If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “yes” to one more client favor — knowing it won’t make it to the invoice — this episode is for you.

Host Lee Reams II, founder of CountingWorks PRO, and co-host Rebekah Barton break down one of the most common profit leaks in accounting and advisory firms: service creep.

They’ll walk you through:

• What service creep actually looks like (and why it’s so easy to miss)
• Why even seasoned pros struggle to say no
• How to set better boundaries with clear engagement letters and proposals
• Polite, ready-to-use scripts for out-of-scope client requests
• Simple automation tools that protect your time and margins

You’ll also learn how modern firms are using digital proposals, client intake, and automated engagement renewals to turn scope creep into structured, billable work — without awkward client conversations.

💡 Key takeaway: Saying “no” isn’t the goal — saying “yes” the right way is.

Quotes & Data Mentioned:

• 89% of firms have avoided scope conversations (Ignition Scope Creep Survey)
• Firms lose roughly $85,000 a year in unbilled work (Libeo Survey)
• Up to 20% of revenue disappears through service creep (ScopeKeeper Advisory Report)

If you’re ready to protect your profit, empower your team, and create a firm that values your expertise — this episode is a must-listen.

🎙️ The Growth Minded Accountant — helping accounting and advisory professionals grow smarter, stronger, and more profitable.

Referrals have always powered accounting firm growth — but what happens when word-of-mouth goes digital?

In this episode, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack how AI is quietly reshaping visibility, referrals, and client acquisition for accountants. From ChatGPT’s recommendations to Google’s new AI-driven search, algorithms are already deciding which firms get found — and which disappear.

You’ll learn:

• Why AI is the new middleman between you and your next client
• How algorithms interpret trust, authority, and authenticity
• The three moves every accountant should make now to stay visible
• Why “cookie cutter” firms are being erased — and how narrative wins

It’s not science fiction — it’s the next referral revolution.
Tune in to learn how to make sure AI knows your story before your competitors do.

Funnels are dead. And in this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton explain why the old lead-generation playbook no longer works—and what accountants must do instead.

For years, firms were told to rely on funnels: fill the top with ads and PDFs, nurture with email, and push leads down until they buy. But in Fall 2025, that’s not how clients make decisions.

Clients now:

• Google you, check Yelp, scroll LinkedIn, and DM a friend.
• Ask ChatGPT who the best advisor is (and trust the recommendation).
• Get their answers directly from Google’s AI Overviews, often without ever clicking a website.

The result? Funnels don’t just leak—they’re broken.

In their place comes the Narrative Ecosystem: a consistent story told across every touchpoint—your website, Google profile, proposals, onboarding, and even your newsletters. It’s the only way to win in a world where AI is deciding what people see and who they trust.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional funnels no longer match today’s discovery process.
• How Google’s AI-first SERPs and ChatGPT’s dominance are reshaping trust.
• What a Narrative Ecosystem looks like in practice for accountants and advisory firms.
• How AI can amplify your narrative across every client interaction.
• Practical steps to move from funnel-thinking to ecosystem growth.

👉 Funnels are relics. Narrative ecosystems are the future. And with CountingWorks PRO powered by MAX, tax pros and accountants can finally scale smarter and faster—without more headcount or cookie-cutter marketing.

Subscribe to The Growth Minded Accountant wherever you listen to podcasts—and discover how to build a modern, visible, and advisory-first firm in the AI era.

Welcome to another episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant Podcast, hosted by Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton. This week we’re tackling one of the most urgent challenges facing accounting firms in 2025: the hidden cost of delaying AI adoption.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The invisible tax of doing nothing: why waiting on AI is costing you revenue, hours, and growth.
• AI search visibility: how platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing client discovery — and what happens if your firm isn’t included.
• Productivity gaps: real-world examples of firms reclaiming hundreds of hours with AI for proposals, engagement letters, tax research, and client communications.
• Talent and retention: why Gen Z expects AI-ready firms, and how delaying adoption leads to burnout and turnover.
• Lessons from AI missteps: what we can learn from Bench and ScaleFactor’s collapse, and how to adopt AI responsibly.
• Where to start today: practical, low-lift AI applications to unlock ROI immediately.

Key Takeaways

• “AI doesn’t replace people — it protects them from burnout.”
• “If you’re not in AI search, you don’t exist.”
• “The most expensive option isn’t adopting AI. It’s waiting.”

👉 Ready to stop paying the hidden cost of delay? Explore how CountingWorks PRO, powered by MAX, helps accountants start small, scale fast, and win with AI.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to The Growth-Minded Accountant for weekly insights into the tools, strategies, and narratives shaping the future of accounting.

Most accountants think growth = more leads. More ads. More SEO. More hustle.

But if you’re losing 15 out of every 100 clients each year? You’re not growing—you’re standing still.

Retention is your moat. It’s what protects your firm when AI search punishes cookie-cutter sites, when clients tune out generic newsletters, and when compliance-only firms get commoditized.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton (Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO) dig into why retention marketing is your highest ROI play in 2025 and beyond:

• Retention is 5× cheaper than acquisition (Harvard Business Review)
• A 5% lift in retention boosts profits by 25–95% (DemandSage)
• 75% of clients want more advisory services—not just tax prep (Thomson Reuters)
• The real math of churn: how many new clients you need just to break even
• Practical strategies: client health scoring, quarterly check-ins, segmented newsletters, win-back campaigns, dashboards, loyalty tiers, and more

👉 If you’re ready to stop running on the client treadmill and start compounding growth, this episode is for you.

Retention isn’t just about keeping clients—it’s about growing with them, multiplying their lifetime value, and turning them into your biggest referral engine.

Hit play and learn how to protect your moat.

#Accounting #RetentionMarketing #AI #Advisory

Referrals aren’t what they used to be. Clients don’t just ask a friend anymore—they ask ChatGPT. And if your firm doesn’t show up with credibility, reviews, and content that AI can cite… you’re invisible.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton share the Modern SEO + GEO Playbook for Accountants. You’ll discover how to build a digital presence that passes the AI visibility test, converts digital referrals, and proves your authority before prospects ever call.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How AI tools like ChatGPT, Google SGE, and Perplexity decide which firms to cite
• Why FAQ schema and local blogs are must-haves for visibility
• The role reviews play in building trust with AI (and humans)
• A real example of how consumers use ChatGPT to research referrals
• The checklist for a “fully optimized” firm in 2025 and beyond

Don’t get left behind as search goes conversational. Tune in and future-proof your firm’s discoverability.

Every tax season, accountants hit the same wall: too many clients, not enough hours. The knee-jerk reaction? Cut clients, cut stress, cut back.

But here’s the problem: you can’t cut your way to growth. And you sure can’t cut your way to a 7-figure exit.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II (Founder of CountingWorks) reveals why the most successful firms aren’t trimming — they’re transforming. With AI and modern workflows, firms can cut hours instead of revenue, scale advisory without adding staff, and build practices worth premium multiples at exit.

You’ll discover:

• Why cutting clients doesn’t reduce client demands
• How to raise prices the right way (without lipstick-on-a-pig processes)
• The hidden cost of “doing nothing” year after year
• How AI and automation unlock 5–10 hours per engagement
• Why tech-enabled firms sell for nearly double the multiples of traditional firms

The Big Four are pouring billions into AI. Independent firms don’t have to lose — but they do have to adapt.

If you’re ready to stop surviving tax season and start scaling a future-proof firm, this episode is your playbook. Learn more via https://www.countingworkspro.com/.

AI has changed everything for tax and accounting firms. Referrals and Google rankings are no longer enough—clients now turn to AI tools for answers, and only the most trusted firms get recommended. In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton unpack what this shift means, why compliance-only models are at risk, and how firms can pivot to advisory, leverage AI to scale, and protect their client base from competitors.

Think tax planning is only for billionaires? Think again. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, we break down why middle-income, dual-earner families often see the biggest savings — and how accountants can turn complexity into opportunity.

You’ll hear how a $150K household (one spouse W-2, one spouse 1099) can unlock $10K–$20K in annual savings through smart strategies like entity optimization, retirement planning, health benefits, and quarterly tax alignment. More importantly, we’ll show you how to position tax concierge services that pay for themselves many times over.

👉 If you’re ready to move beyond cookie-cutter and start delivering agency-level value to your clients, this episode is your wake-up call.

Most tax professionals and accountants are still guessing at their prices — and it’s costing them thousands. In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the three big pricing models in the profession:

• ⚖️ Published Price Guides: Transparent and simple — but often leave money on the table.
• 💰 Value Pricing: Aligns with client outcomes — but hard to scale and defend.
• 🤖 Dynamic Pricing with MAX: AI-powered proposals that adapt to client demographics, service complexity, and real-time market data.

You’ll learn why static pricing is holding firms back, how dynamic pricing bridges transparency with profitability, and how MAX’s Proposal Playbook is giving firms confidence to charge smarter, win more clients, and future-proof their practices.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I undercharging?” — this episode will give you the data-driven answers you’ve been missing.

Unlock the power of bonus depreciation in today’s tax landscape with this expert-curated nano CPE course, Bonus Depreciation in 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Tax Insights for Businesses. In under 20 minutes, you’ll learn how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) permanently reinstated 100% bonus depreciation — and what that means for your business clients.

From the history and evolution of bonus depreciation to the groundbreaking introduction of Qualified Production Property for U.S.-based manufacturing, this AI-narrated episode breaks down complex tax law into clear, actionable insights. You’ll also explore key planning considerations, including Section 179 vs. bonus depreciation, the interaction with the Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, and long-term recapture rules.

