Own Your Firm

AJ Zepeda & Logan Graf
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management

A podcast by two firm owners trying to figure it out one step at a time. AJ & Logan have been running their own firms for a few years and have come together to share stories, thoughts and insights on what that means and hopefully help some other firm owners through their journey. 

Episodes

  1. 17h ago ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 9: Build vs Buy: What's Right for Your Firm

    Send us Fan Mail Buy vs Build for Accounting Firm Software in the AI Era Logan Graf and AJ Zepeda discuss whether accounting firms should buy or build software as AI tools proliferate, noting that post–tax season is a common time for firm owners to reassess their tech. They describe being inundated with AI outreach and argue that personal, non-automated communication can stand out. They suggest firms use AI first for marketing and content creation (visuals, social posts, meeting-note-derived ideas) rather than trying to force AI into core tax workflows. On build vs buy, they caution that building client-facing, document-handling systems creates security, compliance, support, and maintenance burdens, and is usually only feasible for those with engineering backgrounds; they prefer buying integrated tools like Karbon and Ping. Logan shares a limited “build” example using Airtable for lightweight project tracking and considers building an internal reporting workflow to avoid per-client software costs. They expect major accounting platforms to converge in features, emphasize documenting processes before automation, and preview attending Intuit Connect and recording an in-person episode 10. 00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup 00:50 Post Tax Season Reset 01:44 AI Spam and Outreach 03:51 Personal Beats Automation 06:25 AI for Content Creation 10:36 Web Design in the AI Era 12:13 Build Versus Buy Framework 15:35 When Building Makes Sense 17:51 AI Consultants and Process First 24:23 All Apps Converging 27:04 Unified Dashboard Dream 29:38 Intuit Connect and Wrap Up

    Own Your Firm Episode 9: Build vs Buy: What's Right for Your Firm

  2. Oct 22 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 8: Partnership Pros and Cons

    Send us Fan Mail Partnership Pros and Cons: Taking Time Off, Decision-Making, and Building the Right Firm Structure In episode eight of the Own Your Firm podcast, Logan and AJ discuss running a firm solo versus with partners, starting with AJ’s two-week trip to Greece for the Feast of Tabernacles and how he prepared by front-loading work, notifying clients, assigning projects to team members and partners, and scheduling media in advance. AJ explains how having a team and two partners made the break possible compared to being solo, though returning meant catching up on emails and meetings. They touch on industry chatter about whether billable hours are going away, AI claims that accountants are “cooked,” and Logan’s upgraded microphone setup. The main conversation covers Maverick’s origin as a three-owner partnership, how they divide responsibilities, make decisions, and split profits, along with challenges like alignment, accountability, and slower decision-making. Logan shares solo pros and cons, including autonomy but having to handle sales, operations, and delivery alone. 00:00 Welcome And Catch Up 01:00 Prepping For Two Weeks Away 02:02 Greece Trip And Holy Days 03:01 Working Less While Traveling 05:39 Team Coverage While Away 06:49 Planning Your Own Sabbatical 07:52 Spicy LinkedIn And AI Talk 10:59 Desk Setup And New Mic 12:29 Solo Versus Partners Intro 14:18 How Maverick Partnership Formed 16:26 Partner Roles and Rhythm 16:55 Choosing Complementary Partners 17:32 Accountability and Workload Balance 20:23 Decision Making Tradeoffs 20:45 Office Upgrade and Focus 21:49 Home Distractions and Studio Dreams 24:26 Solo Practice Pros and Cons 27:11 Balancing Content and Firm Work 31:20 Profit Sharing and Entity Setup 34:33 Cost Sharing and Alternative Models 37:10 Wrap Up and Listener Q&A

    Own Your Firm Episode 8: Partnership Pros and Cons

  3. Oct 15 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 7: Solo vs Team: What we think!

    Send us Fan Mail Solo vs Scalable: Hiring, AI Bookkeeping, and Building a Firm That Runs Without You In episode six of the Own Your Firm podcast, hosts AJ and Logan Graff compare running an accounting firm as a solo operator versus building a scalable business with employees, partners, systems, and processes. They discuss recent AI bookkeeping developments, including Mercury launching Mercury Books and Accrual acquiring Puzzle’s ledger and close technology, and predict more banks and niche SaaS platforms will bundle bookkeeping/ledger tools, creating a messier tool landscape that forces accountants to level up. Logan shares how burnout in 2022–2023 pushed him to hire, noting AI and tools like SurePrep reduce data entry but still can’t replace humans for complex prep and client follow-ups. AJ explains Maverick’s growth mindset, low firm sale multiples (about 1.14x revenue), and why hiring, starting with contractors, can improve quality of life, enable sales/networking, and support passion projects like content and podcasts. 00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup  00:43 Mercury Books AI Ledger  02:26 Relay Banking and Invoicing  03:58 Puzzle Acquisition Debate  06:54 Banks and POS Ledgers Future  08:36 Niche SaaS Bookkeeping Wave  10:13 Solo vs Team Mindset Shift  11:28 Logan Burnout and Hiring Trigger  13:39 AI Prep vs Human Workflow  17:47 AJ Scaling Maverick and Energy  22:05 When to Hire Financially  25:33 Quality of Life and Passion Projects  30:48 Employees as Long Term Assets  32:37 Wrap Up and Listener Q&A

