Working Theory Podcast

Max & Brooks
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  • Management

The Working Theory Podcast is the unofficial podcast for accounting firms that are serious about getting the most out of Karbon. Hosted by Max (Navica Consulting) and Brooks (Framework Solutions), two consultants who spent years using Karbon inside accounting firms before ever moving into implementation — this show is built on real experience, not theory. We're not here to walk you through onboarding. We're here for what comes after — the applied side of the platform. How do you make Karbon work for your specific firm? What are the tradeoffs? What are the workarounds? Where does it shine, and where do you need to look elsewhere? If you're a firm owner or operations manager trying to scale and you need your practice management platform to actually keep up — this one's for you.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Karbon Release Party: Faster Payments and Easier Engagements

    Clients can now pay Karbon invoices by ACH without logging into their bank, and Apple Pay works on invoice payment links. Max Ducharme and Brooks Wheatley walk through the latest Karbon release, from payments and engagements to the new contacts page and API updates. The theme of this release is simple: fewer steps between a client saying yes and your firm getting paid. If you want engagement status changes to move work items forward automatically, the hosts explain the API feature idea worth voting for in the Karbon Community. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and release overview 01:03 Manual ACH with instant verification 05:37 Entering bank details for clients 07:25 Apple Pay and Google Pay 08:21 Daily digest for signed engagements 10:03 Engagement comments and draft templates 12:18 Renewal work items and an API request 17:24 Close automation in the release notes 19:27 Sidebar customization and themes 22:13 Contacts page upgrades 27:51 The theme: from yes to paid 28:55 API updates: segments and PATCH 31:23 How Max and Brooks help firms IN THIS EPISODE - Clients can type in a routing and account number for ACH, and Karbon verifies the account instantly. There is no bank login and no wait for deposit verification. The option is a small "Enter bank details manually" link below the bank list, so a highlighted screenshot helps clients find it. - Firms holding signed payment authorizations may be able to enter bank details on a client's behalf. Read Karbon's terms of service before you try it. - Apple Pay now works on invoice payment links opened on Apple devices, alongside Google Pay on Android. - A once-a-day digest now tells you when engagements are signed but not yet set up, and engagements have an activity section with comments and mentions. - Service templates can be saved as drafts, so a half-finished template can no longer be picked for an engagement. - The contacts page gets sticky headers, column toggles and reordering, and jump to page. The API adds a segments preview, PATCH for work item statuses, and a last modified date on work items. QUESTIONS? Reach out to either of us; we are happy to help. Navica Consulting (Max): https://navica.llc Framework Solutions (Brooks): https://www.frameworksolutions.co/ ABOUT THE SHOW The Working Theory Podcast is for accounting firms already on Karbon that want to optimize how they use it. Optimization, not onboarding. Hosted by Max Ducharme (Navica Consulting) and Brooks Wheatley (Framework Solutions), two Karbon implementation consultants who worked inside accounting firms before going independent. The Working Theory Podcast is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Karbon. #Karbon #AccountingFirms #PracticeManagement #KarbonPayments #KarbonAPI #AccountingPodcast

  2. 3d ago

    Karbon Release Party: 5 Summer Updates to Engagements, Billing, and Payments

    Max Ducharme and Brooks Wheatley catch up on five updates that shipped while the show was on hiatus: automatic engagement renewals, engagement templates with bulk creation, posting invoices without emailing them, shareable invoice payment links, and payments on account. If you have been holding off on engagements, take note. They are now out of beta, live in every Karbon account, and the only way to set up recurring invoicing. This episode covers what changed, where each feature helps, and the gaps that remain. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome back 00:49 Where Karbon focused this summer 01:50 Automatic engagement renewals 04:01 Engagements leave beta and replace recurring invoicing 06:37 Engagements don't have to be client-facing 06:55 Engagement templates 10:26 Bulk engagement creation (and the BOI lesson) 11:59 Posting invoices without emailing them 15:10 Shareable invoice payment links 18:11 Payments on account: deposits, prepayments, and overpayments 23:11 Wrap-up and deep-dive requests IN THIS EPISODE - Automatic renewals create the next engagement in draft ahead of the period end, with an optional built-in price increase, so you review everything before it reaches the client. - Engagement templates let you package services once and reuse them. Bulk creation applies a template across many clients at once. Template duplication is not available yet. - The new Post option moves an approved invoice to awaiting payment without sending an email, ending the placeholder-address workaround for SafeSend, Ignition, and clients who don't use email. - View and Pay Invoice opens the client-facing invoice so you can share the payment link directly. - Payments on account let you request money without an invoice and apply the credit to future invoices. Deposits, annual prepayments, and single checks covering several invoices all get simpler, and much of the workaround from our earlier prepayments episode is no longer needed. WANT A DEEP DIVE? Tell us in the comments which feature you want covered next, including edge cases and full walkthroughs. ABOUT THE SHOW The Working Theory Podcast is for accounting firms already on Karbon that want to optimize how they use it. Optimization, not onboarding. Hosted by Max Ducharme (Navica Consulting) and Brooks Wheatley (Framework Solutions), two Karbon implementation consultants who worked inside accounting firms before going independent. Navica Consulting: https://navicaconsult.com Framework Solutions: https://www.frameworksolutions.co/ The Working Theory Podcast is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Karbon. #Karbon #AccountingFirms #PracticeManagement #AccountingPodcast #KarbonHQ #FirmOperations

