Branch Out - A Podcast from Connection Builders
Branch Out is a leading professional growth podcast hosted by Alex Drost, founder of Connection Builders. It is your ultimate source for actionable insights to take your career to the next level. Each episode, Alex interviews thought leaders from the accounting, legal, and other consulting professions, who share their unique insights and real-life lessons learned throughout their careers.
Episodes
According to research, one in seven clients has an unvoiced complaint. Do you know how your clients feel about your firm's service?
In today’s episode, Alyson Fieldman, founder of Rockit Results, an independent consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing for high-growth professional services firms, shares her expertise in client experience (CX) and why it is a strategic differentiator in the marketplace. Alyson explai...
Does it ever feel as if your life has become mechanical or routine? Do you find that it’s becoming more and more difficult to find success in your career? This is the episode for you! Today, we speak with keynote speaker, CPA, yogi, technologist, TEDx speaker, Breaking Beliefs Podcast host, and CEO of the B3 Method Institute, Amy Vetter, who guides business professionals on their journeys to become happier, more engaged, and more s...
Strategic growth is about more than just growth for growth’s sake. It’s about identifying the most efficient path for profitability and sustainability and then pursuing it. Our guest today, Gale Crosley, is a Strategic Growth and Innovation Consultant who has helped countless growth-oriented CPA and Accounting firms overcome barriers and achieve high-performing strategic growth. Crosley started her career as a CPA with Arthur Ander...
Give credit and take blame; this is Bruce Ditman’s golden rule of leadership. In today’s episode, he shares his story of how he went from selling television advertising to Chief Marketing Officer at Marcum LLP, a $700 million dollar CPA & accounting firm, then later to the founder of Chief Seconds.
Bruce has never had one day of formal marketing education in his life, but his intellectual curiosity, humility, and thoughtful app...
Unexpected connections exist all around us; we just have to be open to them. One such connection that many listeners may find surprising is the link between music and accounting. Our guest today, Scott Scarano, has always had a passion for both these disciplines. He describes accounting as the language of business and music as the language of life. Scott is the owner of a thriving accounting firm, a podcaster, and the custodian of ...
Elana Margulies-Snyderman is a director and thought leadership expert at EisnerAmper, a global audit and tax firm with offices worldwide and throughout the US. She hosts two podcast series, one dedicated to financial services and the other focusing on private equity deal-making. She also contributes to the firm's content management by maintaining a financial services blog and overseeing content across various industries and se...
Today we are joined by Timothy Keith, the CEO and Founder of Propense.ai, an AI cross-selling platform that helps professional services firms grow more efficiently and holistically. Tim shares his unique career path that helped build his expertise in the professional services industry, starting with his experience in CRM implementation at a large-scale CPA firm. Tim’s path to becoming a founder is as inspiring as it is unique, and ...
The private equity and deal advisor landscape is currently ablaze with fierce competition, reaching unprecedented heights and continuously expanding. Professional service providers working in the sector must showcase their unparalleled expertise, captivating the attention of target companies. Joining us today to help navigate the intricacies of building a brand as a consultant in the space is Jack Vawdrey, a marketing consultant fo...
Creating a remarkable brand is not a task for the faint of heart. It requires unwavering authenticity, a fierce dedication to values, and an unrelenting commitment to purpose. Mike Jones, the CEO and Managing Partner of Resound, truly believes in these principles. With an unbridled passion for every client, he leads Resound’s vision, strategy, and business development, relentlessly pursuing building brands that resonate deeply with...
Selling your business is not just a transaction. It is a period of transition filled with unexpected highs and lows. After exiting her own legal practice and watching a close friend struggle with the sale of his company, global keynote speaker and bestselling author, Denise Logan realized that business owners need emotional support for this process of transition. Over the last 13 years, she has woven together her previous experienc...
Small and aspiring CPA firms face several formidable challenges. From workload management to technology implementation and expanding their professional expertise, they will likely spend a disproportionate amount of time and energy on things other than building their book of business and serving clients. To solve this problem, today’s guest started a firm that provides the necessary resources and support to enable CPAs to build scal...
A big part of business development is communication; selling yourself or someone else, building relationships, making a pitch, and so on. As a professional, you should build up the skillset to truly be able to articulate what value, skills, and experience you (or your group) have. Today, we are joined by Alex Egan, a director at Kaufman Rossin, a full-service public accounting and consulting firm. Alex leads a team of consultants a...
Sometimes, a job that was initially fulfilling begins to feel less meaningful over time. Luckily, there are several strategies you can follow to help you reignite your passion for the work that you already do or even redefine your role around what gets you excited! Today, we are joined by Randy Crabtree, speaker, writer, co-founder, and partner of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax Professionals and host of The Unique CPA podcast. Randy is al...
Resilience breeds success, and no one articulates it better than Lisa Howze. Lisa is a former Michigan state representative and the former chief of staff and chief government affairs officer for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. She is now known as "The Career Transformation Specialist" and joins us today to discuss her book, Candy Girl Mentality. Lisa generously shares an endless stream of wisdom as she breaks down the "ca...
Building a strong network of professional connections ultimately comes down to the time and energy you are willing to invest in those relationships. Today’s guest understands this and has managed to build credibility by consistently looking for new ways to add value. George Sirignano is the Managing Partner of Old City Investment Partners, a firm that identifies high-quality alternative investment sponsors for a growing investor ba...
The word “sales” often leaves a sour taste in people’s mouths. But sales is different than most people think, as today’s guest explains. Gary Braun, the Co-Founder of Pivotal Advisors, shares why it’s all about asking the right questions. Gary takes us on the journey of how he and his brother launched Pivotal Advisors and the lessons they have learned over the last 10+ years. We debunk negative connotations associated with “sales” ...
To be an entrepreneur requires hard work, self-discipline, and a tremendous amount of courage. When you are your own boss, there is no one else to look to. Therefore, everything your business needs to succeed requires your efforts and discipline. Today we are joined by the Managing Director of EisnerAmper, Isatou Smith. She is a natural entrepreneur who left a stable corporate role to gain greater autonomy and agency in her persona...
From heading a family business, running franchising models, running a private equity firm, and being a mother to two, is there anything Susan Black-Beth can't do? Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Susan's relationship with business started at an early age and has been formative to her leadership style.
In this episode, Susan shares the value of having a robust and reliable network, how to overcome unforeseen challe...
Today we are joined by partner, director, and advisor at Anders CPAs, David Hartley to discuss how he has found success and happiness in his career by taking risks and embracing uncertainty. You'll hear about David's professional career journey, the catalysts for change early on, and how he handled changes he encountered along the way. We also talk about why we as leaders ...
In today's high-paced professional world, it's easy to lose perspective on what moves the needle in your company and get mired down in a slew of everyday tasks and emails. And while creating a structure that prioritizes reflection and planning can be challenging, it is immensely beneficial in the long run. Here to help us unpack this topic and give us a fresh perspective on our approach to work is Dan Montgomery, audit pa...
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