Alright, firm owners. Let’s cut to the chase. You want to grow your firm, but something’s holding you back. I’ve been in the trenches with countless accounting firms, and I keep seeing the same myths trip up even the smartest owners.

Here are the 10 growth myths that might be messing with your firm right now:

Myth #1: You Can Have It All

Ha! No, you can’t. Sorry to burst that bubble.

As your firm grows, you simply cannot keep your hands in everything. Your firm needs to breathe on its own. It needs its own life, separate from you. The sooner you accept that your firm is not you (and you are not your firm), the sooner you’ll break through that growth ceiling that’s been frustrating you for years.

Myth #2: What You See on Social Media Is the Full Story

Oh please. Those Instagram-perfect accounting entrepreneurs? They’re not showing you the 3am panic attacks or the client they just lost.

Real firm building is messy. It’s painful. It’s exhilarating. And most of it happens behind closed doors, not in carefully curated social posts. Stop comparing your day-to-day reality with someone else’s highlight reel. That path leads to insanity.

Myth #3: What You Are Doing Now Is Working

Is it though? Really?

Most accounting firms are built on a terrible model that was never designed for growth in the first place. What got you here won’t get you there. Sometimes you don’t need a tweak – you need a complete overhaul. And that’s scary! But refusing to see that your current model is the problem… that’s even scarier.

Myth #4: AI and Bots Will Take Your Job

Nope. They’ll take parts of your job. The boring parts. The compliance parts. The parts you probably don’t enjoy anyway.

The firms that will thrive aren’t running from AI – they’re running toward it with open arms while simultaneously doubling down on the human elements that can’t be automated. Strategy. Relationships. Creative problem-solving. That’s where your future lies.

Myth #5: Maybe You Just Suck at Hiring

If you’re constantly blaming yourself for hiring “duds,” look deeper. The problem isn’t your hiring process – it’s that you haven’t defined what your firm actually stands for.

Without clear values and mission, you’re trying to hire for a business with no identity. No wonder it’s not working! Great hiring flows from a crystal-clear vision of your firm’s purpose and culture.

Myth #6: I Need New Team Members That Finally Have Experience

Experience is overrated. Seriously.

Give me someone who aligns with our values and is eager to learn over an industry veteran with 20 years of experience and a bad attitude any day. Technical skills can be taught. Cultural alignment can’t. Stop chasing experience and start prioritizing adaptability and cultural fit.

Myth #7: You Have to Be a Marketing Guru to Market Your Firm

Nah. You just need to be painfully clear about who you are and who you serve.

When you’re super specific about your positioning, marketing gets way easier. The firms struggling with marketing are usually trying to be all things to all clients. Narrow your focus, clarify your message, and watch how much simpler marketing becomes.

Myth #8: The Chaos Is Temporary

Oh, this one gets me fired up! That chaos in your firm? It’s not going away on its own.

Chaos isn’t a phase – it’s a symptom of missing systems. If you don’t deliberately create structure through processes and rhythms, you’ll be living in permanent chaos-land. And that’s no way to run a firm or live a life.

Myth #9: That New Productivity Software Will Make Us More Efficient

Eye roll

How many times have you bought the shiny new software only to have it sit unused six months later? Technology without process change is just expensive shelf-ware. Fix your underlying issues before throwing tech at the problem.

Myth #10: I’m Not a Planner

Well then, you’re not a firm builder either.

Nothing – and I mean nothing – will transform your firm faster than dedicated time for strategy and planning. The owners who tell me “I’m not a planner” are the same ones wondering why they’re stuck on the hamster wheel year after year. Technical work doesn’t grow firms. Strategy does.

Time to Break Free

Here’s the deal: these myths are comfortable. They give us excuses. But they’re killing your potential to build something amazing.

You can rebuild, restructure, or relaunch your firm starting today. It won’t be easy, but I promise it’ll be worth it. You deserve to lead a firm you actually love – one that gives you both profit and freedom.

Ready to bust these myths once and for all? Join us at our upcoming event where we’ll show you exactly how to transform your accounting practice into the firm you’ve always wanted. No fluff, no BS – just practical strategies that actually work.

Your firm is waiting. What are you going to do about it?

What’s next for you? Join our community and share your inspiration with other like-minded firm entrepreneurs.