On The Books

In this episode of On the Books, host Jessica McCracken welcomes Jamelan Brown from the Quickbooks Data Communications team to dive into the key findings of Intuit's 2026 Accountant Technology Survey Report. Drawing on insights from over 700 accounting practitioners, the conversation explores the shifting relationship between accountants and technology, highlighted by the growing trend of tech stack fragmentation. The episode also tackles the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence in the industry. As routine tasks become increasingly automated, the baseline for entry-level accountants is shifting toward strategic judgment, tech fluency, and direct client interaction from day one. Despite the rise of AI, the data underscores that trust is the new competitive advantage, as human expertise remains essential for high-stakes decision-making and safeguarding client data protection.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

In this episode of On the Books, we share an exclusive Q&A session from the latest quarterly Intuit Connect On virtual event. Intuit leaders Ashley Still (General Manager of the Small Business and Mid-Market Group) and Travis Walter (Chief Sales Officer) sit down to answer top questions submitted by the accounting community. They dive into recent product shifts, pricing updates, the future of QuickBooks Live, and how AI is changing the bookkeeping landscape.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

Live from the Intuit Better Together Tour stop in Los Angeles, host Jessica McCracken sits down with Brittany Brown, accounting firm owner, professor, and e-commerce accounting expert.After weathering a sudden financial squeeze where a lack of visibility almost led to a cash crisis, Brittany institutionalized a radical, top-down metric tracking culture. She walks us through the highlights of her 8-step framework for building a bulletproof measurement system, explaining how to align individual, team, and company-wide metrics to achieve predictable, compounding growth.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

In this episode of On the Books, host Jessica McCracken sits down with Jaclyn Anku, Principle Program Manager of the ProAdviser Program at Intuit, to discuss a massive transition coming to the program. Starting in early 2027, Intuit will sunset the 30-year-old ProAdviser program to make way for Intuit ProPartner Accountants, a revamped global partner program designed to serve firms of all sizes.Jaclyn shares behind-the-scenes insights into how the program was developed through extensive feedback from accountants nationwide. She also breaks down what is changing including a new 5-tier structure and an expanded revenue-share model, what is staying the same, and how Intuit is investing heavily in staff education and firm support.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

In this episode of On the Books, host Jessica McCracken welcomes Ryan Handel, the founder and CEO of FIXE, an accounting firm specifically engineered to serve the unique needs of the restaurant industry. Ryan shares his personal journey from opening his first restaurant in 2010 to realizing that traditional, high-priced bookkeeping models just didn't work for small-to-midsize food and beverage establishments.Jessica and Ryan dive into the operational mechanics of FIXE, exploring how they utilize a tiered pricing structure to cater to everyone from small coffee shops to multimillion-dollar fine dining groups. They also discuss how the firm effectively handles tight profit margins, recruits talent with deep restaurant experience, and utilizes a tag-team approach of dedicated account managers and support staff to ensure clients have up-to-date financial data without ever needing to touch the books themselves.Finally, Ryan gives us a look behind the scenes at how his firm leverages tech tools like Margin Edge, ChatGPT, and custom dashboards to streamline tedious workflows, alleviate late-night financial emergencies, and empower restaurant operators.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

In episode 21, Chris Willams, CEO of System Six summarized the key focus areas of any merger or acquisition as “get the keys to the technology and focus on the people.” Practically, what is entailed in‌ getting the keys to the technology?Erin Hutton and Janelle Fox have lived this experience. Both were accounting firm leaders at a large top 40-firm and now work at Intuit helping firms navigate technology changes necessitated by a merger or acquisition. Erin and Janelle discuss who owns which software and data, how to ensure contracts are transferred to the new firm and the best lens to use when prioritizing technology decisions. The group also talks about the role of AI, data cleanup, and truly how to simplify a firm’s tech stack. For more full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

