Accounting Archives - Page 3 of 4

Leadership, Law, and Purpose E32

May 25, 2022 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

Leadership, Law, and Purpose E32

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Leadership, Law, and Purpose E32

On this episode of Collaborative Connections Radio Show and Podcast, host Kelly Lorenzen had the pleasure of interviewing Rochelle Poulton with KLM & Poulton Law PLLC, Frank Stitely with Stitely & Karstetter CPAs, and Mallard Owen with 123JUNK.

They talked about everything from Conscious Capitalism and higher purpose, to finances, leadership, collaboration and law.

If you are a business leader, conscious capitalist, or curious about any of these amazing professionals, check out this episode sponsored by KLM.

There are some great takeaways, insights, and tips that were shared by all!

Diverse experiences gives Poulton Law, PLLC the knowledge to understand your situation and provide targeted advice and guidance.

Rochelle Poulton joined Poulton Law in 2021, after nearly ten years of running her own practice assisting clients with debt and credit issues. She offers creative solutions for the financial struggles of entrepreneurship.

In addition, Rochelle has nearly 20 years of real estate experience and is a licensed Realtor with Realty Executives.

Connect with Rochelle on LinkedIn and follow Poulton Law on Facebook.

Stitely & Karstetter CPA’s is a full service CPA firm located in Chantilly, Virginia. They provide tax, accounting, and business valuation services to small business owners nationwide.

They specialize in complex tax planning and pension strategies for business owners as well as providing a complete outsourced accounting and CFO solutions to small businesses in a variety of industries.

The firm is celebrating its 33rd anniversary in 2022.

Frank Stitely founded S&K CPAs in 1989 with a fraternity brother from college. He has well over 30 years of experience consulting with small business owners to minimize their tax liabilities. He also helps small business owners understand the value of their businesses and assists them in purchase and sale transaction.

Frank is heavily involved in the Northern Virginia community sitting on the boards of a number of charities including Christian Relief Services, the RHOLC Foundation, and the Loudoun Estate Planning Council.

He is a workout enthusiast who loves biking and general fitness classes. He is a larger holder of the equity in a cloud-based software company, Clarity Practice Management, serving CPA firms nationwide.

He has written two books on practice management for the CPA profession.

Other than the above, he is a pretty boring guy.

Connect with Frank on LinkedIn.

From our first job through present day, 123JUNK has faithfully operated with its mission statement clear and top of mind: To be the leading Donate – Recycle – Dispose Company that delivers the best client experience and makes the biggest difference in its community and its environment.

123JUNK started with $4K and a beat-up pickup truck. Our humble beginnings forced us to focus on growth through referrals from happy clients and an unparalleled obsession with service quality.

Today, 123JUNK is positioned as the prominent Eco-Friendly, Junk Removal Service of our Nation’s Capital and the surrounding areas of Northern Virginia and Maryland.

Mal Owen has over thirty years of senior leadership experience having launched new businesses, nurtured startups, guided non-profits, and transformed struggling organizations. Central to Mal’s success has been building strong teams, creating winning strategic alliances, providing an outstanding work environment, maximizing existing resources, and leveraging new technologies and information systems. Importantly for sustainable success, he believes that “how you get there” is as important as “what you achieve.”

Mal’s consulting firm, eBrite, has led him to his most recent role as the Chief Operating Officer for 123JUNK, based in Chantilly, VA. 123JUNK’s mission is to be the leading Donate – Recycle – Dispose company in the country, delivering the best client experience and making the biggest difference in its community and its environment.

Mal had been consulting with this firm since 2014 until both parties realized he could provide even more value overseeing its day-to-day operations. Mal also continues to serve as an advisor to Smith Hager Bajo, a firm with specialized expertise in women and children’s healthcare management and facility planning.

Mal’s leadership and consulting talents have led him to work across a wide range of organizations in fields such as health/wellness, information technology, hospitality, arts and culture, legal, government/defense contractors, and executive search. Prior to his work in the commercial and non-profit sectors, Mal was trained as a research scientist.

He received a prestigious NIH grant to complete his doctorate degree in exercise physiology from The University of Iowa. He went on to receive a post-doc through another grant to continue his research on the neurophysiology of body temperature regulation in the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University.

Besides Conscious Capitalism Arizona, Mal has been very active in non-profit service and professional organizations in the areas of community service, workforce development, and small business support.

One of Mal’s most cherished activities in the Washington, DC, area was his five-year role as the co-leader of one of the largest, non-profit career support groups in the U.S. Recognized for its accomplishments by the U.S. Department of Labor, the group’s success led to his being invited multiple times by two Secretaries of Labor to provide his insights in focus groups and participate in special events hosted at the White House.

Connect with Mal on LinkedIn and follow 123JUNK on Facebook and Instagram.

About Collaborative Connections

Kelly Lorenzen started the “Collaborative Connections” show to bring her clients and favorite charities together to meet each other, connect and collaborate in life and business. She hopes to build a stronger community one show at a time.

About Our Sponsor

KLM is a one-stop support shop for small business owners who are starting, growing, or trying to sustain. Our purpose is to foster the growth and prosperity of small businesses in our community.

Entrepreneurs & small business owners come to KLM for support in all areas of business. KLM clients think of us as a concierge, business snuggy, another arm, or duplicate for the business owner; They call us when they need us. Business owners can continue to do what they love while having the support they need when they need it.

About Your Host

Kelly Lorenzen, CEO of KLM, is an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of business-ownership experience. She is also a certified project management professional.

Kelly’s expertise is in business development, customer service, marketing, and sales.

Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, and follow KLM Consulting on Facebook.

