Xero is quite incredible company, imagine this: Rod started a company in his home country that became one of the largest 5 companies in his home country, amazing! Put yourself in the shoes of that experience!

Another interesting fact about Xero and Rod is that he had Peter Thiel (yes, the first Facebook investor and Paypal Co-founder) to invest in Xero, multiple times!

Great quotes from the show

“Preparation let’s you take advantage of opportunity”

“It only takes about a year to be an expert in something”

“It’s not the big that eat the small, it’s the fast that eat the slow”

If you want to reach out to Rod, find him on twitter.

If you have questions for me, reach out to me at andrew@thebeancounter.com.

The post One of the most successful accountants turned entrepreneur in the world [Podcast] with Rod Drury, CEO of Xero appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Greg Kyte
Personal Website (Best way to get in touch)
Going Concern
Going Concern
Certified Public Agnostic Blog

UPDATE: Greg recently launched Accounting Comedy CPE, check it out here.

Note: We went off the rocker on this one and covered a lot of great topics. Here are the questions I planned on asking, but as you’ll see the podcast is longer than its typical length and there is much more information packed inside. I really enjoyed Greg Kyte – he is a hilarious guy! Enjoy!

Tell us a little bit about your background.

• Part of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting in 2012
• CPA Comedian
• Blogger
• Podcaster
• Controller at Utah Valley Medical Offices
• Started his accounting career as a Staff Accountant, Squire and Co.
• Math teacher before going back to school for accounting

Tell us about one experience in your current position that just blew you away and that you were really excited about.

When he started his most recent position, Greg liked the job and he was valued. On the podcast Greg talks us through his journey from math teacher to accounting student. Subsequent to getting his accounting degree, Greg failed to find his place at the public accounting firm by which he was hired. Greg details how he was able to find a position that he loves and that gives him the freedom to do all the other things in which he’s involved.

What was your biggest, or one of your biggest, failure(s) in getting to where you are today?

The clearest failure for Greg was working at his first accounting job. He feels like he did not meet the expectations of the firm. He would take longer than expected to perform the tasks that were required. Greg sees that position as a failure; however, he wouldn’t have been able to perform his current job had he not gone through that experience. Greg has an awesome story of how he was able to make the transition from working in a CPA firm to being a client. Have a listen if you’re thinking of leaving your current position.

Tell us a challenge you met and how you overcame it.

Greg has met success at every turn and there haven’t been any challenges.

But in all seriousness, it has been hard for him to “fit in” to the prim and proper accounting profession. For example, Greg was doing a CPE event and the title he proposed was “How to cheat your way to the highest levels of professional ethics.” While he was asked to change the title prior to the event, he stuck to it!

What is a great resource you used along the way that helped you to get where you are today?

Wood. Yes, he literally responded “wood.” Not wood.com or something similar to that, but the wood that builds houses and fires. Have a listen…

What is you advice for someone starting out in his or her career?

Get in the game. Get out there to your local AICPA chapters. While Greg was in undergrad he showed up for the luncheons for the Utah Association of CPAs. He compares it to being like a kid who goes to his grandma’s quilting bee. Everyone is just so excited that a young person is there–they ask all about him and why he’s there.

The Experience Economy, Updated Edition
By B. Joseph Pine II, James H. Gilmore

And lastly, tell us a quote that you love and how it’s helped you reach your goals.

“If you want to succeed, double your failure rate” – Thomas J. Watson

Greg also shared a quote he loves from Sara Blakely’s (entrepreneur, billionaire, and founder of Spanx) Father. She said that every night at dinner her father would ask, “So what did you fail at today,” rather than what did you learn at school today.

The post My Interview with a CPA Comedian! [PODCAST] with Greg Kyte, Blogger, Podcaster, Controller appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Marc Rosenberg
Email

Marc Rosenberg has served as a management consultant to CPA firms for over 20 years. What an interesting job! He spends most of his time traveling the country and helping CPA firms improve their partner compensation models, CPA firm mergers, succession planning, CPA firm retreats, and more.

He also runs a “management consultant to the CPA firm industry” mastermind group where people in his industry (which is quite a small niche) share ideas and strategies for their practices.

When I was in public accounting, so many people wanted to be a consultant or work in the advisory department of the firm. However, I had never even heard of this as a career option. While there aren’t many people doing it, what an incredible job to have.

The post Top Management Consultant to the CPA Industry [Interview] with Marc Rosenberg of the Rosenberg Associates appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Scott Flanary (LinkedIn) is a recruiter for Moss Adams LLP in the Los Angeles office. He’s a Harvard grad with a very interesting background working in college campus administration and now Moss Adams.

Scott’s has been working for the  firm hiring accounts from campuses for two years. He knows the in’s and out’s of what recruiters across firms are looking for and we got together for a little chat.

We got a chance to speak about EVERYTHING that recruiters are looking for if they’re going to hire you. I’m not going to lie, I even learned a few things (like how much recruiters care about cover letters!)

Here are some of the areas we covered:

The post Inside The Mind of a Moss Adams LLP (Top 25 Firm) Recruiter: “Here’s What I’m Looking For” [PODCAST] appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Richard Levychin

Tell us a little bit about your background.

