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Feeling stuck in your firm or on the edge of rapid growth but don't know how to build the business so that it’s not reliant on you?
Join Bren Ward as he shares the insights, stories, strategies and tools that have helped transform the businesses and lives of our Wize Guys and hundreds of Accounting, CPA and bookkeeping firm owners around the world.
In each episode, Bren dives into the leadership, marketing, sales, systems and mindset tactics that'll get you to your goals without burning out.
His interviews with his Wize co-founders and community of Wize firm owners are inspiring and transformational.
Subscribe to transform your challenges into opportunities and build a business that can run without you.
188 Episodes
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Are you keeping track of the metrics that actually drive profit and control… or getting sidelined by vanity metrics that make you feel busy? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Thomas breaks down the Fab 5 KPIs and why they’ve been refined over the last 10–15 years into a simple scoreboard that gives firm owners a full-spectrum view of how the business is really performing. You’ll learn: ✅ Why output metrics matter more than input metrics (and how to spot the difference) ✅ Th...
Most firm owners try to scale by tracking more numbers yet still feel stuck in the weeds. The result? KPI overload, inconsistent results, and a business that still depends too heavily on the owner. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, we unpack how SOPs are the missing link between KPIs and real performance. Not as paperwork, but as the operational muscle that turns targets into daily behaviour. Drawing from a live Wize coaching session, this conversation explores: ✅ Why KPIs fail when sy...
Most firm owners think leadership is about driving harder, fixing problems faster, and holding everything together themselves. But real freedom doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from lifting others to lead. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Jane Pollard shares an honest reflection on leadership, legacy, and what changes when a firm owner stops centering the business around themselves and starts building people instead. You’ll hear Jane unpack: Why leadership is about impact, not c...
Most firm owners think pricing is a “numbers problem”… so they copy what the last accountant charged, slap on a fixed fee, and hope it works out. The result? Scope creep, shrinking margins, and a team that’s flat-out busy while the profit quietly disappears. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Bren Ward sits down with Jamie Johns to break down the Wize approach to pricing, including: ✅ Why COGS % is the KPI that decides whether you live or die ✅ The real truth about value pricing v...
Most firm owners try to improve performance by pushing harder, hiring more, or firefighting their way through the week. But the real bottleneck isn’t effort - it’s the lack of structure. Without clear systems and consistent meetings, your team is left guessing, and you end up carrying the weight alone. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, we break down how effective meetings become the backbone of your SOPs and your leadership. You’ll learn: ✅ Why meetings are the fastest way to uncover m...
Most firm owners try to “scale the business” by working harder or hiring faster - but never fix the structural ceiling that keeps them stuck. The result? Constant firefighting, team bottlenecks, unpredictable results, and a firm that can’t run without them. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, we break down the real blueprint behind building a scalable, self-running firm - the same principles used inside $7M practices. You’ll learn: ✅ Why growth stalls when there’s no deep-and-narro...
Firm owners don’t realise they’re building a business that depends on them because they never truly delegate. They hand off tasks thinking they’re freeing themselves but without training, clarity, and follow-up, the work boomerangs right back, and the cycle of overwhelm continues. In this episode, Ed Chan breaks down the difference between delegation and abdication. He explains why doing 100 percent of a task or giving it away with no guidance keeps owners stuck, stressed, and unable to scal...
Most firm owners don’t realize they’ve built habits that keep them trapped inside their own business. They’re working harder, staying later, and solving every problem themselves - but every time they step in, they take the job back. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Ed Chan breaks down the #1 habit that’s holding firm owners back - bypassing their team. He explains why every time you answer a client directly or fix an issue for your staff, you’re actually stopping your business from w...
Most firm owners try to “fix the business” by working harder, staying later, and holding everything together with sheer willpower. But if you’re the bottleneck… no amount of effort will set you free. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, we are joined by Megan Sexton, owner of MJO Bookkeeping, and she shares a raw and powerful journey from burnout to freedom through hiring and building a trusted offshore team. ✅ The wake-up call that made her rethink everything ✅ The messy middle of fail...
Most firm owners try to “fix the business” without ever fixing the real ceiling that’s holding them back. The result? Burnout, endless busyness, and a business that feels more like a cage than freedom. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Gay Hendricks, best-selling author of The Big Leap, shares powerful insights on: ✅ The Upper Limit Problem that keeps even successful people stuck ✅ How stored emotions and limiting beliefs sabotage growth ✅ What life looks like inside your Genius Zone...
Most firm owners think SOPs are about writing endless manuals. The result? Overwhelm, wasted effort, and documents no one reads. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Thomas unpacks: ✅ Why SOPs should solve problems, not just document processes ✅ The large/medium/small framework that keeps your team out of “SOP hell” ✅ How policies like “No Triangles” and “No Bypass” protect culture and accountability ✅ The daily huddle rhythm that keeps communication sharp and projects o...
Onboarding That Boosts Retention Most firm owners treat onboarding as a checklist. The result? Confused hires, wasted training, and early staff turnover. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Dani Bray unpacks: ✅ Why onboarding starts before day one (and how pre-boarding builds trust) ✅ The 30/60/90-day structure that sets hires up for success ✅ How daily huddles and end-of-week check-ins accelerate confidence ✅ The role of culture, career paths, and training in long-term...
Marketing That Actually Works for Accountants Most firm owners treat marketing like an expense, not an investment. The result? Stop-start campaigns, wasted dollars, and no real flow of quality leads. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Jamie Johns breaks down how to: ✅ Keep your marketing consistent so momentum builds ✅ Use niche positioning to attract clients who value expertise ✅ Define what a “quality lead” really is ✅ Measure ROI with simple metrics that guide smart...
Stop Talking Tactics. Start Leading Strategy. Most firm owners turn board meetings into long tactical checklists. The result? Burnout, disengaged leaders, and no real progress toward growth. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Thomas breaks down how to: ✅ Keep board meetings purely strategic (not firefighting) ✅ Use a 90-day plan to drive clarity and action ✅ Track the Fab 5 KPIs that give you peace of mind If you’re ready to stop micromanaging and start leading with vision, ...
Thinking about acquiring another firm? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Jamie Johns unpacks the 10 critical things to look for in a potential acquisition and the red flags that should make you walk away. Joined by Tim and Kristy & Dani, Jamie shares: ✅ The four ways to grow your firm (and why M&A is the fastest one) ✅ The biggest mistakes first-time acquirers make ✅ Why cultural fit matters more than price ✅ How to structure a retention deal that protects your downsid...
Is your firm stuck because every client wants to talk to you? That’s not loyalty, that's a business bottleneck. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Ed Chan unpacks: ✅ Why owners become the bottleneck in client relationships ✅ The hidden cost of flat teams (where one person does everything) ✅ How to build a Client Minding Team that frees you to scale ✅ Transitioning client trust without damaging relationships If you’re tired of being “the only one clients will deal with,” thi...
The problem with most firm owners is that they work harder than their business. If your profit margins aren’t hitting 25%, there’s a reason — and it starts with your team structure and capacity planning. In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Brenton Ward, Ed Chan, and Jamie Johns reveal: ✅ How to separate your effort from the business’s performance ✅ The ideal team productivity % by role (Finders, Minders, Grinders) ✅ How to build in spare capacity so you can scale without burning out ✅ ...
Most firm owners think growth means more ads, more hires, or more hustle. But what if you could grow without any of that? In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers, Ed Chan breaks down the 4 smartest (and often overlooked) levers you can pull to grow your firm, starting with what you already have. From turning happy clients into referral machines, to selling more services to your current base, to marketing that actually works, and the real ROI behind acquisitions...
In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast for Accountants and Bookkeepers, Brenton Ward and Jamie Johns unpack the rising trend of private equity firms targeting accounting practices. Discover the five key factors every firm owner should consider before selling. Also, explore the mindset shifts required to lead through growth and why the ability to pause before reacting is a game-changer. So, if you're thinking about selling or want to know what makes your firm attractive to buyers,...
In this episode of The Wize Way Podcast, Brenton Ward is joined by Jamie Johns and Ed Chan unpack how top firms use workflow scheduling and capacity planning to stay efficient and scale. From recurring bookkeeping tasks to locking in advisory work and filling calendars with purpose, this episode shows how smart planning drives real growth. ________________ PS: Whenever you’re ready… here are the fastest 4 ways we can help you fix and grow your accounting firm: 1. Download our famou...
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