    Own Your Firm Episode 7: Solo vs Team: What we think!

  4. Oct 9 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 6: Pricing Questions

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 6: Firm Acquisition News and How to Price One-Time Consult Calls In episode six, the hosts note an upgrade to AJ’s microphone and discuss launching the podcast on YouTube, early download/view metrics, and a weekly release plan. They cover an industry update: Brandon Hall’s acquisition of Tooth and Coin, a dental-focused accounting firm where one host previously worked, describing it as a 2,000-client firm acquiring a roughly 400-client firm and discussing Tooth and Coin’s long-standing online presence and growth opportunities post-acquisition. The main topic is how to price one-time consultation calls, using a community question about a $250 one-hour consult that required prep time; the hosts argue for charging more or using a short discovery/scoping call that leads to a fixed-fee proposal or monthly engagement credit, emphasizing value-based pricing, factoring prep time and risk, avoiding underpricing one-off projects, using standard pricing, and “pricing the client, not the project.” 00:00 Episode Intro and Mic Upgrade 01:28 Gear Investments and Setup 02:25 Industry News Tooth and Coin Acquisition 04:13 Growth Strategy and Online Presence 07:24 Random Thing and Audience Metrics 10:18 YouTube Launch and Posting Schedule 11:21 Pricing One Time Consult Calls 16:48 Value Based Pricing and Upsells 21:59 Standard Pricing and Pricing the Client 27:15 Wrap Up and Counter Community Plug

  5. Oct 1 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 5: When Clients Choose AI Over Your Firm

    Send us Fan Mail Logan Graf and AJ Zepeda kick things off with their latest random finds — a camera robot that follows you around and a metal smart business card — before diving into the main topic: Logan's viral LinkedIn post about losing an $8,000 accounting engagement because a prospect wanted to use AI to do their own bookkeeping cleanup. They break down the proposal details, why the cleanup wasn't optional, how AI is changing client confidence and expectations, and what it means for firm owners navigating the new landscape of AI-assisted accounting.

  6. Sep 24 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 4: Our Revenue Goals

    Send us Fan Mail How Much Should Your Accounting Firm Make? Hitting $200K–$250K Take-Home Logan and AJ discuss money goals for accounting firm owners on the Own Your Firm podcast, starting with their early-career earnings. They note entry-level public accounting pay has risen to roughly $75K–$84K. AJ’s target is $250K personal income for retirement contributions, lower stress, travel, and increased giving, and he estimates their three-partner firm needs about $2M in annual revenue to support $200K–$300K each. Logan’s target is similarly $200K–$250K net; he describes previously netting about $200K on roughly $280K gross with heavy workload, and estimates $350K gross could net $200K with a manager. They compare budgeting, insurance and car costs, and outline growth plans focused on staying lean, improving sales, and reducing day-to-day workload. 00:00 Money Talk Kickoff 01:21 First Paychecks Revealed 04:02 Entry Level Salaries Today 05:47 Income Goals for Firm Owners 11:43 What It Takes to Net 250K 12:32 Keeping the Firm Lean 12:54 AI Tools and Subscriptions 14:20 AI Thumbnails and LinkedIn Flags 16:27 Why 250K Means Freedom 17:55 Giving Goals and Autopilot Money 18:50 Timeline to 250K and Cutting Consulting 20:02 Cars and Lifestyle Boundaries 20:41 Host Shares His 200–250K Target 24:12 Retirement vs Taxable Investing Debate 25:01 Family Priorities and Catching Up 27:38 Budgeting Reality Check 30:37 What It Takes to Net 200K 33:01 How to Scale to 250K Net 34:25 Client Math and Pricing Strategy 35:05 Wrap Up and Listener Q&A

  7. Sep 17 ·  Video

    Own your Firm Episode 3: Who is Logan Graf?

