The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast

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  Rethinking Succession, Part 2: Running the Modern Firm with Ira Rosenbloom 18.09.2026 13min

  What can derail a succession plan even when a firm has people who could eventually lead it?In part two of Rob Brown’s conversation with Ira Rosenbloom of Optimum Strategies, they dig into two places succession often gets stuck: the expectations current partners place on their successors and the way partners are compensated.Ira explains why future leaders need room to learn on the job, why partner compensation has to reinforce the firm’s priorities and why staff benefit from understanding the business behind the firm.They also look beyond internal succession. Ira shares when firms should start assessing gaps in their leadership pipeline, why five years of planning is good but 10 is better and how operations and HR professionals can play a larger role in building the next version of the firm.Missed part one? Start there for Ira’s case for beginning the succession process long before retirement.IPA will host a live Q&A on Sept. 24. Rob and Chelsea will answer questions about the 2026 data and the leadership issues explored throughout the series. Set a reminder by clicking “Notify me,” then leave your question in the comments.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.
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  Rethinking Succession, Part 1: Running the Modern Firm with Ira Rosenbloom 17.09.2026 20min

  What would make the next generation say yes to ownership? In part one of this conversation, Rob Brown talks with CPA firm succession adviser Ira Rosenbloom about why leadership transitions should begin earlier.Ira explains his view that “55 is the new 65”: a time to shift responsibilities, mentor future leaders and begin transferring equity gradually. They also discuss flexibility, investment in firm infrastructure and developing entrepreneurial skills before succession becomes urgent.Part two arrives tomorrow with a closer look at partner alignment and external succession options.IPA will host a live Q&A on Sept. 24. Rob and Chelsea will answer questions about the 2026 data and the leadership issues explored throughout the series. Set a reminder by clicking “Notify me,” then leave your question in the comments.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.
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  When the Old Firm Model Stops Working: Running the Modern Firm 15.09.2026 12min

  Accounting firms are changing how they staff, price and structure their partnerships. But are those changes working together?In the second episode of Running the Modern Firm, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown use IPA’s 2026 Practice Management data to examine the operating model behind firm performance.They explore how leverage changes as firms scale, why adding capacity without adjusting pricing can become a treadmill, how offshoring is reshaping traditional productivity measures and why larger firms are building more layered partnership structures. They also look at why firms are concentrating compensation increases on professionals with three to eight years of experience.The larger question: Are firms redesigning their operating models intentionally or adjusting individual pieces as pressure builds?IPA will host a live Q&A on Sept. 24. Chelsea and Rob will answer questions about the 2026 data and the leadership issues explored throughout the series. Set a reminder by clicking “Notify me,” then leave your question in the comments.Purchase the 2026 IPA Practice Management Report here.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.
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  Running the Modern Firm: The 2026 State of the Profession 08.09.2026 18min

  The 2026 IPA Practice Management Report captures a profession facing slower growth but responding with sharper operations.Drawing on responses from 605 North American accounting firms, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown open Running the Modern Firm, the third series of the season, with a look at the profession’s performance and the strategies shaping it.They discuss why organic and total growth slowed while net income growth accelerated, where revenue is still expanding, how pricing models are shifting, why M&A remains concentrated among large firms and what the latest partner data says about succession.IPA will also host a live Q&A on Sept. 24. Chelsea and Rob will answer questions about the 2026 data and the leadership issues explored throughout the series. Set a reminder by clicking "Notify me," then leave your question in the comments.Purchase the 2026 IPA Practice Management Report here.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.
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  How Capacity, Capital and Advisory Are Changing Firms: INSIDE the IPA 500 03.09.2026 25min

  This episode is brought to you by Bill.com. Learn how Bill can help your firm automate financial operations at Bill.com/IPA, where IPA listeners can access an exclusive offer. Global staffing, private equity and advisory expansion are becoming part of the operating model at many of the profession’s largest firms.In the final episode of our series, INSIDE the IPA 500, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown examine how deeply these strategies run through the IPA 100. They explore why offshoring does not produce a simple productivity story, compare PE-backed and independent firms beyond their identical organic growth rates and break down the economics of advisory-dominant firms.The data reveals different choices around partner compensation, reinvestment, pricing, talent and scale.Follow, rate and review the podcast and visit INSIDEPublicAccounting.com for more IPA 500 coverage. View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.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.
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  How Wolf & Company Built 16.1% Organic Growth: INSIDE the IPA 500 01.09.2026 16min

  Wolf & Company didn’t become the fastest-growing IPA 100 firm by organic growth because of one big move.The firm reported 16.1% organic growth in the 2026 INSIDE Public Accounting Practice Management Survey, increasing net revenue from $90.7 million to $105.3 million without completing a merger during the reporting year. But MP Jerry Gagne says that growth was really the result of several years of investment coming together.In the fourth episode of INSIDE the IPA 500, Chelsea Summers talks with Gagne about where that growth came from, why assurance revenue jumped 39%, how specialization has helped Wolf win work and why the firm is investing in talent before it necessarily needs it.They also dig into Wolf’s growing offshore workforce, the firm’s plans to remain independent and what Gagne believes independent firms can learn from PE-backed competitors.Follow, rate and review the podcast and visit INSIDEPublicAccounting.com for more IPA 500 coverage. View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.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.
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  The Strategies Behind Fast Growth: INSIDE the IPA 500 25.08.2026 8min

  This episode is brought to you by Bill.com. Learn how Bill can help your firm automate financial operations at Bill.com/IPA, where IPA listeners can access an exclusive offer. In the third episode of INSIDE the IPA 500, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown compare the fastest-growing firms through two lenses: organic growth and all growth.The 10 firms leading the organic-growth ranking averaged 15.6%, more than double the 7.0% average for the IPA 100. The all-growth ranking tells a different story, with major M&A activity producing much larger jumps and private equity backing 9 of the 10 firms on the list.Chelsea and Rob examine which firms are leading each ranking, what repeat appearances reveal about sustained momentum and why firms do not have to follow one growth strategy forever. They also preview an upcoming bonus conversation with Wolf & Company, this year’s organic growth leader for the second consecutive year.Follow or subscribe, rate and review the podcast and visit INSIDEPublicAccounting.com for more IPA 500 coverage. View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.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.
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  How Firms Outside the IPA 100 Are Adopting Big-Firm Strategies: INSIDE the IPA 500 18.08.2026 19min

  This episode is brought to you by Poe Group Advisors. 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.The IPA 100 gets most of the attention, but the other 400 firms in the IPA rankings reveal how quickly strategies are spreading across the profession.In this episode, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown compare the IPA 200, 300, 400 and 500 across growth, profitability, service mix, leverage, pricing and offshore staffing.Compliance remains more dominant among smaller firms, but advisory, alternative pricing and offshore staffing are increasingly part of their strategies. And while fewer smaller firms use offshore FTEs, those that do rely on them at higher concentrations than their larger peers.Chelsea and Rob break down what the numbers mean for firm leaders and why the strategic gap across the rankings may be narrowing.View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.
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  How the 2026 IPA 100 Changed the Firm Model: INSIDE the IPA 500 11.08.2026 23min

  This episode is brought to you by Bill.com. Learn how Bill can help your firm automate financial operations at Bill.com/IPA, where IPA listeners can access an exclusive offer.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.The 2026 IPA 100 data shows a profession in transition. Many strategies that once looked experimental are becoming standard practice.In the second episode of INSIDE the IPA 500, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown examine five-year trends shaping IPA’s Top 100 firms, including slower organic growth, accelerating M&A, private equity investment, offshoring and the continued expansion of advisory services.They also explore what separates the IPA 100’s most profitable firms and preview what’s ahead as the series turns to firms ranked No. 101 through No. 500.View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.
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  INSIDE the IPA 500: Meet the 2026 Rankings 04.08.2026 17min

