In this episode of Accounting for Growth, host Chad Person and fractional CMO Dawn Howard tackle one of the biggest pressures facing CPA firm leaders today: technology.

Instead of chasing buzzwords and shiny tools, they walk through what it really looks like to modernize a firm in a way that drives growth, improves realization, and supports your people.

They discuss why so many firms feel behind on tech, how to build a realistic roadmap, the role of change management, and what meaningful ROI actually looks like—beyond just licenses and implementation costs.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

•Why every firm feels pressure to “modernize” (and why most don’t feel ready)

•Start with the problem, not the tool

•Build a realistic technology roadmap

•Staff training & adoption as the real barrier

•Client & staff experience: the invisible ROI

•Change management & “getting people in the boat”

•Measuring ROI beyond licenses

•Start small, pilot, then scale

•Leadership & talent development through tech projects

Links

Dawn Howard– Fractional CMO, YorCMO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-howard-m-s-b4a6b911

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

Youtube: https://youtu.be/bQhQGbU4kyA

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

•Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com

In this kickoff episode of Managing Partner Realities: Leading the Modern CPA Firm, host Chad Person is joined by Dawn Howard, a fractional CMO with 25+ years of experience in marketing, sales, business development, and brand strategy inside CPA firms.

Together they unpack why talent is no longer just a hiring problem it’s a leadership and growth problem. They dive into culture beyond perks, what “belonging” really looks like in a firm, how remote and hybrid work are reshaping engagement, and why consistency from leadership and mid-level managers matters more than grand gestures.

They also explore how marketing, HR, and leadership can work together to build a culture that retains top people, upskills them into advisory roles, and ultimately drives firm growth.

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🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

•Talent as a growth lever, not just a headcount issue

•Belonging, purpose & culture that actually sticks

•Remote/hybrid realities & engagement

•Employee experience ➝ Client experience

•Upskilling & advisory capacity

•Communication & consistency as culture drivers

•Gen Z and the evolving workforce

•The bottom line for managing partners

Links

Dawn Howard– Fractional CMO, YorCMO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-howard-m-s-b4a6b911

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

Youtube: https://youtu.be/OOXTk9SsnAA

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

•Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com

The conversation explores the importance of fostering a culture of continuous improvement within organizations, particularly in marketing. It emphasizes that growth should be viewed as an ongoing practice rather than a static goal, highlighting the role of leadership in driving this mindset.

Takeaways

•Firms that thrive treat growth as an ongoing practice.

•Continuous improvement is essential for all marketing organizations.

•Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering a growth mindset.

•Improvement should be seen as a cultural norm, not a one-time effort.

•Every organization has potential for enhancement.

•A culture of continuous improvement leads to sustained success.

•Non-marketing leaders can influence marketing growth positively.

•Growth strategies should be dynamic and adaptable.

•Encouraging feedback is vital for continuous improvement.

•A proactive approach to growth can differentiate successful firms.

Links

Charles Brower – CMO, Growth and Demand Generation Specialist

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesdbrower

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com