From CPA to Partner: Emil Abedian on Scaling Law Firms, Niching Down, and Finding Work-Life Balance
Release Date: 09/28/2025
How Storytelling Builds Trust, Visibility, and Sales for Small Businesses with Robert Kennedy III
Small Business Stories
S5:E40 If people donât trust you, they wonât buy from you. If they donât remember you, they wonât find you again. In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Robert Kennedy III breaks down how storytelling, video, and authentic communication help small businesses move from invisible to influential. đ¤Guest: Robert Kennedy III CEO, Kinetic Communications Storytelling, video, and communication strategist â ď¸Core Problems Discussed Business owners relying on data instead of connection Fear of visibility and vulnerability on camera Confusing âstageâ with âstadiumâ ...
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Be a Lighthouse: Latino Student Success Through Belonging & Better Schools with Edgar Palacios
Small Business Stories
S5:E39 When education and society feels tense, the leaders who make the biggest difference arenât the loudest -- theyâre the clearest. In this episode, Edgar Palacios shares what it means to build belonging, representation, and opportunity for Latino students and why that work improves outcomes for everyone. Edgar is the founder of RevED (RevoluciĂłn Educativa) & is a positive force in Latino education anchored in community leadership. What we cover (practical takeaways): đšWhy âbeing seen and heardâ is reciprocal and what belonging really requires đšWhat schools miss when they...
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Most Small Businesses Struggle With Marketing Because They Can't Find Their Audience by Nathan Yeung
Small Business Stories
E5:S38 Most small businesses donât have a marketing problem: they have an audience clarity problem. In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Nathan Yeung, founder of Find Your Audience, to break down why perfectionism, feature overload, and poor framing keep brands invisible and how to fix it. đš What Youâll Learn Nathan shares practical insights on: Why 80% execution beats 99% perfection every time How consumer psychology influences buying decisions (even when customers canât articulate their needs) Why pricing, framing, and choice matter more than...
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Human vs AI: The Customer Service Edge Small Businesses Canât Ignore With Jessica Volker
Small Business Stories
S5:E37 Small business owners: your phone experience is part of your brand. In this episode, Jessica Volker (Business Development Director at Responsive Answering Service) sits down with Dr. LL and breaks down why âscripted and offshoreâ support is driving customers crazy. She shares how human-first answering, smart automation, and better processes can protect your reputation and capture more leads. Top takeaways and timestamps: âąď¸3:56 â Why overly scripted customer service destroys trust (and how to sound human again) âąď¸5:36 â The answering service evolution: from âtake a...
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How to Double Your Business Profits in 9 Months Without Micromanaging Your Team with Cary Prejean
Small Business Stories
S5:E36 In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Cary Prejean, founder of Strategic Business Advisors, to unpack a bold but proven claim: most business owners are the biggest bottleneck to their own growth. With decades of experience helping companies scale profitably, Cary explains why micromanagement kills morale, how lack of systems traps founders in the day-to-day, and what it actually takes to double profits â sometimes in as little as 9 months. This conversation goes deep into leadership psychology, trust, processes, and the mindset shifts required to move from...
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From Stock Photos to Storytelling: Authentic Brand Photography for Small Businesses with Iri Grecco
Small Business Stories
S5:E35 In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Iri Greco, co-founder of Brakethrough Media, to talk about why stock photos are killing your brand â and what to do instead. Iri shares how she builds authentic, human-centered photo đ¸ and video đĽ for small and mid-size brands, why the future of marketing is less content but more meaning, and how solopreneurs can get high-quality visuals without monthly photo shoots. Youâll hear how she turned a nonlinear career (chef to food stylist to producer to media founder) into a visual storytelling studio that survived the...
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Stop Bleeding Cash: How to Find Hidden Money in Your Small Business with Natalia Zacharin
Small Business Stories
S5:E34 In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with the brilliant, intuitive, plant-loving fractional CFO Natalia Zacharin, a woman (and DEBT-SLAYER) who sees patterns in numbers the way gardeners see growth in spring. What starts as a conversation about debt and bookkeeping unfolds into a deeply relatable discussion on emotional decision-making, confidence, financial empowerment, and learning to trust yourself as a founder. Natalia shares why so many entrepreneurs unintentionally bleed cash, how EIDL loans became both a lifeline and a trap, and the real reason checking your...
