The Big 4 Transparency Podcast

In Episode 73 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, Mike Pinkus shares the journey of building a cloud accounting firm from the ground up. We discuss the challenges faced in the early days, the importance of customer experience, the transition to a remote work culture, and the role of data in driving business decisions. Mike shares insights on navigating growth, building a strong company culture, and the impact of their podcast, Growth Tales, which highlights the stories of entrepreneurs and their unique paths to success.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.ge...

In Episode 72 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, Cody Daniels, founder of Builders Tax Group, shares his journey from public accounting to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the influence of podcasts on his career decisions. He discusses the unique challenges of tax in the construction industry, the importance of niche specialization, and the strategies he employs for client acquisition and business development. Cody also highlights the significance of community support and setting personal goals to guide his business growth, ultimately aiming to create a sustainable practice that aligns with his values.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

In Episode 71 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I discuss the concept of the loyalty tax in the accounting industry, highlighting the disparity in salaries between externally hired and internally promoted employees, and explore the implications of this trend, including the incentives for job hopping and the associated costs for firms. The conversation emphasizes the need for better employee retention strategies and effective salary benchmarking to create a more sustainable workforce environment.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

Check out this episode on the YouTube channel: ht...

In Episode 70 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, Noah Beery shares his journey with Platform Accounting Group, a rapidly growing group of Accounting Firms funded entirely by family office investors. We talk about what makes family office investors different than private equity, why a longer time horizon is crucial in the accounting industry, and how providing head-office level support is supercharging growth and performance at firms Platform Accounting Group is acquiring.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

Connect with Noah:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.co...

In Episode 69 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, Tailor Hartman and I rehash the recent Firm Growth Forum, and how he started Celerity Accounting. Tailor actually got his firm started with contracts from upwork, and reached $10k / month within his first few months, quickly replacing his full-time income.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

Connect with Tailor:

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

Twitter: https://x.com/tailor_hartman

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.bi...

In Episode 68 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast with Frank Longobardi, we discuss the evolving landscape of accounting firms, particularly the impact of private equity on governance, talent attraction, and career progression. We explore the challenges faced by the accounting profession in retaining young talent, the importance of a unified culture post-merger, and the strategic decision-making processes in large firms. Frank also shares insights on the role of external talent in leadership positions and the diligence required in private equity deals, emphasizing the need for firms to adapt to future trends and global staffing strategies.

Check out Canopy...

In Episode 67 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m doing a solo podcast talking about how I recommend leveraging Big 4 Transparency to lead to better discussions around pay and performance. A major benefit of having access to data that both the employee and employer can view is that it can lead to very objective discussions which will be far more productive and beneficial and aligning expectations and evaluating your performance relative to your compensation.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

Find your next job with the...

In Episode 66 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m doing a solo podcast talking about layoffs and how to layoff proof yourself through networking. The number one piece of advice in this episode is that you can’t let yourself become siloed within your firm. You should be engaged in company culture, but maintaining a network outside of your firm at all times, and this will help you be far more resilient should you ever need to find that next opportunity.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

F...

In Episode 65 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Nick Sinclair, founder of TOA Global, an outsourcing firm with over 4,000 employees. In this episode, we talk about how Nick started in the accounting industry, growing an acquired accounting practice 5x in 2 years, how he started TOA Global unintentionally, and why he initially picked the Philippines as a good market for accounting talent. We also cover how outsourcing and a future with AI is requiring us to change how we view junior roles in firms, as well as how to get the most out of your offshore talent by...

In Episode 64 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Rob Brown, the founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, and an expert in business development in the accounting industry. In this episode, Rob and I discuss how one can become influential in the accounting industry, why accountants are so overwhelmed with sales outreach, and the 3 best ways one can reach their target audience.

Check out Canopy for your firm’s practice management needs!

https://www.getcanopy.com/

Connect with Rob:

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

Ac...

In Episode 63 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Erin Daiber, Founder of Well Balanced Accountants, a consultancy dedicated to transforming CPA firms by creating workplaces where accountants love to work.

Connect with Erin:

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

Well balanced accountants: https://www.wellbalancedaccountants.com/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4transparency.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

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In Episode 62 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Marcus Dillon, Founder and President of Dillon Business Advisors. His firm has done 15 M&A transactions, acquiring firms, and bundling out clients who are not a fit and selling them out to other firms to recover some of the acquisition cost - he was the first person I’ve heard ever talking about this strategy in-depth and it’s definitely one worth taking notes on.

Connect with Marcus:

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

Get in touch with me:

W...

In Episode 61 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Brannon Poe, founder of Poe Group Advisors and Accounting Practice Academy. Over the last 2 decades, Brannon has been brokering deals between accounting firms after getting his own experience in public accounting. With this experience, Brannon has some great insights on the state of the accounting industry and everything we’re seeing in the M&A markets today. He also has some great career advice to share, detailing how an accounting background helped prepare him to go into business and find success.

Connect with Brannon:

In Episode 60 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Rory Henry, someone I’m going to be on a panel with at Bridging the Gap 2025! Rory talks all about how firms should be considering financial planning and wealth advisory services as a way of more holistically serving clients, while being able to generate greater returns on their time and relationships with clients.