In this episode of On the Books, hosts Jessica McCracken and Tom Menzies sit down with Simon Worsfold, head of data communications at Intuit QuickBooks, to break down the findings of the 2026 Intuit AI Impact Report. This comprehensive study, which analyzes real business data from over 5.3 million small and medium-sized businesses and survey responses from over 34,000 businesses across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, reveals that seven in ten small businesses are now regularly using AI. The discussion explores the significant shift in adoption since early 2023, the rise of power users who are deeply integrating AI into their operations, and the surprising positive impact on job growth and productivity. The panel discusses the demographic trends of AI adoption, the concerns regarding privacy and accuracy, and why businesses that move beyond experimentation to core integration are seeing the most significant gains in revenue and efficiency.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

Let’s talk to the man that metaphorically decides to move your cheese. Why do buttons move in QuickBooks? Who decides when, how, and why Intuit changes how the software works?This episode focuses on the vital role of design in the QuickBooks and how it shapes the way accountants and small businesses interact with technology. We are joined by Alastair Simpson, Vice President of Design for the QuickBooks Ecosystem at Intuit. Alastair’s background includes leadership roles at Atlassian and Dropbox, and he brings a unique perspective on building software that users rely on to get their best work done.We dive into the "jobs to be done" philosophy, the transition to a more predictable thematic release cycle, and how Intuit balances modernization with the deep-rooted muscle memory of power users. Alastair also talks about the exciting, yet daunting, integration of AI into professional workflows and the importance of maintaining trust through traceability.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

If you are experiencing mental health challenges, please consult local resources for assistance. This episode is intended to offer encouragement, but is not intended to provide medical advice. See below for resources to help you in yourmental health journey. This episode is part two of our discussion on mental health and burnout in the accounting industry. Part 1 with Randy Crabtree is available on all podcasts feeds. For this episode, we are joined by Kane Polakoff, CAS Practice Leader at CohnReznick, and Jennifer Alleva, CEO of Your Part-Time Controller (YPTC).We dive into the shifting culture of the accounting industry, specifically focusing on the transition from busy seasons to a year-round workload. They share their personal stories and leadership strategies for prioritizing staff well-being, fostering a supportive firm culture, and navigating the exciting yet daunting integration of AI into professional workflows.The group discusses:Rethinking busy season": “Busy season” is now “busy year” and the guests talk through managing workload year-round, offering flexible schedules and other ways to help accountants find balance.Managing macroeconomic stress: The impact of macroeconomic forces on clients creates a unique mental load for the advisors who serve them.The "Sunday Scaries" test: Kane and Jennifer discuss the importance of being attuned to staff stress levels and fostering an environment where employees aren't dreading the start of their work week.The power of vulnerability: Overcoming the industry stigma against asking for help and the importance of leaders modeling healthy boundaries and self-care.Capacity management: Differentiating between capacity of time and capacity of skill to provide the right support for every team member.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com

If you are experiencing mental health challenges, please consult local resources for assistance. This episode is intended to offer encouragement but is not intended to provide medical advice. See full show notes for resources to help you in your mental health journey. In this episode, hosts Ted Callahan and Jessica McCracken dive into a critical conversation on mental health, burnout, and the evolving culture of the accounting industry. Their guest, Randy Crabtree (co-founder of Tri-Merit Specialty Tax and host of The Unique CPA podcast), shares his harrowing personal journey of suffering a stress-induced stroke and how it transformed his approach to leadership and life.Randy details the events leading up to February 6, 2014, when he suffered a stroke at age 51.The power of vulnerability - Post-recovery, Randy realized that pretending to be perfect was detrimental to his firm's culture.Redefining Success and metrics in the industry - Randy challenges the traditional accounting model that equates long hours with success.AI as an Enabler: Randy views AI as a tool to remove the drudgery of compliance and data entry, allowing accountants to step into their true value as advisors.Passion vs. Role: Randy stepped down as managing partner to focus on what he loves—inspiring change and speaking—demonstrating that career paths should align with personal skills and passions.For full show notes, visit firmofthefuture.com