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How Small Businesses Can Use Ethical AI to Finally Make Marketing Work With Steven Sakach
Small Business Stories
S5:E33 In this episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Stephen Sakach, founder of aiCMO.io, to unpack how small businesses can use AI without losing the human, emotional core of their brand. Stephen has spent years sitting between technology, marketing and leadership â and heâs using that experience to build an âAI CMOâ that doesnât just spit out content, but helps founders think more clearly, act more ethically, and market more effectively. In this conversation, youâll learn: 00:06:16 â Why more tools isnât the answer, and how to put boundaries around tech so it...
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Small Business Owners - Why Your Packaging Strategy is Failing You and How to FIX it by Jeremy Bower
Small Business Stories
In this episode S5:E32 of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Jeremy Bower, founder of Givr Packaging, chemical-engineer-turned-eco-entrepreneur, and one of the most refreshingly honest voices in sustainability. Jeremy doesnât just sell boxes â he rethinks packaging from the ground up. Youâll hear how his background in paper science (yes, they actually award degrees for this specialty science and Jeremy has one) and sustainability led him to start Givr Packaging, why he fights to protect small businesses from predatory packaging minimums, and the surprising truth: most small...
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Leading With Love: How Dr. Roz Builds Stronger Relationships, Better Businesses, and a More Connected World
Small Business Stories
S5:E31 In this radiant and deeply human episode of Small Biz Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Dr. Roz, founder of the Love Revolution and creator of the Debt-Free Degree movement. Together, they unpack how love, intention, and emotional presence can transform not only your relationships â but also your leadership, your business, and your day-to-day life. Dr. Roz shares her philosophy of letting others voluntarily evolve (the real meaning behind Let Them), how to lead with compassion even when life is chaotic, and how entrepreneurs can infuse love into their brand, team, and daily choices. This...
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In this episode of Small Business Stories, host Dr. LL sits down with Emil Abedian, CEO of Council CPAs and newly minted author of Council to Council. Emil shares candid lessons from 15+ years in entrepreneurship, scaling from a solo CPA to a trusted partner for law firms nationwide.
đ¨ Most entrepreneurs make this $100,000 mistake.
They treat their business like a job instead of an investment.
My guest on Small Business Stories, Emil Abedian, learned this lesson the hard way â grinding through 80-hour weeks, doing everything for everyone, and nearly burning out.
Then he made the shift:
đ He niched down to focus only on law firms.
đ He reframed compliance accounting into strategic partnership.
đ He scaled his CPA practice into a thriving business â all while reclaiming time for family.
In this episode, Emil breaks down:
â
How to avoid the âhamster wheelâ trap.
â
The KPI red flags every small business owner should track.
â
Why niching down is the fastest path to scaling up.
â
The 80/20 rule for launching ANY product (including a book).
If youâre a solopreneur, lawyer, or small business owner wearing 17 hats â you canât afford to miss this.
đ Key Moments & Takeaways for Small Business Owners:
[00:05:30] Balancing Business & Family: Emil reveals the tipping point that forced him to shift from 80-hour work weeks to protecting time with his kids â and how entrepreneurs can do the same.
[00:12:45] Mindset Shift from Job to Business: Why too many professionals see their firm as a âjobâ instead of an investment, and how reframing this accelerates growth.
[00:20:10] Lessons from Success vs. âLess Successâ Stories: Emil explains why learning from both wins and mistakes helps entrepreneurs shorten the path to growth.
[00:34:50] Beyond Compliance â Becoming a Strategic Partner: How CPAs (and other service providers) can add real value by moving from âcheck-the-boxâ compliance to year-round strategic insight.
[00:47:15] Riches Are in the Niches: Emilâs bold pivot to exclusively serving law firms â and why specialization was the best business decision he ever made.
đ follow us on YouTube â¨@MidlifesuccessâŠ
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