall behind:
👉 Being busy today doesn’t keep you remembered tomorrow.
👉 Visibility—not workload—is what protects your firm.
👉 Top of Mind is the moat every accounting firm needs in 2025 and beyond.
Lee and Rebekah explore why so many firm o...
From Bookkeeper to Advisor: How to Price, Package & Confidently Communicate Your Value — with Linda Hunt
Stop billing by the hour. Start communicating your value. Step into advisory with confidence.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II sits down with Linda Hunt, founder of SUM Solutions and creator of The Perfect Pricing Formula, to unpack the shift every bookkeeper and accounting professional is facing right now: moving from task-based work to outcome-based advisory — all while navigating the rise of AI.
Together, Lee and Linda dive into:
Why hourly billing caps your income and erodes your confidenceHow AI tools can become you...Trust has officially moved to AI — and most accounting and tax professionals don’t realize how drastically the landscape just changed.
In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the impact of Intuit’s new $100M partnership with OpenAI and what it means for the future of the profession. Clients are no longer starting with Google or referrals. They’re starting with AI — and they trust the answer.
We cover:
Why the compliance-first model is getting compressedHow AI has become the new referral sourceWhy advisory is not just for high-net-worth clientsThe human moat: what AI can’t replaceThe Four Pillars of Trust in the A...How Accountants Are Earning $2K a Month Per Client with CFO Advisory Services — featuring Adam Lean of The CFO Project
AI and automation are changing everything — including how accountants grow.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II talks with Adam Lean, CEO of The CFO Project, about how technology is helping tax and accounting pros finally scale beyond compliance work and step into lucrative CFO advisory roles.
Adam shares how The CFO Project’s advisors average nearly $2,000 per month per client with 87% retention, using a repeatable system that helps business owners generate positive cash flow — and gives accountants a way to sto...
The AI Squeeze — How Automation Is Compressing the Bottom and Expanding the Top of the Profession
AI isn’t killing accounting. It’s reorganizing it.
In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton dig into how automation is reshaping the profession... compressing the repetitive, low-value work at the bottom and expanding opportunities at the top where strategy, storytelling, and human relationships live.
This isn’t about fear. It’s about leverage. The smartest firms are using AI to scale faster, deepen client connections, and free up time for higher-value work.
You’ll also hear how CountingWorks PRO is leading the shift with AI-driven systems that personalize client experiences, automate p...
How to Protect Your Firm from Service Creep (and Stop Saying Yes to Everything)
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “yes” to one more client favor — knowing it won’t make it to the invoice — this episode is for you.
Host Lee Reams II, founder of CountingWorks PRO, and co-host Rebekah Barton break down one of the most common profit leaks in accounting and advisory firms: service creep.
They’ll walk you through:
What service creep actually looks like (and why it’s so easy to miss)Why even seasoned pros struggle to say noHow to set better boundaries with clear engag...Your Next Referral Might Come from an Algorithm
Referrals have always powered accounting firm growth — but what happens when word-of-mouth goes digital?
In this episode, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack how AI is quietly reshaping visibility, referrals, and client acquisition for accountants. From ChatGPT’s recommendations to Google’s new AI-driven search, algorithms are already deciding which firms get found — and which disappear.
You’ll learn:
Why AI is the new middleman between you and your next clientHow algorithms interpret trust, authority, and authenticityThe three moves every accountant should make now to stay visibleWhy...The Death of the Funnel: Why Accountants Need Narrative Ecosystems to Grow
Funnels are dead. And in this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton explain why the old lead-generation playbook no longer works—and what accountants must do instead.
For years, firms were told to rely on funnels: fill the top with ads and PDFs, nurture with email, and push leads down until they buy. But in Fall 2025, that’s not how clients make decisions.
Clients now:
Google you, check Yelp, scroll LinkedIn, and DM a friend.Ask ChatGPT who the best advi...The Real Cost of Delaying AI Adoption: Why Waiting is the Most Expensive Option for Accountants
Welcome to another episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant Podcast, hosted by Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton. This week we’re tackling one of the most urgent challenges facing accounting firms in 2025: the hidden cost of delaying AI adoption.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
The invisible tax of doing nothing: why waiting on AI is costing you revenue, hours, and growth.AI search visibility: how platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing client discovery — and what happens if your firm isn’t included.Productivity gaps...Retention Marketing for Accountants: Protect Your Moat in the AI Era
Most accountants think growth = more leads. More ads. More SEO. More hustle.
But if you’re losing 15 out of every 100 clients each year? You’re not growing—you’re standing still.
Retention is your moat. It’s what protects your firm when AI search punishes cookie-cutter sites, when clients tune out generic newsletters, and when compliance-only firms get commoditized.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO) dig into why retention marketing is your highest ROI play in 2025 and beyond:
Retention...Is ChatGPT Recommending Your Firm? How to Build AI Visibility, Earn Referrals, and Convert Clients You’ll Never Meet
Referrals aren’t what they used to be. Clients don’t just ask a friend anymore—they ask ChatGPT. And if your firm doesn’t show up with credibility, reviews, and content that AI can cite… you’re invisible.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton share the Modern SEO + GEO Playbook for Accountants. You’ll discover how to build a digital presence that passes the AI visibility test, converts digital referrals, and proves your authority before prospects ever call.
What you’ll learn i...
Cutting Clients vs. Cutting Hours — Why Tech-Enabled Firms Win Every Time
Every tax season, accountants hit the same wall: too many clients, not enough hours. The knee-jerk reaction? Cut clients, cut stress, cut back.
But here’s the problem: you can’t cut your way to growth. And you sure can’t cut your way to a 7-figure exit.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II (Founder of CountingWorks) reveals why the most successful firms aren’t trimming — they’re transforming. With AI and modern workflows, firms can cut hours instead of revenue, scale advisory without adding staff, and build practices worth premium multiples at...
How to Thrive in the New AI Order: Survival for Tax & Accounting Firms
AI has changed everything for tax and accounting firms. Referrals and Google rankings are no longer enough—clients now turn to AI tools for answers, and only the most trusted firms get recommended. In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack what this shift means, why compliance-only models are at risk, and how firms can pivot to advisory, leverage AI to scale, and protect their client base from competitors.
The Overlooked Goldmine: Serving Middle-Class & Upper-Middle-Class Clients
Think tax planning is only for billionaires? Think again. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why middle-income, dual-earner families often see the biggest savings — and how accountants can turn complexity into opportunity.
You’ll hear how a $150K household (one spouse W-2, one spouse 1099) can unlock $10K–$20K in annual savings through smart strategies like entity optimization, retirement planning, health benefits, and quarterly tax alignment. More importantly, we’ll show you how to position tax concierge services that pay for themselves many times over.
👉 If you’re ready to move beyon...
Stop Guessing, Start Profiting: Dynamic Pricing vs. Value Pricing vs. Published Price Guides
Most tax professionals and accountants are still guessing at their prices — and it’s costing them thousands. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the three big pricing models in the profession:
⚖️ Published Price Guides: Transparent and simple — but often leave money on the table.💰 Value Pricing: Aligns with client outcomes — but hard to scale and defend.🤖 Dynamic Pricing with MAX: AI-powered proposals that adapt to client demographics, service complexity, and real-time market data.You’ll learn why static pricing i...
Bonus Depreciation in 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Tax Insights for Businesses
Unlock the power of bonus depreciation in today’s tax landscape with this expert-curated nano CPE course, Bonus Depreciation in 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Tax Insights for Businesses. In under 20 minutes, you’ll learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently reinstated 100% bonus depreciation — and what that means for your business clients.
From the history and evolution of bonus depreciation to the groundbreaking introduction of Qualified Production Property for U.S.-based manufacturing, this AI-narrated episode breaks down complex tax law into clear, actionable insights. You’ll also explore key planning considerations, including Section 179 vs. bonus deprecia...
New OBBBA Tip Income Tax Deduction Explained
This NASBA-compliant nano course delivers expert tax insight in a fresh, podcast-style format. Carefully curated by our team of seasoned tax professionals and presented by advanced AI for the best possible learning experience, this course makes complex tax law easy to understand and engaging to follow.
In just 12 minutes, discover how the new above-the-line deduction for tip income (2025–2028) works, who qualifies, the $25,000 cap and AGI phase-out, and how the expanded FICA tip credit benefits employers.
Includes a full transcript, downloadable course material, and a knowledge check for CPAs to earn 0.2 ho...
How to Turn Happy Clients into a Constant Stream of Ideal Leads—No Ads, No AI Required Body
This episode of The Growth Minded Accountant hosted by Lee Reams II, focuses on building a "Referral Growth Engine That Runs Itself." It emphasizes that referrals are the most profitable lead source and can be generated through a repeatable process using existing tools like an inbox and calendar, without needing ads or AI.
The podcast outlines a 4-part "Referral Blueprint Framework":
The OBBBA Files: MAXCast™ Summary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
This isn’t your average tax update. In this MAXCast™, we fed the full text of our analysis of the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into MAX — our AI-powered assistant — to extract, summarize, and analyze the biggest tax reform in years. What did MAX find? Refundable credits. Big retirement shifts. Small biz perks. And more than a few surprises hidden in the fine print.
This episode is a fast-paced walkthrough of how smart firms use AI to cut through complexity, surface insights, and stay ahead of the curve. Whether you're a tax pro, firm leader...
🎙 Episode: How to Rank in AI Search – Become the Expert That Generative Engines Reference
The SEO game has changed—and most tax and accounting firms haven’t caught up.
In the age of ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered results, only a few sources get cited. The rest? Ignored.
In this episode, Lee and Rebekah reveal how to become the firm that AI search engines trust and reference.
🔎 You’ll learn:
Why AI search isn’t about keywords—it’s about relevanceThe content patterns AI is trained to recognize and citeWhat makes your blog, podcast, or voice “reference-worthy”How to write answers to real client questionsWhy MAX helps you show up...The Big Beautiful Tax Planning Playbook: Turn OBBBA Into Clients, Revenue & Relevance
President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4th—and while most people were watching fireworks, tax pros just got handed a golden opportunity.
In this episode, Lee breaks down how to turn this 1,000-page bill into your next revenue stream with a productized offer he calls the Big Beautiful Tax Planning Appointment. You’ll learn how to price it, who to target, and how to use MAX to generate marketing campaigns instantly—without hiring a copywriter or writing from scratch.
Inside:
• What to include in your $349–$750 planning session
First Impressions Matter: Why Client Experience Begins Before You Even Answer
Your voicemail. Your phone tree. Your email signature. They seem like small details—but they’re quietly shaping how prospects and clients feel about your firm.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton uncover one of the most overlooked growth killers in accounting practices: poor first impressions.
You’ll learn:
What your voicemail is really saying about your firmWhy complicated phone trees cause prospects to hang upThe email red flags that signal “amateur hour”How to tighten your communication touchpoints for instant trustThese fixes are quick. They’re free. And...
Your Website Is Confusing Clients: Here’s the Fix
Your homepage might be the reason high-quality clients aren’t reaching out. Not because they don’t need your help—but because they don’t get what you do.
In this episode, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton walk through the 4-Part Homepage Formula that every accounting firm needs to implement—whether you're solo or scaling fast.
🔥 What you’ll learn:
How to pass the “stranger test” with a clear, specific headlineWhat makes “Accounting Services” sound as vague as “Food Services”The trust-killing mistake 90% of firms are still makingThe difference between a cold CTA and a human invitationW...The Big, Beautiful Bill: What Tax Pros Need to Know Now
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Lee Reams Sr. to unpack the latest updates on tax reform from both the Senate and the House.
We break down:
What’s actually in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” (so far)Key differences between House and Senate versionsWhich clients could be impacted—and howHow to turn reform uncertainty into billable planning servicesReal-world pricing, positioning, and upsell ideas for tax prosThis isn’t just policy talk—it’s a playbook for turning headlines into new advisory revenue.
👀 Want the full campaign...
Your Brand Has a Voice. Does Your Firm Know What It Sounds Like?
In a world where AI can generate endless content, your voice is the one thing it can’t replicate—unless you train it to.
In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO, to explore how tax and accounting firms can grow faster by sounding more human.
💡 Inside the episode:
• Why a generic voice kills trust (and growth)
• How to define a brand tone that builds connection and converts
• Simple exercises to make your messaging feel like you
• Client segmentation st...
Build a Firm That Runs Without You
Learn how to become the architect—not the bottleneck—of your tax and accounting firm. Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton share six key systems—from client comms to advisory—that reclaim your time while driving growth. Perfect for growth-minded tax & accounting owners ready to work less and earn more. Book your free narrative consult at CountingWorksPRO.com.
SEO Is Changing Forever: What Google’s AI Search Means for Your Firm
Google’s AI-powered search is here—and it’s already changing how your future clients find (or don’t find) your firm.
In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton unpack how AI tools like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are reshaping online visibility for tax and accounting professionals.
What you’ll learn:
• Why “ranking on Google” no longer guarantees traffic
• How to get your firm’s content cited by AI (instead of your competitors’)
• Sample prompts and strategies to future-proof your SEO
• Why this shift is a massive op...