Connect with Rory:

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

Check out his new book: https://advisror.com/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www...

In Episode 59 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m talking all about job satisfaction and horse worked following a recent deep dive into the Big 4 Transparency data.

Referenced YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWCr8h2SKQ

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4transparency.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

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

In Episode 58 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Chayton Farlee, a friend of mine in the accounting space and a student filled with boundless enthusiasm for the industry. Chayton is passionate about cloud accounting, CAS, and the opportunities that exist in the accounting profession for young professionals and students alike.

Connect with Chayton:

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

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4transparency.com

Tw...

In Episode 57 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast I’m joined by Giles Pearson, a former partner at PwC New Zealand who went on to be the Co-Founder of Accountests, a pre-employment testing service for accounting firms looking to make sure the talent they’re bringing in will suit their needs and meet their skill and knowledge requirements.

Connect with Giles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-pearson-fca-8a175843/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4...

In Episode 56 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Lynnette Oss Connell, AKA your burnout bestie. Lynnette is a former firm owner who has been through all of the stages of burnout, and has become passionate about the topic of burnout in the world of accounting over the last few years. We cover many of the best practices she recommends to prevent and recover from burnout, and discuss her new burnout recovery sessions that she’ll be running after busy-season.

Check out Lynette's course: burnoutbestie.com

Connect with Lynnette:

LinkedIn: https://www...

In Episode 55 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Nishaad Ruparel, President of Ascend, a modern platform for regional accounting firms backed by Alpine. In this episode we talk all about how Ascend made the decision to start investing in public accounting, and their unique approach to how they invest. We also talk about trends in the accounting industry, limitation of the traditional partnership model, and how we see increased productivity for professionals impacting compensation.

Check out our sponsor, Forwardly for B2B payments made easy: https://www.forwardly.com/

Connect wi...

In Episode 54 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Ryan Bakke, a young CPA who grew his firm to $3M+ in revenue in just a few years. Ryan talks to us about what he does differently is his marketing and sales approach, using old-school direct response type messaging and catchy hooks to build his audience and client list.

Check out our sponsor, Forwardly for B2B payments made easy: https://www.forwardly.com/

Connect with Ryan:

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

Twitter: https://x.com/RyanBakkeCPA

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In Episode 53 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by David Leary, Co-host of the accounting podcast and co-founder of Earmark to talk about his journey as a non-CPA building in the accounting space, the inner working of The Accounting Podcast, and covering some industry news. We also talk about how accountants have the skillset to benefit greatly from improvements in AI, and a look behind the scenes of the work I’m doing to build out Big 4 Transparency.

Check out our sponsor, Forwardly for B2B payments made easy: https://www.forwardly.com/

Conn...

In Episode 52 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by a former colleague of mine, Erica Newman, who is now a Senior Manager in recruitment for Deloitte Caribbean and Bermuda Countries. Erica shares her experience moving to the Caribbean with Deloitte, what to expect when relocating to work in that region, and how to make the move.

Connect with Erica:

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

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@bi...

In Episode 51 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Graham McGuire, the brand new founder of Kingswood accounting, a firm launched just about a month ago. In this episode, we cover the first steps Graham is taking with a brand new firm, how he’s finding his niche, and how he made the jump.

Follow Graham on his journey:

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

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Emai...

In Episode 50 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Abir Syed, also known as The Cranky CPA on TikTok, and a co-founder of UpCounting, a firm specializing in e-commerce that combines accounting, advisory, and growth marketing to offer a one-stop shop to support high-growth e-commerce businesses.

Follow Abir:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abir-syed/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4transparency.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

In Episode 49 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Seth Fineberg, the founder of Accountants forward, which is both an accounting blog and a business that consults with vendors and service providers in the accounting space on how to better connect with accounting professionals. In this episode, we talk about how technology changes have impacted other professions throughout the years, and how we think accounting is likely to adapt to evolutions in AI. We also talk about how Seth helps accounting vendors, and the importance of being a strong writer, even in professions like accounting.

Fo...

In Episode 48 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Daniel Hood, editor-in-chief at Accounting Today. In this episode, we talk about Dan’s career in media in the accounting space, what makes covering the accounting industry unique, and where all of these conversations about the industry and its struggles are leading us. We also cover Accounting Today’s recent PE summit conference, as well as what we’re seeing so far in terms of PE deals and what we can learn from them.

Follow Daniel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-hood-3494ab49/ PE Summi...

In Episode 47 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Kendale King, founder of CPACon and KCK CPA. In this episode, Kendale and I talk about the first edition of CPACon, a new conference looking to do things differently and celebrate the CPA profession. We also talk about accounting for entertainers and becoming a specialist in the crypto space.

Follow Kendale:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendale-king-cpa-%F0%9F%92%B5-90916721/

Check out CPACon: https://www.thecpacon.com/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4tr...

In Episode 46 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Eric Rabinovich, VP at Live Oak Bank, a bank with a specialized branch for accounting and tax firms, helping them access capital for M&A transactions and operating capital. In this episode, we explore options for partner buyouts, ESOPs, firm acquisitions, and firm working capital all through SBA loans.