> Managing Partner of KBL, LLP CPAs and Advisors

> Graduated from Baruch College and started his  career with a Big Four CPA firm

> Started his own firm at the age of 28

Tell us about one experience in your current position that just blew you away and that you were really excited about.

During Richard’s first job in a small CPA firm, he had the ability to be involved in various parts of the firm rather than just the accounting department. He learned how to acquire clients, manage people, market the firm, and conduct client relations.

What was your biggest, or one of your biggest, failure(s) in getting to where you are today?

Richard’s philosophy about failure is to “Fail Fast Forward.” Fail and do it quickly then move forward as quickly as possible. At one point he had a practice office in Florida and one in New Jersey. The partners who worked there were great technicians, but they were not business people. They ended up terminating the relationship and moving forward.

“While growth is sexy, if you don’t find the right people to run the firm, sometimes it won’t work out.”

Tell us a challenge you met and how you overcame it.

Learning marketing. The great thing is that his wife has a marketing degree and worked for a large Ad agency. Nonetheless, learning how to package and brand himself and the firm was one of his biggest challenges. Richard’s philosophy about marketing: Number one, you must have quality work and provide great service to clients. Then you must identify who you are and who you want to be. He thinks about Wayne Gretzky, who never skated to where the puck was, but skated to where the puck would be.

His new marketing program is called “#Diversity = Revenue.” The demographics of the country are becoming more multicultural.  His company services many companies who have multicultural owners and female CEOs. He determined the firm’s biggest strength is going after emerging companies that are going through growth periods such as IPOs, private offerings, etc.

What is a great resource you used along the way that helped you to get where you are today?

Richard belongs to the Entrepreneurs Organization which has over 10,000 members in more than 40 countries. The goal of Entrepreneurs Organization is to give new CEOs and business owners intellectual capital that focuses on the following four areas:

1. Strategy

2. HR and People

3. Sales/Marketing

4. Finance

What is you advice for someone starting out in his or her career?

First, get an internship. Second, find a mentor.

The E-Myth Revisited

By Michael E. Gerber

The post “Sometimes I would rather have to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.” [PODCAST] with Richard Levychin, Managing Partner of KBL LLP appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Jody Pradar
LinkedIn
Twitter

Jody Padar joined her father’s firm four years ago, bringing her expertise in the areas of taxation, QuickBooks, and small business accounting. As one of the profession’s emerging thought leaders, Jody has transitioned New Vision to next-generation status by adopting advanced technologies and best practices that support web-based client services and allow the firm to run at peak efficiency.

She is also an expert in the area of GREEN, vigilantly staying apprised of green-related government incentives and tax credits to ensure clients receive the proper deductions.

Jody earned her BBA from Saint Mary’s College and MST from Northern Illinois University. She is also an adjunct professor at Oakton Community College and a contributing member of the Intuit Trainer Writer Network.

Jody has also been featured in a number of publications and has received many awards!

10 Worth Watching, Women Who Inspire a Profession

40 under 40  2010, 2009

Forbes Interview

Accounting Today Top 100  2012, 2011

Illinois CPA Society 2011 “Women to Watch”

On the show we shared a few comments about Christmas trees, YouTube videos, and LinkedIn articles. Check out the links and the Christmas tree to the right!

LinkedIn Article

YouTube Video – Find your Passion

Questions asked on the show!

Tell us about one experience in your current position that just blew you away and that you were really excited about.

What was your biggest, or one of your biggest, failure(s) in getting to where you are today?

What is a great resource you used along the way that helped you to get where you are today?

What is your advice for someone starting out in his or her career?

What is your advice for someone who has been working in the industry and wants to make a change or take his or her career to the next level?

What’s a great book that you’ve read?

And lastly, tell us a quote that you love and how it’s helped you reach your goals.

Questions?

Email me at andrew@thebeancounter.org

The post “The dream begins most of the time with the teacher who believes in you” [PODCAST] with Jody Padar appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Ryan Watson
LinkedIn
Twitter

 

Ryan Watson is the Co-Founder of Upsourced Accounting and the CEO Sqrl. When he’s not working with clients, penning a blog, posting on Twitter, or spreading the good word about Upsourced Accounting, he’s probably embarrassing himself on the golf course, passionately supporting his favorite reality TV contestant, or helping his wife Lauren grade papers.

I remember the days of hell I had to go through in order to coordinate requests with clients, so I was really excited to have Ryan on the show. I’ve included the video below that initially grabbed my attention and is very impressive!

After talking with Ryan, I have to say that he is definitely an inspiration to me. I hope you enjoy the podcast–Ryan is a great guy and has a lot of cool stuff going on between Upsourced Accounting and Sqrl.

Sqrl Demo

Questions asked on the show:

Tell us about one experience in your current position that just blew you away and that you were really excited about.

What was your biggest, or one of your biggest, failure(s) in getting to where you are today?

What is a great resource you used along the way that helped you to get where you are today?

What is your advice for someone starting out in his or her career?

What is your advice for someone who has been working in the industry and wants to make a change or take his or her career to the next level?

