Welcome to Deeper CPA financial planner connections, a podcast series dedicated to impactful stories of your CPA financial planning community and the wisdom gained along the way. I am Lyle Benson, past chairman of the PFP Executive Committee, and your host for these episodes, along with the AICPA PFP team.
The idea for these connections was born as I reflected on my career as a CPA financial planner and my 30 years of volunteering with the AICPA PFP Section. So much of what I have learned and do every day has come from my colleagues in this community. The conversations in this series are an opportunity to learn from your peers at a deeper level so that you can gain knowledge from the experiences derived along their journeys.
We hope you can take away an idea or two from each episode that might help you grow as a CPA financial planner to best serve your clients and move your firm and yourself forward! Enjoy!
Episode One: Lyle Benson, CPA/PFS – Find out how Lyle has created a successful firm and a balanced life.
Episode Two: Michael Goodman, CPA/PFS – Learn how Michael went from a lifestyle practice to an enterprise.
Episode Three: Sue Stevens, CPA/PFS - Hear about Sue’s unusual and winding path to becoming a CPA financial planner.
Episode Four: Jean-Luc Bourdon, CPA/PFS – Discover Jean-Luc’s ultra-customized and “retirement tribe” approach with clients.
Episode Five: Beth Gamel, CPA/PFS – Find out how Beth created a successful retirement, financially and psychologically.
Episode Six: Ted Sarenski, CPA/PFS - Find out how curiosity took Ted on a journey from tax accountant to CPA financial planner.
Episode Seven: Scott Sprinkle, CPA/PFS – Learn how Scott lives his passion by playing the quarterback who connects the dots for his clients with their tax, investment, financial planning, and life planning needs.
Episode Eight: Akemi Dalvi, CPA/PFS – Tune is as Akemi shares how she has built a financial planning business to serve middle market Japanese Americans and how the pandemic has led to endless possibilities.
Episode Nine: Howard Safer, CPA/PFS - Hear advice from Howard on how to help clients create holistic financial wellness.
Episode Ten: Lori Luck, CPA/PFS - Learn how Lori’s own life events and her business, finance, and tax acumen led her to create her own personal financial planning business.
Episode 11: David Oransky, CPA/PFS - Listen to David share how he started his financial planning firm from scratch at 26 and how it has evolved into a job he loves today.
Episode 12: Mackey McNeill, CPA/PFS - Discover how Mackey has created her three passion businesses by leading from the inside out for herself and her clients.
Episode 13: Mark Astrinos, CPA/PFS - Find out how Mark overcame his fear of making bold and scary moves that landed him with his ideal business that serves his ideal life.
Episode 14: Brooke Salvini, CPA/PFS - Brooke shares her journey to creating and evolving her boutique financial planning firm, including how she added investment management services.
Episode 15: Lyle Benson, CPA/PFS, and Andrea Millar, CPA/PFS – Lyle and Andrea discuss the seven recurring themes and lessons learned in this series from the many stories shared.
Episode 16: Dirk Edwards, CPA/PFS – Hear how Dirk created a PFP practice that is focused on the complex planning work while outsourcing the implementation.
Episode 17: Susan Tillery, CPA/PFS – Learn how Susan designed her PFP practice to provide education and planning without tax compliance and investment management.
Episode 18: Dr. Haesun Moon – Find out how to put a simple and powerful coaching model into practice with your clients.
Episode 19: David Stolz, CPA/PFS – Hear how Dave experienced a tragedy that took him on a journey towards creating a successful financial planning practice.
Episode 20: Clark Blackman II, CPA/PFS – Hear why Clark believes the assets under management compensation model is the best for clients.
Episode 21: Ellen Bruno, CPA/PFS – Hear about Ellen Bruno’s unique path as a CPA/PFS that demonstrates the far-reaching career opportunities.
Episode 22: Tom Trainor, CPA/PFS – Learn how Tom created a family office with 3 owners/employees serving 35 families.
Episode 23: Lisa Featherngill, CPA/PFS – Discover how Lisa is leading the way with making sure that the qualitative side of planning gets as much emphasis as the quantitative aspects.
Episode 24: Sarah Bradley, CPA/PFS - Find out how Sarah took a bold leap to go from employee to first time business owner providing tax compliance and personal financial planning services.
Episode 25: Lyle Benson, CPA/PFS and Andrea Millar, CPA/PFS - Learn how CPA financial planners got to where they are today and how this serves as the foundation for taking us into a successful future.
Episode 26: Lyle Benson, CPA/PFS and Andrea Millar, CPA/PFS - Tune in to hear the second episode of the story of the CPA financial planning profession.
Episode 27: Jim Shambo, CPA (retired) - Discover how Jim has been successful in many areas of life from providing clients personal financial planning services to creating the PFS designation to retiring well and much more.
New episodes are released the last Friday morning of each month.
If you’d like to be interviewed or if you have questions you’d like to pose to the interviewees, send us a message.