Becoming Fluent in the Language of Business, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

March 29, 2022 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Becoming Fluent in the Language of Business, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

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Becoming Fluent in the Language of Business, with Bill McDermott, Host of ProfitSense

In this commentary from a recent episode of ProfitSense, Bill defines the language of business, and the need for business owners to develop fluency in that language. ProfitSense with Bill McDermott is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Bill’s commentary was taken from this episode of ProfitSense.

About ProfitSense and Your Host, Bill McDermott

ProfitSense with Bill McDermott dives into the stories behind some of Atlanta’s successful businesses and owners and the professionals that advise them. This show helps local business leaders get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. The show is presented by McDermott Financial Solutions. McDermott Financial helps business owners improve cash flow and profitability, find financing, break through barriers to expansion and financially prepare to exit their business. The show archive can be found at profitsenseradio.com.

Bill McDermott is the Founder and CEO of McDermott Financial Solutions. When business owners want to increase their profitability, they don’t have the expertise to know where to start or what to do. Bill leverages his knowledge and relationships from 32 years as a banker to identify the hurdles getting in the way and create a plan to deliver profitability they never thought possible.

Bill currently serves as Treasurer for the Atlanta Executive Forum and has held previous positions as a board member for the Kennesaw State University Entrepreneurship Center and Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity and Treasurer for CEO NetWeavers. Bill is a graduate of Wake Forest University and he and his wife, Martha have called Atlanta home for over 40 years. Outside of work, Bill enjoys golf, traveling, and gardening.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow McDermott Financial Solutions on LinkedIn.

Miles Young, On Time Supplies, Bronson Lavender, Pinnacle Bank, and Gary Massey, Massey and Company CPA

December 15, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Studio

Miles Young, On Time Supplies, Bronson Lavender, Pinnacle Bank, and Gary Massey, Massey and Company CPA

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Miles Young, On Time Supplies, Bronson Lavender, Pinnacle Bank, and Gary Massey, Massey and Company CPA (ProfitSense with Bill McDermott, Episode 28)

On this inspiring episode of ProfitSense with Bill McDermott, Miles Young of On Time Supplies shared his story of being compelled to create a solution to the problems he saw in the office supply space and the rewards that come from taking a risk. Bronson Lavender, Senior Vice President with Pinnacle Bank, talked about his passion and calling for helping clients throughout his career in banking. Gary Massey of Massey and Company CPA discussed serving his clients through accounting and tax-related issues, sharing how a bit of preparation saves a lot of work down the road. ProfitSense with Bill McDermott is produced and broadcast by the North Fulton Studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Miles Young, CEO and Co-Owner, On Time Supplies

OnTimeSupplies.com offers top-notch customer service. We are a leading supplier of discount office supplies with lightning-fast delivery. Our team is dedicated to helping people just like you, and we feel like it is a privilege to serve you! We consider it our personal mission to make every customer a reference customer, from the individual home-office buyer to the purchaser of the largest corporate accounts.

Miles has a background in commodities and a decade in sales of software. He saw a need in the office supply industry and started On Time Supplies seventeen years ago.

Miles has a degree from the University of Alabama.

Company website | LinkedIn | Facebook

Bronson Lavender, Senior Vice President – Market Manager, Pinnacle Bank

Pinnacle Bank is a Georgia-based bank headquartered in Elberton, Georgia. It has been locally owned and operated since 1934. Currently, Pinnacle Bank has approximately $1.85 Billion in Total Assets and has 24 full-service branches across Northeast Georgia to meet the needs of our clients. Their Vision Statement is to be “The Best Community Bank in Georgia”.

Bronson has been in banking since 1992 and has a degree from University of North Georgia.

Company website | LinkedIn

Gary Massey, Managing Director, Massey and Company CPA

At Massey and Company, their team is bright, friendly, and eager to please. Thanks to the team and their guiding principles, they are a different kind of accounting firm. They founded the company in 2013 with these principles which still guide them today:

-Treat people with respect
-Be kind – we are all human
-Make complex issues less stressful
-Charge fair prices

You won’t find stress or drama at their office. Instead, you will find patient, understanding people who sincerely care. All year long.

Gary Massey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. He also holds both a Masters in Business Administration degree and a Masters in Taxation degree from Fordham University, New York, NY. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Gary is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. And he is a Certified Tax Representation Consultant.

Gary worked in the tax departments of Ernst & Young, Coopers & Lybrand, and KPMG for 10 years. Gary then transitioned to regional and local CPA firms, specializing in small business and individual tax services. Since 2013, he has been growing Massey and Company CPA, a boutique tax and accounting firm in Atlanta, focused on the needs of small businesses and individuals throughout Georgia.

Gary’s focus includes helping clients with tax problems. This includes representing clients in front of IRS and state agencies to resolve difficult tax issues, including audits, unpaid taxes, liens, levies, penalties, and notices. His work requires negotiation on a wide variety of tax matters, including offers in compromise, installment agreements, currently not collectible status, and penalty abatement.

Gary enjoys reading and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He is married to Chelly, a native of The Netherlands.

Company website | LinkedIn

About ProfitSense and Your Host, Bill McDermott

ProfitSense with Bill McDermott dives into the stories behind some of Atlanta’s successful businesses and business owners and the professionals that advise them. This show helps local business leaders get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community and their profession. The show is presented by McDermott Financial Solutions. McDermott Financial helps business owners improve cash flow and profitability, find financing, break through barriers to expansion and financially prepare to exit their business. The show archive can be found at profitsenseradio.com.

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn and Twitter and follow McDermott Financial Solutions on LinkedIn.

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates

October 22, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates

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Chris Smith, CB Smith & Associates (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 401)

Chris Smith joined host John Ray to discuss his career journey, why he started CB Smith & Associates, and how his people-first, team-oriented approach has led to both superior results for clients and an ability to attract and retain top-notch professionals to the firm. Chris also addressed why it’s vital that business owners have a CPA who can help them with year-round issues beyond the tax return, including business process automation and succession planning. North Fulton Business Radio is broadcast from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.

