Practice Success Podcast

Hosted by Canopy

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Have you wondered what it takes to thrive in the accounting industry? Or how the experts established their successful careers? Learn from industry experts with Canopy. In each episode of the Practice Success Podcast, Canopy takes a deep dive with accounting professionals, exploring their career trajectory, extracting advice for firms, and discussing the latest trending topics.

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August 26, 2026Episode 3724 min

Luke Frye on Why Tax Season Is the Best Time to Start a Firm

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , Luke Frye explains how he built his own tax practice to $500,000 in recurring revenue in a little over four years without raising a dollar. He walks through the math on a single S-Corp client, six touchpoints a year instead of one, and why the quarterly projection is the piece accountants undercharge for most. Luke also compares what he learned as the first accountant at Bench.co, where Facebook ads drove growth, with what he had to do on his own: chambers of commerce, BNI groups, and teaching classes at camera stores to reach photographers. He explains why he runs his sales pipeline in HubSpot with the same rigor his partner runs the client list, why he's a Deming guy about visualizing work, and why he thinks accounting firms should stop building their own software. The conversation closes on private equity and succession, and Luke's argument that you should decide how your partnership ends while you're still happy in it. If you're building a firm you actually want to own, this episode shows how recurring revenue comes together one touchpoint at a time. What You'll Learn Why Luke built his practice around single member LLCs and S corporations, the entity he calls "everyman's entity" How one S-Corp client turns into six touchpoints a year instead of one Why handing clients last year's safe harbor number undercharges for the answer they actually want How treating your sales pipeline like a client deliverable will double your sales Why March 1st to April 15th is the best window to launch a new firm, when every other firm has stopped taking clients What Luke burned through before year three clicked, including his savings and credit cards How automating proposals, e-signatures, payments, and invoices saves 40 hours a week for two months Why "playing not to lose" costs firm owners more than the software they refuse to buy Why you should decide how your partnership ends while you and your partner are still happy Why Luke thinks firms should buy software instead of building it, and what maintenance really costs Connect With Luke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukefrye/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

August 19, 2026Episode 3623 min

Jonathan Medows on Why the Right Clients Find You

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! How Writing Built a Niche CPA Practice for Freelancers and the Self-Employed With Jonathan Medows, CPA, Founder and Managing Member of Medows CPA and Founder of CPA for Freelancers® Most accountants don't write. Jonathan Medows built a firm on it. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , Jonathan Medows shares how he went from one client and a Craigslist ad in 2004 to a 15-person New York City firm serving freelancers, creatives, clergy, and independent professionals. The niche wasn't a plan. It came from paying attention to which clients he actually enjoyed serving, and where he added the most value. Jonathan explains why he writes constantly, how that content teaches him and his staff as much as it attracts clients, and why articles are showing up in AI-driven search results for the exact questions his ideal clients are asking. He also walks through the workflow he built to route returns by risk level, the culture of accountability he looks for when hiring, and why he'd rather let a client leave than fire them. The conversation closes with rapid fire advice: the deduction New York firms are too cautious about, why new business owners go backwards before they go forward, and the one habit every self-employed person needs. If you're building a firm around a specific type of client, or wondering whether content marketing is worth the time, this episode gives you a practical, unglamorous look at what it actually takes. What You'll Learn How Jonathan found his freelancer niche by tracking which clients he enjoyed most Why writing articles makes you a better technician, not just a better marketer How consistent content builds domain authority and shows up in AI search results Why you should hire a copy editor instead of trying to write everything yourself How to route tax returns by risk level so work lands at the right supervision tier Why tiered pricing and services beat a one-size-fits-all offer for self-employed clients How to raise fees professionally so clients leave on their own instead of being fired What Jonathan looks for in new hires, and why he'll happily hire siblings Why the home office deduction is underused and travel and meals get firms audited What to expect financially in your first years of self-employment Connect With Jonathan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-medows-cpa-9729702/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

August 5, 2026Episode 3528 min

The Software Mistake That's Quietly Costing Your Clients Money

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! The Software Mistake That's Quietly Costing Your Clients Money With Alicia Katz Pollock, Owner of Royalwise What happens when a business owner thinks QuickBooks is easy enough to run on their own, and it isn't? In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , Alicia Katz Pollock, the "Queen of QuickBooks" and owner of Royalwise, breaks down the gap between what Intuit teaches and what firms actually need to know. She walks through the most common (and most expensive) QuickBooks mistake she sees, why certification only gets you to the fundamentals, and how she built a training business that goes far deeper than any 10-minute tutorial. The conversation covers how Royalwise evolved from in-person classes to a national training and coaching community, why firms are shifting from bookkeeping into advisory, and how AI-driven reporting tools are finally giving bookkeepers the data they need to have real advisory conversations. Alicia also makes the case for niching by client style or size, not just industry. Whether you're a bookkeeper looking to move into CAS, a firm owner deciding whether to train your clients or do everything for them, or someone who just wants to get more out of the software you're already paying for, this episode is packed with practical, real-world takeaways. What You'll Learn Why the banking feed and Undeposited Funds are where most QuickBooks errors start, and how they lead to duplicated income and overpaid taxes How Royalwise grew from local, in-person classes into a national training and coaching business Why Intuit's official certification only teaches the fundamentals, and what a deeper, real-world curriculum adds How custom-branded training portals let firms offer education as part of their service menu without building it themselves Why a niche doesn't have to be an industry, and how client style, size, or life stage can define your specialty How new AI-powered KPI boards and anomaly detection in QuickBooks Online Advanced are opening the door to advisory work What separates a pro advisor from someone who just knows which buttons to click Why hands-on practice, not just watching videos, is what actually builds confidence with the software Connect With Alicia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciakatzpollock Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

July 22, 2026Episode 3449 min

Jason Staats on What Firms Get Wrong About AI Security

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Why Firms Keep Falling for AI Hype, and How to Actually Use It Well With Jason Staats, Founder of Jason On Firms How does a firm separate real AI progress from another landing page dressed up as a breakthrough? In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, host Luke Frye sits down with Jason Staats, who ran a $5 million accounting firm before launching and selling a SaaS product and becoming one of the most trusted voices in accounting on AI strategy. Jason explains why validating new tools with peers beats trusting any coach, YouTuber, or vendor, and walks through the real security gap between consumer and business AI plans, including why redacting client data isn't the safety net most firms think it is. The conversation covers far more than tools. Jason and Luke dig into how firms can use AI to restore human touch points instead of replacing them, why cutting junior hires to lean on AI creates a talent pipeline problem down the road, and what the latest IRS guidance on AI in tax prep actually gets right. They also tackle capacity planning without toxic time tracking, why "protecting the client list" is the highest-leverage work an owner can do, and how PE, staffing shortages, and AI are reshaping the profession at the same time. Whether you're a partner deciding what to greenlight, a solo practitioner trying to learn without a team around you, or an operations manager trying to bring skeptical partners along, this episode offers a grounded, no-hype look at where AI actually helps and where it doesn't. What You'll Learn Why validating new AI tools and vendors with peers beats trusting coaches, influencers, or landing pages How consumer AI plans differ from business plans, and why that difference matters for client data Why redacting documents before uploading them to AI isn't a realistic firm-wide policy How AI can restore client touch points that got cut during overcapacity, instead of replacing them Why cutting junior hires to lean on AI creates a talent pipeline problem for the firm's future How to structure a weekly AI habit that builds a learning culture instead of a mandate people fake Why time tracking still matters for capacity planning, even if it's not used to police staff How firms can protect and upgrade their client list instead of trying to serve everyone Connect With Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

July 8, 2026Episode 3328 min

Jennifer Witts: People, Process, or Tech: What Scaling Firms Need First

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Why Operational Infrastructure Matters More Than Chasing Growth With Jennifer Witts, Partner in Client Advisory Services at CohnReznick Most accounting firms treat growth as the goal instead of the outcome. Jennifer Witts, a CPA and Partner in Client Advisory Services at CohnReznick, has spent her career building the operational backbone that lets CAS practices grow without breaking their client service. Jennifer walks through why defining an ideal client profile comes before any conversation about sales, how verticalization lets teams build real expertise instead of learning fifteen different systems, and why the hardest skill in scaling a practice is learning to say no to the wrong client. She also breaks down the operational warning signs, poor retention and rising staff turnover, that signal a firm isn't ready for more growth, and why lifetime value is the metric most firms overlook. Whether you're trying to move upmarket, fix a retention problem, or just build the systems to support the growth you already have, this conversation gives you a practical framework for scaling responsibly. What You'll Learn Why chasing growth before fixing client service causes firms to lose the clients they just won How to use an ideal client profile to decide which clients to pursue, and which to turn down Why verticalization helps your team build real expertise instead of spreading thin across systems How to say no to a bad-fit client without damaging a referral relationship Why onboarding is the most important process for setting up long-term client success What retention and staff turnover reveal about whether your firm is ready to grow Why lifetime value, not hours billed, should drive your pricing strategy Connect With Jennifer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferwittscpa/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

