The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEFor decades, public accounting firms have operated on a simple economic engine: leverage and billing rates.Leverage — typically measured as staff per equity partner — determines how much production capacity sits under each partner. The wider the base of the pyramid, the greater the potential revenue and profit per partner.But that model relied on several assumptions:A steady pipeline of entry-level talentManageable turnoverConsistent rate increasesToday, those assumptions are under pressure.Across all IPA firms, the average staff-to-equity-partner ratio is 11.8. But it varies significantly by firm size:Firms over $150M: 16$20M–$30M firms: 13.6Firms under $5M: 7.7At the same time, more than 70% of the IPA 100 now use offshore staffing, and many firms are redesigning their operating models by building barbell structures, flatter organizations or advisory-heavy teams.The takeaway? Leverage isn’t obsolete. But it must be intentional.Profitability in a CPA firm still comes down to two drivers:Production capacity (leverage)Pricing discipline (billing rates and realization)If leverage declines and rates stagnate, margin compresses. It’s that simple.Managing partners should be asking:What is our current staff-to-partner ratio?How has it changed over five years?Have billing rates risen proportionally?Are we protecting margin intentionally or assuming “same as last year”?The firms that win the next decade won’t simply work harder. They’ll deliberately design their operating model.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEIn this crossover episode, Rob Brown welcomes Brannon Poe of the Accountants Flight Plan Podcast for a wide-ranging, practical conversation about what’s happening right now in CPA firm M&A and why private equity continues to accelerate consolidation across the profession.Brannon shares what he’s seeing in the market and why accounting checks so many boxes for investors: recurring revenue, a fragmented marketplace, and plenty of opportunity to improve systems and scale. But as Rob and Brannon point out, not every deal is a good deal, especially when firm owners get pulled in by the “headline offer” without slowing down to evaluate fit, culture and the fine print behind earn-outs and performance targets.They break down how PE-backed transactions differ from traditional firm-to-firm deals, why diligence can feel intense (and exhausting), and how competition in the process can protect sellers from getting “pulled around” late in the game. From there, the conversation shifts to timing: when is it actually time to sell and how much of that decision is less about money and more about time, lifestyle and opportunity cost?You’ll also hear what buyers value most today (profitability, low owner dependency, strong teams and curated client bases), why the jump from $2.5M to $5M can be a “hard stretch” for growing firms, and a simple but powerful takeaway for firm leaders: boundaries matter—around time, pricing and priorities.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEIn this episode, we return to one of our favorite formats: listener Q&A.The questions in this episode aren’t tactical. They’re structural. They reflect what firm leaders are really wrestling with behind closed doors:Is the talent shortage real — or is the traditional firm model the issue?Why does growth stall even when firms say they’re committed to it?Is 2026 finally the year advisory becomes more than a talking point?What’s the most valuable training future CPA leaders should prioritize?Are firms underestimating change fatigue?Will the firms that win the next decade look like the ones that won the last?Chelsea brings the data. Rob brings perspective from conversations with firm leaders around the world. Together, they unpack the tension between intention and execution — and why adaptability, leadership alignment and clarity of direction may define the next generation of successful firms.One theme emerges clearly: The future isn’t about getting bigger. It’s about becoming better designed.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEWhat is CPA firm data really telling us about the future of tax advice and why does it feel different this time?In this crossover episode with Heidi Henderson (Chief Marketing Officer at Engineered Tax Services and host of the Slash Tax Podcast), we connect the dots between firm benchmarking data and what taxpayers are experiencing in real life.IPA has been surveying the profession since 1987, and the latest trends point to a profession at an inflection point. Staffing shortages, succession challenges, private equity consolidation, offshoring and rapid technology adoption are all converging at once. The result: compliance work is being reshaped and advisory services are moving from “nice to have” to a core growth engine.We dig into:Why advisory is growing and what that means for tax planning and client expectationsHow technology (and AI) is accelerating efficiency and forcing new operating modelsThe pressure points around staffing, partner time, and leadership pipelinesWhy billable-hour dependence is still high and what’s pushing firms toward fixed-fee, value, and subscription modelsWhat benchmarks suggest about where pricing is going (and how inflation plays into it)How offshoring is evolving from third-party work to fully integrated teamsWhat firm leaders can do now to stay profitable and sustainableWhether you run a firm or rely on one, this episode will help you understand why tax advice is changing—and what to do about it.Follow the Slash Tax Podcast: https://slashtax.transistor.fm/

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEIn this special “Behind the Curtain” episode, Rob Brown sits down with Chelsea Summers to explore how IPA’s data is collected, interpreted and translated into insight for firm leaders. Chelsea shares how nearly 40 years of longitudinal data requires judgment, context and responsibility—not just spreadsheets.They discuss how IPA distinguishes real trends from short-term noise, why not all data should be published without interpretation, and how oversimplifying numbers can lead firms in the wrong direction. Chelsea also opens up about leadership fatigue, gaps between planning and execution inside firms, and what recent survey cycles have revealed that genuinely surprised her.The episode also gets personal. Chelsea shares her unconventional path into public accounting, her leadership philosophy and why transparency has become a defining theme in her work. Together, Rob and Chelsea explore how the podcast creates space for nuance, emotion and practical application that a report alone can’t deliver.This episode is a candid look at the responsibility behind the data—and why IPA’s role is about creating clarity, not judgment.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPECompensation has always been one of the largest line items on an accounting firm’s income statement. But according to the latest IPA data, the pressure around pay feels different this year.In this episode, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers take a closer look at what firm leaders are really facing when it comes to compensation — and why this conversation has moved well beyond HR.Using insights from IPA’s 2025 Practice Management and HR data, they explore how firms are navigating thinner margins, moderating salary increases, and shifting from blanket raises to more targeted investments. The discussion highlights how firms are differentiating pay by experience level, with a strong focus on protecting mid-level professionals who are critical to succession planning and firm stability.Rob and Chelsea also examine longer-term trends, including rising entry-level pay, slower escalation for standardized or automated roles, and the growing gap between junior compensation and partner pay. They unpack what partner compensation data reveals about governance, equity structures, and generational transition inside firms.The conversation wraps with practical takeaways for firm leaders from aligning compensation strategy with pricing and margins, to using transparency and clarity to build trust, even when firms can’t lead the market on pay.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPERevenue per employee is one of the most honest indicators of how well an accounting firm is truly performing. In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown is joined by Chelsea Summers to unpack why this metric cuts through the noise of growth headlines, chargeable hours and surface-level productivity measures.Drawing on IPA’s 2025 data, Chelsea explains how revenue per FTE captures the full workforce—onshore, offshore, chargeable and non-chargeable—and reflects how effectively a firm translates people into revenue. The conversation explores year-over-year trends, inflation-adjusted performance and why recent gains still reflect firms running slightly uphill.Rob and Chelsea also dive into firm size comparisons, highlighting the widening gap between small firms, middle-market firms and the largest organizations. They discuss why premium billing rates, pricing confidence and intentional operating models matter more than simply working harder or adding headcount.The episode closes with practical guidance for firm leaders: how to use revenue per FTE as a diagnostic tool, what questions it should prompt and why it deserves a central place in strategic decision-making—especially as firms navigate rising compensation costs, evolving staffing models, and increasing pressure to do more with less.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEThe IPA Practice Management Survey is one of the most powerful tools available to accounting firm leaders—and one of the most misunderstood.In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown is joined by Chelsea Summers, Executive Director of IPA, for a practical, step-by-step breakdown of the survey that powers IPA’s benchmarking, rankings and long-term insights into the profession.They cover what the survey includes, how firms of all sizes can participate, and why more than 600 firms submit data each year. Chelsea explains how IPA standardizes and reviews submissions, the cost to participate and how the data ultimately drives the IPA 500, Best of the Best firms and a wide range of benchmarking reports.The conversation also dives into how firms actually use the data—supporting strategic planning, compensation decisions, talent strategy, board reporting and even M&A diligence. Plus, Chelsea shares tips for first-time participants and discusses how IPA is expanding its data collection around AI and technology adoption.If you’re looking for clarity, comparison, and a data-driven roadmap for your firm, this episode explains why the IPA Practice Management Survey is a critical place to start.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPESuccession, liquidity and firm ownership are no longer “future problems” for accounting firms — they’re today’s reality.In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown sits down with Michael Bannon, Managing Director at CSG Partners, to unpack one of the most talked-about — and often misunderstood — ownership structures in the profession: ESOPs.Michael shares what he’s seeing in the market as business owners and firm leaders head into 2026 with uncertainty, rising valuations, and increased private equity activity. Together, they explore how ESOPs compare to traditional exits, why more firms are evaluating employee ownership and what CPAs can do right now to better prepare their clients for a successful transition.The conversation also covers:Why many firms delay succession planning — and the risks of waitingHow ESOPs actually work (and why they’re not new)The emotional side of selling a firmWhat separates successful exits from stressful onesHow interest rates, valuations and PE activity are reshaping deal structuresPractical steps CPAs can take today to support client readinessWhether you advise firm owners or are thinking about your own firm’s future, this episode offers grounded insight into ownership transitions beyond the traditional private equity path.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPETalent retention remains one of the biggest challenges facing accounting firms, but younger staff are being remarkably consistent about what they want.In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers unpack the real drivers of retention in 2025. Drawing on industry data and firm-level observations, they explain why transparency has become a leadership superpower, how vague career paths drive disengagement and why flexibility without boundaries leads to burnout.The conversation explores:Why younger professionals want context, not corporate spinHow clarity around career paths matters more than fast tracksWhy trust-based flexibility beats monitoring hoursThe growing role of culture, mentorship and psychological safetyHow technology has become a talent strategy—not just an efficiency playWhere firms consistently get retention wrongThe takeaway? Younger staff aren’t asking for extravagant perks. They’re asking for clear communication, real development, modern tools and leaders who are willing to explain the “why.”

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for the accounting profession.Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers walk through 10 data-informed predictions that highlight where firms are headed and where the biggest risks and opportunities lie. Drawing from IPA benchmarking data and ongoing conversations with firm leaders across the country, this episode looks at how multiple forces are converging all at once.Topics include:Why AI will become fully embedded into firm systems and why governance matters more than everThe emergence of a real productivity divide between firms that modernize and those that don’tAdvisory moving from a service line to the strategic center of the firmHow the partner role continues to evolve, opening doors to new leadership pathsThe second wave of private equity and why it looks more disciplined and targetedGlobal staffing models becoming fully integrated, not just outsourcedWhy pricing models tied to hours are finally starting to crackHow succession challenges are accelerating mergers and combinationsAnd why 2026 may bring the largest year-over-year increase in female partnersThis episode isn’t about making bold claims for the sake of it. It’s about identifying patterns, pressures and decisions that firm leaders are already facing and what those signals suggest about the year ahead.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEIf 2025 felt different, that’s because it was.In this special year-in-review episode, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown step back to examine the defining forces reshaping public accounting. From record-setting mergers to the mainstreaming of private equity, the pace and scale of change reached a new level this year and firm leaders are feeling it.The conversation covers the headline deals that set the tone, including the Baker Tilly–Moss Adams combination and what those moves reveal about consolidation, capital and competitive pressure. Chelsea shares insights from IPA data on how firms are rethinking ownership models, accelerating advisory growth and investing in technology and AI not just for efficiency, but for client value.The episode also explores shifts in talent strategy, including stabilizing enrollment trends, expanded recruiting pipelines, the rise of non-equity and corporate-style leadership roles, and the evolution of global teams from short-term staffing fixes to long-term strategic capabilities.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEThe accounting profession runs on data — and two of the most relied-upon benchmarking surveys in the industry are the INSIDE Public Accounting Survey and the Rosenberg Survey.In this episode, IPA’s Executive Director, Chelsea Summers, is joined by Kennedy Backer, Director of the Rosenberg Survey, to discuss:How the Rosenberg Survey began and what makes it uniqueThe differences and complements between Rosenberg and IPA’s benchmarking dataHow firms are using data to make smarter strategic decisionsKey findings from the 2025 report: growth rates, turnover trends, demographics and partner structuresWhat defines an “elite firm” and how others can follow their exampleWhether you lead a top 100 firm or a regional practice, this conversation shows how benchmarking can guide better leadership, smarter management and more sustainable growth.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE Mergers and acquisitions are no longer a side story in public accounting — they’ve become a defining force reshaping the profession. In this episode, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers unpack the economics, the strategy and the real-world effects of today’s consolidation wave. They walk through: What the numbers show in IPA’s 2025 Practice Management Report Why succession, talent challenges and rising technology costs are accelerating deal activity How private equity is changing firm structures and leadership models The year’s biggest headlines, including the mega-merger in the IPA 100 What mid-sized firms must do now to stay competitive, independent, or acquisitive Integration pitfalls and best practices that separate successful deals from costly missteps For firms between $20M and $75M especially, this is a moment to define whether you’re a buyer, a seller or an independent competitor with a clear strategy. The landscape is shifting fast and firms that treat M&A as a long-term strategic tool, not a last-minute fix, are the ones that will thrive. 

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEStrategic planning shows up on every agenda, but for many CPA firms it never quite turns into real change. In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rosenberg Associates partner Matt Rampe joins Rob Brown to dig into what it really takes to build — and execute — a strategy that holds up in a disrupted marketplace. Drawing on decades of Rosenberg’s work with firms across North America, plus modern research in psychology, organizational behavior and change management, Matt shares the framework behind his book, CPA Firm Strategic Planning: Your Roadmap for Long-Term Success. From succession and partner alignment to pricing, talent and client mix, he connects the dots between the numbers and the human dynamics that make or break implementation. They tackle the biggest strategic blind spots: ignoring succession until it’s an emergency, trying to be everything to everyone, chasing top-line growth while partners burn out and treating talent as an HR issue instead of a core strategic lever. Matt also explains why “focus must be an ally of strategy” and how firms can use benchmarking data without blindly copying their peers. If you lead a CPA firm — especially a mid-sized firm — and you’ve ever watched a beautifully written plan die in the execution phase, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why succession planning is both the elephant in the room and a strategic imperative How to identify a niche where your firm can be “number one” and defend it Ways to balance growth and profitability without burning partners out How strategic planning can elevate your entire HR system, not just fill open roles The three ingredients that separate firms that execute from those that don’t: accountability, leadership and compensation A simple, two-part question every managing partner should ask before the next retreat Matt also shares what gives him the most hope for the future of the profession — and why, despite all the disruption, shared aspirations inside firms are stronger than ever. 

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE Accounting’s reputation hasn’t kept up with the profession’s reality and that disconnect is costing firms’ talent. In this episode, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers break down the data behind accounting’s image problem and explore how firms can modernize their story. Using insights from the 2025 IPA Human Resources Report, they examine the myths versus the metrics: today’s workforce is younger than many assume, flexibility is more widespread than the narrative suggests and firms are actively reshaping the pipeline through expanded recruiting, internships and new career pathways. But culture still matters. Rob and Chelsea dig into turnover trends, transparency gaps, diversity benchmarks and the expectations Gen Z brings to the workplace. They also outline practical steps firm leaders can take this quarter — from spotlighting staff to acting on engagement surveys — to create workplaces where people feel connected, valued, and informed. If you want a clearer picture of the modern profession (and what your firm can do to stand out), this episode is packed with data, insights, and a path forward. 

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE What if your CPE fit your life—and your firm’s strategy? Blake Oliver, CPA, co-host of The Accounting Podcast and founder of Earmark, joins Chelsea Summers to dig into how learning is evolving and how that connects to the real work inside firms. From podcast-based CPE to building repeatable AI workflows, Blake lays out what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s next. We talk about why access alone (team licenses for ChatGPT/Copilot) isn’t enough—and how to close the gap with structured training, shared prompt libraries and “AI SOPs.” Blake explains why experienced reviewers often get better AI results than juniors, the risks of “work slop” and how firms can build review into AI-assisted processes. We also explore the changing pipeline: offshoring, automation and fewer entry-level roles at large firms—and what that means for developing managers, compensation and university curricula. Plus, a look at Earmark’s model (including free weekly CPE), paid expert content and how broader access to instruction can diversify voices across the profession. If you care about practical talent strategy, modern learning and the real impact of AI on firm work, this one’s for you. 

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPECompliance is no longer the centerpiece of the accounting profession. In this data-driven discussion, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers explore how consulting and advisory services are becoming the true growth engine for firms of all sizes. Using insights from the IPA Practice Management Report, they break down the rise of non-compliance revenue — now over 43% among the largest firms — and what this shift means for pricing models, staffing and firm strategy. Discover why firms that invest in advisory practices are seeing higher profitability, stronger client loyalty, and leaner operations. Plus, learn how Client Advisory Services (CAS), IT consulting and digital transformation work are creating a new definition of what an accounting firm really is. We’ll talk about: Advisory vs. compliance: the new revenue balance How firms are blending accountants, technologists and analysts Why pricing models must evolve beyond billable hours CAS and consulting as sustainable growth drivers The redefined accounting firm of the future 

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPEArtificial intelligence is changing the accounting profession faster than any prior technology shift—and the firms that prepare now will be the ones leading the future.In this episode, Rob Brown sits down with Jin Chang, CEO and co-founder of Fieldguide, to unpack what it means to be truly AI-ready. Jin, a former auditor turned AI entrepreneur, explains how modern technologies like generative and agentic AI are transforming audit work, culture and firm strategy.He outlines Fieldguide’s AI Maturity Framework, a practical roadmap to help firms identify where they are today and move step by step toward becoming AI-powered firms of the future. From culture and training to compliance, risk management and leadership vision, Jin offers a realistic and encouraging perspective on how firms can adapt—and thrive—in this new age of automation and autonomy.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: https://www.earmark.app/channels/c5717392-a994-407c-9f27-7f09a08a4b7cIn this Q&A edition, Rob Brown and IPA’s Executive Director, Chelsea Summers, unpack the questions firm leaders are asking right now and what the data actually shows. They cover: Turnover at PE-backed firms vs. non-PE firms among the IPA 100 (and what culture amplifies—not replaces). Independence without outside capital: why clarity, pricing discipline and client selection matter. Offshoring and nearshoring: the rise of Latin America, hybrid teams and why 93% of the largest firms plan to expand outsourcing. Transparency as a retention and engagement tool, not a risk. Succession readiness: pipelines, leadership development and avoiding the “tide going out” moment. What separates steady growers from merger-driven leaps—and what’s sustainable. The 3 V’s Rob is hearing across the profession: visibility, velocity, voice. The metric to watch by 2030: revenue per FTE—reframed for offshoring and automation. If you’re leading a CPA firm through change, this episode turns survey insights into action.