  3. Jun 21

    OFFLOADING ≠ DELEGATION

    Delegation is one of those leadership topics that sounds simple until you actually have to do it. In this episode of The Working Theory Podcast, Max and Brooks talk about why delegation often fails in accounting firms, especially when leaders wait until they are already overloaded. They dig into the difference between simply offloading tasks and actually delegating responsibility, and why real delegation is less about getting work off your plate and more about developing people who can own outcomes. They also bring the conversation into Karbon, SOPs, firm workflows, busy season, AI, and the fear that holds leaders back from letting others make decisions. The big idea: if everything depends on you, your firm cannot grow beyond you. In this episode: Why delegation breaks down when it starts from urgencyThe difference between task delegation and responsibility delegationHow Karbon workflows can either support ownership or reinforce bottlenecksWhy mistakes are part of leadership developmentHow to set expectations without over-prescribing every stepWhy firm owners need to multiply decision-making across the teamWhat delegation has in common with using AI effectivelyWhy training someone to “replace you” may be the best thing for your career Books mentioned: The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer JohnsonTurn the Ship Around! by David MarquetThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. MaxwellDeath by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni Question for the comments: What’s one thing in your firm that you’ve been offloading, but should probably be delegating as real ownership? 00:00 Delegation is more than getting work off your plate 01:19 Delegation as team development 02:12 Why urgent delegation usually fails 04:10 Delegate before busy season hits 05:06 Task delegation vs. responsibility delegation 07:44 What this looks like inside Karbon 10:43 Setting expectations without over-directing 13:20 The fear of mistakes, cost, and client risk 14:07 SOPs, standards, and ownership 15:06 Letting your team improve the process 17:14 Turn the Ship Around and leader-led bottlenecks 18:58 From giving orders to approving ownership 21:52 Why everyone keeps coming to you with questions 22:52 Accounting leaders need space for AI and strategy 25:39 Training your replacement does not make you irrelevant 27:29 Delegation and AI use the same leadership muscle 29:19 Final thoughts on growth, oversight, and mistakes 30:18 Books, memory, and Brooks being Brooks

  4. May 21

    The Fixed Fee Trap -- Sustainable Profit

    Fixed fee billing can create better incentives for accounting firms, better client experiences, and more sustainable profitability. But it only works if you know your costs, understand the effort required, run thoughtful fee reviews, and keep tracking time. In this episode, Max and Brooks talk through why hourly billing can punish efficiency, how automation changes the pricing conversation, how to calculate a baseline fixed fee, and why time tracking is still essential even when clients are not billed by the hour. Chapters: 00:00 Why fixed fee matters 01:55 Better incentives for firms and clients 03:52 Automation makes hourly billing risky 05:25 Fixed fee vs. value-based billing 06:31 Managing fixed fee work in Karbon 07:07 Know your internal cost 10:55 Use a short first engagement 13:28 Run better fee reviews 15:09 Improve process or raise rates 18:57 Explain the price increase 20:04 Pricing takes math and people skills 22:26 When to lower a fee 24:51 The danger of autopilot price increases 27:15 Clients buy peace of mind 29:05 Efficiency creates capacity 31:15 Keep tracking time 33:04 Time data is firm intelligence 34:02 Closing thoughts

  5. May 15

    Release Party: April 27, 2025 — Timesheet Periods, Engagements That Create Work, and more!

