On The Books

Celebrating Black Accountants with guest hosts Nayo Carter-Gray and Tony Proctor

In a special episode of On the Books, guest hosts Nayo Carter-Gray and Tony Proctor welcomed Kevin Smoot and Hope Brown, and Al-Neesha Jones, to discuss their personal and professional journeys in the accounting field as Black accountants. Hear how all got their start in the industry, some of the challenges they face in their business, and the importance of mentorship and intentional networking. The panel also offers advice for young students considering a career in accounting, emphasizing the diverse opportunities and the importance of building a supportive network.Come celebrate the unique experiences and contributions of Black accountants in this fun and poignant episode. For full show notes, check out firmofthefuture.com

The 2025 Small Business Index Annual Report

Part of an accountant’s work is to know the financial health of their clients. In this episode, we explore the latest Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Index Annual Report, which provides insights into the current state and future prospects of small businesses in the US, Canada, and the UK. 
Ted and Jessica talk with Intuit’s Simon Worsfold and KC Eames of Dark Horse  about the findings which highlights the significant impact of rising interest rates on small business growth, increase in credit card use among small businesses, and findings on digital technology in improving business performance and confidence. 
The group also discusses broader themes from the report, such as the strong recovery in employment in sectors like construction and the higher likelihood of women-owned businesses being highly digitized. Overall, the report underscores the critical role of digital adoption in driving small business success and resilience in the face of economic challenges.For more information and full show notes, check out firmofthefuture.com 

Get Rid of the Seams

Have you ever thought “Intuit is a confusing place. I’m not sure who I need to talk to about my issues,”? We know it can be hard navigating the inner workings of a tech company to get the solutions you and/or you clients need.
 
In this episode of On the Books, we introduce you to two Intuit leaders trying to solve this problem. Rony Branch and Jorge Olavarrieta lead our Accountant Sales and Partner team and Professional Tax Group respectively and have been working together to create a better experience for accountants as they interact with Intuit. Roney and Jorge talk about the pain points they are working to address, the steps Intuit is taking to move from individual products to a cohesive platform, and what accountants can expect from their Intuit teams this year. 
 
For more information:
On the Books Books-to-Tax episode

New Year, New Plan with Kenji Kuramoto

Happy New Year! Welcome 2025. Let’s set some goals for your firm.
Kenji Kuramoto, Acuity Founder and CEO, joins us today to talk about all things new year planning. Kenji and Acuity’s firm leaders have implemented a thorough elevation process to look back on the past year and goal-setting standards into the next. Kenji details their process, talks about timing (January?!), and the benefits he's seen in his firm and personal life. Kenji talks about giving yourself grace and why accountants need time to adjust to ways of evaluating their processes. 
Ted and Jessica also share their goals intentions for 2025. For full show notes, check out Firm of the Future https://www.firmofthefuture.com/podcast/on-the-books/x

On The Books - Close the Books - A year-end wrap with Dave Talach

“You have one company Intuit trying to serve a diverse set of customers, we are going to have blind spots, we are going to get things wrong. We don’t know everything. So if we operate under the context of that, then it immediately frames that dialogues are so important - open candid dialogues are so important because only through those are we going to be able to course correct and adapt.” In this episode of On the Books, hosts Ted Callahan and Jessica McCracken welcome Dave Talach, the Senior Vice President of QuickBooks end-to-end experiences at Intuit. Dave discusses his upbringing in Detroit and how it shaped his passion for financial services and small businesses. He talks about the importance of empathy in product development and his dedication to creating human-centered experiences. Dave shares his approach to leadership and his vision for enhancing the QuickBooks platform, emphasizing the importance of connecting with the accountant community. And he gives a peek into innovations coming to the QuickBooks platform in 2025. For full show notes, check out Firm of the Future, https://www.firmofthefuture.com/podcast/on-the-books/

Merry Books-to-Tax Season!

 ‘Tis the season for clean books ready for compliance!Join us as we talk with Amy Walker and Paul Glantz. Amy is a client advisory services accountant. Paul spends his time on the tax side. They joined forces in 2021 to form Walker Glantz CPA to give their clients a more cohesive approach to both accounting and tax advisory and filing.Paul and Amy discuss the challenges of CAS and tax practices working together and how their firm was formed to address those challenges. The group also offers helpful advice on how to leverage technology to provide a better client experience during this season of handing clean books over to for tax preparation. And Paul and Amy offer encouragement for all accountants as busy season approaches.“I am on a mission to change public accounting. CAS was the first the first step towards it. CAS was the first service public accounting could offer that doesn’t require a busy season. Maybe a little extra work in January but you could still head a lot of that off. We’re going to do it for tax too,” Amy Walker.For full show notes, check out Firm of the Future, https://www.firmofthefuture.com/podcast/on-the-books/

On The Books - Accounting Continuing Education and the new ProAdvisory Academy

On this On the Books episode, we dive into accounting continuing education. We hear a conversation between Jaclyn Anku, Principle Program Manager for ProAdvisor and Helena Tosh, Associate Director of Learning Design with Gamma Media. Jaclyn and Helena joined forces to redesign the new ProAdvisor Academy training. They talk about what is new in the training and what painpoints this new launch seeks to address. Helena and Jaclyn dive into how learning is changing. Later in the episode, Ted and Jessica talk through why Intuit invests in financial literacy and how accounting continuing education is an important part of the industry. For full show notes, check out Firm of the Future, https://www.firmofthefuture.com/podcast/on-the-books/

On the Books - Welcome To On The Books!

On the Books is a podcast for the accounting community presented by Intuit. In each episode, we'll explore topics that are shaping the world of accounting— and your career within it.We're going beyond software and product features. We're delving into the trends and changes reshaping the accounting landscape. Whether you're a seasoned professional, a new entry to the field, or a student learning more about “why” accounting,  join us to gain valuable insights from industry leaders and hear the stories of firms that are redefining the future.We'll also bring you exclusive interviews with Intuit's top leaders so you can hear their vision for what’s coming for you from us. 

On The Books - Teaser "Welcome to On The Books"

We are launching an new audio adventure. On the Books is a podcast for the accounting community presented by Intuit.
We’re going beyond software and product features. We’re delving into the trends and changes reshaping the accounting landscape.
Come along with us as we talk to industry leaders and hear the stories of firms that are redefining the future.We’ll also bring you exclusive interviews with Intuit’s top leaders so you can hear their vision for what’s coming for you from us.
Episode 1 will be in your podcast feeds November 4th.