June 24, 2026Episode 3227 min

Facts vs. Stories: How Self-Awareness Makes Better Leaders

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Trust, Self-Awareness, and the Stories Leaders Tell Themselves With Lori Zukin, CEO and Founder of Zukin Leadership Most trust problems in accounting firms aren't interpersonal. They're structural. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , organizational psychologist and executive coach Lori Zukin breaks down what trust actually is, why it breaks down in firms, and what leaders can do about it. Lori draws on 25 years of coaching executives across professional services, her work facilitating leadership programs for Simon Sinek's Optimism Company, and her experience running leadership immersions for high-potential accountants at Baker Tilly. The conversation covers the psychology behind trust, self-awareness, and the stories we tell ourselves about colleagues — including a deceptively simple exercise that separates facts from opinions and immediately reduces conflict. Lori also shares the framework she uses to help leaders understand their state of mind and why getting above the line before a hard conversation changes everything. Whether you're a partner navigating a PE transition, a manager stepping into a new leadership role, or someone who's wondered whether an executive coach might help — this episode gives you a clear and practical picture of what the work looks like. What You'll Learn Why most trust problems on accounting teams are structural, not interpersonal How to break trust down into three components: capability, reliability, and intention The facts vs. opinions exercise that immediately reduces unnecessary conflict What "above the line" and "below the line" mean — and how to use it before a hard conversation When the right time to work with an executive coach actually is The difference between executive coaching and life coaching Why self-awareness outranks experience as the most important long-term leadership skill The most overlooked leadership skill in accounting firm leaders today Why wisdom matters more than knowledge when it comes to long-term growth Connect With Lori LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lori-zukin-19a317a/?skipRedirect=true Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

June 11, 2026Episode 3129 min

Why Timely Financials Are Table Stakes, Not the Destination, for CAS

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Why Timely Financials Are Table Stakes, Not the Destination, for CAS With Michelle Voyer, Director of Client Advisory Services at CohnReznick Advisory Most CAS firms exert everything they have just to deliver the monthly package. That's the problem. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , Michelle Voyer, CPA, MBA, and Director of Client Advisory Services at CohnReznick Advisory, shares why the race to produce timely, accurate financials is where too many practices stop — and how AI and automation are finally making it possible to go further. Michelle brings 17 years of building and scaling CAS across small firms, tech platforms, and national organizations. The conversation explores what it actually takes to move clients from basic financial reporting to real advisory relationships, how to build technology expertise without burning out your team, and why the right response to imposter syndrome is building the right network around you. Whether you're leading a CAS team at a large firm or scaling one from scratch, this episode offers an honest, practical look at what's working, what's overhyped, and what's worth your attention right now. What You'll Learn Why the desire to advise — not just the tools — is the true foundation of CAS How firms get stuck producing the monthly close instead of delivering advisory value Why AI and automation matter most for speeding up the close, not replacing the advisor How to build technology expertise by staying hands-on with demos and client implementations Why knowing the systems you didn't select is just as important as knowing the ones you did How to help your team embrace change instead of just endure it What it means to be a "shepherd" for clients when you don't have every answer Why you're probably not as far behind on AI as you think Connect With Michelle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellevoyer/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

