AI is already here. If you are still billing by the hour and running your team on timesheets, you are building on a foundation that is cracking fast.

Blake Oliver, Founder and CEO of Earmark and one of Accounting Today’s top 100 most influential people, talks about the billing revolution happening right now in accounting. Blake breaks down why the billable hour is the root of inefficiency in accounting firms, how AI agents are replacing routine staff work, and what the future of fixed-fee and subscription billing looks like for small and mid-sized CPA firms.

Blake Oliver did not take the traditional accounting route. He started as a musician, stumbled into bookkeeping, and became one of the earliest cloud accounting adopters in the U.S. — the second bookkeeper certified on Xero in the country.

If you want to stay ahead and build a firm that thrives in the next decade, this is the episode to press play on. Tune in to The Billing Revolution: AI, Time, and the Future of Accounting Firms with Blake Oliver.

Episode resources:

● Website: https://anderscpa.com/

● If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.com

● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course:

https://anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/

Quotes

• Blake Oliver: "Timesheets are the root of all evil in accounting. It creates a culture of inefficiency and resistance to change."
• Tom Wadelton: "You could probably double your revenue with the existing team. That is real money. Not cutting headcount, but growing without needing more people to do it."
• Adam Hale: “If I see you are working too much, I am going to be asking what is wrong. Your job is to push work down, use technology, and stretch your reach."

Blake Oliver is the Founder and CEO of Earmark, the app that lets CPAs and accounting professionals earn free continuing professional education by listening to podcasts. A CPA and one of Accounting Today's top 100 most influential people in the profession, Blake started his career as a musician before building one of the first cloud-based bookkeeping practices in the U.S. and becoming the second Xero-certified bookkeeper in the country.

Website: https://www.blakeoliver.com/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@BlakeTOliver

Connect with Earmark:

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earmarkcpe/

The Modern CPA Success Show is the go-to podcast for accounting firm owners eager to enhance profitability and master Virtual CFO services. This podcast leverages combined expertise in delivering top-tier Virtual CFO services across North America.

Website: https://anderscpa.com/learn/podcasts/the-modern-cpa-success-show/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndersCPA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anders-cpa/

Instagram: