How do you run 6-figure accounting firm in only 15 hours a week? How do you do it? What’s the magic formula?

I’m at a local networking event all day today (I wrote this yesterday). After years of focusing on national and virtual reach for finding new clients, I now have a growing itch to focus locally for lead generation.

A couple weeks ago, I got out of my office and met up with a bunch of accountants celebrating the end of tax season.

Last week, fellow subscriber Lori Yearwood, CPA asked this question and I think the answer is worth sharing more broadly…Curious – what types of services are you providing to clients that you would consider CFO type services?

Admittedly, I was really nervous when I hit ‘Send’ on last week’s newsletter. Maybe I was totally off base. Maybe it was just me…And then you flooded my inbox with replies.

I think there’s downward pricing pressure facing our industry right now. Full stop. (All the value-pricing spokespeople just unsubscribed. It’s fine.)

Hey 15 Hour Accountant Newsletter Crew! I’m excited to let you know that the Life First Accounting Firm podcastis LIVE today! Season 1 is called Starting Stories and are interviews with solo firm owners that have started accounting, tax, and bookkeeping firms in the past 3 years.

I’ve been a ChatGPT user since 2023. I’m not an AI junkie. And I don’t think AI is going to cripple the accounting industry. But I do think as AI rapidly evolves, we’ll see it affect the industry’s competition, pricing, and available efficiency - all of which will affect all of us.

Last week, I enjoyed a week away from work / home / the US with our family for Spring Break > cute family photo on LinkedIn here. This LinkedIn post spawned a comment-conversation about how I don’t feel bogged down by email when I get back from a no-email-checking vacation.

Once in a while, I’ll get a DM conversation like this:

Accountant: I want to go to an accounting conference this year! Which one is the best?

Me: Depends. What do you want to get out of it?

Accountant: Um…accounting conference…stuff?

I’m launching a brand new podcast. It's called the Life First Accounting Firm podcast, and it's for solo firm owners (and accountants thinking about starting their own firm) who want success without giving up their life outside of work.

With absolutely nothing to do with accounting, here’s what’s going on with…

Your accounting firm can stay ultra-small…and you can hire. Both can be true. You don’t have to do it all yourself. And you don’t have to feel like you’ve lost a battle if bringing someone into your work would help you.

A few weeks back, I shared my firm’s 2025 P&L details. You can catch up here, if you missed it. I also asked for you to hit reply for any and all questions you had.

At a high level, I think there are 2 ways to grow an accounting firm…Option 1: Fast & Furious or Option 2: Slow & Methodical

Last week, I talked through my 2025 Financials and historical trends at a high level (you can catch up here, if you missed it). This week, I’m diving into the details.

My books (and my clients’ books) are officially closed for 2025.1099s are filed and accepted. Now I just need to field or dodge all the “quick” tax questions from friends, neighbors, and extended family during the next few months.

I started my firm’s newsletter in 2021. It was the year our youngest went to full day 1st grade and I finally had newfound capacity to take on more clients. It was also the year I started posting on social (mainly IG at the time). I was marketing for the first time.

About a month ago, deep inside one single line of The 15 Hour Accountant Newsletter, I casually mentioned that I’m pulling back on my newsletter (my firm newsletter called “Money Stuff”, not this one!) and my podcast. You can read the original mention here.

If taking the first step to starting your own accounting / tax / CAS / fractional CFO firm is on your 2026 resolution list, and you don’t know where to start, here are the 5 simple foundational steps to building the foundation of your firm: