In this testimonial dialogue, an accounting firm owner (Speaker A) explains the firm’s struggle to grow revenue without adding headcount and the repeated failures of past automation attempts, notably a problematic PandaDoc integration. He describes how partnering with Isaac’s team provided the missing process‑improvement mindset and operational expertise that traditional accountants lacked. Over six months, the firm implemented a revamped CRM and streamlined sales workflow, which impressed clients and simplified their experience. The owner highlights the value of having a “fractional process improvement leader” who fills the gap between operational execution and financial strategy, acting like a part‑time COO. He also praises the consultant’s disciplined communication—regular follow‑ups and clear reporting—that saved him time. Finally, he urges other accounting firm owners not to wait, emphasizing limited capacity and the tangible benefits of engaging Isaac’s services early.
Chapters
Last year, Isaac, it was bad. I had a line of credit and we just paid it off. You're on here as an investment because we need to be able to increase this top line without adding more labor. That's the reason. You have to have people who think about this, and it's a total Totally different skill set than what a lot of accountants have. And I have more of that skill set of process improvement. But some people just want to go to work and do what they do and that's it. They don't want to think about how to improve stuff. I think you have to bring in that mindset and that culture and that idea and introduce people to see what it looks like. So that's number one. I needed someone to be the person to spot things and help implement and collaborate. You know, with the team to move people in that direction, and I think they're a lot more open to it than they ever were before. And number two, profitability. I knew there was all kinds of buckets that we were missing, and obviously with our our document, you just showed us exactly glaringly, embarrassingly how bad some of this stuff is. So I feel like that's what we needed, and we are missing that skill set. You did that practice project with Adam, and to me that was like, this is what we need. This is exactly what we need. So, and then of course my confidence just grows in you. For me, that's what it was like, okay, prove it. You know what I mean?
Yeah.
Prove that you can do it. I mean, but seriously, I've hired people before who I thought was gonna do it, do certain automations and things like that for us, and they never could do it. There's always so many roadblocks.
Do you recall why they couldn't do it in any form? Like what sort of challenges they faced?
I don't know. It was like, it was an integration with PandaDoc and they were having troubles with that and trying to automate some things with the sales process, just like what you did.
That's the easy part.
Couldn't do it. They couldn't, they couldn't accomplish what we needed. But I think that you come with a lot of different skill sets where you can look at the sales process, you can look at the business process, you can look at all the different processes and string them together so they make more sense. And that was one of the things that I don't think that they truly knew how to do.
Yeah.
And can just take it and run where they needed a lot of handholding.
Yeah, yeah, definitely. We've heard that a lot as well. Like, I mean, we come from that background of like doing automation, doing development, where you more so know how to do and execute. But over time, we've had to learn almost by force of being, you know, putting our process consultant hat of really helping map out, understand, simplify the process, Before we hand it off to our developers to execute on the work that needs to happen.
Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you know, you'll pull out a freaking flowchart and my heart desires those things. I cannot seem to execute on them well. So like, I have vision, I just don't know how to end the time and desire and, you know.
Yeah, and the roadblocks and the challenges and looking for—
Yeah, trying to get people to do stuff.
We've been working now for about 6 months. Anything you can tell or say on what has changed for the better since?
Yeah, so I think our clients or potential clients are impressed with our systems, which kind of hopefully is a flash of what to expect with our firm. And so really trying to show up in, in that way. Our CRM is great. The sales process is amazing. I just used it again yesterday. The client that I worked with yesterday, I was telling them, you know, about how we've been developing new processes and stuff like that. And I said, supposedly I click this button and you will get everything you need. If you don't, let me know. But he laughed. He's like, I love that you're doing that and you're working with somebody and making that, you know, easier for yourself because that's how you, you know, are able to— Yeah.
And easier for them too. I think that's something that's sometimes understated, that some of these improvements done right should improve the client experience as well, make it easier for them.
Yes. And that's, that's what I wanna do.
Then if you see in us any opportunities for improvement, is there anything you felt in any way we could have done better?
No, no, I'm always impressed by you. And I love how you send the follow-ups and say what happened and what needs to happen and just to keep the project going. I feel like that is really, really— it's a lost skill. A lot of people don't know how to do that. So I think that is something I really, really value because as a busy person, busy work, you know, CEO, whatever you want to call me, I'm everything right now. It's nice for somebody to report to me instead of me having to chase them down. So I think that's a very, very important—
Let's assume you were in a conversation with another colleague, another firm owner, accounting firm owner like you, who was maybe considering working with us. Maybe it's on the fence, maybe it's, you know, reading our website, watching this video, right? Um, anything you would tell them about their decision to work with us?
Not to wait, because I don't know how much capacity you have. You need to get on Isaac's list. Seriously, I'd be like, don't wait, because the benefits— the longer you wait to get the benefits of working with you guys, the farther behind they'll be. And it's just not worth waiting for, you know, even to get started at the lowest level, which is what I did. I feel like It gave us time to get to know each other a little bit and kind of get, you know, our feet wet and see what else we could do. I feel like it was really, really powerful.
Yeah. Any other thoughts?
Yeah. Like, you know, we were talking about Corey and her doing certain things. I feel like in a lot of ways you're filling in some of the gaps that I needed from a COO. And that's really beneficial to me because even when I had a COO, it wasn't like this. So You know, there is value in, and I would also say there's some value that you bring that maybe as a fractional COO, but not really. I hate to say it that way because I don't, you may not appreciate that sentiment, but I think it's added a lot of value in that realm.
Yeah, this is something I think we haven't communicated as clearly enough. The term I've kind of like stuck with for now is like fractional process improvement leadership.
Yeah.
Because of course we don't do anything a CEO would do technically.
Yeah. Yeah.
But I love that you bring that up, that, you know, it's kind of like that level of service, not necessarily just like an individual contributor, but someone that can lead.
Right. Yes. Yes. Yeah. And it's operations totally, you know, and operations have to be thinking about financials and how to increase revenue for the firm and all the things that you're doing, all the reporting, all that stuff is very operational. So it's financial slash operational. And I think that's why I had a hard time getting accountants to do it. And operations people would say they didn't know how to do it.
Yeah, it's kind of sitting in that bridge, in that gap.
Absolutely. So yeah, you've, you've been a huge support. I feel more support because of our relationship.
