Content Is Connection: Dr. Kristy Short on Marketing That Moves Accountants Forward

In this episode, Dr. Kristy Short discusses the vital role of content in the accounting profession, emphasizing that content is not just marketing but a means of connection. She explains how businesses can leverage content to attract their ideal clients, engage them effectively, and build trust. The conversation also covers the importance of understanding the marketing funnel, the use of AI in content creation, and overcoming barriers to effective content marketing. Dr. Short encourages accountants to share their expertise and highlights the joy of connecting with clients through valuable content.

Takeaways

Content is essential for business identity and connection.
Understanding your ideal client is crucial for effective marketing.
Content should be targeted to engage the right audience.
The marketing funnel consists of awareness, interest, decision, and action.
Building trust through valuable content is key to client relationships.
AI can enhance content creation but should not replace the human touch.
Sharing knowledge builds trust and attracts clients.
Start small and gradually increase your content output.
Atomizing content can maximize its reach and effectiveness.
Marketing is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort.

Connect with Kristy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyshortac/

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Transcript

KC Brothers (00:05)
Welcome to another episode of Canopy Practice Success. Today I'm talking with Dr. Kristy Short, a creative who's been shaping the accounting profession for more than 25 years. She currently runs type five content specifically for helped firms and thought leaders like Jodi Paydar, Darren Root, and Jason Blummer build authentic brands through the power of great content.

Kristy believes content is more than marketing, it's connection. It's how you move people and move an entire profession forward. Kristy, it is so nice to have you. I'm so excited.

Dr. Kristy Short (00:31)
Thank

Thanks for having me. I'm excited too, Like we're going to nerd out on some marketing and content strategy. It's going be fun.

KC Brothers (00:44)
We are and listeners,

I know, I don't know if I need to apologize in advance for our listeners because this is my area of expertise. And I, the moment my prep doc for you hit my desk, I was like, I'm going to have so much fun talking to Christie.

Dr. Kristy Short (00:50)
Maybe.

We'll try to keep it at a level where we are educating and not just nerding out for the sake of nerding out. We'll get there.

KC Brothers (01:01)
Ha

Yeah.

Okay. Well, for those of you who are listening, who are accountants by trade, which should be all of you, honestly, but are not marketers by trade like Christy and I are, we are excited to talk to you about a whole bunch of things, maybe a little bit of one-on-one marketing, but mostly content. And I think the big thing, especially with those names I listed off in your intro, Darren, Jody,

And Jason, ⁓ I know you have experience in helping accountants will say specifically, because that is your business models, your serving accountants. Apply or tap, we'll say that tap their expertise to create content. But first, Christy, why, why do they need content?

Dr. Kristy Short (01:32)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, that's right.

You cannot have an organization without content. And I can't overstate that. I really can't. So.

KC Brothers (02:00)
When you

say have an organization, what do mean?

Dr. Kristy Short (02:02)
You can't have a business, you can't have a successful business, can't have a successful brand without content. It's a key element in that recipe. So how else are you going to make your brand identity known, make your voice known, make your expertise known if you're not consistently putting content out to the marketplace, out to if you're an accounting firm, out to your verticals?

That is how you speak externally. That's how people find you is through content. I know people sometimes roll their eyes at me when I say this, but the content aspect of marketing is the human connection aspect. That's how we connect with people. That's how we engage people. That's how we bring them to us. And that's how we start conversations. And this is a relationship-based profession. always want to start conversations. And content is the way to do that, good content.

KC Brothers (02:53)
Yes. Okay. So back up, I want to provide some context here because I get really passionate about this, not only as a marketer, but from some things I learned at a previous company I worked at where they were producing a solution specific for SMBs within the U S and that is just the concept that your front door is no longer your front door. We don't live in main street USA anymore. what, and what's hard about this, Christie, is that like,

Dr. Kristy Short (03:07)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (03:16)
The instant I want to, start talking about these things, I think, but I know accountants still say they get a lot of their business by word of mouth and referrals. And I also know that there is no shortage of work to be done. In fact, the shortage is on the other end. The shortage is with the accountants. So I, I know there is, hesitancy pushback on, but I have plenty of work. don't need to do marketing, but I do want to remind listeners that.

Dr. Kristy Short (03:33)
Right.

KC Brothers (03:43)
Do you have the kind of work you want?

Dr. Kristy Short (03:44)
Exactly. That was going to be my response is, yes, it is still a big word of mouth profession. Completely understand that. But are you getting your ideal clients in? So for years and still today, accounting firms abide by the model of taking anyone who walks through the door. And we know that that most often isn't profitable. You get non-ideal clients into your firm.

KC Brothers (03:55)
Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Kristy Short (04:12)
Typically, you're getting out of the scope of work, you're doing extra billable hours, a whole other issue, but marketing solves that problem. The whole point of content is to release information to the right audience at the right time in order to engage them and bring them into the funnel. Part of that is communicating who you are, and when you properly communicate who you are, you attract the right people.

them through your content, so to speak. So yes, I go back to what you said. I get it. There's no shortage of work, but is it the right work? And is it work that you enjoy? If you don't enjoy serving some of your clients, they're not your ideal client.

KC Brothers (04:53)
100%. So a few things here, right? So Christy talked about ideal client. It's often talked about as ideal client profile or an ICP or personas even. In marketing, when you can speak more specifically to someone, the more successful you will be. And I'm going to use Canopy as an example here because listeners know who Canopy is.

Dr. Kristy Short (05:10)
That's right.

KC Brothers (05:15)
What we are able to do at Canopy and how we message Canopy is going to be different than the way Nike messages. Who is Nike's ideal client profile? All of the US, all of the world. is, yeah, it is really hard to do that kind of marketing and that marketing might be what you're thinking of or what you're indexing on or anchored to. But Canopy, our customer is accountants, accounting firms, not even private accounting. It is public accounting. It is very specific.

Dr. Kristy Short (05:25)
everybody.

Right.

KC Brothers (05:42)
And

so when you do the same thing and say, I'm working with real estate, construction, and e-commerce, and that's it. You are able to get really specific and you're able to create really specific content. People are asking questions, whether it's on the internet or in an AI tool that you can answer. And if you, I do want to make a really big plug here for AI and I, we could probably go.

Dr. Kristy Short (05:49)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (06:06)
pretty far on this because content generation is one of the greatest applications of generative AI. And I'm sure you and I both have tips on how to best use it because we don't want slop.

Dr. Kristy Short (06:08)
Yeah.

It's great style and it's also a big con if you're not doing it right, that's a whole other podcast, I think.

KC Brothers (06:19)
Correct.

it totally is. It's a whole workshop. Like you kind of need to be hands on with that. ⁓ But it's never been easier in that regard to create content leveraging stuff that you may already have. The barrier to entry is low, needless to say. So like the biggest barrier honestly right now is probably that is defining an ICP if you don't have one already.

Dr. Kristy Short (06:25)
You're right. Exactly.

I would agree. I would agree. you know, when I helped run and build Rootworks, we talked about ICP all the time. It was all about the ideal client. But until you actually write that down and understand what your ideal client is, you're not going to engage the right people because you're not producing the content to engage your ICP. So it is important to start with that. That's a good point.

KC Brothers (06:53)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah. when you do that, you're able to, cast your net deep opposed to wide.

Dr. Kristy Short (07:13)
You can not only be more targeted, but you can speak to them in a more targeted way. you know, by understanding your ICP, then again, you're creating content that does speak to them. And it's a knowledge transfer. I think firms need to think of it in that way as well. It's just not content for the purpose of content. Your job literally is to continue to educate your clients and your prospects. I mean, you are the expert.

in this area. They want to know these things, but they also want to hear from you. I don't want to run past that either. So while content needs to be good, it needs to be thought leader driven, it needs to connect with the audience. There is also a need for human connection here as well. Clients want to see their advisor. They want to talk to their advisor. They want them to know that their advisor is thinking about them. And that's why

KC Brothers (07:54)
I

Dr. Kristy Short (08:04)
pushing out content all year long is so important. How many times do you see clients in the office anymore? Next to none, right? So you have firms who think, well, I'll send out a quarterly estimate reminder, I'll send out a tax deadline reminder. Those are one way communications. It's a fact, the client's getting it, and then they're deleting it. It doesn't create any level of engagement. They're important. It's important to have that as part of your content calendar.

But firms need to be in front of their clients with more than just the compliance content, right? The deeper level articles, maybe on a vertical, you know, what's the best app for manufacturing to keep inventory in line? I'm spit balling this. But anything that they can do to help educate that audience and also delight. So a client magazine, really cool blogs on maybe self care. There is a huge spectrum of

KC Brothers (08:45)
Yeah.

Dr. Kristy Short (08:57)
content that firms can put out to stay connected to their clients. Not only sell their services and get them engaged, but just stay connected to their current clients. I mean, that's huge too. You get clients in, you get your ICPs in, you want to keep them. Part of that is communicating with them all during the year.

KC Brothers (09:06)
Yeah.

to take a step back, we're talking about two things here. We're talking about marketing and customer marketing. And yeah, and I wanted to separate the two because they have, they can have overlap, but they are two different applications, two different goals, right? a little bit more marketing one-on-one, right? when you're creating content,

Dr. Kristy Short (09:17)
Mm-hmm.

Correct.

KC Brothers (09:34)
for the market when you're trying to maybe attract prospects or be found, right? Because again, we're not in Main Street USA anymore. A big thing, and we were talking about this before we actually hit record, a big thing that firms need to understand is that they may not be able to say this piece of content brought in this person or this piece of content ultimately had this impact on profitability for my firm.

Dr. Kristy Short (09:39)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (09:58)
But it's a machine. Marketing is a machine that when you do make sure that you are oiling and you're getting all the gears and stuff rolling and you're out there, I wanted to actually, in preparation for this, I did some Googling and I went down some really fun rabbit holes. I looked, I know, and data rabbit holes too. I looked at how often just the words what and how.

Dr. Kristy Short (10:13)
I love rabbit holes.

KC Brothers (10:20)
were used in Google searches. And this is Google. We're not even talking about like being inside an AI app like chat GPT or something, right? That's changing this whole landscape. But according to a large study of around 306 million queries, question keywords, so who, what, where, why, how, when is not in that list, made up 14.1 % of searches.

I bring this up because again, like when you're looking at marketing, it's a funnel. And when you're top of funnel, you're just trying to make sure that you're getting out there. It takes at least what seven to eight touches with a brand for someone to maybe even start to recognize you. And then you can start to pull them further down that funnel where they get to be more high intent is the way we talk about them. And then you can see things like even, search terms like near me, if they are looking for an accountant near me.

Dr. Kristy Short (10:53)
Mm-hmm.

Correct.

Correct. So I mean, so I usually look at the funnel in four parts. So you've got awareness, what you just talked about. That's the content that goes out to engage. It draws people to your website to learn more until they raise their hand. Then you get to the interest part of the funnel. And that's when...

KC Brothers (11:16)
Yep.

So really quick before we get to interest, because part

of what you're feeding with that awareness is now these zero-click searches. If you've noticed, you can search on Google and it will give you an AI summary. If you are developing content and that content is getting interacted with and Google is therefore designating you as an expert, your content can help feed that AI summary and then you'll be cited as a source and stuff and people will find you that way because you're being acknowledged as an expert in your field.

Dr. Kristy Short (11:51)
That's right.

Just another reason to keep putting content out there. You have to keep producing content and putting it out there in order to raise yourself up in the search rankings, in order to make Google love you. Google Business Profile, another one, like go out and claim your Google Business Profile. It's free. All of these things help boost the brand, but they also help boost SEO, get you noticed, and then move, hopefully, those ICPs through the marketing funnel from awareness all the way to action.

KC Brothers (11:56)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Kristy Short (12:23)
Awareness, interest, decision and action are the four key buckets that I always look at. So, you know, once you start getting people in the funnel with this beautiful content, engaging them, delighting them, then you move them through all the way through to client conversion. So we're talking about things like, you know, you're going to share case studies, success stories, case studies of clients. You might give a demo of your services, all of those things that lead them down to a final purchase because we all know

KC Brothers (12:49)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Kristy Short (12:50)
We're talking about professional services here. You're not selling pizzas. You're not going to offer a coupon and get, well, at least you're not going to get your ideal client in off of a coupon. But yeah, it's a long decision process, which is why marketing is an engine that has to be on and humming all year round. Because like you said, takes seven, anywhere from seven to 12 touch points to get people to raise their hand. So it can be anywhere up to like 25, 50 really, before you get through to client conversion.

KC Brothers (12:53)
Nah.

No.

Dr. Kristy Short (13:18)
I mean, it's not always that many, but it takes a long time because people are making big purchases. They're not making small purchases and they want to make sure they understand you, what your value is. And quite frankly, if they like you, like there's also a relationship aspect of this. Like you can be, you can say you have the best cast services in the world, client advisory services, but if there's not a connection, that people aren't connecting with you online, they might not be your ICP. So many reasons.

to keep the content going in your voice to elevate your brand identity.

KC Brothers (13:51)
Yes. And something I do want to hit home here too is we've talked about ICP. Let's say you've identified things and it is also, let's say combo. We get a really interesting scenario here where we combine remote first firms ⁓ who are just working remote and maybe they have talent across various states, usually with the desirability of being able to serve whoever they want. And then yes.

Dr. Kristy Short (14:05)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (14:16)
If you layer on that ICP element and it's not geographically specific, then it's like, ⁓ great, how do I get found? And you can't, you cannot get found unless you are doing this, unless you are building content, sharing your expertise and yeah.

Dr. Kristy Short (14:32)
Right?

Yeah. And like we said before too, it is about putting your expertise out there. So you got to even think of this in terms of ⁓ becoming a thought leader. Who doesn't want to be considered a thought leader? If you become the person, for example, and I'll use a very simplified example. If I run an accounting firm and my niche are dentists,

KC Brothers (14:45)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Kristy Short (14:55)
I'm going to be putting out the top five KPIs for dentists, how to get the healthiest cash flow for dental offices. That is going to raise me up in the Google searches. And now my ICP is going, they're going to be able to see that I am a reliable source for the information that they need. They're also going to see that I'm the expert in supporting dental practices.

So it's a matter of also building trust. If I'm a dental office and I see ABC firm is consistently putting out content that helps me better operate my business, those are the ones I'm going to go to. I'm going to go to the firm that I trust that cares enough about my vertical to put out good information.

KC Brothers (15:34)
Yes. ⁓

And it's not like you're disclosing trade secrets too. Like don't feel like you're giving away a ton of valuable information without being able to then, you know, get something back. You're not, part of content is you have to provide value. can't just write fluff or else they will, they'll roll your eyes and it won't be effective.

You have to write content that provides value to people who may never be your client. And that's okay. it does is to your point is helps put you in front of the people who are, who are looking now.

Dr. Kristy Short (16:09)
Yes. Yes. And it honestly doesn't have to be that complex. you start small. let's consider things like claiming your business, your Google business profile, making sure it's complete, making sure it's complete. A lot of people don't know there's a social function on your Google business profile. So you can upload and have a social stream. You're feeding Google your content. mean, that's going to further boost your SEO.

KC Brothers (16:14)
No, agreed.

Yes, I'm glad you called that one out.

Mm.

Dr. Kristy Short (16:36)
Content again is at the heart of this. So let's go back to something that you said. You said you need to get your expertise out there, but you don't have to give away trade secrets. I say give away everything you possibly can because your ICP. Yeah.

KC Brothers (16:49)
Well, I think I was meaning that like,

feel like you're giving away trade secrets. You are providing value, but don't like hold white knuckle it because that's actually going to hurt you. Yeah.

Dr. Kristy Short (16:54)
for sure.

Absolutely, like share that knowledge because

what happens is if I'm a dental practice and you send me the five KPIs I should be looking at, am I going to do that myself? I am not. I'm going to come to you to do it because that's your expertise. think one of the best examples that I've ever come across in terms of giving away information to get your ICP is Best Buy and Geek Squad. Have you heard the story? I'll make it really short.

KC Brothers (17:22)
I don't know. Tell me.

Dr. Kristy Short (17:26)
when Geek Squad came about, the person that was the marketing people that were in charge said, let's make a bunch of how-to videos, know, how to fix a frozen screen, how to fix a expanded battery. And then the mucky mucks from Best Buy came in and said, you're giving away information. We want people to come in and have us fix that. And the marketing people said, we don't want those small jobs.

We're trying to build trust. We want to give people information that they can correct small issues with their computer on their own. It's going to build trust so that they're going to come to us for the big problems, the things that cost more that are going to really bring revenue in. And look at Geek Squad today, billion dollars. I mean, they grew it based on content initially, and that content built trust, and now they have their ICPs coming to them.

KC Brothers (18:00)
Yes.

Dr. Kristy Short (18:16)
So just a really good example of don't feel like you're giving away trade secrets. You are sharing your knowledge and the whole purpose is to draw people back to you. They're not going to take a guide on entity selection and go do it themselves. They're going to come back to you to talk about all the tax burden or the tax repercussions of whatever entity they select. You're just giving them good information. They're trusting you, but you're the expert.

So I think firms have to get in that mindset as well. Give away as much as you can because people are going to love you.

KC Brothers (18:47)
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. You think of all the YouTube videos there are out there of how to do things and someone might start watching it and then be like, I could do this, but actually I don't want to do this with my time. Like opportunity costs right there. Right. So to your point, like it does, it builds confidence. Now, something I want to make sure to hit on in our last few minutes is just making sure people don't feel like.

Dr. Kristy Short (18:53)
Mm-hmm.

No. Right.

KC Brothers (19:12)
or helping break down the barrier to entry they might feel when thinking about entering into content. There are accountants, maybe they don't think they're a good writer. How do you tell them to nicely get over it?

Dr. Kristy Short (19:26)
I say get over it. That's pretty much what I say. Yeah. I mean, really all firms are looking for is a little bit of guidance. I mean, if I learned anything from running Rootworks, it's that firms really want to be led in the right direction. And so when I go into a firm, I just basically say, look, I'm here to guide you on the content. I'm going to teach you how to fish. You're going to see how easy it is to atomize content and really become a content machine.

KC Brothers (19:27)
Yeah, we're just doing straight here. Get over it.

Dr. Kristy Short (19:53)
So for example, my business type five content, we create content bundles, client magazine, blogs. It's all that high level awareness stuff that makes firms look like a million bucks. But I also teach people how to atomize that content further so that you're like double tripling your content at the awareness level. And then from there, I guide them deeper in the funnel, you know, with demos and case studies and all of that stuff. they start to learn.

what the trajectory is of content. And they also start to see, I can do this. really can. Even if it means starting with a subscription-based service where you're not writing anything, but you're learning how to take that and atomize it and just put out all of this really, really good information.

KC Brothers (20:33)
So you're not saying it this way, but the way I'm understanding it when you're saying itemize is like multi-purposed.

Dr. Kristy Short (20:39)
atomize. I'm saying atomize the content. So take a article from a client magazine, run it through AI, break it down into 50 social posts, atomize it into two other blogs in your own voice. Now, again, this is another whole podcast, but I also guide firms on creating their own custom GPTs so that you can start feeding your information in and as you use AI more and more,

KC Brothers (20:41)
⁓ out of mine.

Yes. Yes.

Mm.

Dr. Kristy Short (21:07)
to write for you, it's at least writing in your voice. There's still a human aspect. You still have to go back and check that. My biggest caveat is don't let AI do everything because you will lose your voice. So atomize. Atomize content. Start with a content bundle. Atomize it throughout the year. Lean on an outsourced writer. I mean, if you don't want to do it in house and you don't have anyone interested in doing it, there are a thousand people out there that are great writers and know the profession.

KC Brothers (21:13)
Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Dr. Kristy Short (21:33)
Well, not a thousand that know the profession, but there are several of us that know the profession.

KC Brothers (21:33)
Yes.

Yes. I am so glad you said that because don't let yourself get in your own way and you don't have to be everything to yourself. You are already likely an entrepreneur and an accountant, but you don't in order to be a really good entrepreneur or at least a business owner or at least have a good business. Sorry. I'm finding my words as I'm saying them out loud to have a really good business. You can't just be and have a good accounting department.

Dr. Kristy Short (21:41)
Yes.

KC Brothers (22:00)
You need to have some sales, you need have some marketing. That does not mean that you need to be CFO, CRO and ⁓ yeah, CRO would be marketing and sales. But anyway, find someone.

Dr. Kristy Short (22:06)
Right? Yeah. And

let's reverse engineer that. So I own Type 5 content. I'm a writer. I write everything for our content bundle. I write everything for our clients. Do I have a real big stake in my cash flow? I mean, I do, but I rely on my CPA for that. I'm not going to do my own CPA work because

I don't know enough about it to make sure that I'm doing everything right. So while I'm a writer and I can run my business, I can also take on the accounting. I mean, it's the same way for firms. They should not be taking, they should not be wearing every hat in-house. Like look for experts out there to help you and guide you.

KC Brothers (22:45)
Yeah.

Yeah. I, yes, say that 10 times. Um, and today you already mentioned some AI applications and things we can do. And again, that is something that like, not just a podcast, like I would love to do someday as a workshop of like, let's get in, let's all click through together and like help you leverage some of these things. Um, you can hire someone again, like don't let yourself get in your own way. There are ways to get.

Dr. Kristy Short (22:56)
You

Yeah, man.

KC Brothers (23:18)
your expertise out there for the internets and the LLMs and all of the things to leverage so that you can be found by the right people. I think too, we haven't called this out yet, whether or not they're actually writing things, I think they will get so much joy from this because as people who, okay, so really quick, my husband is an educator. He is,

Dr. Kristy Short (23:24)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (23:41)
an assistant principal, he's really passionate about education. he's also really smart. He's a good writer. He's written a book, Christie, he's written a book. And I, as the marketer in this relationship, I'm like, honey, why have you not put that thing into chat GPT and to your point atomized it? Sorry. I misheard you earlier and start posting on LinkedIn and drumming up a newsletter and you know, get a following, right? You just need to start everyone. Like what's the best state of plant a tree.

Dr. Kristy Short (23:49)
Mm-hmm.

KC Brothers (24:08)
Yesterday, what's the next best day today? Like just and and you may not do it perfectly but you have so much content and the thing that I see with People like my husband or people like who we're talking about who have expertise to share Is that there is or even like me right now when you get to share your expertise and kind of geek out on it and and People are like, ⁓ my gosh. Thank you so much

It really like, it is so joyful to.

Dr. Kristy Short (24:33)
Mm-hmm.

It's such great value. I don't go on podcasts to make money. I go on podcasts to share what I have. When I listen to podcasts, I think the same thing. like, oh, I didn't know this. This is such great information. Yes, when people reach out to you, you're like, this is why I do it. I had a firm reach out to me and say, I had no idea I could claim my Google Business profile.

KC Brothers (24:37)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Dr. Kristy Short (24:59)
and there's a social media function. That's why I use that example. just had someone tell me that the other day and they're like, thank you so much. You just saved us a ton of work and you just elevated our marketing. And I'm like, man, that's what it's all about. Like that is what it's all about.

KC Brothers (25:12)
Seriously. and if you're filling this barrier to entry because you're not a writer, some people might like writing, who knows? Some people might not. Christie's your gal. Like this is what she does for accountants. don't, I would say don't make another excuse to plant that tree tomorrow. Try and plant it today because again, as we see things modernizing with accounting.

marketing to me is going to be more and more important because of the points you've made about it being content, being a connector and, leveraging relationships. AI is going to push accountants, ⁓ to be more strategic anyway, because there's lots of applications we're already seeing with actually completing tax returns or checking the books or whatever it might be. But what AI cannot do.

because AI will still hallucinate. It will not double check with the expertise that you have and make sure that it's wise. It also might not even see opportunities. And so putting you in that strategic position and the more you're there as well, the more expertise you're developing, which then feeds your content machine and then helps you be known in the internet of the world as an expert. And therefore then you can be found and man, we made full circle.

Dr. Kristy Short (26:21)
That's right. That's right. So one of my clients, I'll give this example because it's such a good one about someone who really was passionate about putting his knowledge out. So Alan Whitman, former CEO of Baker Tilly, is one of my book writing clients. We just finished his first book called Break the Mold. This is the guy who took Baker Tilly, tripled them in size, and I think it was less than like eight years, from 500 million to 1.5 billion, using what he calls his break the mold strategy. It's all in the book.

And I'm not saying firms have to write a book, but this is a good example of now he's got this flagship piece and he's got content from this book for the next five years, right? Like you were saying with your husband, go in and atomize that content. He's got a newsletter on LinkedIn. ⁓ He's already doing speaking. He's already doing so many different podcasts. People are inviting him from all corners of the earth because he took his knowledge and he shared it with the profession.

