The THRIVEcast

SHOWNOTES – Episode 10 –  What it Really Means to Blow Stuff Up, The Service Profit Chain, and an Interview with Michelle Golden- April 25, 2012

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Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance

Thanks to Sharra Chan of Orange Door, Inc. for introducing this month’s podcast!

Jason begins by telling us what it really means to blow stuff up. He and Greg discuss a recent blog article by Jason, in which Jason questions the legal structures and the conservative nature of most CPA firms. Greg then explains the service profit chain. It all starts with satisfied employees. Our brilliant guest Michelle Golden gives us a sneak peak into the topic and title of her new book and shares some stories about her career and marketing projects with CPA firms.

VeraSage
Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work
CPA Company vs. CPA Firm by Jason Blumer
Blumer & Associates, CPAs
CPA Practice Advisor
Joel Ungar
Herbert Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines
Xerox
Intuit
Scott Cook, former CEO of Intuit
Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
ROWE
Jody Thompson, author of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
Deeper Weekend
Jim Collins
H&R Block
Golden Practices
Bernie Lietz and Bill Hubly of Corbett, Duncan, and Hubly
Ron Baker
Paul Dunn
Ric Payne
Mad Men
Rene Lacerte
AICPA Practitioners Symposium and  Tech + Conference
Jody Padar
Tom Hood
Mark Koziel

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, Shoeboxed, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

Co-Created by the CloudSolutions Alliance

 

SHOWNOTES – Episode 9 –  It’s CPAs Gone WILD in Austin Texas with guests Jody Padar, Tom Hood, Rex “Havoc”, and a guy in a Russian Hat named John – March 25, 2012

 

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Click here to listen to us on Stitcher Smart Radio

Thanks Geni Whitehouse for introducing this month’s THRIVEcast!

Jason and Greg went WILD in Texas at the Freshbooks Ranch at South By Southwest. Thanks to Cloudsway, they made a special trip to record a live podcast and were able to crash the Freshbooks party for the recording. Jody Padar and Tom Hood were along for the ride (literally…in a Fiat 500). Hear Jason and Greg talk with Jody, Tom, and a few spontaneous podcast guests about what customers REALLY want from their CPAs. Jody explains how her firm, New Vision CPA Group is shaking up the way business is done. Thank you to Tom Hood for being there to bring a little dignity to the episode!

Mentioned in this podcast:
Jody Padar of New Vision
Tom Hood with the Maryland Association of CPAs
Cloudsway
OCR
Generation Flux in Fast Company
SXSW
I C Opportunities
Rex Schuller, CPA

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, Shoeboxed, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

 

SHOWNOTES – Episode 8 – Expanding Your Circle of Awesomeness and an Interview with Kara Haas – February 25, 2012

 

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Click here to listen to us on Stitcher Smart Radio

 

Thanks Jody Padar for introducing this month’s show!

Jason and Greg discuss how we are often influenced without even realizing it. Also, who are you influencing? Do you need to remove people from your circle of suck? Then Kara Haas of Vend shares her experiences as a CPA firm owner and now as a vendor. Hear her share why she thinks accountants need to take more risks with technology.

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Stanford Prison Experiment

Jessica Still man’s articles: Career Starters Beware and Are Your Friends Destroying Your Business?

Kara Haas of Vend

Xero

ROWE

Ed Kless

Vaughan Rowsell

IC Opportunities

 

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, Shoeboxed, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

 

 

SHOWNOTES – Episode 7 –  The Barbell Strategy of Risk,More From the Black Swan, and an Interview with Rafi Mohammed – January 25, 2012

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Click here to listen now (give it time to load):
Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are back for the seventh episode of the THRIVEcast!Greg once again shares some insights from The Black Swan, including an interesting discussion on the barbell strategy of risk. Plus Greg teaches Jason how to gamble.

Unfortunately, we had no time for Jason to tell us how to get rid of our friends! How do you run off your friends?

