Episodes

  • 5 - John Knight on creating a people-first brand that draws top accounting talent

    5 - John Knight on creating a people-first brand that draws top accounting talent
    Jan 14 2026
    James Rose speaks with John Knight of businessDEPOT about using brand and culture as a competitive advantage in professional services. They cover attracting entrepreneurial talent, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and what’s changed as the firm has grown and the accounting industry has evolved. Topics covered Resources Chapters
    • (00:00:00) - Creating a Brand That Stands Out
    • (00:00:46) - John Knight on Decorating Your Home
    • (00:05:17) - The Depot: A Chartered Accountants' Brand
    • (00:09:38) - The Business Depot: Remembering our Events
    • (00:12:22) - Inside the Co-Workers
    • (00:12:49) - What happened to Co-Working in Brisbane?
    • (00:16:28) - The Business Depot Collective's transition
    • (00:21:07) - The attracting of talent at Business Depot
    • (00:23:01) - How Do You Cultivate a Culture?
    • (00:29:02) - Letting go of legacy culture
    • (00:31:07) - Leading the Next Wave in the Accounting Industry
    • (00:37:15) - John Cleese on The Simpsons
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    38 mins
  • 4 - Alan FitzGerald on finding clarity in accounting tech and making smarter software decisions

    4 - Alan FitzGerald on finding clarity in accounting tech and making smarter software decisions
    Dec 3 2025
    James Rose hosts Alan FitzGerald, founder of Practice Connections and veteran accounting tech advisor, to discuss how firms can cut through the noise and choose software that truly fits. They explore why small firms move faster than the Big Four and what it takes to make tech decisions that actually stick. Topics covered Resources
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    33 mins
  • 3 - How to automate your firm the right way with Isaac Perdomo

    3 - How to automate your firm the right way with Isaac Perdomo
    Nov 19 2025
    James Rose hosts Isaac Perdomo, co-founder of automation firm Opzer, to discuss how accounting and professional service firms can scale through smarter automation and process clarity. They talk about where to start and how smarter automation delivers up to 33% more clients even with a smaller team. Topics covered Resources Chapters
    • (00:00:01) - Interview With Isaac Perdomo
    • (00:00:56) - How Did I Get Good at Automation?
    • (00:04:34) - Automation and Why Firms Should Care
    • (00:08:10) - Where Should an Accounting Firm Start on Automation?
    • (00:11:39) - Tools for Beginners in Automation
    • (00:14:40) - Business Owners Need to Learn Automation
    • (00:19:18) - High-Tech Lead Cycle: Low-
    • (00:25:29) - Onboarding Processes
    • (00:26:53) - What's Automation Like for Your Business?
    • (00:34:02) - Beyond Excel: Business Intelligence, Reporting & More
    • (00:36:26) - Top Executives: What's Your Favorite Tech?
    • (00:38:10) - Are We Ready for the AI Bubble?
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    42 mins
  • 2- How search funds work (and why accountants excel) with Chris Davey

    2- How search funds work (and why accountants excel) with Chris Davey
    Nov 5 2025
    James Rose meets Chris Davey, founder of Accountica and Search Fund Oz, to discuss the nuts and bolts of search funds and why accountants are uniquely positioned to succeed in ETA. They talk about models, capital, sourcing, and the day-to-day grind so first-timers know where to start and what this business really looks like. Topics covered Resources Chapters
    • (00:00:01) - Chris Davey
    • (00:02:05) - Pandora on the Search Fund Industry
    • (00:02:50) - Looking for a business partner: How to start your own business
    • (00:07:41) - What to Do To Start a Business in Australia
    • (00:18:59) - Don't Start a Startup With An MBA
    • (00:24:55) - A Day in the Life of Search
    • (00:26:20) - How to Find a Broker in the Daily Life
    • (00:27:02) - My Search: Should I Buy a Crypto Business?
    • (00:32:12) - Have Too Many Accounts thrown into Crypto?
    • (00:33:05) - Ideas for Starting a Business in Australia
    • (00:41:18) - In the Elevator With Search Funds
    • (00:43:51) - Ryan O'Donnell on Search Investing
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    48 mins
  • 1 - Trent McLaren on how to become an intentional networker and build a strong accounting brand

    1 - Trent McLaren on how to become an intentional networker and build a strong accounting brand
    Oct 14 2025

    James Rose chats with Trent McLaren, co-founder of Vinyl and long-time accounting industry leader, about how intentional networking and authentic relationships have shaped his success. They discuss why personal connection outperforms marketing spend, how empathy drives client loyalty, and how building in public helped launch Vinyl to thousands of users in months.

    Topics covered
    • Networking on steroids
    • Building influence
    • Using events to find and retain clients (and how cost effective they can be)
    • The importance of brand in a crowded market
    Resources
    • LinkedIn
    • X (Twitter)
    • Vinyl
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    43 mins