Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE

The IPA Practice Management Survey is one of the most powerful tools available to accounting firm leaders—and one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown is joined by Chelsea Summers, Executive Director of IPA, for a practical, step-by-step breakdown of the survey that powers IPA’s benchmarking, rankings and long-term insights into the profession.

They cover what the survey includes, how firms of all sizes can participate, and why more than 600 firms submit data each year. Chelsea explains how IPA standardizes and reviews submissions, the cost to participate and how the data ultimately drives the IPA 500, Best of the Best firms and a wide range of benchmarking reports.

The conversation also dives into how firms actually use the data—supporting strategic planning, compensation decisions, talent strategy, board reporting and even M&A diligence. Plus, Chelsea shares tips for first-time participants and discusses how IPA is expanding its data collection around AI and technology adoption.

If you’re looking for clarity, comparison, and a data-driven roadmap for your firm, this episode explains why the IPA Practice Management Survey is a critical place to start.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE

Succession, liquidity and firm ownership are no longer “future problems” for accounting firms — they’re today’s reality.

In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast, Rob Brown sits down with Michael Bannon, Managing Director at CSG Partners, to unpack one of the most talked-about — and often misunderstood — ownership structures in the profession: ESOPs.

Michael shares what he’s seeing in the market as business owners and firm leaders head into 2026 with uncertainty, rising valuations, and increased private equity activity. Together, they explore how ESOPs compare to traditional exits, why more firms are evaluating employee ownership and what CPAs can do right now to better prepare their clients for a successful transition.

The conversation also covers:

1. Why many firms delay succession planning — and the risks of waiting
2. How ESOPs actually work (and why they’re not new)
3. The emotional side of selling a firm
4. What separates successful exits from stressful ones
5. How interest rates, valuations and PE activity are reshaping deal structures
6. Practical steps CPAs can take today to support client readiness

Whether you advise firm owners or are thinking about your own firm’s future, this episode offers grounded insight into ownership transitions beyond the traditional private equity path.

Earn free CPE with Earmark! Take your learning on the go and earn NASBA-approved CPE just for listening to The INSIDE Public Accounting Podcast. Simply listen, take a short quiz, and download your certificate. Start now on the IPA channel in the Earmark app: INSIDE Public Accounting | Earmark CPE

Talent retention remains one of the biggest challenges facing accounting firms, but younger staff are being remarkably consistent about what they want.

In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Rob Brown and Chelsea Summers unpack the real drivers of retention in 2025. Drawing on industry data and firm-level observations, they explain why transparency has become a leadership superpower, how vague career paths drive disengagement and why flexibility without boundaries leads to burnout.

The conversation explores:

1. Why younger professionals want context, not corporate spin
2. How clarity around career paths matters more than fast tracks
3. Why trust-based flexibility beats monitoring hours
4. The growing role of culture, mentorship and psychological safety
5. How technology has become a talent strategy—not just an efficiency play
6. Where firms consistently get retention wrong

The takeaway? Younger staff aren’t asking for extravagant perks. They’re asking for clear communication, real development, modern tools and leaders who are willing to explain the “why.”