Chris Smith, CPA, CGMA, Founder and Partner, CB Smith & Associates

With 30 years of financial experience, Chris Smith is passionate about his work. Since founding CB Smith & Associates in 2003, he has led the accounting firm’s growth from one to three office locations in Georgia. It now has nearly 35 employees, including a solid team of certified public accountants and other tax professionals.

CB Smith & Associates is a business advisory and full-service accounting firm that works in tandem with its sister company, Reliance Payroll LLC, a full-service payroll, and human resources outsourcing firm.

Prior to starting his own firm, Chris was a corporate controller. He earned a degree in accounting from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and is active in local community groups such as the Rotary Club and numerous CPA groups.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this Episode

Tell us about what you do for businesses at CB Smith & Associates
Accounting is more than just doing taxes, what types of special business packages do you offer businesses?
Succession Planning is an important part of business. How do you advise on this?
Your team loves to help with Business Process Automation. Explain what this is and why important.
Pending tax law changes

North Fulton Business Radio is hosted by John Ray, and broadcast and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has grown to become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.

Special thanks to A&S Culinary Concepts for their support of this edition of North Fulton Business Radio. A&S Culinary Concepts, based in Johns Creek, is an award-winning culinary studio, celebrated for corporate catering, corporate team building, Big Green Egg Boot Camps, and private group events. They also provide oven-ready, cooked from scratch meals to go they call “Let Us Cook for You.” To see their menus and events, go to their website or call 678-336-9196.

Andy Kalajian of Fort Leadership, Dixie McCurley with Cherry Bekaert, Tanya Osensky of Osensky Law LLC

August 16, 2021 by John Ray

Family Business Radio

Andy Kalajian of Fort Leadership, Dixie McCurley with Cherry Bekaert, Tanya Osensky of Osensky Law LLC

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Andy Kalajian of Fort Leadership, Dixie McCurley with Cherry Bekaert, and Tanya Osensky of Osensky Law LLC (Family Business Radio, Episode 23)

Legal, accounting, and executive leadership development may be something business owners consider doing themselves, but host Anthony Chen’s guests on this Family Business Radio episode discuss when its time to get professional support to deliver faster and more reliable results. Andy Kalajian with Fort Leadership discussed how mindset impacts the success of a business, Dixie McCurley talked about the need for proactive expert accounting, and attorney Tanya Osensky discussed how properly written contracts are necessary for any business. Finally, Anthony offers some advice about when to bring in an outside perspective. Family Business Radio is underwritten and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network.

Andy Kalajian, Founder and President, Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC

Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC is a Professional and Personal Development company that creates healthy corporate cultures by developing the personal and professional leadership capacity of the person. Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC believes that a healthy Corporate Culture benefits the business leader and the employee alike, and it enhances the customer experience.

The culture on the inside of a company is what the customer experiences on the outside of the company. That is the customer experience. But if this is true, why do so many employees feel that their corporate culture is not where it needs to be? Why do some employees describe their corporate culture as dysfunctional or even toxic? How does this dysfunction impact the customer experience? Furthermore, why do some business leaders when asked “how many employees work for you?” respond by saying, “about 1/2”!
Demographic studies indicate that in 5 years up to 75% of the employees will be millennials. That means that for a business leader to be able to attract and retain the best talent from the biggest pool of talent, the business leader must have a healthy corporate culture.

But if a healthy corporate culture is what the employer and the employee is looking for, what does a healthy corporate culture look like? How is a healthy corporate culture created? The answer is Leadership! Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting creates healthy corporate cultures through Leadership Development. Leadership development is all about Character. After all, when we talk about corporate culture, what we are really talking about is corporate character. Corporations are made up of people. And people bring their character to work. So, it only stands to reason that when a collection of people brings their collective characters to work, a corporate character or a corporate culture is created.

Fort Leadership and Sales Consulting, LLC is creating healthy corporate cultures.

Company website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Dixie McCurley, Principal, Digital Advisory, Client Accounting Services Lead, Cherry Bekaert

Ranked among the largest accounting and consulting firms in the country, Cherry Bekaert LLP provides guidance and support that helps our clients move forward to reach their organizational goals. We will ignite growth with integrated, forward-looking industry solutions that effectively deliver on our Client Promise, and we will deliver this growth by empowering our people and investing in efficient innovative processes to become the Firm of the Future.

Company website | LinkedIn | Twitter

Tanya Osensky, Owner, Osensky Law LLC

Osensky Law’s business model is designed around being more cost-effective and efficient for clients. No fancy office space. No staff. No run-around. When you call Tanya, you get Tanya. Not a paralegal; not an administrative assistant; not a receptionist. You won’t be transferred among several people. You don’t have to explain things twice to someone else. Nothing gets lost in translation.

Osensky Law is different from other law firms because Tanya’s experience comes from working inside the business, rather than an outside law firm. Unlike a traditional law firm, which is motivated to bill more hours by unnecessarily prolonging or over-complicating matters, Tanya’s focus is on providing business value to clients. Being a company’s in-house legal counsel gives a lawyer a unique insight into what kind of legal support a business wants and needs – not just technically correct legal advice, but strategic problem-solving.

Company website | LinkedIn

Anthony Chen, Host of Family Business Radio

family owned craft breweries — **Anthony Chen**

This show is sponsored and brought to you by Anthony Chen with Lighthouse Financial Network. Securities and advisory services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (RAA), member FINRA/SIPC. RAA is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of RAA. The main office address is 575 Broadhollow Rd. Melville, NY 11747. You can reach Anthony at 631-465-9090 ext 5075 or by email at anthonychen@lfnllc.com.