    Send us Fan Mail Logan Graff’s Origin Story: From UIL Accounting to Launching a Virtual Tax Firm Logan Graff and AJ Zepeda introduce an episode of the Own Your Firm podcast focused on Logan, briefly discuss possibly attending QuickBooks Connect, and joke about doing a live podcast from the beach. Logan shares personal background (living in Austin, married 12 years, three daughters), interests (a 1965 Mustang project, fitness, hiking, mountain biking, making pizza), and that his faith in Christ is central to his life, noting it influenced AJ to speak about it online. Logan explains how he became an accountant through high school accounting classes and UIL competitions, then an internship at Padgett Stradoman (later merged with RSM), and being rejected by Big Four. After being terminated from Padgett, he moved to smaller firms, pursued a partner path, became a tax director at a tiny firm, and ultimately launched his own firm in 2020 by purchasing about 60 clients and starting with roughly 90–100 during COVID. He describes early challenges (income stability, taking the wrong work), later focusing on pricing and client fit, and his current setup: about 130 clients, $250k–$300k revenue, a remote CPA manager, and splitting time across firm, community, and content. His advice to day-one Logan is to worry less, take the right clients, and raise rates faster. 00:00 Welcome Back and AJ Shoutout 00:42 QuickBooks Connect and Beach Plans 01:28 Meet Logan Graff 03:02 Hobbies Fitness and Pizza 05:04 Faith and Speaking Up 06:01 Origin Story Becoming an Accountant 08:48 Early Career Internships and Big Four 11:08 Fired Then Finding the Ownership Path 14:57 Launching the Firm During COVID 17:59 Early Struggles Pricing and Survival Mode 20:07 Graff Tax Co Today Team Clients Revenue 21:37 Advice to Day One Logan and Wrap Up

  8. Sep 17 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 2: Who is AJ Zepeda?

    Send us Fan Mail AJ Zepeda and Logan Graf introduce the new Own Your Firm podcast and begin by sharing AJ’s background. AJ describes himself as a quirky, tattooed accountant, a father of three, churchgoer, HYROX athlete, and Rivian owner. He explains his firm today: a tech-forward, client-focused practice with seven employees, three partners (including a tax partner), about $500K in annual sales, and a mostly virtual setup with an office in Tyler, Texas. AJ recounts stumbling into accounting after leaving electrical engineering, becoming an accounting manager right after college, and learning management through early mistakes. He later worked at Kruze, Acuity (running a crypto practice), and served as COO at Tooth and Coin (dental niche) before launching his current firm with partners, merging books of business and teams. He discusses lessons on pricing, firing clients sooner, month-end close by the 15th, and plans to target construction clients in East Texas. 00:00 Podcast Kickoff  00:46 Meet The Hosts  01:30 AJ Personal Intro  02:32 Fitness And Rivian  04:18 Firm Snapshot Today  05:57 Becoming An Accountant  08:24 Early Career Leadership  11:55 Burnout And Startup Shift  14:59 Path To Firm Ownership  17:44 Launching With Partners  20:45 Lessons And Daily Rhythm  23:31 Owning The Firm  24:08 Next Six Months Goals  24:44 Wrap Up And Mustaches

  9. Sep 8 ·  Video

    Own Your Firm Episode 1

    Send us Fan Mail Own Your Firm: Why We’re Starting This Podcast and What to Expect AJ and Logan announce their new podcast, “Own Your Firm,” created as scheduled “bro time” and a space to discuss how firm owners can build businesses that don’t lead to burnout. They explain the title’s inspiration and aim to help accountants become better business owners, noting industry trends like consolidation, acquisitions, and AI. Planned topics include running firms effectively, bridging CAS and tax perspectives, light current events, listener questions, and pulling discussions from Logan’s accounting firm owner community, Counter, plus possible product/tech reviews and a “random” segment. They share brief personal backgrounds: both are Christian dads with three kids; AJ (32) worked at small and large firms, including niche dental accounting, now owns a firm with partners and does consulting; Logan (35) runs The Graff Tax Co. (founded 2020), creates content, and built Counter to about 280 members. 00:00 Podcast Kickoff 00:49 Why Own Your Firm 02:12 Firms That Dont Own You 04:11 Planned Segments And Reviews 08:27 From Job To Business Owner 12:15 Meet AJ Background Story 16:53 Meet Logan Counter And Firm 19:17 Future Ideas And Wrap Up

  • 9 Episodes

About

A podcast by two firm owners trying to figure it out one step at a time. AJ & Logan have been running their own firms for a few years and have come together to share stories, thoughts and insights on what that means and hopefully help some other firm owners through their journey. 

Information

  • Creator
    AJ Zepeda & Logan Graf
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Own Your Firm
  • Show Website
    Own Your Firm

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