CPA CONVERSATIONS PODCAST

The CPA Conversations podcast series focuses on accounting-related news and hot topics.

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Episodes

Middle-Market M&A Suffers Amidst the Coronavirus New Normal

Oct 26, 2020

The number of middle-market private equity deals took a hit in the second quarter of 2020, showing minimal improvement in July through September. The primary reason is clear: COVID-19 created an environment that has organizations skittish about investing too heavily right now. To explore the current outlook for mergers and acquisitions, we met with Anthony DeCandido, an audit partner and coleader of the CT financial services practice for RSM US LLP.

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Second Marriages and Personal Financial Planning Priorities

Oct 22, 2020

At the PICPA Personal Financial Planning Conference on Nov. 5, Brian Carney, cofounder of RiversEdge Advisors in Wilmington, Del., will present a session on personal financial planning considerations for individuals entering into a second marriage. Among the topics he will discuss are budgeting concerns, assets and debt management, and estate planning. In this podcast, he offers a sneak peek at his upcoming presentation.

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Diversity and Inclusion Must Become a Part of Your Organizational DNA

Oct 19, 2020

The year 2020 will be remembered for many things, not the least of which has been a race relations awakening. The accounting profession, too, has joined in. Many firms have taken steps to build on previous efforts by forming in-house diversity and inclusion committees and bolstering board and executive involvement in said groups. For efforts like these to bear fruit, though, these actions must go deep; they must become part of an organization’s mission. So says Herschel Frierson, managing director of Crowe LLP in Indianapolis and chair of the National Association of Black Accountants.

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Stand Up to Societal Challenges by Bolstering Your Resilience

Oct 15, 2020

In a preview of her session at the Oct. 27 PICPA Women’s Leadership Conference, Karen Reivich, PhD, director of the resilience and positive psychology training program at the University of Pennsylvania, joins us to discuss the science of resilience. She also touches on ways resilience can be enhanced and overcoming psychological challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Two Years After Wayfair: Its Effect on Sales Taxes and the Impact of COVID-19

Oct 12, 2020

It’s been over two years since the Supreme Court’s decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, and its impact has been substantial. Add in the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with its role in driving individuals toward online shopping, and you have a seismic impact in the tax world. In this podcast, Jennifer Karpchuk, shareholder and state and local tax practice cochair for Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys at Law in Philadelphia, joins us to dissect current developments related to Wayfair and COVID-19.

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Questions You Need to Ask Clients Who Own Small Businesses

Oct 5, 2020

As we have seen with all the activity surrounding the Paycheck Protection Program, now is a perfect time for CPAs to show value when working with clients who own small businesses. However, it is important to know the right questions to ask to bring into focus the areas where you can be most beneficial. To figure out what to ask, including whether or not your client has ever dealt with adversity, we spoke with Bryce Sanders, president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.

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Future-Proof Your Firm by Appealing to the Modern Client

Sep 28, 2020

What will it take to ensure a successful future for your CPA firm? Perhaps it is setting your firm apart from the competition in the technological realm? Maybe it’s marketing your firm in the avenues that draw the modern client’s eyeballs? Well, according to Robert Schulte, founder of LumaTax Inc., the answer is “both,” as well as many other steps you can take.

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How to Get Valuable Client Referrals Without Asking

Sep 21, 2020

Client referrals are a time-honored avenue of prospect generation for CPAs. However, coming out and asking for referrals can be a delicate matter to the firm/client relationship. Today’s guest, Stacey Brown Randall, author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, shares ways to ensure client referrals without having to be so forward as to inquire about them.

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Time May Be Ripe for a CPA Move into Consulting

Sep 14, 2020

The economic uncertainly introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic might make it seem like a bad time to take a significant career leap, but business strategist and consultant Veronica Sagastume believes the timing could not be better. She discusses the signs that a CPA may be ready for such a step, ways that CPAs can generate revenue for their consulting business, and the importance of establishing a personal brand identity for a new venture.

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Don’t Ignore Your Team’s Resistance to Change

Sep 8, 2020

The accounting profession is in a perpetual state of change, which has been amplified by the coronavirus pandemic. Because of this state of flux, it is important for a manager to know when their team is ready for change and when they definitely are not. In today’s podcast, Liz Uram, owner of The Coach and Mentor Group, provides some details on the signs that a team is resistant to change, including the inability to adjust behavior, employee turnover, and more.