What’s a great book that you’ve read?

And lastly, tell us a quote that you love and how it’s helped you reach your goals.

 

Questions?

Email me at andrew@thebeancounter.com

The post Young CPA turned tech entrepreneur: Ryan Watson, CEO of Sqrl appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Nowadays your can find Kristen on her blog at KristenRampe.com and she often doing webinars over on AccountingWEB.

She was kind and vulnerable to share with us her success and her triumphs over the years from working at PwC, and a regional accounting firm in San Francisco to starting her own business with kids.  She now focuses mainly on…

• Training
• Client Service
• Team Building

for public accounting firms and other organizations. At The Bean Counter, we love watching people break out and doing something different. Never compromising for less than your total enjoyment and excitement about your work takes courage and Kristen has taken the steps to do something she loves!

If you want to get in touch with Kristin, you can email her or find her on LinkedIn.

Her quote: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky

Her book recommendation: People Buy You.

The post You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take [PODCAST] with Kristen Rampe appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Kristin Pizzi falls into that category. Kristin is a Senior Manager at Marcum LLP, one of the larger public accounting firms in the United States and talk a little bit about her process for becoming a part-time CFO. I met Kristin through my company, Ten Key Heroes and wanted to learn a little bit about what got her interested in pursing part-time and contract CFO  roles for smalls businesses in addition to her day job.

If you’re thinking about doing the same thing as Kristin, have listen. She gives some surprisingly simple and actionable tips that can get you going today!

Questions?

Email me at andrew@thebeancounter.com.

The post Becoming a part-time CFO (Hint: You don’t have to work for 20 years first) appeared first on The Bean Counter.

Kenneth J. Burke
LinkedIn
Email
Website

Kenneth J. Burke, CPA & Certified Business Coach

Ken is both a Certified FocalPoint Business Coach and a CPA. For over 25 years he has worked for both national and regional CPA firms advising business owners on managing their finances and taxes, and various business issues. While Ken was working with entrepreneurs and business owners during his time in practice, he noticed clients were very interested in ideas on how to strategically improve their businesses beyond tax and financial matters.

This need for more business and strategic advice became the catalyst for Ken to change his career and become a business coach. Wanting to deliver only the best to his clients, Ken began an extensive due diligence process to find the best business coaching program in the same way he would assist clients in evaluating and buying a business. This due diligence process lead him to FocalPoint Coaching and Brian Tracy. In 2009, Ken “retired” as a partner from his CPA firm and founded his business coaching firm, FocalPoint Coaching of New York.

By combining his experience as a CPA with the FocalPoint Coaching process, he is able to assist business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives in achieving their business objectives faster and more efficiently than otherwise possible. Ken is passionate about business and personal development and consumes as many business books and audio programs as possible considering his busy schedule. He is an active public speaker and has delivered presentations for many business organizations over the years including the Monroe County Bar Association, Estate Planning Council, Financial Planning Association, The Foundation for Accounting Education, and Pathways To Entrepreneurial Excellence. Ken received his undergraduate degree from Niagara University in May 1986.

He is an active member of the Board of Advisors to the College of Business at Niagara University. Prior to serving on Niagara’s advisory board he was the Board Chair of the Upstate New York Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and served on the Audit Committee for the National Office of the Arthritis Foundation. Ken’s professional affiliations include the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants), NYSSCPA (New York State Society of CPAs), and NSA (National Speakers Association). Ken enjoys playing golf in his Thursday night golf league appropriately name “The Hack Masters.” He is married to his wife, Rosella, and they have three children- Michael, Lauren, and Kevin. He lives in Fairport, New York and is active in his children’s sporting events and other activities.

What’s a great book that you’ve read? And lastly, tell us a quote that you love and how it’s helped you reach your goals. Ken was nice enough to read something he wrote many years ago which I have included below:

Credo for Achievement

Adapted from “The Psychology of Achievement” by Brian Tracy:

It is in understanding and embracing the concept of failure that we achieve true greatness as human beings. In the work that’s been done on peak performance, we find several interesting things:

• It is the natural tendency of the human being to stay within the comfort zone;
• It is the natural tendency of the human being  to play it safe and not take chances;
• It is the natural tendency of the human being to become satisfied and complacent with their current level of accomplishment and to try nothing more.

Yet every peak performing human being, every single high-achieving man or woman has been a person who has thrown off the natural tendency to play it safe and to stay within the comfort zone. They have continually tried to exceed their previous levels of accomplishment. They have continually moved forward into the risk zone to try something more, bigger, better, and more important. Every single accomplishment in the history of man has come from men and women who have had the courage to take risks to step out even though they had no guarantee or assurance of success.”

When I heard his quote, I absolutely loved it, and one of my favorite quotes which is very similar to his:

“So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.

The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

Questions?

Email me at andrew@thebeancounter.com.

Also, have a look at Ken’s Personal Site: http://www.kennethjburke.com

The post It is in understanding and embracing the concept of failure that we achieve true greatness as human beings [Interview] w/ Kenneth J. Burke, CPA & Certified Business Coach appeared first on The Bean Counter.