Mike Libbey joined his father’s accounting firm straight out of college, becoming its first employee and working alongside him from the family living room. Today, Mike is a partner and COO at YBL, a modern virtual firm with approximately 30 employees and $3.75 million in annual revenue.

Mike shares how the firm grew, why hiring an operations manager changed what he believed was possible, and how he gradually removed himself from client work to focus on strategy, technology, and growth. He also explains why firm owners should document their processes before they need to hire, even if that means simply turning on Loom and talking through the work as they do it.

The conversation also looks at AI’s rapidly expanding role in accounting. After building roughly 40 internal and client-facing apps, Mike believes the profession’s future is not simply about producing tax returns faster. It is about using technology to become a more deeply integrated financial partner while continuing to provide the judgment and peace of mind clients actually value.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:44 - Meet Mike Libbey

2:16 - Joining his father’s accounting firm

5:16 - Growing up around the accounting grind

10:50 - From two people to a 30-person firm

13:13 - Building a modern firm without the traditional CPA path

18:17 - Early hiring mistakes and the importance of operations

24:01 - How to document, delegate, and escape client work

31:11 - Knowing when the firm can afford its next hire

35:05 - Revenue, profit, and defining the firm you actually want

39:25 - Creating space to experiment with AI

41:43 - Building useful apps without knowing how to code

46:38 - What AI means for the future of accounting

52:02 - The changing role of entry-level accountants

55:12 - Protecting work-life balance while running the firm

58:15 - Building a public presence through YouTube and social media

1:02:05 - Final thoughts on making accounting more fun

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH MIKE LIBBEY

LinkedIn: Mike Libbey | LinkedIn

Website: https://mikelibbey.ybl.ca/

More money does not automatically create peace of mind. Without a healthy relationship with money, greater wealth can simply magnify the same anxiety, guilt, and uncertainty that were already there.

Matt Fizell, CFP® and founder of Harmony Wealth, joins Yuri to explore the human side of financial planning. Matt shares how early experiences shape the way people save, spend, and invest, and why even highly successful clients can struggle to enjoy what they have built. The real goal is not always maximizing the number. Sometimes it is understanding what “enough” looks like and creating a plan that gives someone permission to live.

The conversation also turns to the relationship between financial planners and CPAs. Matt and Yuri discuss how better communication, clearer expectations, and thoughtful pricing can create stronger partnerships for everyone involved. They also examine what it means to build a firm intentionally, work with the right clients, and charge enough to make the work sustainable.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Why more money does not eliminate financial anxiety
0:55 - Meet Matt Fizell of Harmony Wealth
2:18 - Leaving commission-based insurance for fee-only planning
6:39 - How wealth magnifies your relationship with money
11:57 - When disciplined savers struggle to enjoy their success
15:25 - Financial planning beyond investments
20:44 - Bitcoin, speculation, and investment regret
25:58 - Building a comprehensive financial plan
30:28 - Better partnerships between CPAs and financial planners
38:22 - Advisory work, communication, and fair compensation
43:36 - Setting minimum fees and qualifying referrals
45:14 - Designing the firm and client base you actually want
52:14 - The problem with complicated pricing models
55:43 - Wake surfing with country singer Jake Owen
59:01 - The future of CPA and financial planner collaboration

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH MATT FIZELL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-fizell-0606134a/

Website: https://planwithharmony.com/

In this episode of The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri sits down with Daniel Pinkous, founder and CEO of Truss, for a conversation about the messy, frustrating reality of tax workflow.

They talk about why client document collection still creates so much friction for CPA firms, how Truss is trying to make that process easier, and why the best software should remove headaches instead of creating another system to manage.

Daniel also shares the story behind building Truss, from entering the accounting space as an outsider to bootstrapping the company through some very real founder pressure. It’s a conversation about better systems, better client experiences, and building something that actually solves the problems firm owners deal with every day.

Join my new newsletter here: https://thefuncpa.beehiiv.com/

Learn about Truss here: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

1:03 - Meet Daniel Pinkous and Truss

2:52 - How Daniel found the CPA workflow problem

5:15 - What Truss does for tax firms

7:04 - Why client intake breaks down every year

13:41 - Replacing the traditional portal experience

16:30 - Using AI to clean up document collection

20:50 - Smarter questionnaires and client checklists

25:19 - Automating workpapers and tax organization

30:00 - Prep partnerships and outsourcing options

36:23 - Max AI, transcripts, and reducing missed items

41:02 - Making return delivery easier for clients

44:10 - Building Truss without outside funding

49:40 - The hard moments of bootstrapping

53:14 - Faith, support, and staying grounded

57:36 - Where to find Daniel and Truss

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH DANIEL PINKOUS

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-p376152/

Website: https://gettruss.link/thefuncpa