AI-powered search is fundamentally changing how people discover tax and accounting professionals — and the 2026 tax law reset is about to separate firms that are prepared from those that aren’t.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams and Rebekah Barton unpack two major forces converging at the same time:

• Why AI search tools are reducing visibility for generic tax and accounting websites
 • How discovery now works when search engines synthesize answers instead of ranking pages
 • What the 2026 tax reset means for client expectations, planning demand, and advisory opportunities
 • Why narrative, authority, and clarity matter more than templates and keywords
 • How firms can transition from compliance-heavy work to higher-value advisory without increasing headcount

This conversation isn’t about chasing trends or fear-based marketing. It’s about understanding how visibility, trust, and firm growth now work — and how growth-minded tax and accounting professionals can position themselves to win heading into 2026.

If you’re a CPA, EA, or tax professional thinking about the future of your firm, this episode will challenge how you think about discovery, positioning, and advisory growth.

Most accountants say the same thing:
 “I’m already too busy… why would I need marketing?”

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, hosts Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the real reason fast-growing firms keep winning—while others unknowingly fall behind:

👉 Being busy today doesn’t keep you remembered tomorrow.
👉 Visibility—not workload—is what protects your firm.
👉 Top of Mind is the moat every accounting firm needs in 2025 and beyond.

Lee and Rebekah explore why so many firm owners misunderstand marketing, the three layers every modern firm runs on, and why the client experience layer now determines trust, retention, and referrals.

They also unpack one of the most overlooked growth levers in the profession:
 your custom narrative.

Your positioning, tone, personality, and story don’t just help humans recognize you — they help AI understand you, match you with the right clients, and elevate your visibility across search engines and AI assistants. In today’s world, your narrative is no longer optional branding. It’s infrastructure.

In This Episode:

• Why “I’m too busy” is a dangerous myth
• The three layers of every accounting firm
• What Top of Mind actually means (and what it doesn’t)
• Why referrals come from memory, not talent
• How AI tools decide who to recommend
• Why your custom narrative fuels the AI layer
• What consistency looks like in real firms
• How CountingWorks PRO helps firms stay top of mind automatically

Key Insight:

Firms don’t grow because they shout louder.
They grow because they show up consistently.

Visibility is the moat.
Narrative is the differentiator.
Top of Mind is the advantage.

Stop billing by the hour. Start communicating your value. Step into advisory with confidence.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, Lee Reams II sits down with Linda Hunt, founder of SUM Solutions and creator of The Perfect Pricing Formula, to unpack the shift every bookkeeper and accounting professional is facing right now: moving from task-based work to outcome-based advisory — all while navigating the rise of AI. 

Together, Lee and Linda dive into:

• Why hourly billing caps your income and erodes your confidence
• How AI tools can become your “unfair advantage” rather than a threat
• What the Minimum Aligned Price is — and why most firms are charging below it
• How to build simple, profitable packages that clients actually understand
• The mindset blocks that sabotage pricing conversations
• How to set boundaries, avoid scope creep, and keep client relationships healthy
• Why positioning and niches matter more than ever in the AI era
• How to use analytics, KPIs, and AI-generated insights to move into advisory — even if you don’t “feel” like an advisor yet

Linda and Lee also break down the emotional side of pricing: the nervous system response, the discomfort, the instinct to over-explain or discount, and how to shift from “task doer” to true strategic partner.

If you're a bookkeeper, accountant, or fractional CFO looking to raise prices, package services, or step confidently into advisory, this conversation delivers practical takeaways you can implement immediately.

Learn More About Linda Hunt & SUM Solutions

Want support with pricing, packaging, or advisory?
 👉 Visit: https://www.sumsolutions.com/

Book a Financial Clarity Consult to explore how Linda can help your firm grow.

About The Growth Minded Accountant

Hosted by Lee Reams II, this podcast helps modern accounting firms scale through better pricing, better communication, and better use of AI — without losing the human layer that clients value most.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the show. It helps others in the profession find us.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton break down the impact of Intuit’s new $100M partnership with OpenAI and what it means for the future of the profession. Clients are no longer starting with Google or referrals. They’re starting with AI — and they trust the answer.

We cover:

• Why the compliance-first model is getting compressed
• How AI has become the new referral source
• Why advisory is not just for high-net-worth clients
• The human moat: what AI can’t replace
• The Four Pillars of Trust in the AI era
• How narrative, positioning, and visibility determine who AI recommends

This is not the end of the profession — it’s the end of the old profession.
Advisory-first firms will become the obvious choice. Here’s how to thrive.

AI and automation are changing everything — including how accountants grow.

In this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II talks with Adam Lean, CEO of The CFO Project, about how technology is helping tax and accounting pros finally scale beyond compliance work and step into lucrative CFO advisory roles.

Adam shares how The CFO Project’s advisors average nearly $2,000 per month per client with 87% retention, using a repeatable system that helps business owners generate positive cash flow — and gives accountants a way to stop trading time for money.

You’ll learn:

• How to productize and scale CFO services
• What separates a true advisor from a fractional CFO
• Why your soft skills (not just technical ones) drive retention
• The simple, nine-step system for delivering consistent results
• And why AI is actually empowering, not replacing, accountants

If you’ve ever wanted to break free from commodity pricing, upsell your best clients, and build recurring advisory revenue — this is your roadmap.

👉 Explore more at thecfoproject.com

AI isn’t killing accounting. It’s reorganizing it.

In this episode, Lee Reams II and Rebekah Barton dig into how automation is reshaping the profession... compressing the repetitive, low-value work at the bottom and expanding opportunities at the top where strategy, storytelling, and human relationships live.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about leverage. The smartest firms are using AI to scale faster, deepen client connections, and free up time for higher-value work.

You’ll also hear how CountingWorks PRO is leading the shift with AI-driven systems that personalize client experiences, automate proposals, and help five-person firms perform like twenty.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the traditional accounting pyramid is flipping and what’s next
• What tasks AI can handle today and where humans still need to lead
• How to “trust but verify” your AI workflows
• The four biggest risks firms need to manage
• Why the next two years are for scale, not survival
• How AI is changing the path for young professionals

Favorite Quotes:

• “AI isn’t replacing people... it’s replacing inefficiency.”
• “AI doesn’t make you less human... it gives you time to be more human.”
• “The real disruption won’t come from AI... it’ll come from the firms who learn how to lead with it.”

Listen if you want to:

• Understand what’s really happening with AI in accounting
• Combine automation and expertise for smarter growth
• Build a modern firm that thrives on change

👉 Learn more: CountingWorks PRO

📩 Subscribe: The Growth Minded Accountant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

#AIAccounting #FutureOfWork #AccountingFirms #Automation #Advisory #TaxProfession #CountingWorksPRO #LeeReams #GrowthMindedAccountant

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