Between 2 Firms

Saga Accounting Solutions
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Real conversations with accounting business owners.

  1. Sep 16

    25 - Mike Jesowshek - From Accounting Firm to SaaS: Turning Tax Strategy Into a Software Product

    Mike Jesowshek joins Nick to break down how he went from teenage entrepreneurship and online marketing to launching a cloud-based accounting firm in 2013, eventually adding tax planning after seeing how often business owners struggled to get proactive strategy from their existing accountants. They dig into how the Small Business Tax Savings Podcast became both an education platform and lead engine, why Mike sold a majority stake in his accounting firm in 2021, and how that transition ultimately led to TaxElm, a software platform built around personalized tax strategy rather than tax prep. Mike shares lessons from an earlier failed software launch, including why getting an MVP to market matters more than building the perfect product, plus how he is now using Claude, AI-assisted coding, and a technical partner to accelerate development. The conversation also covers building a company that does not depend on the founder, balancing software with human tax support, creating an advisor portal for accounting firms and financial advisors, and continually reducing the time it takes business owners to implement tax strategies correctly. To connect with Mike, check out his podcast and company's websites: TaxSavingsPodcast.com TaxElm.com and follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejesowshek If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

    25 - Mike Jesowshek - From Accounting Firm to SaaS: Turning Tax Strategy Into a Software Product

  2. Sep 2

    24 - Jason Blumer - AI, Change Management, and People-Oriented Systems for Accounting Firms

    Jason Blumer joins Nick to break down how he went from playing in rock bands to becoming a CPA, joining his father’s firm, and eventually helping turn Blumer CPAs into a fully virtual practice. They dig into what remote firms get wrong about process and culture, how Jason’s team is using AI as a change-management tool, and why firms need intentional systems to help people actually adopt new ways of working. Jason also shares lessons from niching into digital agencies, broadening toward entrepreneurs as the market shifted, and building a repeatable marketing engine around long-form content, transcripts, Claude, and structured campaigns. The conversation also covers virtual hiring, firm growth, practice management, and the tools and ideas shaping Jason’s work today. To connect with Jason, check out his website and LinkedIn: https://www.jasonblumer.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumer and check out his firms' websites and his book: https://www.blumercpas.com https://www.thrival.com https://www.scalewithpurpose.info If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

  3. Aug 19

    23 - Randy Crabtree - From Managing Partner to Speaker, Creator, and Industry Advocate

    Randy Crabtree joins Nick to trace a career that has taken him from computer programming and food sales to building, selling, and reinventing multiple accounting-related businesses. Randy shares the story behind launching his first CPA firm with a $60,000 book of business, growing it into a $600,000 generalist practice, and eventually stepping away after realizing the tax-heavy model was creating burnout and taking too much time away from his family. They dig into how Randy later co-founded Tri-Merit around R&D tax credits, built an education-first referral model through CPA firms and associations, and helped grow the specialty tax firm to roughly 70 people. Randy also explains why he eventually gave up the managing partner role, leaned into speaking, education, and thought leadership, and learned to build his career around the work he actually enjoys. The conversation also covers the lasting impact of his 2014 stroke, his focus on mental health and burnout in the accounting profession, the evolution of the Bridging the Gap conference and Unique CPA podcast, and his next chapter through The Brainstorm Group, where his guiding philosophy is simple: “be nice and have fun.” To connect with Randy, check out his website and LinkedIn: https://www.randycrabtree.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-crabtree-cpa-1945a67 and check out his podcast and conference: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-unique-cpa/id1484824707 https://open.spotify.com/show/6UI4YbnrPibRD3n03yzdo5 www.btgconference.com If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

  4. Aug 5

    22 - Serena Shoup - From Accountant to Firm Owner, Mentor, and Content Creator

    Serena Shoup joins Nick to share how an unexpected start handling deposits and accounts payable at a local food co-op led to an accounting degree, a CPA license, and eventually two businesses built around flexibility and family life. She explains how Of Course Financial evolved from a handful of Upwork clients into a streamlined firm serving online businesses, supported by a team of bookkeepers and an account manager. They also unpack the accidental rise of Ambitious Bookkeeper, which began as a blog answering common bookkeeping questions before growing into digital products, coaching cohorts, and advisory training. Serena breaks down how she validates offers before creating them, why she prefers one-time course pricing with lifetime access over memberships, and the realities of balancing a recurring-revenue firm with a content-driven personal brand. The conversation also covers email marketing, automated testimonial requests, referral systems, paid workshops, diagnostic offers, and the tools behind her workflow, including Dubsado, Kajabi, Loomly, Notion, Xero, and Slack. To connect with Serena, check out her website and socials: https://www.ambitiousbookkeeper.com/ https://instagram.com/ambitiousbookkeeper https://youtube.com/@ambitiousbookkeeper https://www.facebook.com/serenashoupcpa https://linkedin.com/in/serenashoup If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

  5. Jul 22

    21 - Evan Schroedel - From Corporate Layoff to 70 Tax Returns in His First Solo Tax Season

    Evan Schroedel joins Nick to break down how he went from Big Four audit, consulting, and SOX compliance to launching a solo CPA firm after his corporate role came to an end. They discuss how Evan built the practice without an established client base or traditional tax-firm background, using local networking, referrals, Google reviews, and transparent LinkedIn posts to reach roughly 80 clients in his first nine months. Evan shares how he decides which tax work to accept, why AI is most useful as a research starting point rather than a final authority, and the importance of knowing when a complex engagement is outside your lane. The conversation also covers three-tier pricing, upfront billing, balancing filing-only work with year-round planning, and creating a strong client experience through TaxDome workflows, automated follow-ups, and Loom videos. Evan also explains why he is staying with Drake, considering cloud hosting and administrative help, and building a firm around responsiveness, flexibility, family, and time outdoors. To connect with Evan, check out his LinkedIn and website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-schroedel-cpa-95098546 https://www.evanthecpa.com/ If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

    21 - Evan Schroedel - From Corporate Layoff to 70 Tax Returns in His First Solo Tax Season

  6. Jul 8

    20 - Melissa Harman - Bookkeeping vs. Controllership: Building a Six-Figure Firm as a Side Hustle

    Melissa Harman joins Nick to break down how she went from public accounting and BDO to building Mission First Advisory while still working full time as a corporate assistant controller. They dig into how her first client in 2023 turned into a six-figure firm by 2025, all while navigating pregnancy, a new baby, and intentionally hiring help early instead of trying to do everything herself. Melissa shares why she moved away from tax, refuses to position her work as “just bookkeeping,” and instead sells full-cycle controllership for scaling service-based businesses. The conversation also covers her $3,000 monthly minimum, how a client helped her realize she was undercharging, and why accountants often undervalue the operational relief they provide. Melissa also walks through how she uses Ramp for AP, bill pay, approvals, reimbursements, and spend management, plus how Asana keeps the firm organized and how her retiring Air Force husband will help expand the firm’s CFO arm. To connect with Melissa, check out her firm's website and socials: https://www.mymissionfirst.com/ https://www.instagram.com/missionfirst.cpa/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissaharmancpa/ If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

    20 - Melissa Harman - Bookkeeping vs. Controllership: Building a Six-Figure Firm as a Side Hustle

  7. Jun 24

    19 - David Tunstall - From Audit to AI-Driven Firm Ownership: Building Around Better Tools

    David Tunstall joins Nick to break down how a layoff from public company financial reporting pushed him into firm ownership, starting with door knocking, nonprofit contract work, and early small business clients before formally building The Tunstall Organization. He shares how his practice has evolved from QuickBooks Desktop, PCs, and early cloud accounting into a modern mix of QBO, Xero, TaxDome, ProConnect, Tallyfor, Replit, Cursor, and AI-driven experimentation. The conversation dives into how new tools are changing accounting firm workflows, from workpapers and trial balances to custom general ledger tools, pricing calculators, client portals, and practice management systems, while also exploring the practical tension between AI opportunity, data security, client adoption, and the day-to-day realities of running the firm. David and Nick also discuss standardizing firm tech stacks, communicating the client-facing value of platforms like Ramp, treating AI as R&D, and building systems that help business owners get better information and make smarter decisions. To connect with David, visit his firm's website: https://tunstallorg.com If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

    19 - David Tunstall - From Audit to AI-Driven Firm Ownership: Building Around Better Tools

  8. Jun 10

    18 - James Heyward - From Vinyl to Corporate to Virtual: James' Path to Running His Own Firm

    James Heyward joins Nick to break down how he grew up around accounting through his father’s practice, took a detour through Duke, DJing, record promotion, and owning a vinyl-only retail store, then eventually returned to accounting and launched Heyward CPA in 2010. He shares how early business ownership taught him how to survive as a firm owner, why corporate accounting felt too siloed after public accounting, and how the timing of leaving a stable paycheck became a family and lifestyle decision as much as a career one. James walks through how his firm grew through word of mouth, website lead generation, SEO, Google Ads, and a focus on serving the African American business community, plus how he is now refining that funnel to attract more growth-minded business owners rather than simply chasing volume. The conversation also dives into advisory positioning, why not every client is an advisory client, and how James thinks accountants should stop centering the value of their work only on deliverables and instead charge for process, judgment, accessibility, and client communication. He explains the firm’s move away from traditional ongoing bookkeeping toward a “Be Your Own Bookkeeper” model built around training, oversight, quarterly meetings, and stronger client ownership of the numbers. They wrap with lessons on pricing, filtering bad-fit prospects, using tools like Jetpack Workflow and Help Scout to manage workflow and client communication, and building a practice that reduces aggravation while creating better conversations with business owners. To connect with James, visit his firm's website: https://www.heywardcpa.com/ Check out his podcast Heyward CPA Live: https://www.youtube.com/@heywardcpa If you would like to connect with us visit: https://sagaaccounting.com/ or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854

    18 - James Heyward - From Vinyl to Corporate to Virtual: James' Path to Running His Own Firm
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Real conversations with accounting business owners.

Information

  • Creator
    Saga Accounting Solutions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Saga Accounting Solutions
  • Show Website
    Between 2 Firms