Future-proof | A Podcast For Tomorrow's Accounting & Finance Pros

If there’s one word that describes the past year with a fair amount of accuracy, it would have to be “change.” It’s been a year of unprecedented change, in a lot of ways, and that change impacts each of us — often in ways that are very personal.Karl Ahlrichs is going to help us explore how change impacts us and what we can do to adapt. Karl is a bestselling author and an acclaimed national speaker who works across all industries and has a wealth of experience in human resources, operations, and senior-level problem-solving.He talks about the personal impact of change, the different types of change, the different ways in which we process it, the four stages we all go through when dealing with change, and the most important thing we should be focusing on as we work our way through any sort of change.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:expertspeaks.comlinkedin.com/in/karlahlrichsAll Change is PersonalThe Personal Impact of Workplace Change: Letting Go & Crossing

Personal finance isn’t always a fun topic to talk about. But the sooner you start to think about it, the less stress it’s going to cause down the line.Rachel Richards took this principle to heart when she paid her way through college by selling Cutco Knives, graduating with no debt. She took her love of helping people with their finances and her talent for sales and became a financial advisor, but her heart wasn’t really in it. She found the world of investment properties and worked that until she was 27, quitting her job and retiring while living off of the $15,000 a month in passive income that she earned from her 40 residential rental units.She’s the author of two books, “Money Honey” and “Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement.” She’s also written an online course entitled “Get Your Financial Shit Together.” She certainly has her finances together. She shares what lessons she learned along the way, what advice she might offer young professionals as they begin their savings journey — and even what older sav

We have spent the past several years talking about the exponential advancement of technology and what it all means for our profession. Most of those conversations tend to gravitate toward the public practice side of the profession, but today we’re taking a closer look at how those advances in technology are impacting things like financial reporting, cybersecurity, auditing, assessments, and other compliance-related issues. Because tech trends are impacting those things just as heavily as any other area of the profession. There is quite a bit to consider when it comes to automation within finance and accounting departments, and AJ Yawn and Jeff Cook of ByteChek are going to help us keep it all straight.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:bytechek.comlinkedin.com/in/ajyawnlinkedin.com/in/jeffcookcpaRolling out finance automation with the right prioritiesFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

There are some big changes taking place at the Business Learning Institute. Tom Hood, now the former president and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute, is the new executive vice president of business growth and engagement for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants — the global arm of the American Institute of CPAs. Before Tom closes out his time with the MACPA, we capture some of his wisdom so that we can learn from it going forward. He talks about where the profession was 24 years ago, how far it’s come in the past quarter-century, and most importantly, where it’s going from here.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:linkedin.com/in/tomhoodMaryland takes global stage as Tom Hood, BLI join AICPA teamFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

George Willie is a managing partner with Bert Smith & Company, a CPA and management consulting firm with offices in D.C., Baltimore, and the Virgin Islands. He has served as chair of the AICPA’s Private Companies Practice Section and the Montgomery County Employee Retirement System Board of Investment Trustees, and is also an immigrant originally from Jamaica. He has some great stories to tell, and some great insights into the CPA profession’s efforts around diversity and inclusion, the importance of mentorship, the work that groups like the Maryland Association of CPAs are doing to drive the profession forward in this area.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:bertsmithco.comCompanies with more women in management have outperformed their more male-led peers, according to Goldman Sachs4 ways diversity & inclusion is good for businessFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

We’re approaching the third wave of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) relief, and while we’ve seen these before, there’s good reason to be prepared for what’s new this time around.Erik Asgeirsson is the president and CEO of CPA.com. Joining him is Lisa Simpson, who leads the American Institute of CPAs’ Private Companies Practice Section in the development of practice management tools that address topics that are most important to firm owners.They talk about where we stand with this latest round of funding, what they’re hearing from firms and their clients, what CPAs should know at this point in the process, whether they’re expecting things to go a little more smoothly than they did in earlier PPP rounds, and how things are going with the new CPA Business Funding Portal, which is designed to help CPAs better manage their clients’ loan applications and forgiveness requests.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:CPA.comlinkedin.com/in/erikasgeirssonlinkedin.com/in/lisa

There are so many changes being made in the world of finance. Many of them could be seen coming, but due to the pandemic, those changes are being made much faster than anyone could have guessed.Wayne Slater is the director of product marketing for Prophix, which helps mid-market companies achieve their goals with innovative, cloud-based Corporate Performance Management software. He talks about the accelerations that are disrupting corporate finance, how businesses have had to shift in order to meet those challenges, and the types of new tools finance leaders need to put their businesses and their people in a position to succeed.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:prophix.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/wayne-slater-53234810 Trends for Finance to Navigate NowFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

Allen DeLeon is a founding partner of DeLeon & Stang in Gaithersberg, MD, and is one of the most active volunteers in the Maryland Association of CPAs. He’s a member of the boards of directors for numerous community organizations and he has a solid pulse on what’s going on in the profession. Allen retired at the beginning of 2021, and as he steps away from his day-to-day duties, he talks about how things have changed during his career, and how he sees the future playing out for the profession. Sometimes, in order to become future-ready, we have to take a good, hard look at our past while we prepare for what’s to come.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:deleonandstang.comlinkedin.com/in/allendeleon“The Year Ahead: 2021 in Numbers.”Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

John O’Leary is a thought leader, a world-renowned speaker, and best-selling author of “On Fire” and “In Awe.” When he was a kid, he burned himself really badly—he suffered burns on 100 percent of his body. Doctors gave him a 1 percent chance of survival. And yet he survived. Not without some issues. He spent months in the hospital, he had numerous surgeries, his fingers were amputated—all of this around his 10th birthday. But he survived, and he persevered.This has been a wildly difficult year for almost anybody, but we can all move forward with a sense of gratitude and awe—but don’t forget the lessons that this time has taught us.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:Learn more: johnolearyInspires.comRead: "In Awe"Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

What’s happening at the state level that might have an impact on the accounting and finance world? There’s a lot that’s going on in state capitals across the country that bears watching. Here to talk about all of this is Tom Hood, the president and CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs and the Business Learning Institute. The issues we’re talking about today are things that Tom is watching in Maryland, but these could be issues in any state in the nation. Nearly all states are either dealing with issues like these right now or are watching these issues very closely in the event that they might have to deal with them down the road.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:macpa.org/cpadaymacpa.org/advocacyblionline.orgRead: “Threats to licensing remain a concern for CPAs amid pandemic,”42. Get Involved: Legislative Advocacy at the Local Level | with State Senator Brian FeldmanFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

Cheryl Duvall is the Consulting Practice Area leader for Gensler’s Southeast Region, the renowned global integrated architecture, design, planning and consulting firm with more than 5,000 professionals in 50 offices worldwide. Cheryl talks about the nature of work, what our workspaces will actually look like going forward, whether or not we will need offices in the future, how leadership is changing as a result, and the skills future-ready leaders will need to develop.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:gensler.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cheryl-duvall-ab429928Coronavirus: How the world of work may change foreverWhy Working From Home is the Future of AccountingFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

What we do isn’t who we are; we are all something more than our job. So, what’s that thing that really defines us?Our guest John Garrett, for example, is a CPA, yes. AND he’s an author, a standup comedian, an Emmy Award nominee, and a thought-provoker — he’s a lot besides just a CPA, and he’s encouraging all of us to find our “and” too. He recently wrote a book on the topic — “What’s Your And? Unlock the Person With the Professional”  — to teach others how sharing your personal passions improves work performance, builds culture, and strengthens relationships with colleagues and clients.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:Learn more at thejohngarrett.comRead: “What’s Your And? Unlock the Person With the Professional” Listen: “What’s Your And?” podcastFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

As with pretty much every other trend out there, this pandemic has acted as an accelerator for cyber threats. This was a big problem before COVID-19, but it’s an even bigger problem now. And that makes this week’s conversation particularly relevant, and it’ll likely only become more relevant over the coming months.To help us get ahead of this unsetting trend, we had a conversation with Scott Fleszar, chief operating and strategy officer for SafeSend. SafeSend’s mission is to accelerate the tax and accounting profession with innovative, emerging technologies that help practitioners work more efficiently and better serve their clients. One of their products, SafeSend Returns — which provides accounting firms an automated, centralized and standardized way to assemble and deliver tax returns digitally — recently won an Innovation Award from CPA Practice Advisor. SafeSend Returns To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:safesend.comSafeSend Returns: safesend.com/safes

Joe Biden is the president-elect of the United States of America, but the future of America’s tax policy is going to largely depend on the way a few remaining Senate races turn out. There are a lot of questions about how things will turn out, but Ed Karl is going to try to clarify a few things. Ed is vice president of taxation for the American Institute of CPAs, a member of the Maryland Association of CPAs, and he’s got a good sense of the tax situation in our country.Ed joined us not long after Biden was projected to win to talk about the impact of the election, the pandemic, and a number of other issues, and not just the prospect of new tax policy but on the upcoming tax season as well. And if you had to boil it all down to one word, he said that word might be “patience.”To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:aicpa.orgLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/edward-s-karl-cpa-027a7442Twitter: @edwardkarltax"Prospects for Federal Tax Policy After the 2020 Election""Democrats expr

Twyla Verhelst is one of the top 50 women in accounting. She is head of the Accountant Channel and leader of the New Accounting Professionals Program at Freshbooks. She’s also a CPA and has deep personal experience in advisory accounting, so she knows how to leverage technology and create high-value client experiences.We’ve discussed the need to create the “Future-Ready CPA,” and Twyla has a different term for these CPAs of the future. Twyla believes CPAs and accountants have to stop thinking of themselves as business historians and instead start thinking of themselves as progressive, pushing the industry and leading us forward. Listen to learn how you can become a progressive CPA.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/twylav"From essential to indispensable: The 5 stages of navigating COVID-19”“Growth Drivers For Accounting Firms In The Post-Pandemic Era”Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media

The world of financing touches everything—including sports. Jeff Goering is the CFO of the Baltimore Ravens NFL team.He talks about how life as a CFO for an NFL team differs from your typical job in finance—and the ways in which it doesn’t. He also discusses the impact COVID-19 is having on teams, how corporate finance has changed in recent years, and how the role of the CFO has changed right along with it.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:baltimoreravens.commacpa.org/macpa-member-special-offersmacpa.org/future-learning-frameworkFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

Diversity and inclusion is important. If we want to future-proof our careers, our organizations, our profession, it has to include diversity, equality, and inclusion.Anoop Mehta is president of Science Systems and Applications in Lanham, Maryland. It’s a leading provider of scientific research and development, engineering, and information analytics services in the Earth and space science disciplines. He is also a former chair of the Maryland Association of CPAs’ Board of Directors, and a current member of the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants, and a council member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He’s also an immigrant, an Indian-American, and he has a unique take on this country and this profession, and what the future holds.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:linkedin.com/in/anoop-mehta-2741ab1bRead: “How Businesses Can Recruit and Develop More Young People of Color”Future-Proof is a product

Byron Patrick is a chameleon of sorts, changing his specialty with the times and staying ahead of the curve. He’s a good friend of our host, Bill Sheridan, who met him in 2006 as the Director of IT for KatzAbosch in Maryland. He had just created a virtual office for the firm in an online virtual world called Second Life. Virtual space is a great place to teach and learn, and other platforms have come along since then and proved it right. Byron was thinking about this concept long before anyone else in the profession.He went on to co-found an organization that focused on remote work technologies and solutions in 2008, also well before remote work became a popular idea. He joined the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of CPAs and eventually chaired that board during the 2013-14 fiscal year, becoming one of the youngest MACPA chairs ever in the process.In 2019, he joined the team at Botkeeper, which provides automated bookkeeping and accounting solutions for firms, as their director of pre-sales and

Alexander Hagerup is the founder of Vic.AI, a strategic partner of the MACPA and the Business Learning Institute. Alex is a serial tech entrepreneur based in New York with a strong passion for artificial intelligence.Alex joins us to talk about A.I., and how far we’ve come, and where we are now in terms of the automation possibilities that A.I. gives us. And maybe most importantly, why CPAs should be paying attention to this, and what this technology will do for us that will improve our lives, and the lives of our clients and customers.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:vic.ailinkedin.com/in/alexanderhagerupFuture-Proof is a production of Crate Media

Ed Kless is senior director of partner development and strategy at Sage, a senior fellow at the VeraSage Institute, and the co-host of the Soul of Enterprise podcast.Ed believes that so much of the leadership advice available out there, in hundreds of books on every topic imaginable, completely misses the boat on what great leadership is about. And that, to Ed, is “Healing Leadership.” Ed shares with us what that term means, how most people are getting it wrong, and how you can learn it and practice it in your business and life.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit blionline.org/blog.Resources:Listen: Soul of EnterpriseLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/edklessTwitter: twitter.com/edklessRead: "Healing Leadership"Future-Proof is a production of Crate Media