When you start your firm, you do everything. Everything. That’s the nature of going out on your own.

If you’ve been a reader of this newsletter for the past year or so, you know that I (perhaps we) have been facing a higher level of client disengagements (i.e. clients firing me/us) due to cashflow concerns.

Before I left my corporate life, I worked for a 100+ year old, then-Fortune 50 company (yes 50, not 500). It was a goliath of an organization.

I’m back from sabbatical!! I survived!…if not thrived. This was my first sabbatical of entrepreneurship after 8 years of firm-running. I’ve taken plenty of vacations, but I’m loosely defining sabbatical here as 4 weeks or more away from work.

For the first 3-4 years of firm running, I was SO afraid. So very afraid. Of everything. I was afraid of messing up, of wasting time, of wasting money, all of it.

In late 2024, I had the opportunity to interview Jillian Johnsrud, author of Retire Often, on my Consultants + Money podcast.

I can’t believe it, but the first season of Life First Accounting Firm is officially in the books!

Is it summer by you? I write this as the windows are thrown up, my kids are at VBS for a couple hours, and I’m debating if I want to hike up a mountain or kayak down a river this weekend.

Yesterday in Aligned Accountants, we hosted a panel discussion on tax scheduling. (Tax scheduling = having your clients sign up for a specific week they want you to complete their tax return.)

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

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

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.

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?

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.