This course was developed by tax experts and delivered via innovative AI audio presentation to give you a fast, focused, and convenient way to earn CPE credit.

Course Details:

• CPE Credit: 0.2 (Taxes)
  
  
• Delivery Method: QAS Self-Study (Nano Learning)
  
  
• Program Level: Basic
  
  
• Prerequisites: None
  
  
• Advanced Preparation: None
  
  

Enroll & Claim Credit:

Listen now and claim your 0.2 CPE credit,  visit https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/.

For CPAs seeking free CPE credit, use Pass Code: BONUSDEP

Includes a full transcript and a knowledge check for CPAs to earn 0.2 hours of NASBA CPE credit.

This NASBA-compliant nano course delivers expert tax insight in a fresh, podcast-style format. Carefully curated by our team of seasoned tax professionals and presented by advanced AI for the best possible learning experience, this course makes complex tax law easy to understand and engaging to follow.

In just 12 minutes, discover how the new above-the-line deduction for tip income (2025–2028) works, who qualifies, the $25,000 cap and AGI phase-out, and how the expanded FICA tip credit benefits employers.

Includes a full transcript, downloadable course material, and a knowledge check for CPAs to earn 0.2 hours of NASBA CPE credit.

For CPAs seeking free CPE credit, visit https://taxcpe.litmos.com/self-signup/.

Use Pass Code: TIPS

This episode of The Growth Minded Accountant hosted by Lee Reams II, focuses on building a "Referral Growth Engine That Runs Itself." It emphasizes that referrals are the most profitable lead source and can be generated through a repeatable process using existing tools like an inbox and calendar, without needing ads or AI.
The podcast outlines a 4-part "Referral Blueprint Framework":

1. Trigger the Ask: Identify optimal times to ask for referrals, such as after a client signs their return, experiences a financial win, during quarterly reviews, upon onboarding completion, or after providing positive feedback. A "Trigger Tracker" (e.g., a shared Google Sheet) can help teams identify these moments.
2. Make Referrals Easy: Create a simple referral page or form (e.g., Google Forms, Calendly) and provide clients with easy-to-share copy for emails or texts.
3. Say Thank You: Acknowledge every referral with a personal email, small gift (e.g., eGift card), handwritten note, or public recognition.
4. Track and Repeat: Use a simple Google Sheet to track referrers, referral names, dates, outcomes, and rewards sent.

The episode also highlights getting the team involved by training them to recognize referral triggers and making it fun with shout-outs, internal bonuses, and leaderboards. The host provides a 5-day checklist to launch this system.

This isn’t your average tax update. In this MAXCast™, we fed the full text of our analysis of the newly signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into MAX — our AI-powered assistant — to extract, summarize, and analyze the biggest tax reform in years. What did MAX find? Refundable credits. Big retirement shifts. Small biz perks. And more than a few surprises hidden in the fine print.

This episode is a fast-paced walkthrough of how smart firms use AI to cut through complexity, surface insights, and stay ahead of the curve. Whether you're a tax pro, firm leader, or just want to know what the OBBBA means for you, this episode delivers clarity without the jargon.

🎙️ AI meets tax law.
💡 Real-time insights from the full bill text.
🧠 1 Hour of CPA NASBA-Accredited CPE Available — Enroll to Claim

Use Code: MAXBILL

The SEO game has changed—and most tax and accounting firms haven’t caught up.

In the age of ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI-powered results, only a few sources get cited. The rest? Ignored.

In this episode, Lee and Rebekah reveal how to become the firm that AI search engines trust and reference.

🔎 You’ll learn:

• Why AI search isn’t about keywords—it’s about relevance
• The content patterns AI is trained to recognize and cite
• What makes your blog, podcast, or voice “reference-worthy”
• How to write answers to real client questions
• Why MAX helps you show up without hiring a content team

🎯 If you want your firm to get found, get trusted, and grow without shouting—this is your playbook.

📲 Learn more at CountingWorksPRO.com

President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4th—and while most people were watching fireworks, tax pros just got handed a golden opportunity.

In this episode, Lee breaks down how to turn this 1,000-page bill into your next revenue stream with a productized offer he calls the Big Beautiful Tax Planning Appointment. You’ll learn how to price it, who to target, and how to use MAX to generate marketing campaigns instantly—without hiring a copywriter or writing from scratch.

Inside:
 • What to include in your $349–$750 planning session
 • Real prompt sequences you can use in MAX today
 • Ready-to-run campaigns for families, seniors, freelancers, and business owners
 • A step-by-step plan to turn tax law into client growth

This episode is your playbook for turning policy into profit—and scaling your firm with smart, proactive tax planning.