Finally, hear from the man who called us the Wayne’s World of Business Podcasts, Dr. Rafi Mohammed. He challenges Jason and Greg on some of their value pricing views. Hear Rafi address pricing topics such as discounting, what is versioning, and how your customer’s next best option should affect YOUR prices.

Mentioned in the podcast:
The 1% Windfall by Rafi Mohammed
The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb
Martingale System of Betting
Thomas Watson, founder of IBM
HBR IdeaCast
Sarah Green
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Laughing Skull Comedy Festival

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

SHOWNOTES – Episode 6 –  Dealing with Customer Complaints, ROWE, and an Interview with Jay Shepherd – December 22, 2011

Click here to subscribe to the THRIVEcast on iTunes

click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are back for the sixth episode of the THRIVEcast! Greg starts off by helping business owners see the upside of customer complaints. Listen to Greg tell you why complaints are good for your business and hear a few examples of his own. Jason explains what a ROWE is and a little of what it isn’t. Jason tells his team, “I trust you. I don’t care what you do.” At least as long as they get results. Jason and Greg interview Jay Shepherd about his new book, Firing at Will. Hear Jay’s opinions on hourly billing, hiring, firing, performance appraisals, and more. The book is highly recommended by Jason and Greg as a management handbook for every business owner.

Mentioned in the podcast:
Firing at Will by Jay Shepherd
ROWE
HBR podcast Social Media’s Untapped Power
Firm of the Future by Ron Baker
Texas Roadhouse
Joey Brannon
Cali Ressler
Jody Thomspon
Best Buy
Culture RX
6 myths about ROWE
HBR podcast Fire All the managers
Jody Padar
Ted Davidson of Spardata
Gruntled Employees

The Client Revolution

 

Come see Greg in January at The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival!

 

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

 

 

SHOWNOTES – Episode 5 –  Interview with Ron Baker and Ed Kless, Recorded LIVE in front of a THRIVEal audience! – November 22, 2011

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Click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Co-created by the THRIVEal +CPA Network and the CloudSolutions Alliance
This edition of the THRIVEcast also sponsored by Right Networks

Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are back for the fifth episode of the THRIVEcast!

The Podcast Team!

Hear why Ron Baker says timesheets are demoralizing and Ed Kless believes that they are unethical. Ed even tells a Bible story! And when will Ron and Ed work themselves out of a job by putting an end to the billable hour?

Click here to subscribe to the THRIVEcast on iTunes.

Click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Greg gives guidance on managing oneself, based on a 2005 article by Peter Drucker. Hint: you probably don’t really know your strengths as well as you think you do. Also, does Jason ever watch a movie?

Jason explains why coaching is so valuable, whether one on one or in a group coaching situation.

Finally, Jason and Greg interview two members of the CloudSolutions Alliance: Kim Hogan from the Fujitsu ScanSnap Community and Marshal Kushniruk from Avalara. Learn the dirty little secret of document management and how Avalara can help CPAs add additional value to their customers.

Kim Hogan, all dressed up for her THRIVEcast interview!

 

Mentioned in this THRIVEcast:
Rafi Mohammed, author of The 1% Windfall
Wayne’s World
Kim Hogan with Fujitsu Scansnap Community
Marshal Kushniruk with Avalara
Jason’s coaching article in CPA Practice Advisor
Michael Jordan
USC Gamecocks
Managing Oneself, article by Peter Drucker
StrengthsFinder
DISC
Kolbe Assessments
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Thomas Watson, founder of IBM
Fight Club
Happy Gilmore
Chariots of Fire
Journal of Accountancy
Pioneering the New Firm Coaching Course
Jody Padar
Ron Baker
Joey Brannon
CPA Practice Advisor’s 40 under 40
Logan’s Run
SmartVault
TripIt
Chris Farmand
AICPA Tech Practitioner’s Conference
Apple
Speedtax Acquired by CCH
CloudSolutions Alliance
Scott McFarlane, CEO of Avalara
Avalara Intergrations
Hermain Cain, 9-9-9 tax plan
Firm of the Future Symposium in Greenville, SC

Co-created by the CloudSolutions Alliance:
The THRIVEal +CPA Network and The CloudSolutions Alliance have made the THRIVEcast possible. Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Avalara, and XCM Solutions.  Check them out!

