Built Two Firms. Broke All the Rules. Created Something No One Else Had.

In this episode of the 7 Figure Accountant Podcast, Nick Sinclair sits down with Mike Payne, JD, CPA, founder of the first firm in the U.S. approved to legally combine law, tax, and accounting services under one roof.

Mike shares how he left the Big 4, launched two firms at once (yes, really), and eventually built a $2M multi-disciplinary practice with 16 team members and a subscription-first model.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

➡️ Why he ignored advice to "just pick one" and did both law and tax

➡️ How he used client subscriptions to stabilize cash flow and improve retention

➡️ The moment he finally raised his prices—and how that changed everything

➡️ The hiring mistake that led to a breakthrough pricing system

➡️ Why Friday is a no-client day at his firm—and what it does for productivity

If you're looking for practical, bold, and battle-tested insight into firm building, pricing strategy, and leadership, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Watch or listen now to learn how Mike Payne built a business that works for him—and his team.

What if your accounting firm didn’t revolve around tax season?

Greg O’Brien, CPA and Co-Founder of Anomaly CPA, is proving that the old model is broken—and he’s showing us what the new one looks like.

In this episode of the 7 Figure Accountant Podcast, Greg joins Nick to unpack how he grew Anomaly from zero to $4M in under 6 years—without sacrificing sanity or culture. From ditching hourly billing and traditional partnership models to embracing advisory-first pricing and daily brand marketing, Greg's story is a masterclass in building a modern, people-first firm.

You’ll discover:

➡️ Why he left a 6-figure corporate job to bet on himself

➡️ The high-stakes investment that redefined his entire business model

➡️ How he turned Anomaly into a marketing machine (that attracts both clients and top-tier talent)

➡️ His approach to hiring before you're ready—and why it works

➡️ What it takes to build a firm that runs without you in the day-to-day

Plus, Greg gets honest about burnout, leadership, and what’s next for Anomaly on their path to $15M.

Whether you're trying to break past $500K or you're gunning for $5M+, this episode is packed with bold strategies and deep insight. 

Most accounting firm owners hate meetings. But meetings aren’t the problem. How you lead them is.

In this episode of 7 Figure Accountant Tactics, Nick Sinclair shares the 7 meeting rhythms that turned his firms into high-performing businesses. You’ll learn:

• The two types of meetings every firm needs: operational and strategic
• How to run daily huddles that build leadership skills
• How monthly deep dives and workflow meetings fix bottlenecks fast
• Why quarterly off-sites are the real game changers

If your meetings feel boring or pointless, it’s time to change how you lead. This episode gives you a simple, proven blueprint to turn meetings into momentum.

Most accounting firms don’t lose clients because of bad work. They lose them because the experience feels forgettable.

In this week's tactic, 7 Figure Accountant host and TopFirm CEO Nick Sinclair reveals how building a standout client journey—one that’s proactive, consistent, and caring—can become your firm’s biggest growth engine.

In this episode, Nick discusses:

✅ Why slow responses and poor communication cause silent resentment

✅ How to design a client journey that builds trust and loyalty

✅ The CARE Framework for consistent client success

✅ Why improving client experience leads to 67% more profit—with the same clients

If you want clients who stay, refer, and rave about your firm, it starts with mastering their journey.

Despite no public accounting background or CPA to his name, Daniel Gertrudes runs GrowthLab, a multi-million-dollar finance business serving startups, founders, and fast-moving companies.

What’s his story?

After 15 years in corporate America leading M&A and restructuring work, Daniel took a leap into entrepreneurship. In 2015, he acquired a small bookkeeping firm—what followed was nearly a decade of transformation.

He turned an old-school, hourly-billed practice into a future-focused operation offering bookkeeping, tax, FP&A, HR services, and even its own AI automation team.

In this candid conversation, Daniel shares the highs, the hard lessons, and the heavy moments with TopFirm CEO and host Nick Sinclair. He talks about buying out the firm, overhauling team structure, and completely rebuilding the culture when things hit breaking point.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

💡 Why bookkeeping and accounting firms are cashflow businesses at their core—and how to build around that truth

🔁 How Daniel led two major business reinventions to modernize systems, pricing, and service delivery

🧠 Why staying competitive today means thinking beyond compliance—and preparing for what AI is already changing

Whether you’ve acquired a firm, are leading one through change, or you're rethinking your future business model—Daniel’s story is packed with insight and real-world takeaways you can use now.

From 100-hour workweeks to building a firm with 40 team members across two continents — Zane Stevens has built something truly unique in the accounting world.

Originally from South Africa, Zane moved to California and started his firm in 2014 with just a handful of clients and no formal marketing plan. Fast forward to today, and his firm, Protea Financial, serves over 170 wineries with $3.6M in annual revenue — all while operating fully remote, with a hybrid US–South Africa team structure.

In this episode of the 7 Figure Accountant podcast, Zane shares how he:

• Transitioned from doing it all to building a business that thrives without him
• Doubled down on the wine industry and created deep operational expertise
• Replaced himself in every area — from delivery to leadership — without sacrificing growth
• Built a high-performing business focused on people, systems, and long-term sustainability

Whether you're niching down or trying to step out of the day-to-day, tune in now to hear Nick Sinclair’s conversation with Zane. It’s packed with lessons for firm owners who are ready to roadmap their scaling strategy.

No clients. No savings. No clear roadmap. At 26 years old, Andrew Van De Beek took a massive leap—quitting his accounting job without any immediate prospects or plans. Fast forward to today, he’s built Illumin8, one of Australia’s most modern and people-first accounting firms, while successfully stepping out of daily operations.

In this episode of the 7 Figure Accountant podcast, Andrew sits down with TopFirm CEO and host Nick Sinclair to share the bold decisions, brand strategies, and leadership lessons that helped him scale his firm beyond seven figures.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why most accounting firms fail to scale—and how to avoid their mistakes.

✅ How to create a brand that attracts the right clients (and repels the wrong ones).

✅ The mindset shift that took Andrew from being stuck in the work to leading his business.

✅ How he built a firm that runs without him—and why you should aim for the same.

If you’ve ever wondered how to build a firm that thrives without you, attract high-value clients, and finally step into a true leadership role, this episode is your blueprint. Don’t miss it!

Subscribe to our channel to watch the latest episode.

At just 29 years old, Katy LaBarbera left her small-town job at a firm to start her own accounting practice with nothing but determination and a vision.

Despite launching during the 2007-2008 recession, her firm continued to thrive because businesses needed financial guidance. What started as a solo operation quickly grew beyond her expectations, fueled by strong client relationships and a relentless commitment to excellence. To date, she’s scaled her firm past the seven-figure mark, proving that success isn’t limited by geography—it’s driven by mindset, strategy, and persistence.

In this episode of the 7 Figure Accountant podcast, Katy shares her journey from early struggles to thriving success with TopFirm CEO and host Nick Sinclair, including:

✅ The mindset shift that helped her scale her firm

✅ How she transitioned from solo practice to a thriving team

✅ The importance of cloud technology in building a modern firm

✅ Hiring strategies that created a high-performing, values-driven team

✅ Why not niching down actually worked for her business

For an inspirational and motivational story of beating the odds and building a thriving accounting firm with grit and persistence, don’t miss this episode. 🎧💡