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Demand for Accounting Advisory Services on the Rise

Aug 31, 2020

While accounting advisory services have been a need for a long time, the onset of coronavirus-concerned issues, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and others have brought this opportunity to the forefront for CPA firms. We are joined by Randy Johnston, executive vice president of K2 Enterprises, to discuss what sorts of services constitute advisory as well as emerging advisory areas for 2020 and beyond.

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Financial Institutions: Be Wary of COVID’s Effect on Current Expected Credit Losses

Aug 24, 2020

In a preview of the panel discussion he will be moderating at the Sept. 22 PICPA online Financial Institutions Conference. Mulloy, CPA, partner, audit services, for RSM US LLP in Philadelphia, discusses the impact of coronavirus on current expected credit losses. Among the aspects he shares with us are allowances for loan loss calculation and the process for determining Paycheck Protection Program loans and grants.

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A CFO’s Perspective on COVID Recovery and Disaster Preparedness

Aug 20, 2020

In a preview of his fall 2020 Pennsylvania CPA Journal Business & Industry column, Michael F. De Stefano, CPA, chief financial officer for RKL in Lancaster, Pa., discusses the experience of his organization when it became clear that the coronavirus pandemic was going to be more than just a fleeting inconvenience, including applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, becoming experts on new communications channels, and taking steps to reduce burnout among colleagues and staff.

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Behind the Scenes of Moving Accounting Education Online

Aug 17, 2020

In a preview of their fall 2020 Pennsylvania CPA Journal Education column, Duquesne professors Valerie Trott Williams and Robert Kollar recount the obstacles they faced when their university was forced to move all classwork online as part of the coronavirus pandemic. They discuss the effect the move had on student grades, the time it took to prepare for online courses, lessons learned for when courses resume, and more.

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Enhancing CPA Firm Success with Artificial Intelligence

Aug 10, 2020

As futuristic as the terms “artificial intelligence” and “machine learning” may sound, they are currently being used in the home and the business world. In the accounting profession, though, they could be better leveraged. Robert Schulte, founder of LumaTax Inc., joins us to talk about the benefits to accounting and finance functions, benefits for CPA firms and clients due to adoption of advanced technology, and areas in which artificial intelligence could be used more.

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A Changing Accounting Profession Requires CPA Evolution

Aug 3, 2020

With technology playing a greater role by the day, the nature of the CPA profession is constantly changing. Therefore, CPAs have to grow and adapt. Such is the reason behind the CPA Evolution Project, an undertaking of the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. In this podcast, Julia Woislaw, AICPA’s lead manager of CPA Evolution, walks us through the origination of the CPA Evolution Project, including why it was necessary, its current status, and developments that will be monitored in the future.

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International Tax Issues for Foreign Athletes and Entertainers

Jul 27, 2020

The tax rules for non-U.S. residents are complicated enough regularly, but they only get more intense when you apply them to foreign athletes and entertainers. In today’s podcast, we explore the rules with Patrick McCormick of the law firm Culhane Meadows.

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The Value of CPAs in the World of Sports

Jul 23, 2020

Working in the world of sports may seem like a dream job, but, as we have seen with the coronavirus, it is susceptible to the same difficulties and obstacles as other industries. And like other industries, the sports world understands the immense value of CPAs. In this podcast, we are joined by Darren Heffernan, president of Trintech, to discuss how CPAs contribute to the success of sports teams, how automation is quickly improving their jobs, and how the world of sports operations has been altered by COVID-19.

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Enterprise Risk Management in a COVID-19 Business Landscape

Jul 20, 2020

In a preview of her session at the Aug. 11 PICPA CFOs and Controllers Conference, Melissa Bradley Musser, principal, risk and advisory services, for GRF CPAs & Advisors, discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the exercise of enterprise risk management. She explores best practices during times of great difficulty, current top threats, and more.

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Leadership Skills in the Era of Remote Work

Jul 13, 2020

The emergency necessity of embracing remote work brought about by the coronavirus has shown businesses that it is possible to operate not only from a board room table, but also from a dining room table. As a result, what had been viewed as a temporary fix could eventually evolve into a regular mode of operation. This means leadership will have to continue refining their ability to engage their staff remotely. We spoke to Erin Daiber, professional certified coach and chief executive officer of Well Balanced Accountants LLC, to get more on best practices in this area.

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