Follow Eric:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-rabinovich-pmp-651a0516/

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Em...

In Episode 45 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Robert Gauvreau, Founder and CEO of Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law and Advisory, a Canadian firm offering both accounting and legal services. Robert’s firm is unique in that he’s reached $20M in revenue as the only equity partner and has huge ambitions to scale to $100M while retaining full ownership and control. We also talk about the importance of coaching, and Robert’s story becoming a CPA Fellow and the significance of that achievement to him.

Follow Robert:

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

In Episode 44 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I share my opinion on PE in the accounting industry based on the deep dive I did into the data collected on Big 4 Transparency as well as conversations I had with guests in previous episodes.

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

Email: dom@big4transparency.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/B4Transparency

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

In Episode 43 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Marianne Galante, Founder of Galante Talent Strategies, and former Executive Director of Resource Management at KPMG. In this episode, we talk all about the impact that a strong back-office function can have on large firms and the role they play in a firm’s growth. We also talk about how resource management has evolved over the last decade, and the issues that were top of mind at KPMG.

Follow Marianne:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-galante-0299a01/

Referenced article: https://galantetalentstrategies.com...

In Episode 42 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Brant Hansen, co-founder of Hansen Harding, an intermediary firm that works with Private Equity to facilitate deals with accounting firms. In this episode, Brant walks us through the reasoning behind these private equity deals, how PE generates their returns on these deals, and the factors that will most often lead to a deal’s outcomes. We get really into the details on multiples arbitrage, and the firm dynamics that will lead them to selling as well.

Follow Brant:

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

In Episode 41 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Michael Hoover, Chief Growth & Strategy Officer at Bennett Thrasher. In this episode, we cover what Bennett Thrasher does differently to remain fiercely independent and entrepreneurial at scale, how that makes them a unique place to work, why so many firms are doing PE deals and the positives and negatives of these deals.

Follow Michael:

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

Get in touch with me:

Website: https://www.big4transparency.com/

Newsletter: https://big4transparency.beehiiv.com/

In Episode 40 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I’m joined by Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners, a regional accounting firm that was acquired this year by Ascend, a platform for firms backed by PE. Tim shares his journey with the acquisition, what it’s like working with Ascend, and how the acquisition has changed things for his team. Tim also talks about his views on the accounting industry as a whole, and what drove him to start a payroll practice while running his firm as well. We also talk about Tim’s investment in Big 4 Transparency - he rec...

In Episode 39 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Sharrin Fuller, CEO of Glass Wallet, an advisory group focused on helping firms scale more effectively as well as CEO of Core Financial Pros, an accounting firm focused on the health & wellness sector. In this episode, Sharrin and I discuss where many firm owners get stuck, and some really simple changes to make to your firm and your contracts that can make a world of difference when selling your firm.

Check out our Sponsor, Anchor: https://hubs.la/Q02R2ygD0

Follow Sharrin:

In Episode 38 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Mike Sylvester, Partner at SBS CPA Group, and most recently the founder of the collaboration room, a community for accounting professionals. In the episode, we talk about Mike’s late career pivot into accounting, how he and his wife scaled their firm together, and how they are currently doing their succession planning to retire while setting up their employees for success. We also touch on a few current topics, like the debacle with Intuit’s “Break-up with your tax pro” campaign, and we talk about the launch of the coll...

In Episode 37 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Tony Wilson, Founder of Acquip, a virtual CFO firm for digital agencies, and Tax-Minded, a community for professionals in the tax space. In this episode, we discuss how Tony decided his area of specialization and the niche for his firm to focus on. We also cover rotational programs and the type of student jobs that will set you up for success later in your career.

Follow Tony:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-wilson-cpa/

Tax-Minded: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...

In Episode 36 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Ben Wann, Owner of CFO Consultants LLC, a firm built up by acquisitions. Ben walks us through how he’s made 3, and maybe soon to be 4 acquisitions in the accounting space over the last 18 months. We also get deep into the details of how he financed these acquisitions, where he found these firms, and how he’s working on integrating them all. We also discuss private equity’s involvement in the space, and how an acquirer can get more out of a firm acquisition by keeping their staff happy...

In Episode 35 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Tal Ben Bassat, CFO and COO at Anchor. Tal has a background as a CPA as well as an attorney working in prosecuting white collar crime. He shares how being educated in both areas gave him the base he needs to be a great generalist in the business world when it comes to finance and operation and how that led him to a COO and CFO position at Anchor.

Check out our Sponsor, Anchor: https://hubs.la/Q02R2ygD0

Follow Tal:

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In Episode 34 of the Big 4 Transparency Podcast, I am joined by Blake Oliver, host of the Accounting Podcast, and CEO / Founder of Earmark. In part 2 of this interview, we discuss the new generation of accountants and what people are seeking from their careers, where remote work is falling short, and the flaws in the current firm model.

Check out our Sponsor, Forwardly: https://www.forwardly.com/partner-referral?referral_partner_id=Big4Transparency&referral_partner_name=Dom%20Piscopo

Follow Blake:

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

Twitter: https://x.com/BlakeTOliver<...