Audio Engineering by:
Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:
twitter: @jasonmblumer @gregkyte @thrivealcpas
email: info@thriveal.com, greg@gregkyte.com, or podcast@thriveal.com
website: www.thriveal.com
Our Facebook page

Click here to subscribe to the THRIVEcast on iTunes.

Click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are back for the third episode of the THRIVEcast!

Greg kicks off the show by defining community and giving us examples from Verasage Institute and the THRIVEal +CPA Network. Community moves beyond just collaborating or networking. Members of a true community will encourage one another to leverage their strengths while circumventing their weaknesses. Community is built on trust, and trust is built on a series of successful risks.

Jason looks to ticket scalpers for some pricing strategy tips. Jason and Greg discuss a podcast and an article from Harvard Business Review. A few tips include: prices should be dynamic, billing by the hour is a very non-strategic act for professionals, look for places where value can be injected into the relationship with the customer, set a minimum access price, and implement the principle of scarcity.

Finally, Jason and Greg interview Eric Pulaski, CEO of SmartVault. Eric shares how SmartVault came to be as well as the nitty gritty of what he considers the two most important benefits of SmartVault; security and streamlining workflow.

SHOWNOTES – Episode 2 – Are you a Carny or Are You Disney? And An Interview with Greg LaFollette – August 25, 2011

Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

Click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are back for round 2 of the THRIVEcast!  Greg tells us about the epiphany he had recently at Disneyland about client service, client experience, and client transformation.  Greg challenges CPAs to lay the foundation of great service and then go beyond to create a great experience.  Are you a carny or are you Disney?  Major shout out to Michael Hsu, a THRIVEal member who knows how to provide a terrific client experience.  Michael is no carny!

Jason shares a book called The Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns.  Jason tells us the 12 proclamations from the table of contents including: We Will Be Selective, We Will Not Solve Problems Before We are Paid, We Will Charge More, etc.  Jason tells us why he believes innovation is not an option for CPAs.  He believes that by specializing and going deeper into a niche, CPA firms can be more innovative.  Does Greg agree? Thanks to Adrian Simmons (another THRIVEal member!) for mailing the book to Jason!

Jason and Greg then move into a thought provoking interview with Greg LaFollette, whom Jason refers to as both the evil genius and the good looking Greg.  Mr. LaFollette has been innovating in the accounting profession since Jason and Greg were in diapers.  Listen in to hear a fascinating discussion about how technology is changing the way CPA firms serve their clients.  Mr. LaFollette has some great advice for small firms and those just getting started.

Quote of the Month: Practice Safe Computing!

Mentioned in the THRIVEcast:
Disneyland

Dumbo

Firm of the Future by Ron Baker

Designing Disney

Imagineers

Michael Hsu of DeepSky

THRIVEal CPA+ Network, dang it

Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns

Adrian Simmons

Pioneering the New Firm Coaching Course

Steve Jobs

Apple overtakes Exxon Mobil

Good to Great

Chris Marston

Greg LaFallolette

CPA Technology Advisor (now CPA Practice Advisor)

Randy Johnston

Thomson Reuters

CITP (Certified Information Technology Professional)

Geoffrey Moore

CCH

Eric Pulaski of SmartVault

Henry Ford

Orange Door

cpa2biz

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Firm of the Future Symposium with Ron Baker and Ed Kless

Greenville, SC

Xero

Amazing Sponsors:

Our sponsors of the THRIVEcast have made the THRIVEcast possible.  We think they are the bomb!  Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Speedtax (recently aquired by CCH), XCM Solutions, and Copanion (recently aquired by Drake).  Check them out!

