From CPA to Software Entrepreneur: How Ben Taylor Launched SoftLedger
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Release Date: 08/04/2025
How Firms Are Reaching 7x EBITDA
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Is your accounting practice built to scale—or positioned for a high-multiple exit? In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello welcomes back Geoff Bruskin, founder and CEO of White Tiger Connections. Geoff pulls back the curtain on the current "white-hot" public accounting M&A market in 2026. From the rise of Fractional COO engagements to 7x+ EBITDA multiples, Jeff breaks down what buyers are looking for and why private equity (PE) plays fail 40% of the time when they ignore the human element of change management. Whether you're an Operations Manager looking to optimize...
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Firing Clients & Making $100K/mo
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Can you run a thriving, hyper-local accounting practice while living in Mexico for four months of the year? Most accounting firm owners and managing partners assume that running a local firm requires being chained to a brick-and-mortar office—especially during busy seasons. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Nancy McClelland, CPA (widely known as The Dancing Accountant). Nancy shares how she built a highly profitable, 100% remote, hyper-local firm in Chicago that allows her to spend every tax season working from Mexico. If you are a bookkeeping firm...
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CPA Firm Succession and Profitability Blueprint | Ira Rosenbloom
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Are you running an accounting practice that can survive independent of your personal production, or are your key successors already looking for the nearest exit? In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Ira Rosenbloom, CEO of Optimum Strategies, known across the industry as the "Merger and Profitability Optimizer." With over 25 years of hands-on experience as a practicing CPA and managing partner, Ira pulls back the curtain on how to navigate the complex crossroads of generational change, standardizing client management, and securing maximum value for your...
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How to Build and Sell a 2M CPA and Law Firm | Mike Payne
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Whether you’re a CPA starting a firm, an operations manager, or a managing partner looking at succession options, understanding what actually drives firm valuation in today's intense M&A market is critical. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Mike Payne, a veteran M&A consultant who has spent nearly two decades facilitating accounting firm mergers, acquisitions, and private equity investments. Mike pulls back the curtain on transactions ranging from $1M to over $100M to explain exactly how buyers evaluate practices and why the traditional metrics...
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Solo CPA to $290k Revenue | Yuri Kapilovich
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Can you run a hyper-profitable tax and advisory firm while heavily restricting your personal work hours? Most accounting firm owners and managing partners assume that scaling past six figures requires sacrificing their personal life to the grind. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Yuri Kapilovich, Managing Partner of Kapilovich and Associates—known across social media as "The Fun CPA." After spending over a decade handling high-net-worth clients at giant tax firms, Yuri stepped out on his own to build an ultra-lean, highly optimized practice....
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How This CPA Built and Sold a $2M Accounting Firm with Adam Shay
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Are you a firm owner trying to break past that next big growth plateau? Many managing partners and bookkeeping firm owners find themselves stuck in the daily grind, struggling to build a practice that can survive independent of their personal production. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host Dave Cristello sits down with Adam Shay, CPA, a dad, entrepreneur, and high-performance firm coach. Adam pulls back the curtain on his own journey of building, scaling, and ultimately selling a multimillion-dollar accounting firm. Today, through Share the Knowledge LLC, he helps fellow owners...
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How This Accounting Firm From 0 to $10M in 7 Years with Joe Manganelli
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Are you running an accounting practice that relies entirely on your own personal production, or have you built a scalable business that can exist independently of you? For accounting firm owners, managing partners, and CPAs starting firms, understanding how to shift from manual operations to an acquirable business model is the ultimate goal. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Joe Manganelli, the former founder and CEO of Calculate. Joe shares his incredible journey of launching, scaling, and successfully selling his outsourced CFO and accounting firm in...
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15 minutes to Complete a Month-End Close? Interview with Issac Perdomo
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Isaac Perdomo, founder of Opzer, to discuss the practical application of AI and low-code/no-code tools in modern accounting practices. Isaac shares real-world case studies of firms drastically reducing manual workloads and increasing their capacity for high-value advisory services. In this episode, we explore: - The "Window of Opportunity": Why the next 12–24 months are critical for firms to adopt AI before the market settles. - Beyond the Hype: Moving from generic ChatGPT use to building bespoke internal tools...
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How to Build a 90% Automated Accounting Firm
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Is the traditional general ledger dead? As small businesses and startups demand real-time data, the standard "wait two weeks for a black-and-white P&L" model is becoming obsolete. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Jeff Seibert, co-founder and CEO of Digits and former Head of Consumer Product at Twitter (now X). Jeff reveals why he spent over five years and $100M in venture capital to rebuild accounting software from the ground up to be AI-native. Whether you’re a firm owner looking to scale or a tech-forward CPA, this conversation explores how...
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Why Accountants Are Leaving Money on the Table (And How to Fix It)
Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals
Are you tired of the "compliance grind"? Most accountants overlook a goldmine sitting right in their current database: Tax Resolution. With over 27 million Americans currently facing IRS issues, the demand for representation has never been higher. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Michael Rozbruch, founder of Roz Strategies and a pioneer in the tax resolution industry. Michael shares how he grew a practice from his dining room table to a $23 million-a-year powerhouse and why now is the best time in history for firms to enter this space. In this episode,...
info_outlineIn this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello welcomes Ben Taylor, CEO of SoftLedger, to discuss the emerging trend of CPAs transitioning into technology entrepreneurs. With over a decade of experience as a practicing CPA, Ben shares his journey from accounting to software development, highlighting the growing interest among accountants in launching their own tech solutions. David and Ben explore examples of other industry leaders, such as Jackie Meyer and Kelly Mann, who have made similar transitions, and delve into the motivations behind this shift. This conversation offers valuable insights for ambitious accountants looking to innovate and expand their impact in the financial sector. Tune in to uncover the opportunities that lie at the intersection of accounting and technology!
In a recent podcast episode featuring Ben Taylor, CEO of SoftLedger, the discussion highlights how many CPAs, including Ben himself, have experienced firsthand the limitations of existing accounting software. Ben's journey began about ten years ago while managing various areas in the accounting department of a small public company. Frustrated with the outdated and inefficient Microsoft Dynamics GP, which led to delays in financial reporting, he realized there had to be a better way to handle accounting processes. This frustration sparked the idea for SoftLedger.
The episode also emphasizes that this trend is not isolated to Ben. Many other accountants have made similar transitions, moving from traditional firm roles to developing innovative software solutions. For instance, host David Cristello mentions several individuals who have successfully made this leap, including Jackie Meyer, Kelly Mann, and Hector Garcia. These examples illustrate a broader movement within the accounting profession, where practitioners leverage their industry knowledge to create tools that address specific pain points.