Anthony Chen started his career in financial services with MetLife in Buffalo, NY in 2008. Born and raised in Elmhurst, Queens, he considers himself a full-blooded New Yorker while now enjoying his Atlanta, GA home. Specializing in family businesses and their owners, Anthony works to protect what is most important to them. From preserving to creating wealth, Anthony partners with CPAs and attorneys to help address all of the concerns and help clients achieve their goals. By using a combination of financial products ranging from life, disability, and long term care insurance to many investment options through Royal Alliance. Anthony looks to be the eyes and ears for his client’s financial foundation. In his spare time, Anthony is an avid long-distance runner.

The complete show archive of “Family Business Radio” can be found at familybusinessradioshow.com.

A Conversation on Banking and Accounting

August 13, 2021 by Mike

Gwinnett Studio

A Conversation on Banking and Accounting

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“Regions Business Radio” covers financial topics such as banking and lending, mortgages, wealth management and more. The program also allows listeners to get to know some of the top executives from Regions Bank.

Hosted by J.D. Mealor, Senior Vice President and North Georgia Market Executive, all episodes of “Regions Business Radio” are available for download on Apple iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Daniel Sosebee & Greg Hayes/MST

MST is a leading provider of accounting, business advisory and financial services in Georgia and the Southeast. MST brings 58 years of experience and world-wide resources to partner with you to accomplish what’s most important to you. They work with you throughout the year to insure you stay informed of all the latest strategies, laws, and practices to maximize your value. Their commitment to unparalleled hands-on service, cutting edge technology, and continuous improvement insures they stay ready to assist you in all markets and business needs.

About Regions:

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $145 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest, and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,400 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

This information is general in nature and is provided for educational purposes only. Regions makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented and Regions does not accept liability for any direct or indirect loss stemming from the application of any material. Information provided and statements made by employees of Regions should not be relied on or interpreted as accounting, financial planning, investment, legal or tax advice. Regions encourages you to consult an appropriate professional concerning your specific situation and irs.gov for current tax rules.

The Future of Finance with Eric Skaff and Suzy Greenwood E24

February 16, 2021 by Karen

Phoenix Business Radio

The Future of Finance with Eric Skaff and Suzy Greenwood E24

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The Future of Finance with Eric Skaff and Suzy Greenwood E24

On this Episode of the Future of Work we are joined by Eric Skaff, Managing Partner and Suzy Greenwood, Business Manager of Arizona Tax Advisors. We learn more about their entrepreneurial journey and how they strive to make the accounting and tax business more than just policies and endless documents. Arizona Tax Advisors takes pride in learning about each of their customers so they can provide the best advice and support for business owners.

If you are a business owner who is confused or overwhelmed by all of the changes in the tax code this year, you won’t want to miss this episode! Suzy and Eric walk us through some of changes and point out key things to think about. We also get Eric’s opinion on Crypto currency and accepting it as a form of payment. This episode is packed full of useful information for any business owner.

At Arizona Tax Advisors, clients always come first. They are a locally owned and operated accounting firm specializing in Small Business and Individual accounting, tax and bookkeeping services. Because every individual and every business is unique, they take the time to listen and learn about your situation. This personalized approach ensures the best possible results.

Initial consultations are always complimentary. They also review any prior year returns, prior year QuickBooks files, or financial statements upon request. From start-ups to established enterprises, their client relationships are built on trust. They aren’t just accounting and bookkeeping, they take pride in educating clients, watching them grow and succeed.

Eric Skaff is the Managing Partner of Arizona Tax Advisors. He has been serving as an accounting and finance professional for over ten years. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, Eric moved to Phoenix, where he worked for a small public accounting firm. From there he relocated to Boston and spent several years as an accounting professional for a large international public accounting firm. Back in the Phoenix area again, Eric’s work is focused on his clients.

Through the years Eric has developed a solid network of resources in accounting, tax, and finance. This broadens his knowledge base and gives him access to other accounting and finance professionals.

He has specialized in small business solutions in both accounting and business analysis. He understands the complexities of starting and maintaining business in an ever-changing economy. Eric also has a full understanding of accounting, and has set up and maintained the books for many different clients. He includes training as part of his service so that business owners and operators have a full understanding of their operation. He has experience in preparing and filing tax returns for businesses and individuals, as well as sales tax returns, and quarterly and annual payroll returns.

Suzy Greenwood has over 30 years of business and management experience. Her career has been focused on customer service including creative problem-solving, training, daily operations and financial management.

Suzy served as the Chair for the Ambassador Committee, Tempe Chamber of Commerce; Chair for the Women In Business Council, Tempe Chamber of Commerce; serves on the Tempe Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a member of the Tempe YMCA Advisory Board.

She was awarded the 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award from the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she has organized, facilitated and/or spoken at many seminars and workshops for Small Business Owners and Managers.

Follow Arizona Tax Advisors on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK: WATER COOLER CONVERSATIONS

Welcome to Future of Work: Water Cooler Conversations Radio Show and Podcast – where business leaders share how they integrate humanity and technology through innovative approaches, healthy culture, flexible workspaces and seamless virtual technology.

ABOUT YOUR CO-HOSTS

With a background in marketing, in various for profit and not for profit companies, Kyle McIntosh wondered, “How can I pair the passion and commitment to community progress of a non-profit with the sustainability and reach of a for profit company?” From this question and perspective a mission evolved to tear down the false distinction between the two sectors and to promote companies with Conscious Capitalism® business models through MAC6.

Kyle is the President and Creative Excitant of MAC6. Day to day, his main operational role is on the “spaces” side of the business, focusing on creating thriving communities in the commercial office buildings, the co-working space, and the co-manufacturing space. The other role that he plays is that of EOS implementer, working with clients to bring the Entrepreneurial Operating System, from the book Traction® to their businesses. Additionally, he sits on the boards of Conscious Capitalism Arizona, telling the stories of good businesses in Arizona, and The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, sustaining Tempe’s quality of life and keeping our community and economy vibrant.

