Tax Rep Network with Eric Green

You started your own accounting firm for freedom, flexibility, and financial success. So why are you working harder than ever?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with Roger Knecht, CEO of Universal Accounting, to tackle one of the biggest obstacles preventing tax professionals from growing their firms: the inability to get out of the day-to-day work.If you're still preparing every return, reviewing every bookkeeping entry, and handling every client issue yourself, you haven't built a business. You've created a job you can't escape.Roger explains how to break that cycle by developing a team that can handle the work without requiring you to become a full-time trainer. From turning inexperienced hires into productive tax preparers to helping existing employees become Enrolled Agents, Eric and Roger explore how investing in your staff can unlock higher-value IRS representation, advisory services, and real practice growth.Discover how structured training, smart delegation, and just one hour a day of employee development can help you build a firm that operates without depending on you for everything.The goal isn't just to make more money. It's to build a business that gives you your life back.Learn more about Universal Accounting's training programs at https://universalaccountingschool.com or call 801-265-3777.

What if your highest-earning clients could put away more money, grow it tax-deferred, and potentially access it tax-free in retirement—even when they make too much to contribute directly to a Roth IRA?Eric Green sits down with Rick Wells and Doug D’Andrea of Baystate Financial to reveal one of the most overlooked tax planning strategies available: using Variable Universal Life (VUL) insurance to create what Eric calls a “Super Roth.”They break down how the strategy works, why high-income earners and business owners should know about it, how to avoid the Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) trap, and what can go terribly wrong if a policy isn't properly structured and maintained.Eric even shares the story of a client whose collapsed policy resulted in a massive tax liability—and how explaining the situation to an IRS Revenue Officer led to an unexpected outcome.For CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals, this episode is about more than insurance. It's about bringing sophisticated planning ideas to your clients, strengthening relationships, and uncovering new revenue opportunities.PLUS: Join Tax Rep Network and Baystate Financial on November 9 and 11 for a FREE six-hour estate planning webinar series, with up to 6 hours of CE/CPE.Register for free: https://taxrepnetwork.com/programs/estate-planningThis episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. VUL policies involve fees, investment risk, underwriting requirements, and potential tax consequences.Contact Rick Wells here: [email protected] Doug D’Andrea here: [email protected]

What if the secret to making more money in your accounting practice was actually working less?Burnout has become a way of life for too many accountants and tax professionals. Long hours, demanding clients, endless deadlines, and the belief that success requires sacrificing everything else. But what if we've been doing it all wrong?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with Lauren Baptiste, CPA, founder of Acheloa Wellness and former Big Four professional, to challenge the culture of overwork and explain why working harder may actually be holding you and your firm back.Lauren shares how she helps professionals escape burnout, reclaim their time, and build more profitable practices without sacrificing their health, families, or happiness.They discuss why accountants struggle to set boundaries, how to stop letting clients dictate your life, and why delegation, automation, better pricing, and a different mindset can completely transform your business.Lauren also shares a remarkable example of a firm owner who increased annual revenue by approximately $200,000, improved profitability, and reduced her workweek to just three days.The bottom line: You don't have to choose between making money and having a life.If you're tired of working nights, weekends, and every tax season wondering whether there's a better way, this episode might change how you think about running your practice.Connect with Lauren Baptiste: [email protected]

Your clients trust you with their taxes—but who is asking them the questions that could protect their family, their business, and their financial future? In this episode, Eric Green sits down with financial advisors Rick Wells and Doug D’Andrea to discuss the planning conversations every tax professional should be having with clients. From life and disability insurance to retirement planning, buy-sell agreements, long-term care, and estate planning, these are issues clients often overlook until it’s too late. They also explore why these conversations represent a major opportunity for tax professionals to move beyond compliance and into higher-value advisory services—without necessarily becoming financial advisors themselves. Plus, Eric shares real-world examples of what happens when clients fail to plan—and how tax professionals can help make sure those conversations happen before there is a crisis. Download the free “10 Estate Planning Questions Every Tax Professional Should Ask Every Client” resource and learn how to start these conversations in your own practice. Register for the free webinar series “What Happens When a Client Dies” here: https://taxrepnetwork.com/programs/estate-planning Download our free Guide “The 10 Estate Planning Questions Every Tax Pro Should Ask Every Client” here: https://taxrepnetwork.com/resources Contact Rick Wells here: [email protected] Doug D’Andrea here: [email protected]

What if the biggest thing holding back your tax or accounting practice is the way you’ve always gotten new clients?In this episode of the Tax Rep Network Podcast, Eric Green sits down with James Donovan, founder of Accounting Leads Now, to challenge one of the profession’s most deeply ingrained assumptions: that referrals are the best way to grow.James explains how tax and accounting professionals can create a predictable pipeline of high-intent prospects by getting in front of people at the exact moment they are searching for help. They break down Google Local Services Ads, why they can outperform traditional pay-per-click advertising, what a qualified lead can actually cost, and why being visible in your local market matters more than ever.But generating the lead is only half the battle. Eric and James also dig into “speed to lead,” why the firm that answers the phone first often wins the client, how to calculate the lifetime value of a new client, and why marketing should be viewed as an investment rather than overhead.They also discuss a mistake many firms make as they move into advisory and higher-value services: trying to sell prospects services they don’t understand. Sometimes the smartest path to a high-value advisory client starts with solving the simple problem they are already searching for.If you want to stop hoping the phone rings and start building a system that makes it ring, this episode is for you.In this episode:• Why relying solely on referrals can limit growth• How Google Local Services Ads work• Why high-intent inbound leads are so valuable• The importance of “speed to lead”• What a new client is really worth over their lifetime• Why marketing is an investment, not overhead• How to dominate your local market• Why bookkeeping and tax work can be the front door to advisory• How to market what clients actually want—not industry jargonJames Donovan is the founder of Accounting Leads Now, a marketing firm focused exclusively on helping accounting, bookkeeping, and tax firms generate new business. You can contact James at https://accountingleadsnow.com/