May 28, 2026Episode 3027 min

Blake Oliver: Why Busy Season Is Optional

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Busy season is brutal. The pay never feels like enough for the hours. The work gets repetitive. Most accountants accept this as the cost of the profession. Blake Oliver doesn't buy it. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Blake Oliver, CPA and founder of Earmark, makes the case that virtually every problem plaguing the accounting profession is self-inflicted. From arbitrary tax deadlines to billable hours models that punish the people they're supposed to reward, Blake argues that the profession built its own cage, and that the way out is simpler than most people think. The conversation also covers the three types of data every accountant is missing, why bookkeeping is the most underrated foundation in the profession, and how Blake built a fully remote firm that evaluated people on output rather than hours — before that was common practice. Whether you're grinding through your tenth busy season or quietly wondering if there's a better way to run a firm, this episode gives you a framework and the permission to think differently. What You'll Learn Why Blake Oliver believes all the major problems in accounting are self-inflicted, including busy season How the billable hours model creates a direct incentive for firms to overwork their staff The three types of data every accountant needs to forecast a business: accounting, operational, and people data Why advisory services aren't a product you sell, but a regular meeting you get paid to show up to How to build a fully remote accounting firm that measures output, not hours Why bookkeeping is the strongest foundation for high-value accounting work How arbitrary deadlines like April 15th create workload crunches that firms can manage around What it actually takes to leave the traditional firm model and build something better Connect With Blake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

May 13, 2026Episode 2933 min

Ali Bawi: Your Accounting Data Is Telling You Something — Are You Listening?

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! In this episode of Canopy Practice Success , Ali Bawi, an entrepreneur-turned-CPA, makes the case that firm owners are sitting on a goldmine of data they're not using. Ali has worked across the spectrum — from Fortune 100 corporate strategy to transforming small, traditional tax offices — and he's seen the same pattern play out every time: big companies use their numbers to drive decisions, while smaller firms use them to check a box. Ali walks through exactly what it looks like to apply a Fortune 100 mindset to a small firm. He breaks down a real engagement where he helped an overwhelmed, underpriced tax office escape $250-a-month retainers, cut unprofitable clients, and build a business model that actually worked. He also shares lessons from a creative small business client that loved trade shows — until the data showed the website was far more profitable, with a fraction of the effort. Whether you're buried in busy season or starting to think about what your firm's next chapter looks like, this episode is a practical guide to running your business with the same intentionality you'd bring to your best clients. What You'll Learn Why accounting is the language of business — and how to use it to make better decisions, not just file returns How Starbucks uses data to understand customer behavior, and what accounting firms can learn from it Why a "good client" and a "profitable client" are not the same thing — and how to tell the difference How to break down your revenue streams by actual profitability, not just top-line revenue Why fixed-fee pricing and task-based time tracking can replace hourly billing without losing visibility How one traditional tax office was transformed by building a practice management system with full owner visibility Why delegating work to the right skill level is both a profitability decision and a morale decision How to use Excel to find your ideal pricing — no expensive software required Connect With Ali LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-bawi/ Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.

April 22, 2026Episode 2831 min

The Right Tech Starts with Knowing Who You Serve

Send us your thoughts or what you want to hear more about! Most accounting firms evaluate technology the wrong way. They start with the tool instead of starting with the client. In this episode of Canopy Practice Success, Roman Kepczyk — one of the most respected firm technology consultants in the profession — lays out the three-step framework he uses to help firms build a tech stack that actually fits: understand your client base, evaluate how your work is allocated, and lean on your community before you ever open a demo. Roman explains why the same tax software can be the right answer for one firm and the wrong one for another, how post-season debriefs become the fuel for real improvement, and what firms consistently get wrong about AI. He also takes on the myth of throwing out your timesheets — and why the message has been misunderstood. Whether you're thinking about switching practice management software, introducing AI, or just trying to get the right work to the right people, this episode gives you a practical framework for evaluating where your firm stands. What You'll Learn • Why your ideal client profile is the foundation of every tech decision your firm makes • How to run a post-tax-season debrief that actually leads to change • Why senior-level people are often doing low-value work — and how workflow tools fix that • What AI vendors are getting wrong when they claim AI capabilities • Why community is the most underrated resource for evaluating accounting software • How to use the Lean Six Sigma premortem to identify risks before a project fails • What the "throw out your timesheets" movement actually means — and what it doesn't • How tiered pricing models eliminate the guesswork around billing and scope creep Connect With Roman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romankepczyk/ RightWorks: https://rightworks.com Subscribe to Canopy Practice Success If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and follow Canopy Practice Success wherever you listen to podcasts.