  This episode is brought to you by Poe Group Advisors.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.Welcome to INSIDE the IPA 500, our new series exploring the data, trends and firms shaping the accounting profession.Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown kick off the series by breaking down the newly released 2026 IPA 500 rankings, highlighting the year's biggest climbers, new IPA 100 entrants, notable acquisitions and the trends reshaping the profession.Among the biggest takeaways:Thirty-five firms from last year's IPA 500 were acquired.Every new IPA 100 entrant is backed by private equity.Nine of the 10 fastest-growing firms are private equity-backed.Organic growth slowed while acquisition-driven growth accelerated.Whether your firm made the rankings, is working toward them or simply wants to understand where the profession is headed, this episode provides the context behind this year's biggest moves.View the complete 2026 IPA 500 rankings and learn more about IPA’s benchmarking and analysis at insidepublicaccounting.com.
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  From Perception to Action: Rewriting the Story of Accounting 28.07.2026 35min

  This episode is brought to you by Bill.com. Learn how Bill can help your firm automate financial operations at Bill.com/ipa, where IPA listeners can access an exclusive offer.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 does it take to move from diagnosing accounting’s talent challenges to actually fixing them? In the finale of IPA’s Rewriting the Story of Accounting series, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown turn the conversation into a practical action plan for firm leaders.They discuss why firms should improve the employee experience before rewriting their recruiting materials, how AI and offshore capacity can create more meaningful early-career work and why unanswered candidate questions should be treated as strategic feedback.They also explore promotion transparency, internships, earlier student outreach, local pipeline development and the role firms, associations and individuals can play in changing the profession’s story.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting: https://insidepublicaccounting.com
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  What the Next Generation Wants from Accounting Firms 21.07.2026 28min

  This episode is brought to you by Bill.com. Learn how Bill can help your firm automate financial operations at Bill.com/IPA, where IPA listeners can access an exclusive offer.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 do accounting students and emerging professionals want from their careers?In the fourth episode of this five-part series on rewriting the story of accounting, Rob Brown speaks with Alex Romero, director of CPA Pipeline at AICPA, about how the next generation views the profession and what firms can do to attract and retain future CPAs.Romero discusses the appeal of accounting as a stable, flexible career, as well as persistent concerns about long hours, the CPA exam and the effects of AI. She also explains why firms need to communicate career paths more clearly, give emerging professionals greater visibility into advancement opportunities and create space for employees to influence how work gets done.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting: https://insidepublicaccounting.com
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  Rewriting the Story of Accounting: Culture in Transition 14.07.2026 17min

  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.Busy season. Burnout. Unclear career paths. For many accountants, these realities defined the profession for decades.In the third episode of season two, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown continue Rewriting the Story of Accounting. They discuss how firms are rethinking the employee experience through more balanced workloads, advisory services, greater flexibility, transparency and AI adoption — and why these changes matter for retention and the future of the profession.Follow the podcast for future episodes as we continue exploring the trends shaping the accounting profession.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting: https://insidepublicaccounting.com
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  How Accounting Leaders Build Visibility and Trust 09.07.2026 23min

  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.Doing great work has always been the foundation of a successful accounting career. But in today's profession, technical excellence alone isn't enough.In this bonus episode of The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown explores why visibility has become a competitive advantage for accounting professionals. As AI reshapes technical work and firms compete more aggressively for talent and clients, the professionals who stand out are often those whose expertise is known, trusted and remembered.Rather than encouraging accountants to become influencers, Rob reframes personal branding as the intentional process of building trust and sharing expertise. He explains why visibility matters at every stage of a career, how firm leaders can strengthen culture and recruiting through their own presence and what practical steps professionals can take to build a reputation that creates opportunities over time.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting: https://insidepublicaccounting.com
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  The Perception Gap: Why Accounting Has a Story Problem 07.07.2026 13min

  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.The accounting profession has spent years talking about the talent pipeline challenge. But what if the real issue starts earlier?In the first episode of season two, Chelsea Summers and Rob Brown kick off IPA's new series, Rewriting the Story of Accounting. Their conversation spans everything from outdated stereotypes to overlooked career opportunities, exploring how accounting has evolved and why the profession needs to do a better job communicating the value, variety and long-term opportunities it offers.They also preview what's ahead in this five-part series, including conversations on firm culture, personal branding and the future of talent in public accounting.Follow the podcast for future episodes as we continue exploring the trends shaping the accounting profession.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com.
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  What's Next for INSIDE Public Accounting? 02.07.2026 13min

  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 CPEOne year ago, we hit record and hoped someone would listen.In this special episode, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers reflect on the first year of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, the conversations that resonated most and the lessons learned along the way.They discuss memorable episodes, listener feedback and the impact of creating a space for honest conversations about the accounting profession.The episode also offers a preview of Season Two, including deeper multi-part series on the profession's perception gap, the IPA 500, practice management trends, Best of the Best firms, talent challenges and the future of accounting.Thank you to everyone who has listened, shared an episode and helped shape the conversation. Season Two starts next week.
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  Advisory Is an Identity, Not a Service Line 30.06.2026 27min

  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 CPEAdvisory continues to dominate conversations about the future of public accounting, but what does it actually take to make the shift?In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Chelsea Summers sits down with Matt Rampe, partner at Rosenberg Associates, to discuss findings from IPA's recent advisory survey and what firms are getting right and wrong about advisory growth.Matt shares why advisory is not a guaranteed path to higher margins, how firms should evaluate new service offerings and why partner compensation, governance and culture all play critical roles in successful transformation. The conversation also explores the impact of AI, client experience and strategic planning as firms prepare for a rapidly changing profession.If your firm is serious about growing advisory services, this episode offers practical guidance for turning broad ambitions into measurable action.Learn more about INSIDE Public Accounting at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com
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  Special Repost: Chelsea Summers Joins Accounting Voices' AI Reality in Firms Series 25.06.2026 11min

  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 CPEChelsea Summers joins Rob Brown's Accounting Voices podcast for a practical conversation about how AI is reshaping accounting firms.Drawing on data from IPA's practice management and technology surveys, Chelsea shares where firms are seeing real change, what leaders are still getting wrong and what may separate leading firms from the rest by 2027.Topics include the future of pricing, AI training, leadership responsibility, change management and why investing in people may be the most important AI decision a firm can make.If you're looking for a realistic discussion about AI adoption inside accounting firms, this episode delivers insights grounded in data, not hype.
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  Why Hourly Billing No Longer Works 23.06.2026 45min

  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, hourly billing has been the foundation of the accounting profession. But as AI accelerates efficiency and firms continue expanding advisory services, many leaders are questioning whether the traditional pricing model still works.In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Chelsea Summers talks with Michelle Golden-River, founder of Fore LLC, about the evolution of pricing inside CPA firms and why worth-based pricing is gaining attention across the profession.The conversation explores why firms struggle to move away from hourly billing, how pricing models shape firm culture and operations and why AI is putting pressure on firms to rethink the relationship between time and revenue. Michelle also shares practical advice on scope management, client communication and how firms can begin experimenting with new pricing approaches without overhauling everything overnight.Throughout the episode, Michelle offers a grounded perspective on the mindset shifts, leadership and confidence required to modernize pricing in today’s accounting environment.
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  Advisory Reality, AI Results and the Metrics That Matter 16.06.2026 21min

  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 of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers unpack key findings from the June IPA Insights Report.They discuss early practice management survey results, including slowing growth, rising technology investments and an unexpected decline in advisory revenue. They also explore findings from a joint advisory survey with Rosenberg Associates, revealing that talent and partner alignment, not client demand, are the biggest barriers to advisory growth.The conversation examines rapidly growing niche practice areas, the current reality of AI adoption, overlooked KPI metrics such as net revenue retention and concerning succession planning trends across firms.Whether you're evaluating advisory services, considering niche specialization or preparing your firm for leadership transitions, this episode provides practical insights grounded in IPA's latest data.Learn more and order the IPA Insights Hot Topics Report at: https://insidepublicaccounting.com/about/ipa-quarterly-insights/