In this episode of The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri sits down with Isaac Perdomo, CEO and founder of Opzer, to talk about automation, AI, and where accounting firms should actually start.

Isaac shares why firms do not need to overhaul everything at once, and why the best place to begin is usually with the painful, repetitive work they are already doing every day. From client reminders to workflow tracking to simple AI-powered daily prep, the conversation focuses on practical ways firm owners can save time without making things more complicated.

They also talk about the challenge of getting teams to adopt new tools, how to test automations safely, and why small improvements can make a real difference during tax season. It’s a practical conversation for firm owners who know they need better systems but are not sure where to begin.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:46 - Meet Isaac Perdomo

1:44 - How Isaac got into accounting automation

3:08 - Where firms should start with automation

4:44 - Why accountants tolerate broken processes

6:32 - Tax season pain points and client intake

8:59 - Using automation to improve follow-up and workflow

11:23 - How to test automations without breaking things

12:30 - Why DIY automation can feel overwhelming

15:18 - Choosing what is worth automating

16:15 - Simple AI use cases for email and daily planning

18:28 - Setting up Claude tasks and meeting prep

24:26 - Isaac’s process for finding automation opportunities

27:04 - Conferences, relationships, and accounting communities

31:14 - Content, YouTube, and sharing what he is learning

32:44 - Where to find Isaac and Opzer

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH ISAAC PERDOMO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-perdomo/

Website: https://opzer.co/

Credit card points can feel like a complicated game, but for business owners with regular expenses, there can be real upside if the math makes sense.

Yuri sits down with Nadia Groen, founder of Points Advisors, to break down how business owners can turn everyday spending into flights, hotel stays, and better travel experiences. They talk through Yuri’s actual credit card setup, how to think about fees versus rewards, why sticking to one points ecosystem can make life easier, and when it may or may not make sense to put taxes, contractors, or payroll on a card.

They also get into travel flexibility, booking strategy, premium card perks, and why points are only valuable if you actually know how to use them.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:13 - Meet Nadia Groen of Points Advisors

2:24 - Why most people leave points on the table

3:15 - How Nadia got into the points game

5:30 - Flexibility, flights, and getting better redemptions

8:04 - Yuri’s business credit card case study

13:37 - Choosing the right card ecosystem

18:12 - Should you pay a mortgage, taxes, or contractors with a card?

23:35 - How far ahead to plan travel with points

26:08 - Capital One, Chase, AmEx, and premium card tradeoffs

30:34 - Why families may want to stay in one points ecosystem

34:54 - Using points for lay-flat seats and better travel

37:16 - Hotel points, Hyatt, Marriott, and redemption strategies

40:18 - Are credit card points taxable?

41:11 - How to connect with Nadia

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH NADIA GROEN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-volkova/

Website: https://www.points-advisors.com

Most people do not put “accounting” and “creative” in the same sentence. Drew Carrick has built a career doing exactly that.

Yuri sits down with Drew Carrick, also known as The Rapping CPA, to talk about how a public accounting career turned into rap videos, conference hosting, content strategy, and a bigger conversation about where the accounting profession is headed.

They get into Drew’s path from audit to entertainment, the story behind the Public Accounting Anthem, why originality matters, and how creative skills can become a real advantage in a profession that is being reshaped by AI. The big theme: as technology becomes table stakes, client experience, human connection, and personality are going to matter more than ever.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:12 - Yuri introduces Drew Carrick, The Rapping CPA

5:20 - Drew’s early influences and how rap entered the picture

11:03 - Writing original accounting music instead of only doing parodies

18:32 - Blending accounting, creativity, and personal brand

25:56 - Why Drew is leaning into strategy and experience

27:48 - How AI makes client experience more important for CPA firms

36:37 - What actually makes events memorable

44:17 - How Drew and Scotty created “Accounting Buddies”

50:09 - Where to find Drew online

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH DREW CARRICK

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewcarrick/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRappingCPA

Pricing is one of the hardest conversations in the accounting profession, but the problem usually starts before the client ever pushes back.

Yuri sits down with Carlos Garcia, co-founder of Reframe, to talk about value, confidence, communication, and why so many accountants underprice themselves even when they know they are delivering real results.

They get into the mindset behind pricing, how to handle fee increase conversations, why niche positioning makes selling easier, and what firm owners need to understand about clients who see accounting as a cost versus an investment.

Carlos also shares the story behind Reframe, his work helping accountants communicate with more confidence, and why community matters so much for firm owners building something on their own.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:54 - Meet Carlos Garcia

5:01 - The accounting profession’s pricing problem

7:13 - Why accountants undercharge

9:31 - How to communicate value to clients

13:00 - Competing on price vs. positioning

18:21 - Why niching down does not shut every other door

21:39 - Raising fees with existing clients

29:20 - A mock fee increase conversation

38:48 - Simple tax returns, minimum fees, and client fit

46:20 - What Reframe is building for accountants

54:14 - Carlos’ book and learning how to fail forward

57:39 - Where to connect with Carlos

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH CARLOS GARCIA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/failblazer/

Website: https://reframeaccounting.com/

Scaling a CPA firm sounds exciting until you hit the messy middle.

Yuri sits down with Anomaly CPA owners John Malone and Greg O’Brien to talk about what it actually takes to grow from a solo firm into a 40-person, multi-million-dollar operation.

They get into the early decisions that shaped Anomaly, why Greg moved away from the traditional hourly model, how John’s non-accounting background became an advantage, and why the $1M to $2M range can be one of the hardest stages for firm owners.

They also break down hiring ahead of growth, building a marketing engine, qualifying leads, pricing with recurring packages, using AI inside the firm, and why owners eventually have to stop being the hero if they want the team to scale.

If you’re building a firm and trying to decide whether to stay lean or push for something bigger, this conversation gives a real look at the tradeoffs.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Why owners become the bottleneck
0:46 - Meet John Malone and Greg O’Brien of Anomaly CPA
3:46 - Starting the firm and moving away from the traditional model
6:01 - Taking on early work without building the wrong firm
8:42 - How John and Greg partnered up
12:10 - Why a non-accountant perspective helped the firm scale
14:18 - Growing to 40 people and $4M+ in revenue
17:17 - The “awkward teenage stage” between $1M and $2M
22:18 - Hiring ahead of growth and protecting payroll
27:17 - Building a digital marketing engine
32:56 - Qualifying leads and filtering out bad-fit prospects
36:26 - Why Anomaly uses monthly packages
39:23 - How the team is implementing AI
40:56 - Tech stack, ClickUp, Drake, and change management
51:08 - What’s next for Anomaly CPA

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH GREG O’BRIEN

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-o-brien-cpa-88a3472b/

Website: https://www.anomalycpa.com/team

CONNECT WITH JOHN MALONE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-malone-019ba827/

Website: https://www.anomalycpa.com/team

Yuri sits down with Mike Mazzanna to talk about the real path from big firm tax work to launching a solo CPA firm.

Mike shares the 109-hour billable week that pushed him toward firm ownership, why flexibility mattered more than simply working fewer hours, and how he built his practice with contracting revenue, LinkedIn relationships, and a clear focus on systems.

They also get into tax software decisions, ProConnect vs. Access, TaxDome workflows, client onboarding pain points, pricing goals, and why connecting with other accountants can be one of the best ways to grow a firm.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction
0:56 - Mike Mazzanna joins the show
2:00 - Mike’s background and path into accounting
4:32 - Moving from internal audit into tax
6:25 - The 3 a.m. California return meeting
8:16 - Why Mike wanted to start his own firm
11:45 - Launching with a plan and avoiding bad clients
14:38 - The LinkedIn post that brought early momentum
18:17 - Moving from Drake to ProConnect
20:47 - Why Mike started looking at Access
25:50 - How to think about tax software decisions
29:10 - Mike’s first full tax season as a solo firm owner
31:33 - Practice management, TaxDome, and billing
35:45 - Building workflows before automations
37:07 - AI tools, Juno, and tax season pain points
44:00 - Revenue goals and client retention
45:51 - The value of accounting communities
50:50 - Where to find Mike

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH Mike Mazzanna

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mazzanna-cpa/

Website: https://www.mazzcpa.com/

AI isn’t coming for tax. It’s already changing how tax professionals research, review, and deliver advice.

Yuri sits down with Benjamin Alarie, tax law professor at the University of Toronto and founder of Blue J, to talk about the future of tax research, why AI became an existential question for him, and what it took to build a tax technology company long before AI became the thing everyone was talking about.

They get into the differences between U.S. and Canadian tax systems, the reality of building a startup from academia, how Blue J raised a $122 million Series D, why culture matters so much in a growing tech company, and how small firms can use AI as a second set of eyes on tax work, advisory opportunities, and client questions.

This is a nerdy tax conversation in the best possible way.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro
1:04 - Meet Benjamin Alarie
3:12 - How Ben got into tax law
6:18 - U.S. vs. Canadian tax systems
11:49 - Why Ben started Blue J
19:39 - Leaving academia to build a tech company
29:15 - Raising capital and scaling Blue J
32:26 - Building culture in a growing company
43:02 - How Blue J is changing tax research
53:03 - How small firms can use AI in tax work
56:25 - Security, planning, and what’s next for Blue J
1:00:45 - Where to find Ben and Blue J

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH BENJAMIN ALARIE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aitaxman/?originalSubdomain=ca

Website: https://www.bluej.com/

This week on The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri talks with Macgill Davis, co-founder and CEO of Rize, an AI-powered time tracking tool for accounting firms and professional service businesses.

They talk about why time tracking sucks, how AI can remove manual timesheets, and how firm owners can use better time data to understand client profitability, pricing, interruptions, and focus.

Macgill also shares the story of shutting down a previous VC-backed startup, what that taught him about niching down, and how Rize eventually became a “Whoop for your work.”

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Episode open

1:01 - Meet Macgill Davis, CEO and co-founder of Rize

2:01 - How Rize uses AI to automate time tracking

3:02 - Yuri’s experience using Rize to understand his workweek

7:37 - How Macgill got into the time tracking space

10:00 - Shutting down a VC-backed startup and starting over

12:30 - The biggest lesson: stop building for everyone

14:38 - Testing demand before building the product

16:41 - Who Rize is really built for today

19:02 - Why client-level time data matters for firm profitability

20:30 - How Rize tracks client work without screenshots

23:15 - Tracking task switching, interruptions, and focus

27:11 - Moving from the U.S. to Portugal

29:47 - Life in Lisbon and Portugal’s quality of life

32:41 - Castles, history, and the European lifestyle

36:03 - Wrapping up and where to find Macgill

A SPECIAL FROM RIZE

Discounted rates for the first 3 months with this link: https://rize.io/?via=yuri

Go check out where your time on the computer is being spent

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH Macgill

Website: rize.io

Email: macgill@rize.io