KC Brothers (27:04)
He's a speaker now. He'll be hired for speaking events

Dr. Kristy Short (27:18)
And that's what it's all about for firms is taking your knowledge and sharing it with your clients who you love so much. They will appreciate you so much more for it.

KC Brothers (27:25)
Okay, well, we're going to end with some rapid fire questions. I know I didn't even tease these with you. So we're really putting you on your feet, on your toes. What is one trend in accounting or marketing that you're over?

Dr. Kristy Short (27:29)
boy, okay.

That's okay.

that I'm over one one trend. I've been over QR codes for a long time. I don't know what it is with QR codes. bug me. Like people made such a big deal out of them. Like UPS has been using those for like 30 years. I don't know if that's considered a trend or not, I'm over, I never, I never snapped QR codes. I don't know. It just, they get on my nerves.

KC Brothers (27:39)
that you're like, this has got to go.

Thank

Well, and they're

scary right now with scams. Never scan a QR code out in the public. ⁓

Dr. Kristy Short (28:03)
yeah, and not to mention the scammers out there.

It's really good advice. That's really good advice. But I think we need to

let that one probably like die off at this point.

KC Brothers (28:14)
Yeah.

Okay, now what's a trend you're excited about?

Dr. Kristy Short (28:16)
AI, who's not excited about AI? And not for the reasons I think a lot of people think. So, I mean, as a writer, I'm never going to let AI write for me. I'm never going to lose my voice that way. But AI is serving as a strategic partner for me and is serving the same for firms who are using it properly. building out those strategy plans, brainstorming.

⁓ You know, even helping with soft skills, there's so many ways that you can use AI as a strategic partner, and that's super exciting. I mean, the only caveat I have is don't let AI obviously do everything for you. It does hallucinate, like you said, and there's never not going to be room for the humans in this equation. Like, we are obviously the most important element in that equation.

KC Brothers (29:02)
Yes, 100%. ⁓ Okay, last one. What's a book, podcast or person who's inspiring you right now?

Dr. Kristy Short (29:09)
I would say Alan Whitman, my client, has inspired me immensely for putting his information out there, but also for being brave enough to write a book. He's motivated. I'm a writer and I was so excited once we got into his project. It almost ran like a movie in my head. I could see the story. I could see how it was going to help people. So working with him has been a huge inspiration, so much so that I'm following him.

KC Brothers (29:20)
That's vulnerable.

Dr. Kristy Short (29:37)
to another position to support him further. And I think he's got a second book in him as well. He is one of my inspirations. Jody Payt are always. Jen Wilson, there's so many thought leaders out there. They're such a huge inspiration. And especially those out there too, keeping the narrative going around the importance of good mental health and self care, like the Amy Vedders and the Randy Crabb trees. And of course I've got out Civil Warrior and I speak very openly about mental health. Yeah, lots of things inspire me about.

and all things that help move this profession forward, this profession that's been so good to me for 25 years, and that I truly love being a cog in the bigger wheel of helping move it forward.

KC Brothers (30:14)
And when you said that it's been so good to you, I think of how good accountants have been to small businesses around America and how it's time for it to be good for the accountants.

Dr. Kristy Short (30:21)
yeah.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I've developed so many good friendships over the years. you know, the members at Rootworks weren't just members. They were the members at Rootworks were our very good friends, almost a lot of them family. It was pretty amazing. But that's the profession we live in. It is a relationship based profession. We crave it. We want it. We love it. And that's why a lot of us stay so long. I'm a creative. I'm a musician.

KC Brothers (30:31)
Yeah.

Dr. Kristy Short (30:47)
If someone would have told me 25 years ago, I would still be in accounting. I'd be like, you have lost your mind. That was just first job I got out of college. I have loved it. I've never felt the need to leave.

KC Brothers (30:57)
Well, Kristy, it's been so good to have you on. Thank you again.

Dr. Kristy Short (31:00)
Yeah, thanks for having me. It's been a fun conversation. I say we do it again.

KC Brothers (31:04)
I think so. We've already talked about how much we need to talk about AI and got to make sure

people aren't produced in slop.

Dr. Kristy Short (31:11)
We can help them. Let's be the guide. Thank you.

KC Brothers (31:12)
Yeah. Okay. Thanks, Kristy.