Your voicemail. Your phone tree. Your email signature. They seem like small details—but they’re quietly shaping how prospects and clients feel about your firm.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton uncover one of the most overlooked growth killers in accounting practices: poor first impressions.

You’ll learn:

• What your voicemail is really saying about your firm
• Why complicated phone trees cause prospects to hang up
• The email red flags that signal “amateur hour”
• How to tighten your communication touchpoints for instant trust

These fixes are quick. They’re free. And they send the message that you run a professional, high-value firm—before you even return the call.

🎧 Tune in to hear

 ✅ The 4-part communication audit every accounting pro should do this week
 ✅ Simple scripts and best practices you can use immediately
 ✅ Why client experience starts before the relationship begins

Your homepage might be the reason high-quality clients aren’t reaching out. Not because they don’t need your help—but because they don’t get what you do.

In this episode, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton walk through the 4-Part Homepage Formula that every accounting firm needs to implement—whether you're solo or scaling fast.

🔥 What you’ll learn:

• How to pass the “stranger test” with a clear, specific headline
• What makes “Accounting Services” sound as vague as “Food Services”
• The trust-killing mistake 90% of firms are still making
• The difference between a cold CTA and a human invitation
• Why “Above the Fold” might be costing you conversions
• Mobile-first design tips that keep clients from bouncing

Plus: Want a visual before/after of a homepage done wrong vs. done right? Just email us and we’ll send it to you.

Because your homepage isn’t just your front door—it’s your first impression. Let’s make sure it opens to the right clients.

 💻 Learn more: www.countingworkspro.com

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II is joined by Lee Reams Sr. to unpack the latest updates on tax reform from both the Senate and the House.

We break down:

• What’s actually in the “Big, Beautiful Bill” (so far)
• Key differences between House and Senate versions
• Which clients could be impacted—and how
• How to turn reform uncertainty into billable planning services
• Real-world pricing, positioning, and upsell ideas for tax pros

This isn’t just policy talk—it’s a playbook for turning headlines into new advisory revenue.

👀 Want the full campaign kit to offer Tax Reform Readiness Plans?
 Email us at help@countingworkspro.com

In a world where AI can generate endless content, your voice is the one thing it can’t replicate—unless you train it to.

In this episode of The Growth-Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams is joined by Rebekah Barton, Chief Visibility Officer at CountingWorks PRO, to explore how tax and accounting firms can grow faster by sounding more human.

💡 Inside the episode:
• Why a generic voice kills trust (and growth)
• How to define a brand tone that builds connection and converts
• Simple exercises to make your messaging feel like you
• Client segmentation strategies that unlock $30K–$60K in upsells
• How to train your AI to reflect your values, tone, and style

From $350K firms to multi-partner practices, this episode shows you how to humanize your content, personalize your automation, and speak with a voice that actually moves people.

Because in 2025, sameness is the enemy—and your voice is your moat.

Subscribe and leave a review if this helped shift your perspective on what real growth sounds like.

🎧 Need help defining your brand voice? Visit https://www.countingworkspro.com/choose-your-journey/product-deep-dive.

#Accounting #TaxAdvisory #BrandVoice #FirmGrowth #AIForFirms #MAXAI #GrowthMindedAccountant

Learn how to become the architect—not the bottleneck—of your tax and accounting firm. Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton share six key systems—from client comms to advisory—that reclaim your time while driving growth. Perfect for growth-minded tax & accounting owners ready to work less and earn more. Book your free narrative consult at CountingWorksPRO.com.

Google’s AI-powered search is here—and it’s already changing how your future clients find (or don’t find) your firm.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton unpack how AI tools like Google SGE, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are reshaping online visibility for tax and accounting professionals.

What you’ll learn:
 • Why “ranking on Google” no longer guarantees traffic
 • How to get your firm’s content cited by AI (instead of your competitors’)
 • Sample prompts and strategies to future-proof your SEO
 • Why this shift is a massive opportunity for firms that move now

🎯 If your website is generic or outdated, you’re invisible.
 Let’s fix that—fast.

Discover the top business segments every accountant should target this year. Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton reveal where the real profits are, how to segment smarter, and how to use advisory services and relationship-building to grow your firm—no matter your size.

Not all 1040s are created equal. In this episode, Lee Reams II reveals how to break free from low-margin tax prep by identifying the right individual clients—and offering the strategic services they’re already looking for.

You’ll discover:

• The 3 highest-value individual segments (and how to speak to their pain points)
• What they’re really buying when they hire you (hint: it’s not a return)
• How to deliver year-round advisory with systems and AI that scale with you

If you’re ready to shift from once-a-year prep to relationship-driven planning, this episode is your roadmap. No hype. No salesy scripts. Just smarter segmentation—and the firm you actually want to build.

Thinking of starting your own firm? In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton share a step-by-step guide to go from W-2 to CEO — covering naming, pricing, tech, first clients, and how to launch without burning out.