Rob Brown has spent years talking with accounting professionals around the world about what draws people to firms, what keeps them there, and what sends them looking for the exit. As founder of the Accounting Voices podcast, he has a finely tuned sense of what the profession is getting right and what it is consistently getting wrong.

Rob joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to get into all of it: the rise of radical flexibility as a baseline expectation rather than a perk, the growing appeal of purpose-driven niche firms that can actually tell a coherent story about who they are, and the globalization of talent that is expanding the recruiting pool for firms willing to invest in real integration and belonging.

The conversation on DEI is direct and worth sitting with. Both Rob and Bonnie argue that miscommunication let the backlash take hold, and that broadening the frame beyond race and gender to include neurodiversity, socioeconomic background, and nontraditional paths is both the right thing and the smarter strategic move.

The episode closes on the piece most firms underestimate: trust. Leaders who are honest about what they know, what they are still figuring out, and what they are personally navigating build stronger cultures than those who project certainty they do not have.

What you'll take away:

• Why flexibility, values, and development pathways are now the price of entry for top accounting talent
• How to build an employer brand with real teeth, not just a tagline Why broadening your definition of diversity leads to better decisions and stronger client relationships
• How employee stories, particularly short authentic video, outperform any firm marketing campaign
• Why transparency and vulnerability are leadership strengths in an uncertain environment, not weaknesses

Resources & Links

Connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn

Learn more about Accounting Voices

Participate in the Accounting MOVE Project

Watch our episodes on The MOVE Like This YouTube Channel

About MOVE Like This MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.

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