    Karbon Release Party: April 27, 2025 — Timesheet Periods, Engagements That Create Work, and the Gusto IntegrationKarbon's April 27 release is one of the biggest in recent memory — long-requested features like customizable timesheet periods, engagements that finally create work for you, and a Gusto integration that handles shifting payroll dates. Max and Brooks Wheatley walk through every change, what's actually useful, and where the gotchas still are. This is the Karbon Release Party — a recurring segment on The Working Theory Podcast where two Karbon implementation consultants break down each Karbon release from a practitioner perspective. Between them, Max and Brooks have helped hundreds of firms get more out of Karbon. Chapters00:00 Intro 00:53 Aider integration goes live 02:46 Engagements can now create work items 06:42 Gusto integration — payroll work items that handle shifting dates 09:50 Karbon API updates: time entries endpoint + self-service keys 12:20 E-signature expiration extensions (no more restarting) 13:50 Suspicious email warnings 15:29 Exact email send timestamps 16:30 Filing deadlines on repeat work 17:09 Customizable timesheet periods (finally) 19:56 Edit time entries directly in draft invoices 21:41 Wrap-up HighlightsEngagements create work — sign an engagement and Karbon generates the work items, with better control than Ignition or GoProposal. Still in open beta, but shipping fast.Gusto integration reads upcoming payroll dates and adjusts your next work item's due date — solving holiday-shifted paydays breaking your schedule.Customizable timesheet periods — change Karbon from Monday–Sunday to Sunday–Saturday, 1st–15th, monthly, or multi-week. Found under Settings → Workflow.Self-service API keys in Connected Apps. No more waiting on the Karbon team to activate.In-invoice time entry edits — fix mis-coded entries without leaving the invoice.About the showThe Working Theory Podcast is for accounting firms that are already on Karbon and want to actually optimize how they use it. Optimization, not onboarding. Hosted by Max (Navica Consulting) and Brooks Wheatley (Framework Solutions) — two Karbon implementation consultants who spent years inside accounting firms before going independent. 🎧 New episodes on YouTube and Spotify ConnectMax — Navica Consulting Brooks — Framework Solutions #Karbon #AccountingTech #PracticeManagement #AccountingFirms #KarbonHQ #AccountingPodcast #FirmOperations #AccountingWorkflow

  6. Apr 28

    Release Party: April 2026 Mini Release

    The conversation covers the new release from Karbon, focusing on the introduction of a rich text editor, email formatting improvements, and firm-wide email settings and features. The discussion provides insights into the practical benefits of these updates and their impact on daily workflows. Takeaways Rich text editorEmail formattingFirm-wide email settings Chapters 00:00 Introduction to New Karbon Release09:08 Firm-Wide Email Settings and Features

  7. Apr 28 ·  Bonus

    Take Down Payments in Karbon

    In this episode, Max and Brooks discuss the process of handling prepaid fees in Karbon, focusing on creating prepayment invoices, adjusting revenue in QuickBooks Online, and the pros and cons of the prepayment process. They emphasize the importance of clear audit trails and proper revenue recognition when taking prepayments. Takeaways Prepaid fees are commonly used in accounting firms for services like tax returns and financial statements.Taking prepayments in Karbon involves creating invoices and adjusting revenue in QuickBooks Online.The process of taking prepayments adds complexity but provides a clear audit trail and ensures proper revenue recognition. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Prepaid Fees in Karbon10:19 Adjusting Revenue in QuickBooks Online

  8. Apr 28

    Release Party: April 2026 Major Release

    The conversation covers Karbon's latest release, including updates to Karbon AI, document navigation, triage and work enhancements, engagements, Xero sync improvements, and new integrations. The release introduces significant improvements such as the ability to reassign time entries while invoicing and download signed engagements as PDFs. Takeaways Karbon's latest release includes updates to Karbon AI, document navigation, and triage and work.The ability to reassign time entries while invoicing and download signed engagements as PDFs are significant improvements. Chapters 00:00 New Integrations and Conclusion

  9. Apr 28 ·  Bonus

    Large Prepayments in Karbon

    The conversation covers the specific approach to handling prepaid payments in Karbon, including the creation of standalone work items, syncing with QuickBooks Online, sending and applying invoices, handling credit memos and invoices in QBO, tracking revenue and reporting, and the pros and cons of the approach. The conclusion introduces alternative approaches to handling prepayments in Karbon. Takeaways Prepaid payments in Karbon require a specific approachHandling prepayments in Karbon involves syncing with QuickBooks Online Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Prepaid Payments in Karbon06:08 Syncing with QuickBooks Online13:10 Tracking Revenue and Reporting

  • 9 Episodes

About

The Working Theory Podcast is the unofficial podcast for accounting firms that are serious about getting the most out of Karbon. Hosted by Max (Navica Consulting) and Brooks (Framework Solutions), two consultants who spent years using Karbon inside accounting firms before ever moving into implementation — this show is built on real experience, not theory. We're not here to walk you through onboarding. We're here for what comes after — the applied side of the platform. How do you make Karbon work for your specific firm? What are the tradeoffs? What are the workarounds? Where does it shine, and where do you need to look elsewhere? If you're a firm owner or operations manager trying to scale and you need your practice management platform to actually keep up — this one's for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Max & Brooks
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Max & Brooks
  • Show Website
    Working Theory Podcast