Speaking Topics

Most CPA firms did not intentionally build the way they grow. New business developed through referrals, reputation, and whichever partners were naturally inclined to sell. That model worked for years, but it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain as firms grow, partners retire, and competition intensifies. The firms pulling ahead are building a Revenue Architecture that aligns leadership, marketing, business development, and client service around one intentional growth system. This session introduces the core components of that system and shows how firms can move from scattered growth efforts to a repeatable, measurable revenue engine.

Learning Objectives

• Why traditional growth models begin to break down as firms scale.
• The core elements of a Revenue Architecture and why they matter.
• How marketing, business development, and client service work together to drive predictable growth.
• Which metrics provide meaningful insight into future revenue.
• Practical first steps for building a scalable growth system.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Business Developers

Prerequisite: 3+ years in firm leadership or BD

Advanced Preparation: None

Consolidators are not beating independent firms because they have better people or better technical work — in most cases, they do not. They are winning because they operate with a level of revenue discipline most independent firms have never had to build: dedicated growth leadership, systematic client acquisition, and pricing built around what a buyer actually wants. Independent firms cannot outspend a private-equity-backed platform on capital, and they do not need to. This session reframes the consolidation threat as a revenue execution problem rather than a capital problem.

Learning Objectives

• Why consolidators' real advantage is operational and revenue discipline rather than capital.
• How consolidators build repeatable growth engines and what independent firms can adopt.
• Why service packaging and pricing are becoming a competitive advantage.
• What revenue discipline looks like in practice for an independent firm.
• Practical first moves firms can make before consolidation pressure intensifies.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite: 3+ years in firm leadership

Advanced Preparation: None

Marketing and business development often share the same goal but operate as separate functions with different priorities and different definitions of a qualified opportunity — creating confusion, inconsistent follow-up, and missed revenue no one fully owns. High-performing firms are replacing disconnected activities with a shared revenue process that spans the entire client journey. This session explores how to align marketing and BD around one funnel, common metrics, and clear accountability.

Learning Objectives

• Why marketing and business development become misaligned inside many firms.
• How to build a shared revenue funnel from first touch through signed engagement.
• The metrics that create alignment and accountability across both functions.
• How to improve handoffs and increase conversion throughout the sales process.
• Practical strategies for creating one coordinated approach to growth.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Marketing + Business Developers

Prerequisite: 3+ years marketing or BD experience

Advanced Preparation: None

When accounting firms struggle to generate consistent growth, leaders often look first at execution. They invest in more marketing, ask partners to increase business development activity, introduce new technology, or pursue additional services and markets. But execution becomes difficult when the firm hasn't made clear choices about who it is, where it creates the greatest value, and which clients and markets are most important to its future. Without that clarity, firms may pursue too many audiences, describe themselves too broadly, and struggle to distinguish meaningful growth opportunities from distractions. This session helps firm leaders examine the strategic decisions that shape growth long before a campaign is launched or a prospect enters the pipeline.

Learning Objectives

• Identify signs that a lack of strategic clarity may be limiting the firm's growth.
• Evaluate how well the firm understands and communicates who it serves best and where it creates distinctive value.
• Determine which audiences, services, and market opportunities should receive greater attention and investment.
• Connect greater strategic clarity to stronger marketing, business development, and firm-wide decision-making.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite: 3+ years in firm leadership

Advanced Preparation: None

CRM initiatives often begin with a technology decision: which platform to buy, which features to activate, or which integrations to build. But the technology itself is rarely the most important decision. Without agreement on the firm's growth process, data expectations, ownership, and desired outcomes, even a powerful CRM can become an expensive contact database. This session gives firm leaders a practical framework for assessing CRM readiness before selecting, replacing, or expanding a platform.

Learning Objectives

• Assess whether the firm has the processes and leadership alignment a successful CRM initiative requires.
• Identify the foundational data, workflow, and ownership decisions that should precede technology configuration.
• Define practical measures of CRM adoption and business value beyond logins and contact volume.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Computer Software + Applications

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Marketing

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

This workshop translates the argument behind “Outgrowing the Competition” into practical terms: what does it actually take to build the kind of revenue discipline a consolidator has, at the scale of an independent firm? Attendees examine their own firm's current approach to generating and tracking growth against that standard, and work through where the biggest gaps are — and which one is worth closing first.

Learning Objectives

• Compare how a typical consolidator platform runs growth — dedicated ownership, defined pipeline, consistent targets — against how the firm currently operates.
• Assess whether the firm's service packaging and pricing are built around what clients are actually comparing firms on today.
• Identify the single biggest gap between the firm's current approach and a more disciplined revenue model, and what closing it would require.
• Leave with one concrete step to begin building revenue discipline before competitive pressure increases.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 90 (1.8)  |  100 (2)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite:3+ years in firm leadership

Advanced Preparation: None

Every firm wants to grow, but few have stopped to evaluate whether their current systems are actually designed to support sustainable growth. Can you confidently forecast next year's revenue? Do you know where new business is coming from? Is growth dependent on a handful of partners, or is it built into how the firm operates? In this highly interactive workshop, participants evaluate their firm's current approach to growth using a practical assessment framework designed specifically for CPA firms, and leave with a prioritized roadmap for strengthening it.

Learning Objectives

• Complete a structured growth assessment evaluating the firm's current growth capabilities.
• Identify where growth currently comes from and how reliable those sources are likely to be over the next five years.
• Assess whether growth responsibilities are clearly defined and shared, or concentrated among a small number of partners.
• Identify the key metrics leadership teams need to improve forecasting and decision-making.
• Leave with a prioritized action plan for the one or two changes that would most improve predictable growth over the next 12 months.

Available Delivery Methods: Live or virtual executive workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 90 (1.8)  |  100 (2)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Every CPA firm has a vision for what it wants to become. Fewer have intentionally designed the organization needed to get there. This interactive executive workshop introduces the Modern CPA Firm Framework — a practical approach for evaluating how well a firm's leadership, governance, client experience, growth systems, talent strategy, and execution support long-term success — paired with guided self-assessment using the Modern CPA Firm Index.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the characteristics of today's modern CPA firm.
• Learn the six design decisions that influence long-term firm success.
• Evaluate the firm's current operating model using the Modern CPA Firm Index.
• Identify the one or two organizational changes most likely to strengthen the firm's future.
• Leave with a practical framework to continue leadership discussions after the conference.

Available Delivery Methods:Live or virtual executive workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 90 (1.8)  |  100 (2)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite: 3+ years in firm leadership

Advanced Preparation: None

Every successful CPA firm eventually reaches a point where growth requires difficult leadership decisions, not simply better tactics. Narrow focus or keep expanding? Raise prices? Redesign partner roles? Invest in technology before seeing returns? Fire clients? Merge? In this candid practitioner session, participants hear real examples of the difficult decisions firm leaders have faced, the tradeoffs they considered, and what they'd do differently today.

Learning Objectives

• Explore the leadership decisions that most often influence a firm's long-term success.
• Understand the tradeoffs associated with common growth, talent, technology, and client strategy decisions.
• Learn from real-world examples of firms navigating significant organizational change.
• Gain a framework for evaluating difficult strategic decisions within their own firm.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Growth is often viewed as the ultimate measure of success — but not all growth creates a stronger firm. Many firms pursue every opportunity that comes their way, accepting clients that aren't the right fit and stretching teams in the name of growth, often resulting in lower profitability and less capacity for exceptional client service. This session challenges the assumption that more business is always better and offers a practical framework for evaluating growth opportunities.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the difference between healthy growth and growth that creates organizational strain.
• Understand how client selection, pricing, and capacity influence long-term profitability.
• Learn strategies for creating focus by defining ideal clients and saying no to poor-fit opportunities.
• Evaluate how growth decisions impact firm culture, client experience, and long-term value.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Managers

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Visions drive organizational change and inspire purpose. While visioning isn't natural to everyone, we believe anyone can become a visionary leader. We discuss the attributes of a vision, why having one is important, and how you become a more visionary leader, regardless of your role.

Learning Objectives

• Understand what a vision is and why having one is essential for the firm.
• Distinguish between mission, vision, and values.
• Use the concepts discussed to become a visionary leader and execute on a plan.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Personal Development

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: General

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Accounting firms invest heavily in growth strategies niches, marketing, CRM systems, and new technologies like AI. Yet many firms with capable teams and clear plans still struggle to build real momentum. After working closely with firms on growth initiatives, a different pattern often emerges: growth challenges are often shaped by a set of less visible factors inside the firm — assumptions about clients and how they buy services, everyday partner behaviors in client relationships, and the ways firms approach decisions about tools, processes, and collaboration. In this interactive keynote, Sarah Dobek shares observations from working inside accounting firms and explores how these invisible forces shape outcomes. Participants leave with a clearer perspective on the small shifts that can create meaningful growth momentum.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the difference between visible growth tactics marketing, CRM, technology and the invisible internal factors that determine whether they actually work.
• Identify common assumptions about clients and buying behavior that quietly limit a firm's growth.
• Understand how everyday partner behaviors in client relationships shape growth outcomes, often without partners realizing it.
• Examine how a firm's approach to tools, processes, and collaboration decisions influences its ability to build momentum.
• Leave with practical, small-scale shifts that can meaningfully improve a firm's growth trajectory.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Accounting firms are asking more of their marketing teams than ever — brand, demand generation, BD support, client experience, technology, thought leadership, recruiting, and growth strategy. Yet many firms haven't clearly defined what marketing should own or what support the function needs from leadership. This session helps firm leaders establish a more productive relationship with their marketing function, examining decision rights, priorities, and the leadership behaviors that strengthen or limit marketing effectiveness.

