Your Tech Stack Isn’t the Problem — The Experience Is (2026 Reality Check)

The Growth Minded Accountant

The Growth Minded Accountant
Your Tech Stack Isn’t the Problem — The Experience Is (2026 Reality Check)
Jan 14, 2026 Season 6 Episode 2
Lee Reams II from CountingWorks PRO

In 2026, most tax and accounting firms don’t have a software problem.

They have an experience problem.

In this solo episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II explains why stacking “good tools” has quietly become the biggest source of friction inside modern firms—and why AI-first firms are already pulling away.

You’ll hear why:

  • Most firms only use 20–30% of the software they pay for
  • Training doesn’t compound—it resets
  • Clients aren’t difficult—they’re overwhelmed
  • Staff has become the invisible integration layer
  • Traditional software is becoming the bottleneck
  • AI-first thinking simplifies everything clients touch

This episode isn’t about replacing your tax software or chasing the latest tool.

It’s about rethinking the experience your clients and staff live inside every day—and asking what no longer needs to exist in 2026.

If your firm only works because you know how to navigate the mess, that’s not scale.

That’s risk.

🎧 The Growth Minded Accountant explores what it really takes to build a modern, scalable firm—covering AI, client experience, growth strategy, and the systems that separate firms pulling ahead from those stuck maintaining complexity.

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Episode Artwork Your Tech Stack Isn’t the Problem — The Experience Is (2026 Reality Check) 17:05 Episode Artwork The Third Layer Tax and Accounting Firms Are Missing 42:13 Episode Artwork 2026 Predictions for Accountants: AI Will Be the Standard. Relationships Decide Who Wins. 17:49 Episode Artwork AI Search, the 2026 Tax Reset, and the End of Generic Tax & Accounting Firms 32:23 Episode Artwork Top of Mind Is Your Moat: Why “Being Busy” Isn’t a Growth Strategy for Accounting Firms 26:11 Episode Artwork From Bookkeeper to Advisor: How to Price, Package & Confidently Communicate Your Value — with Linda Hunt 51:06 Episode Artwork Trust has officially moved to AI — and most accounting and tax professionals don’t realize how drastically the landscape just changed. 34:28 Episode Artwork How Accountants Are Earning $2K a Month Per Client with CFO Advisory Services — featuring Adam Lean of The CFO Project 43:40 Episode Artwork The AI Squeeze — How Automation Is Compressing the Bottom and Expanding the Top of the Profession 34:46 Episode Artwork How to Protect Your Firm from Service Creep (and Stop Saying Yes to Everything) 24:01 Episode Artwork Your Next Referral Might Come from an Algorithm 36:00 Episode Artwork The Death of the Funnel: Why Accountants Need Narrative Ecosystems to Grow 35:51 Episode Artwork The Real Cost of Delaying AI Adoption: Why Waiting is the Most Expensive Option for Accountants 39:53 Episode Artwork Retention Marketing for Accountants: Protect Your Moat in the AI Era 29:44 Episode Artwork Is ChatGPT Recommending Your Firm? How to Build AI Visibility, Earn Referrals, and Convert Clients You’ll Never Meet 43:25 Episode Artwork Cutting Clients vs. Cutting Hours — Why Tech-Enabled Firms Win Every Time 40:53 Episode Artwork How to Thrive in the New AI Order: Survival for Tax & Accounting Firms 47:27 Episode Artwork The Overlooked Goldmine: Serving Middle-Class & Upper-Middle-Class Clients 41:30 Episode Artwork Stop Guessing, Start Profiting: Dynamic Pricing vs. Value Pricing vs. Published Price Guides 26:49 Episode Artwork Bonus Depreciation in 2025 and Beyond: Strategic Tax Insights for Businesses 18:08 Episode Artwork New OBBBA Tip Income Tax Deduction Explained 11:22 Episode Artwork How to Turn Happy Clients into a Constant Stream of Ideal Leads—No Ads, No AI Required Body 26:10 Episode Artwork The OBBBA Files: MAXCast™ Summary of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act 39:30 Episode Artwork 🎙 Episode: How to Rank in AI Search – Become the Expert That Generative Engines Reference 43:21 Episode Artwork The Big Beautiful Tax Planning Playbook: Turn OBBBA Into Clients, Revenue & Relevance 30:32