eth Fineberg spent most of his professional career writing for the accounting industry. In this episode, he joins Stuart to share his new business venture, and how he's going to help bridge the gap between tech vendors and the community they serve. Episode notes: Gaining the trust of customers is more important than ever for tech vendors (04:20) He…

Alasdair McGill, Managing Director at Ashton McGill brings his client Colin Munro, Founder of Miconex, to share the journey they went on together that turned a small, local Scottish startup into growing global business. How Alasdair developed a service-oriented mindset at EY (02:00) Bringing a bespoke designer approach to accounting at Ashton McGil…

Jennie Moore wears two professional hats: one as an accounting firm owner, the other as Ignition's Partnerships Manager. In this episode, Jennie joins Stuart to discuss all things accounting and technology—from what can be done to make the accounting industry attractive again, to how technology can be used to augment accountants' capacity. When Jen…

Anton Colella's journey in accounting is unconventional. After 18 years as a religious teacher, he joined Scotland's Institute of Chartered Accountants and later became the CEO of Moore Global, one of the world's largest accountancy networks. In this episode, Anton shares his story as a religious teacher, a leader, and a man with a strong sense of …

Candy Bellau grew up with an unconventional father who applied his genius in all the wrong ways. In this episode, Candy candidly shares how others' mistakes enlightened her to live a life of integrity, and what she's doing to maintain work-life balance for herself and her staff. Learning how to do bookkeeping at 14 years old (01:20) Uncovering majo…

Carla Caldwell, Stuart's long-time friend and ex-colleague, joins him for a delightful conversation about her journey in accounting, accounting technology, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Reminiscing together (00:05) How family and mentors influenced Carla's accounting journey (01:55) Finding her superpower in accounting and technology (05:20) Th…

Rob Santos and Rory Henry of Arrow Root Family Office join Stuart to discuss how accountants are primed to be strategic advisors in the wealth and family management space. Together, they talk about: Why accountants are well-positioned to get involved in wealth management (02:15) The origin story of Arrowroot Family Office (07:00) Creating a persona…

Meghan Blair lives and works in Nantucket, Massachusetts, a tourist town with a close-knit community. In this episode, Meghan and Stuart discuss COVID's impact on seasonal economies, what accounting professionals can do to help, and an exciting update for Meghan's firm—Fogged in Bookkeeping. The unforgettable experience of living on a cattle farm i…

Stefan van Duyvendijk is the Accounting Operations Evangelist at FloQast. In this episode, Stefan chats with Stuart about the pains that drove FloQast's founders to building their own solution, and what sets the company apart from its competitors in the marketplace. Together, Stefan and Stuart discuss: Living and skiing in Utah (02:00) A fed-up acc…

Natalie Lennon, accounting firm owner, automation guru and podcaster, joins Stuart to discuss her career journey that led to Two Sides Accounting. They also chat about the talent shortage and what Natalie is doing to live the '4-day work week dream'. Natalie’s winding journey in accounting (2:00) Becoming a partner at 28 years old (6:10) The light-…

Dan Luthi is a partner at IgniteSpot Accounting, a virtual accounting and fractional CFO service firm. In this episode, Dan shares IgniteSpot Accounting's journey, his favorite client stories, and how accountants can provide a sense of clarity for clients in an increasingly unfathomable world. The genesis of IgniteSpot Accounting (01:00) Helping cl…

Leah Roe is a CPA-turned-leadership-coach and organizational trust expert. In this episode, Leah and Stuart chat all things 'trust'. Leah shares how she unexpectedly got into the people and cultures space, the five behaviors that build trust in the workplace, and she turns the table on Stuart to find out how Karbon is rebuilding trust after a diffi…

Jason Staats—accounting firm owner, content creator, automation expert and online community champion—joins the latest Accounting Leaders Podcast episode. Jason shares his journey in accounting, the power of surrounding yourself with like-minded people, automation and no code development, and why vendors need to make more data accessible. Stuart and…

Ben Taylor, a CPA-turned-tech-entrepreneur and founder of SoftLedger, sits down with Stuart to share his company's origin story, the landscape of a mid-market GL solution, how to enable accountants to 'do more with less', and the saving grace of having your best friend as your co-founder. Finding an interest in accounting in college (1:15) Early ca…

Karen Reyburn is no stranger to change. She grew up in Arizona yet found her home-away-from-home in Scotland. She began her career as an auditor but discovered her true spark in marketing—a realization that ultimately led her to founding The Profitable Firm, a creative agency dedicated to serving accountants. In this episode, Karen shares her journ…

Adam Pritchard of UK firm, Linford Grey, joins Stuart to share his unique journey from touring the country appearing in on-stage musicals to starting his own accountancy practice. Adam talks about the challenges of helping his clients navigate the global pandemic, moving from one crisis to the next, and how he is building the type of business that …

Zach Gordon is the VP of Accounting at Propeller Industries, an enterprise-grade financial service firm for high-growth startups. In this episode, he shares how he developed a speciality in cannabis and crypto accounting, the intricacies of serving clients in these highly regulated industries, and his plan for making accounting an attractive profes…

First meeting at Accountex London 2018 (1:00) Ryan's journey to accounting (2:00) Moving from a small to a large to a mid-tier firm (5:20) Empowering clients with the right business insights (9:00) Harnessing the power of technology with SB Digital (14:50) The benefits of being vendor agnostic (17:00) Can the 4-day work week come to accounting (19:…

Lynda Steffens found her calling in accounting at a young age. She saw the impact of a good accountant early on through her family's farming business. In this episode, Lynda sits down with Stuart to look back at her journey from running her own practice to uplifting other accounting firm owners. They exchange thoughts on the image problem of the ac…

Greg Daley is the Chief Visionary at Parable, an accounting firm focussing on the church niche. In this inspiring episode, Greg discusses his journey from being a pastor to starting an accounting practice with his wife and growing that into a business that serves 230 churches across 42 US states. He shares why churches are similar to any business, …

Pedro Noyola is the CEO of Balanced Business Group, an outsourced accounting and bookkeeping firm serving small boutique wineries. In this episode, Pedro shares his career journey from working at Deloitte, to acquiring his 10th business. Stuart and Pedro also chat about cars, serving winery clients, and balancing family, fun, and career as an entre…

Susan Bryant is the Principal of MB Group, a public accounting firm headquartered in Plano, TX. Susan and her team are dedicated to transforming businesses by maturing their finance function. In this episode, Susan shares her journey to public accounting, leadership insights, and the secret recipe that consistently delivers financial success for he…

Jamie Johns is the CEO & Founder of Australian firm, Sky Accountants. He also co-founded Wize Mentoring, along with Ed Chan and Brenton Ward to provide business coaching and personal development services to accounting firm owners who want to elevate their practice. In this episode, Jamie and Stuart discuss Jamie’s entrepreneurial journey to account…

This episode marks the Accounting Leaders Podcast’s 50th release. To celebrate, we flipped the tables on our show host and Karbon CEO, Stuart McLeod. No question was off limits. In this episode, Karbon’s Content Marketing Specialist, Jess Marcello, and Marketing Development Manager, George Connor, had a lively conversation with Stuart about the har…

Zane Stevens is the Director of Protea Financial—an accounting and bookkeeping firm specializing in wineries. In this episode, Zane talks about his life in South Africa, how he got into accounting, and what made him move to the US to start working in the winery consulting space. Zane and Stuart discuss what’s unique about winery accounting, how the…

Jim Dunham is the President and General Manager of IRIS Software Group. With over 25 years of experience leading enterprise software companies across the public and private sectors, Jim is a seasoned executive in accountancy and tax markets. In this episode, Jim shares the story of his professional journey, his experience working in different indus…

Michael Ly is the Founder and CEO of Reconciled—a virtual bookkeeping and accounting firm for busy business owners and entrepreneurs across the US. He is also a Co-Founder of PunchPay—a small micro-loan fintech startup that offers post-payment and micro-installment loans for small business expenses. In this episode, Michael shares with Stuart how h…

Joe Cox is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ecommerce Accountants LLP—the leading accountancy in the UK for e-commerce businesses. In this episode, Joe shares his story of being an e-commerce seller who spotted an opportunity to serve like-minded entrepreneurs in the accounting domain (eventually creating Ecommerce Accountants). Joe and Stuart d…

Andrew Hunzicker is the Founder of Dope CFO, a comprehensive cannabis accounting and tax training program, which helps firms in over 25 states unlock a new world of clients. In this episode, Andrew shares his professional journey, how he started working in the cannabis industry, and what cannabis accounting looks like. Stuart and Andrew also discus…

Graeme Tennick is the Founder and Chief Legacy Maker at Tennick Accountants. Before founding his own company, Graeme worked in a small accounting practice and eventually moved to senior roles in PwC and public sector organizations. In this episode, Graeme shares his professional journey, entrepreneurial passion from a young age, and business-first …

Gary Bell is the Co-Founder and Partner at FLB Accountants, an independent firm of Chartered Accountants based in the UK. In this episode, Gary and Stuart chat about Gary’s experience attending the first-ever Karbon customer conference in Lake Tahoe, FLB’s rationale for going hybrid, working with high-profile clients such as Apple TV, Netflix, and …

Martin Bown is the founder and managing director of My Management Accountant—an accountancy service that works with small businesses across the UK to help them save time and money. In this episode, Martin shares his professional journey, and the story of My Management Accountant and how they operate. Martin and Stuart also discuss his life outside …

Twyla Verhelst is the Head of FreshBooks Accountant Channel, leading the Accounting Partner Program, and has been recognized as one of Ignition’s Top 50 Women in Accounting. In this episode, Twyla and Stuart discuss the state of the accounting profession, how COVID forced the industry to evolve and why there is a shortage of young professionals in …