Produced by:

Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:

If you have questions or comments, there are several ways to contact us.  Follow Jason on twitter at @jasonmblumer.  Greg is also on twitter at @gregkyte .  We’re always interested in listener mail!  You can email us at podcast@thriveal.com and find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/THRIVEal .  Also, just search for THRIVEal in itunes and don’t forget to give us a 5 star rating and leave amazingly wonderful reviews.  Thanks for stopping by.  We hope to hear from you!

SHOWNOTES – INAUGURAL PODCAST (Innovation Catalysts and The Disruption of Higher Education)- August 4, 2011

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Click here to listen now (give it time to load):

Jason Blumer and Greg Kyte are excited (giddy) to kick off the THRIVEcast by interviewing each other.  We learn that Jason loves serving creative clients (Neil Diamond cover bands and Elvis Impersonators?) and Greg once opened for Weird Al Yankovic at the Utah State Fair.  Yes folks, these are your hosts of the THRIVEcast!

Greg brings us an article from the June 2011 Harvard Business Review called The Innovation Catalysts.  His greatest take-away from the article is that CPAs and other service providers need to move from simply satisfying their customers to delighting them.

Jason also looks to the Harvard Business Review for the inaugural podcast.  In the July/August 2011 issue, he finds an article about the Disruption of Higher Education.  Jason and Greg discuss why they believe it is important for change to occur at the university level in order for the accounting industry to be as innovative as possible.

Mentioned in the THRIVEcast:

The Innovation Catalysts article in Harvard Business Review

The Disruption of Higher Education article by Justin Fox in Harvard Business Review

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Ron Baker

Jody Padar

Neil Diamond

Elvis Presley

Bread

Intuit

Apple

Fight Club

Larry King

Superstar Sponsors:

Our sponsors have made the THRIVEcast possible.  We think they are the bomb!  Here’s a shout out to the CloudSolutions Alliance, which consists of Smartvault, Freshbooks, Fujitsu, Speedtax, XCM Solutions, and Copanion.  Check them out!

Produced by:

Shane McMullin of Ninth Hour Productions

Contact Us:

If you have questions or comments, there are several ways to contact us.  Follow Jason on twitter at @jasonmblumer.  Greg is also on twitter at @gregkyte .  We’re always interested in listener mail!  You can email us at podcast@thriveal.com and find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/THRIVEal .  Also, just search for THRIVEal in itunes and don’t forget to give us a 5 star rating and leave amazingly wonderful reviews.  Thanks for stopping by.  We hope to hear from you!

A podcast like no other, the THRIVEcast, is coming (in your face) July 2011, brought to you by the innovative people of the CloudSolutions Alliance.  Jason and Greg will take you on a journey of learning more about our profession, with a twist of dysfunction and humor (and probably burping too, not totally sure yet).

If you want to find out when it goes live, sign up below and we’ll let you know:

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More about Jason (follow Jason on Twitter) and Greg (follow Greg on Twitter):

Jason and Greg provide two unique perspectives on the issues they discuss. In fact, it would be difficult to find two American, white, male, thirty-something, CPA co-hosts who are more different:

Jason works as a CPA in public accounting; Greg works as a CPA in industry.

Jason provides accounting services and solutions; Greg consumes them.

Jason is a tech guru; Greg likes shiny things.

Jason’s a Republican; Greg’s a Democrat.

Jason loves Jesus; Greg likes shiny things.

Jason does NOT recycle; Greg owns a Blu-Ray copy of An Inconvenient Truth.

Jason homeschools his children; Greg teaches his kids to beat up homeschooled children.

Jason never finishes books that he starts reading; Greg read Crime and Punishment cover to cover.

Jason listens to 80s glam rock; Greg listens to 80s hair metal.  OMG!

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