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Logan Graf and AJ Zepeda kick things off with their latest random finds — a camera robot that follows you around and a metal smart business card — before diving into the main topic: Logan's viral LinkedIn post about losing an $8,000 accounting engagement because a prospect wanted to use AI to do their own bookkeeping cleanup. They break down the proposal details, why the cleanup wasn't optional, how AI is changing client confidence and expectations, and what it means for firm owners navigating the new landscape of AI-assisted accounting.

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How Much Should Your Accounting Firm Make? Hitting $200K–$250K Take-Home

Logan and AJ discuss money goals for accounting firm owners on the Own Your Firm podcast, starting with their early-career earnings. They note entry-level public accounting pay has risen to roughly $75K–$84K. AJ’s target is $250K personal income for retirement contributions, lower stress, travel, and increased giving, and he estimates their three-partner firm needs about $2M in annual revenue to support $200K–$300K each. Logan’s target is similarly $200K–$250K net; he describes previously netting about $200K on roughly $280K gross with heavy workload, and estimates $350K gross could net $200K with a manager. They compare budgeting, insurance and car costs, and outline growth plans focused on staying lean, improving sales, and reducing day-to-day workload.

00:00 Money Talk Kickoff
01:21 First Paychecks Revealed
04:02 Entry Level Salaries Today
05:47 Income Goals for Firm Owners
11:43 What It Takes to Net 250K
12:32 Keeping the Firm Lean
12:54 AI Tools and Subscriptions
14:20 AI Thumbnails and LinkedIn Flags
16:27 Why 250K Means Freedom
17:55 Giving Goals and Autopilot Money
18:50 Timeline to 250K and Cutting Consulting
20:02 Cars and Lifestyle Boundaries
20:41 Host Shares His 200–250K Target
24:12 Retirement vs Taxable Investing Debate
25:01 Family Priorities and Catching Up
27:38 Budgeting Reality Check
30:37 What It Takes to Net 200K
33:01 How to Scale to 250K Net
34:25 Client Math and Pricing Strategy
35:05 Wrap Up and Listener Q&A

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Logan Graff’s Origin Story: From UIL Accounting to Launching a Virtual Tax Firm

Logan Graff and AJ Zepeda introduce an episode of the Own Your Firm podcast focused on Logan, briefly discuss possibly attending QuickBooks Connect, and joke about doing a live podcast from the beach. Logan shares personal background (living in Austin, married 12 years, three daughters), interests (a 1965 Mustang project, fitness, hiking, mountain biking, making pizza), and that his faith in Christ is central to his life, noting it influenced AJ to speak about it online. Logan explains how he became an accountant through high school accounting classes and UIL competitions, then an internship at Padgett Stradoman (later merged with RSM), and being rejected by Big Four. After being terminated from Padgett, he moved to smaller firms, pursued a partner path, became a tax director at a tiny firm, and ultimately launched his own firm in 2020 by purchasing about 60 clients and starting with roughly 90–100 during COVID. He describes early challenges (income stability, taking the wrong work), later focusing on pricing and client fit, and his current setup: about 130 clients, $250k–$300k revenue, a remote CPA manager, and splitting time across firm, community, and content. His advice to day-one Logan is to worry less, take the right clients, and raise rates faster.

00:00 Welcome Back and AJ Shoutout
00:42 QuickBooks Connect and Beach Plans
01:28 Meet Logan Graff
03:02 Hobbies Fitness and Pizza
05:04 Faith and Speaking Up
06:01 Origin Story Becoming an Accountant
08:48 Early Career Internships and Big Four
11:08 Fired Then Finding the Ownership Path
14:57 Launching the Firm During COVID
17:59 Early Struggles Pricing and Survival Mode
20:07 Graff Tax Co Today Team Clients Revenue
21:37 Advice to Day One Logan and Wrap Up