Kyle loves Arizona and wants to see us all collectively find great success based on the awesome things that are happening here every day.

Follow MAC6 on Facebook and Twitter.

Jennifer Burwell, joined MAC6 in 2013. Jennifer is their VP and Director of Programs.

She uses her experience in real estate, team development and management to seamlessly integrate each of the MAC6 business units to assure they are all focused on the long-term company vision. She is also a student of human behavior.

As a Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, she uses her knowledge to facilitate culture-focused leadership programs with organizations of all sizes to integrate the company’s values and create higher-performing teams.

To learn more about MAC6 Communities, call 480-293-4075 or find them on Facebook

ABOUT OUR SPONSOR

MAC⁶ offers flexible spaces and programs to help your team grow, and a community of thriving businesses, just like yours. Advocating Capitalism as a Force for Good, MAC6 is Accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism (where Purpose and Profit Unite) through Creativity, Collaboration, Community and Change.

Sophia Johnston, Xero Accounting Software

January 26, 2021 by John Ray

North Fulton Business Radio

Sophia Johnston, Xero Accounting Software

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Sophia Johnston, Xero Accounting Software (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 324)

Sophia Johnston of Xero Accounting Software joined host John Ray to discuss Xero’s growth and development, how they help bookkeepers and accountants transition to advisory relationships with their clients, and much more. “North Fulton Business Radio” is produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta.

Xero Accounting Software

Xero was founded to change the game for small business. Their cloud-based accounting software connects people with the right numbers anytime, anywhere, on any device. For accountants and bookkeepers, Xero helps build a trusted relationship with small business clients through online collaboration. They are proud to be helping over 2 million+ subscribers worldwide transform the way they do business.

Founded in 2006 in New Zealand, Xero is one of the fastest growing software-as-a-service companies globally. We lead the New Zealand, Australian, and United Kingdom cloud accounting markets, employing a world-class team of more than 3,000+ people. Forbes identified Xero as the World’s Most Innovative Growth Company in 2014 and 2015.

Small business makes the world go round – it’s the heart of the global economy. They want millions of small businesses to thrive through better tools, information and connections. Like all great challenges, they can’t do it alone: they work closely with customers, partners, and other friends to push innovation forward, turning Xero into the online business platform for the world.

Company website

Sophia Johnston, Senior Account Manager, Xero Accounting Software

Sophia empowers Atlanta’s accounting community with cloud technology, business strategy and workflow advisory, so they can better serve the small business community. She has empowered hundreds of firms to reach their growth and efficiency goals. Xero’s online accounting software helps small businesses save time and grow. That means you can automate everyday business tasks, get up-to-date financials and run your business – from wherever you are.

She is passionate about fostering a genuine community in Atlanta, connecting professionals who can support one another on the shared mission of helping small business thrive, worldwide.

You can reach Sophia Johnston at sophia.johnston@xero.com

Questions and Topics in this Interview:

Tell me about who you are and what you do at Xero.
Where is Xero in the market today?
How does Xero support its partners, accountants and bookkeepers?
What makes Xero different from the competition?
What are some key pointers you have for the small business community, specifically those starting up a new business?

North Fulton Business Radio” is hosted by John Ray and produced virtually from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, Stitcher, TuneIn, and others.

IT Help Atlanta with Rick Higgins: Warren McClellan, McClellan & Associates CPAs

May 29, 2020 by John Ray

IT Help Atlanta

IT Help Atlanta with Rick Higgins: Warren McClellan, McClellan & Associates CPAs

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IT Help Atlanta with Rick Higgins: Warren McClellan, McClellan & Associates CPAs

McClellan & Associates CPAs Founder Warren McClellan joins host Rick Higgins on “IT Help Atlanta” to discuss his firm’s special work with booster clubs and school systems, using the cloud to get client work done in a pandemic, and much more. “IT Help Atlanta” is brought to you by TeamLogic IT, your technology advisor.

Warren McClellan, McClellan and Associates, CPAs

Warren McClellan is the Founder and CEO of McClellan & Associates CPAs. He has been a Certified Public Accountant for over 30 years, many of which he spent working with an international CPA firm providing services to a number of Fortune 100 companies. Warren observed the high demand for small CPA businesses that could access their accounts on a daily basis, like the largest companies could. This led him into creating McClellan & Associates CPAs.

McClellan & Associates CPAs LLC was created in 1992 to provide reliable accounting services to individuals and corporations across all industries. The firm offers a wide range of services, many of which most accounting firms are unwilling or unable to provide. The professionals at McClellan & Associates strive not only to provide exceptional tax and accounting services, but to also build lasting client relationships through one-on-one guidance and counseling. The firm is a small team of CPAs, an Enrolled Agent, and financial experts who are always willing to go the extra mile for their clients’ accounting needs.

When Warren is not in the office or visiting clients, he will most likely be traveling with his wife, bike-riding, or grilling his infamous barbecue ribs. Warren also enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Visit the McClellan & Associates website to learn more.

About the Show

“IT Help Atlanta” profiles small to mid-market businesses and highlights how those companies use technology to succeed. An archive of previous shows can be found here.

About Your Host

Rick Higgins is Owner and President of TeamLogic IT of Dunwoody, GA. Rick’s firm is part of a national network of locally-owned service businesses, providing comprehensive IT services to the small-medium sized business market.

They offer managed service for networking, cyber security, data and email, as well as hardware and software support in addition to a variety of consultation and preventative maintenance services. Rick’s personal and corporate philosophy is simple: Stand up, be bold, and tell the truth.

Connect with Rick on LinkedIn and Twitter, and follow TeamLogic on Facebook.

Show Transcript

Rick: Welcome everyone to the “IT Help Atlanta” radio show, the show that profiles small, and mid-market businesses and highlights how those companies use technology to succeed. “IT Help Atlanta” is brought to you by TeamLogic IT, your managed services technology advisor. Specializing in cybersecurity, cloud, and business continuity solutions, TeamLogic leverages cutting-edge technology to solve all types of business problems. Go to ithelpatlanta.com for audio archives of this radio show and to learn more about our sponsor, TeamLogic IT. I’m your host Rick Higgins. And today’s honored guests is Warren McClellan, the owner and founder of McClellan & Associates CPAs, located in Duluth and Johns Creek, Georgia. Welcome, Warren. How are you?

Warren: I’m great, Rick. Thank you so much for having me today.

Rick: We’re really glad you’re here. And we really appreciate you making time to come spend some time with us on the show. Warren, tell us who you are and what do you do?

Warren: Well, I’m Warren McClellan, I’m a CPA and have a practice that’s located in Duluth and Johns Creek. And it’s really a small business firm that’s focused on consulting in tax for individuals that own the businesses and individuals with complicated tax situations.

Rick: That’s great. Warren, give us a success story, maybe something that would be interesting of how you solved a tricky problem or how you helped someone. It doesn’t have to be anything recent or something that comes to mind that you’re really proud of.

Warren: Yeah, Rick, thank you. I mean, one of the things that we do is we work with a lot of nonprofit organizations as well as businesses and individuals. And we work with school systems around the state. And they hire us to speak to their booster clubs, and help the parents and it’s one of the things I’m very proud of what we do is that we help the parents to…well, along with a partner of mine help the parents to provide the extra stuff that the school systems can’t provide. And nonprofits are very complicated, and we try to break that down and help them establish and maintain those booster clubs. And we’ve had a lot of success in that area. And one of the things that I like is how it affects the children in their sports and in their extracurricular activities. So we do a lot of that and I feel like, because we do it so much around the state, we’ve made quite an impact on these children. Of course, right now with COVID this year, there’s not been a lot of activity in the spring, but I’m sure that as life gets back to normal, that will crank back up as well.

Rick: Warren, definitely I wanna circle back around and, you know, dive deeper on talking about COVID and how that’s affected your business. But can we unpack a little bit more about this new thing that you’re doing with nonprofits, because that’s not your main line of business, right? This is something that you’re dealing with another partner, in addition to your main CPA firm, correct?

Warren: Yeah, Rick, it really is. And basically what happened was my partner, Steve Kosmala and I, we’re parents. And we had kids and a new school didn’t have a booster club. And we looked around as to how to establish this thing right for their activity. And we started looking around, and we realized that a lot of people weren’t doing it right. And so we set it up properly, organized the parents, and developed a really good booster club and got that started and got the attention of Gwinnett County public schools and they started getting us to help them speak with their booster parents and help them work with that. And now it’s kind of gotten attention of a lot of people around the state.

We also help people with other nonprofits. And it’s kind of expanded and morphed to that, and we do a good bit of speaking as well, on governance, on how to be a board member. What you need to know before you go on to a board, and what you should really expect if you’re on a board, and in many ways is to give back to the team. [inaudible 00:05:32] obviously, we get paid in most situations, but really, we feel like it’s a huge impact for the community and it’s had an impact on the tax practice as well because a lot of these nonprofits come back to the tax practice and a lot of CPA firms don’t really operate that much in the nonprofit arena. They do it because they have to. They have a kid on the booster club as we did and they dabble in it, but my staff has kind of embraced it. And we do a lot of nonprofit accounting as well as significant corporate and individual accounting and tax.

Rick: I see why you’re proud of it, man. I understand it. And by the way, for the listening audience, full disclosure, Warren and McClellan & Associates is a client of ours at TeamLogic IT. I wanted to disclose that. So I do know a little bit about this line of work and this area of expertise, and it’s really a specialty. I don’t know anybody else that’s doing what you guys are doing in that area, Warren, do you?

Warren: I really don’t. Thank you, Rick. And a comment on being a client of yours, we have been a very happy client now for several years and that’s made a big impact on our firm. We’ve actually gone paperless under your assistance and it’s made a big impact on our being able to continue to operate this spring through what we all went through with COVID-19. So thank you very much.

Rick: Thanks Warren, for saying that one, appreciate it. So yeah, so here we are. It’s May 27th of 2020. We’re some 12 odd weeks into the, I guess the forced shut down or shelter in place rules and laws and whatnot. And strangely enough, these 12 weeks of…actually, maybe more, like, 14 or 15 weeks has been right in the height of the CPA busy season and busy time of the year. So I think more than anybody else, I’m hoping and I believe you’ve got a really interesting story to tell us about how COVID has affected your business. Did it really hit you at the most awkward time of all, didn’t it?

Warren: Oh, it really did. It was kind of a bizarre timing, not only for us, but for everyone. But our story with it is in mid-March was about where it hit, our firm as far as the corporate deadline had basically passed on March 15th. And so now we were looking full speed ahead at April 15th. And we have a deadline of about the end of the third week of March for our clients to get their information and it’s just not possible to adequately staff to do all the returns in the first two weeks of April. So we asked that our clients and through years we’ve helped them organize, get us everything that’s possible by about the third Friday in March. And that was about the time all of this hit. So we had everything in place that we were going to get done for the season.

Some of our employees went home and worked from home. Thanks to Rick and his team being able to make that possible and jumped through the hoops for us. But there were some of us working here. We didn’t allow clients in the office and we just worked away and finished our tax season pretty close to normal. Now what was really different was two things that happened. One was normally, the second week in April we would spend trying to get extensions for people. Well, that sounds pretty easy. You know, you just file the extension and you’re done. But for most of our clients, it’s a lot more complicated than that because the extension extends the time to file but not the time to pay. So you have to spend a good bit of time helping people organize and come up with a reasonable estimate of what they need to pay, communicate back and forth to get that information. Obviously, during that time, we don’t have the information. And so we’re working back and forth to do the best we can, communicate back to the client, help them figure out what they can pay and how they can pay. And that actually went away this year, and we’re working on it now. And a lot of those returns I think will be filed by the July 15th. So that was really the first thing that was the big change, was that second week in April not being so horrendous, jumping the hoops to get the extensions done.

Rick: Got you.

Warren: The second thing that had such a big impact on that was all the new legislation. And in particularly the PPP loans, and that’s really ongoing now. So first of all, we had to help our clients or we were asked to help our clients, many of them gathered the information to file for the PPP loans. We were kind of a central focus of information on this bank’s doing this, the bank’s doing that, how do we do it? You know, who got what and when? And then came down the, “Oh, do you really need it?” You know, if you don’t need it, you shouldn’t have got it. Maybe you should pay it back. Well, most of our clients, ultimately that came out and that if your loan was under $2 million, you have a safe harbor on that. Of course, you needed it. If your loan was over $2 million, then you’re going to have to do some serious justification and perhaps you should consider giving the loan back. So that made it very complex. So then we know there’s forgiveness of these loans if they’re spent right.

Well, they were required to give us the regulations from the SBA and the Treasury, within a month of when that loan was signed, which would have made that due about April 26th. So we got that information, very timely on about May 15th or so. So there were a lot of people that had eight weeks to spend the money and then it was really unclear as to how to spend that money in order to effectively get it forgiven.

And so now many of our clients are in certainly the second half of that eight-week period, I think most of them are. And so are there things that they need to do to appropriately spend that money so they can ensure forgiveness? And what are the calculations of the forgiveness? Which, again, we just really got last week. So we’re going through our clients and helping them do preliminary calculations based on what they’re spending and what they’re doing to make sure that they get that forgiven. So that along with all the new retirement rules that are out there, and all the other things, as well as the stimulus checks, where’s my stimulus check? All of those things, we were taking a million calls. So that actually made it very exciting. And while we didn’t always have the answer, we tried to maintain the latest information, so that when people called, we could help them and help them get on top of that. And so it certainly made it a very exciting year for us and hopefully, business gets back to normal and we’re all back to living our normal lives.

Rick: Well, everything that you just said, the thing that I just can’t get my mind wrapped around is how much of a moving target everything was that you were involved in, in your area of expertise and service to your clients. I mean, you were fielding calls non stop yet the answers were, again, a moving target almost constantly, right?

Warren: Absolutely. It really was. And my staff did great too. We would sit, and we would meet, we would talk things through. We watched videos from lots of law firms. We studied this thing. And again, it was very much a moving target and we were working during tax season. And some people were at home and some people were here. And so the good thing about it was, there really wasn’t much else to do during that time but work. So we all just buckled down and worked. And all the people talking about being bored, we just didn’t have that problem.

Rick: Well, good for you. And I guess the million dollar question then is do you think that the target’s done moving at this point? Is there going to be more guidance coming out with respect…I guess I’m focused on the PPP with respect to that question. Do you think that we’ve settled down on…?

Warren: No. I think we’re close on what we have on the PPP loans, but Congress is now considering making some changes that hopefully are just good changes and helpful changes, like considering changing the length of time to spend it from 8 weeks to 16 weeks. Again, that’s only a consideration. It is not a fact yet, but I think there will be some more things happening and, you know, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more loans. I think that would be very helpful to small business. I think it was a very good law, at least for PPP loans because the clients that I’ve been involved with, were able to keep people employed during a very difficult time. Medical practices, for instance, have really struggled because, okay, they could do video appointments and people were putting things off. And I think overall, most people really their revenue was down, and the PPP loans enabled them to pay the rent, pay their utilities and most importantly pay their employees. So I’m a big fan of what was done there.

Rick: Okay, great. Switching gears with you a little bit, you had mentioned about going paperless. And I’m not sure if you mentioned cloud or not. I would like to dive a little bit into that because the, you know…part of our focus on the show is to talk about how small businesses use technology to succeed. Can you talk about, say life before the cloud solution and then life now with the cloud solution? What that means to you and what it’s been able to facilitate for you, whether it’s, you know, working from home or whatever?

Warren: Oh, absolutely. Rick, I appreciate the question. I honestly admit that has meant and means so much more to us than being able to work from home. Obviously, that’s a big deal, but being a CPA firm, we’ve just been all about the paper. And to say that we’re 100% paperless today is not really true. We’re certainly still paperless-ish and we may never be 100% paperless. But it certainly…

Rick: I like that one.

Warren: Thank you.

Warren: It’s certainly been a big boon to our business. So we’ve had a huge file room that’s actually a double office, but the room, the wall between was taken out and that the huge file were in here, and it has just been absolutely full, and we can keep about four years’ worth of information. And we had also offsite storage, dramatic offsite storage, some of it going back 25 years. And so ultimately, we were able to scan all of that into the cloud and appropriately shred, dispose of it. And now we get rid of the offsite storage. And we get rid of the file room, although we’re still scanning a little bit in there, but it’s going away, freeing up two more office spaces in our office, which is nice. But the movement of information, the being able to wake up on Saturday morning and say, “You know what, I’d really like to work and I don’t wanna drive into the office,” I can go in there, you can pull up everything, being able to work on a client site. We go to a lot of corporate clients, and we have to take a big box of physical files and sit there to be able to open up everything. I go in now, with my laptop, get on the cloud, and I’ve got everything, I’ve got my desk there. So I can look at everything and work with the client. It’s so much easier to have this tiny, little laptop that I take everywhere and I can just go and get what I want. I do not have to worry about somebody packing my bag, and, “Oh, they forgot this tax return or they forgot to pack this for me.” If it’s all there, I can just go and get it.

I think the step up here has made us much more efficient. Obviously there have been inefficiencies through the years of getting there, but now that we’re there, our automation is so much better. And I think that we’re exploring the possibility of going to even further automation where when somebody brings us a 1099, there’s software and sometimes 1099s are 50 pages because they have brokerage statements, and so to be able to automate that and actually pull the information off the 1099 and put it directly to the tax return. And we were exploring that. And obviously, even when that’s done automatically, all that we will take out of it is the data process, the professional effort will still be there, but they won’t be spending their time [inaudible 00:21:25] 50 pages worth of data into a tax return. And so the efficiencies that we’re gaining allow us to be so much more consultative and less data crunches for people. And so we can help get the returns prepared and help our clients understand it and have the information to make good decisions.

Rick: More strategic and less tactical, I guess.

Warren: Exactly.

Rick: That’s great. Warren, thanks for that. That was a deep dive. That was just really a great answer to an interesting question. I have a couple more questions for you. We’ve got a little bit of a time limit, but we’ve got plenty of time if you’re willing to go into a couple more questions here. One that I always like to ask…

Warren: Absolutely, Rick, thank you.

Rick: Okay, thank you. Thank you. One that I always like to ask on every show is a special question is, what is an aspect about your business that people don’t tend to think about, that you wish people would ask you about?

Warren: Rick, what I’d really like people to ask me is how can I better understand my business or my personal situation? How can I…? What do I need to know, Warren, about the tax aspects, the accounting aspects that allow me to have better discernment and make better decisions? So for instance, when I got started maybe 25 years ago, I left a very large firm and started this firm. And so I started working with companies at that point. QuickBooks was brand new. And it was a new program and I embraced it very quickly and started helping clients get set up. And those days, most everybody had a computer, at least on a desk in their office, and they would use it to create invoices and do mailings. And I’m like, “Let’s upgrade this. If we’re gonna use QuickBooks, let’s have it at your site and have good real-time information,” because the environment that I come out of, which was Fortune 500, Fortune 100 companies I was working with in those days had real time information. So the idea was to help them get up-to-date data. And what was happening with a lot of them, they kept a check book with invoices, send it off to some bookkeeping practice who would send them back financial statements, they didn’t understand, they didn’t know how to read. They meant nothing to them, but they were done because they had to have them. And so it’s like, “Wait, let’s use this as a tool.” So I started working with several people and helping them to automate their accounting in house with support from me and from my staff. Then I started working with the owners and helping them to understand what they had, to be able to read the financial statements, and to be discerning about them, and to make management decisions out of that. So that’s really what I really like to do and what my staff likes to do is help our clients to understand the information. And many of those people that I work with so many years ago are still clients, and have been highly successful. And I would like to think and I think many of them would say that my firm contributed to that by helping them have a good foundation and helping them get the accounting system started right and helping the owners to understand and to be able to use the accounting information that they had.

Rick: You know, one thing that we say in our business at TeamLogic is that you can’t manage something unless you can measure it. And I know we didn’t come up with that. That’s probably something that one of your CPA predecessors or something back in time came up with. That’s the essence of what you’re talking about, right?

Warren: Right. Exactly.

Rick: You’ve got to be able to measure it to manage it. Great, great answer. Thank you. One more question, then we’re gonna give you a chance to talk a little bit about how folks can find you. But before we do that, it’s my favorite question of all time. And that is that, you know, 25 years in business as a founder and a small business owner, what do you like best about being a small business owner?

Warren: I really like and I’m most turned on about making a difference for people. I truly think that… And it’s a surprise. I set out to start a business and I didn’t really anticipate that. But now with so many clients, so many people through the years, I’ve been able to see and told of the impact that we make. And that is probably the biggest thing. And especially going back to even the booster clubs, the parents, being able to see people comfortably being able to do that. The school systems, understanding and having comfort that their parents have the information that they need. The small businesses, helping them to make good decisions, helping them to have a good base. And the individuals that we serve, with their accounting and financial planning, helping them to do that and to have good information and make good decisions and feel like that their accounting is a good base for them. So I think that’s the biggest thing. And again, it was not something I anticipated but it truly turns me on to help people and make a difference.

Rick: That’s great, Warren. I just really, really love asking that question and that may be the best answer that I’ve ever gotten from anybody on that. Thank you for that. Thank you for…

Warren: Thank you for that.

Rick: So, we’re gonna go ahead and wrap up but before we do, tell the audience how to find you. How do we get in touch with you? How do we find McClellan & Associates CPA?

Warren: Well, probably the easiest way, the first thing is the website. And the website is fairly easy, and that it’s just mcclellancpa.com. But there are about 100 different ways to spell McClellan. So if you’ll let me do that I’ll put that out there so that you can find me and it is, mcclellancpa.com. That’s certainly the first place is to go to the website. If you’ll allow me I’ll also add our main telephone number as well. And we do our best to still answer the telephone. I can’t say that 100% of the time and during COVID we may have struggled with that but we try to answer it. Rather than dial 387 for this person, we try to get you a person at least on business days between 9:00 and 5:00. And that main phone number and it is for both offices is 770-497-9525. Again, 770-497-9525.

Rick: Thank you, Warren. Thank you for your appearance and time with us today. Folks, that’s a wrap. “IT Help Atlanta” is brought to you by TeamLogic IT, your managed services technology advisor, specializing in cybersecurity, cloud, and business continuity solutions. TeamLogic leverages cutting-edge technology to solve all types of business problems. Go to ithelpatlanta.com for audio archives of this radio show and to learn more about our sponsor, TeamLogic IT. Go to mcclellancpa.com, mcclellancpa.com to learn more about Warren’s wonderful company, McClellan & Associates CPA. For my guest, Warren McClellan, I’m Rick Higgins and join us next time on “IT Help Atlanta.”