Learning Objectives

• Define the strategic and operational contributions firm leaders should expect from a modern marketing function.
• Distinguish responsibilities marketing can own from decisions that require leadership involvement.
• Recognize leadership behaviors and conditions that strengthen or limit marketing effectiveness.
• Establish clearer priorities, decision rights, and accountability between marketing and firm leadership.
• Evaluate marketing performance based on agreed-upon business objectives rather than activity volume.

Available Delivery Methods:  Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Leadership

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

After 20 years leading growth and marketing inside one accounting firm, then moving into consulting, Becca discovered how much familiarity can quietly replace due diligence. In this candid session, she shares the lessons that became clear only after she began consulting with multiple firms — and translates them into practices marketing leaders can use inside their firms now: diagnosing before executing, creating clearer scope, and making capacity and tradeoffs visible.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize when familiarity with the firm is causing assumptions to replace due diligence.
• Define project scope, responsibilities, and success criteria before moving into execution.
• Apply project management and capacity-planning practices that make priorities and tradeoffs visible.
• Identify when scope creep or reactive work is limiting the marketing function's strategic value.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Marketing

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Marketing teams are often asked to support growth before firm leaders have made the strategic decisions effective marketing requires — leaving marketing to interpret competing priorities and build plans around assumptions. This session helps marketing and growth leaders recognize when the problem is an unresolved strategic decision, not execution, and explores practical ways to influence without formal authority.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize signs that unclear firm strategy or ownership are limiting marketing effectiveness.
• Distinguish decisions marketing can lead from those that require firm leadership alignment.
• Diagnose the strategic questions behind broad or conflicting marketing requests.
• Use facilitation and influence techniques to create shared accountability for growth.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Marketing + Business Developers

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Marketing teams produce visible work — campaigns, proposals, events, content. But beneath every finished deliverable is another layer: clarifying vague requests, chasing approvals, correcting data, and recreating processes that were never standardized. This session helps marketing and growth leaders make invisible work visible, standardize recurring processes, and have more productive conversations about capacity and tradeoffs.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the hidden coordination, clarification, and rework consuming the team's capacity.
• Recognize operational patterns that keep marketing teams reactive.
• Create stronger intake, ownership, and decision-making processes for marketing work.
• Make workloads and tradeoffs more visible in conversations with firm leadership.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Marketing

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Many marketing and business development leaders in accounting firms are still viewed as “support” rather than strategic growth drivers. As firms evolve, the role of growth leadership has expanded to include market-making, client experience and expansion, partner enablement, revenue operations, and data-driven insight. Yet many leaders struggle to translate their work into firm-level economic impact or executive influence. This session begins with a concise framework outlining the core growth functions modern firms rely on, then transitions into a moderated panel of CXOs who share how they advanced or sponsored others from support roles into strategic leadership.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the evolving growth functions within modern accounting firms and their connection to firm economics.
• Identify and articulate how marketing and BD leaders can position themselves as strategic partners.
• Recognize the leadership behaviors, sponsorship strategies, and business cases that support advancement to executive roles.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Conference/workshop (moderated CXO panel panelists to be confirmed before booking)  

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Marketing + Business Developers + Partners

Prerequisite: 3+ years marketing or BD experience

Advanced Preparation: None

Accounting firm marketing plans are traditionally built around human audiences. But AI-powered tools are now interpreting firm websites, evaluating expertise, and recommending firms in response to complex, conversational questions — and their attention can't be earned through traditional campaigns alone. This session explores what changes when AI becomes an audience and intermediary, and offers a practical framework for building answer engine optimization (AEO) into a firm's marketing strategy.

Learning Objectives

• Explain how AI-powered answer tools are changing discovery and consideration in the buying process.
• Treat AI systems as a distinct audience and intermediary within the firm's broader marketing strategy.
• Evaluate whether the firm clearly communicates who it serves, what it knows, and why its expertise should be trusted.
• Identify the owned, earned, and third-party authority signals that influence visibility in AI-generated answers.
• Develop an initial action plan for integrating AEO into content planning and thought leadership.

Available Delivery Methods:  Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Marketing

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

AI is a practical tool that CPA firms can use right now to save time, enhance client interactions, and support growth. However, many firm leaders and team members are unsure how to apply AI in simple, everyday ways that make a meaningful difference. This session walks through real-life use cases for AI, including analyzing meeting transcripts to uncover coaching opportunities and client needs, monitoring industry trends and alerts, drafting on-brand emails for prospects and high-value client communications, and researching relevant content ideas to support marketing and thought leadership. No coding or technical background is required.

Learning Objectives

• Identify practical use cases for AI within everyday CPA firm workflows.
• Apply AI tools to enhance client communication, research, and growth-related activities.
• Develop and use starter AI prompts to support marketing and business development efforts.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Information Technology

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Firm Administrators + Marketing + Business Developers

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Growing your accounting firm in the face of technology disruption and meeting the needs of the next generation of buyers depends on how well you can evolve. Find out how to strengthen your firm's culture and build growth through client service and cross-selling skills, relationship building, effective communication, and other key soft skills.

Learning Objectives

• Understand and adapt services to client buying habits.
• Integrate technology into the sales and marketing process.
• Differentiate through intersectional soft skills.

Available Delivery Methods:  Group live  •  Group internet based  •  Conference/workshop

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Marketing

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

The ability to talk to anyone about anything and influence key outcomes is critical to success in every area of business. Most people think negotiation is about winning, or meeting halfway. It's neither. We explore what negotiation really means in service firms and show you how to become a relational negotiator.

Learning Objectives

• Obtain better information through the discovery process.
• Address pricing with confidence.
• Understand the three types of negotiators and what they need to succeed.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 75 (1.5)  |  90 (1.8)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Managers

Prerequisite: 3+ years experience in BD

Advanced Preparation: None

Business development isn't just about strategy or skill — it's also about how confidently you show up in the moments that matter. For many women, imposter syndrome quietly influences BD behaviors: apologizing before asking for referrals, softening recommendations, hesitating to close, or downplaying expertise at the table. In this session, we explore how women across roles and career stages unknowingly undermine themselves throughout the business development process, and offer practical shifts for showing up with more clarity and credibility. Already delivered at AICPA's Women's Global Leadership Summit.

Learning Objectives

• Identify common self-undermining behaviors that appear in BD conversations.
• Understand how imposter syndrome influences presence, confidence, and follow-through.
• Recognize moments where hesitation limits BD effectiveness.
• Apply practical strategies to communicate with greater clarity and credibility.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Personal Development

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partners + Business Developers

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

Growth in CPA firms isn't accidental — it's driven by consistent behaviors, tools, and accountability structures. Firms must intentionally instill growth-oriented habits among partners to create sustained results. This session introduces a framework focused on three core pillars: clients, prospects, and referral sources.

Learning Objectives

• Discover tools and systems that support partner accountability.
• Learn how to build sustainable business development habits.
• Gain strategies for aligning individual partner activity with the firm's overall growth objectives.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Business Development

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Intermediate

Intended Audience: Partners + Marketing + Business Developers

Prerequisite:None

Advanced Preparation: None

Telling a compelling story is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent in accounting. This session explores strategies for showcasing the dynamic, impactful nature of accounting careers, addressing common misconceptions, and emphasizing the profession's stability and growth opportunities.

Learning Objectives

• Identify key messaging points.
• Develop effective recruitment strategies.
• Enhance storytelling skills.

Available Delivery Methods:  Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Business Management + Organization

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Firm Administrators + Marketing

Prerequisite:3+ years in firm leadership

Advanced Preparation: None

Many accounting firms will — or already have — partners retiring in the next five years. How do you successfully transition these relationships? We explore how to strategically transition a retiring partner, evaluate the average age of your client base, and determine the attrition impact to your bottom line and growth rate.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the client base's average age.
• Design and implement client transition marketing programs.
• Facilitate the process of securing relationships and replacing revenue.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)  |  75 (1.5)

Knowledge Level: Basic

Intended Audience: Partner + Marketing

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None

In today's evolving market, the ability to cultivate the next generation of rainmakers is crucial for sustaining growth and client loyalty within accounting firms. This session delves into strategies for identifying emerging talent, providing them with the necessary tools and mentorship, and fostering a culture that encourages proactive client engagement.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the critical role rainmakers play in driving growth and retaining clients within accounting firms.
• Discuss strategies for identifying and nurturing professionals with high potential for business development success.
• Explain how to equip future rainmakers with the skills, resources, and support systems that foster a growth-oriented mindset.

Available Delivery Methods:   Group live  •  Group internet based  

Field of Study: Communications + Marketing

Duration Options (CPE Credits): 50 (1)

Knowledge Level: Overview

Intended Audience: Partners + Business Developers

Prerequisite: 3+ years in firm leadership or BD

Advanced Preparation: None