Kyle Bryant is the Managing Partner of Market Street Partners in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Kyle oversees the firm’s operations and has provided assurance, tax, and business consulting services for over a decade. In this episode, Kyle and Stuart discuss the rapid growth of Chattanooga, what attracts businesses to invest in the region, and what the pro…

Chris Williams is the CEO of System Six, a modern accounting firm focused on providing dream accounting careers to their team members and superior services for their clients. In this episode, Chris explains how to achieve just that, including the criteria for selecting System Six for acquisition and what challenges he faced along the way. Besides C…

Andrew Jordon is the CEO and Founder of Connect4, a meeting platform that enables structured and efficient client meetings. Apart from a successful business career, Andrew is also the youngest trustee and treasurer at Prison Fellowship, the world's largest Christian non-profit organization for prisoner and justice reform. In this episode, Andrew an…

Dave is the Founder of Tidemark. He has 20+ years of experience in investing, advising, and building technology companies. In this episode, Dave and Stuart discuss the difference between technology companies in 1999 vs. 2021, how technology in accounting has been developing, and why Dave chooses to work with B2B software companies. Dave also talks …

Martin Chee is the CFO and Co-Founder at Amaka, an accounting integrations system that allows firms to automate their data entry processes. In this episode, Martin and Stuart dive into the story of Amaka, how it delivers value to clients, and the challenges and complexities that Martin faces in this niche. They also discuss Martin’s professional jo…

Simon is the CEO and Co-Founder of Stamped Technologies, a tech-enabled audit firm focusing on year-end compliance services that leverage technology, purposely built AI, and seasoned CPAs. In this episode, Simon and Stuart discuss the technological advancements in the accounting industry, Simon’s career journey, and the story of Stamped. They deep-…

Jeremy Hyman is the Founder and Principal of Jeremy Hyman Associates, an IT services and consulting company that helps firms make sound IT decisions. With over 25 years of experience in the professional services sector and a degree in law, Jeremy is an IT manager, partner, software developer, and management consultant. In this episode, Jeremy and S…

Edward Chan is a Co-Founder of Wize Mentoring and a Non-Executive Chairman at Chan & Naylor. He started Chan & Naylor from his kitchen table and grew it to 10 offices around Australia with 160 staff and 15,000 clients. He then co-founded Wize Mentoring, which is now in 47 countries, connecting over 125,000 accountants. In this episode, Ed shares hi…

Matthew May is the VP of Sales & Marketing at Acuity, a virtual accounting solution for entrepreneurs. In this episode, Matthew and Stuart discuss how important it is to have a partner and mutual support in both rewarding and challenging times. They also talk about how Acuity has transformed throughout the years and the main challenges of a company…

Jeff Phillips is the CEO of Padgett, one of the largest tax and accounting firms in North America. He also founded the recruitment platform Accountingfly in 2012 and has been recognized as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People for helping solve the hiring challenges of CPA firms. In this episode, Jeff and Stuart discuss combinin…

Kenji Kuramoto is the Founder & CEO of Acuity, one of the largest CAS accounting firms in the US. Kenji has provided thousands of companies with a full range of financial solutions, from high-level strategic financial counsel to virtualized bookkeeping and tax services. In this episode, Kenji and Stuart discuss the challenges of growing a company, …

As the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at AICPA, Crystal Cooke focuses on increasing the representation of minority groups in the accounting profession. In this episode, Crystal explains the current state of diversity and inclusion in the accounting industry, including ways to promote it and what AICPA is doing about it. Join Crystal and Stuart…

Joe David is the Founder and Managing Director of two UK-based firms: Nephos and a leading crypto accounting firm, Myna. In this episode, Stuart and Joe discuss crypto accounting and regulations, what the future of this space might look like, and how it can change our lives. Tune in for a great chat to learn about crypto and the future of podcasts …

Katie Bryan is the CEO and Founder of Propeller Advisory—a successful multi-figure accounting and business advisory firm based in Melbourne, Australia. She’s a business owner, mum to a newborn, wife, sister and also helps her clients build businesses and lives they deserve. In this episode, Stuart and Katie discuss the accounting industry, the stor…

Scott Scarano is the President of Padgett Business Services in North Carolina. He leads a team of unique advisors who share his passion for helping small businesses thrive. In this episode, Stuart and Scott discuss the impact of social media on productivity, Scott’s journey with Padgett, the parallels between cartels and accounting, and interacting…

Enrico Palmerino is the CEO and Founder of Botkeeper, a platform that provides accountants with an automated bookkeeping practice using human-assisted machine learning and Artificial Intelligence. In this episode, Enrico and Stuart share their thoughts on the development of the accounting industry and how tech firms enable it to evolve. Learn what …

Kellie Parks is a cloud accounting specialist and coach at Calmwaters Cloud Accounting. In this episode, Kellie and Stuart talk about the early days of cloud accounting, the further development of technology and how it changed the life of Kellie and her clients. As an early adopter of remote work, Kellie shares the stories of the adventures that cl…