how did we get here and where are we going?
by jody padar
the radical cpa
people always ask me why “radical”? isn’t it a charged word?
what’s so radical about me?
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when i talk about radical, it’s not so much about me, but about my beliefs and actions.
being radical means being different from what is traditional or ordinary or average.
it’s that basic. and it’s that important.
and yes, it’s about having an extreme political or social view that’s not shared by most people. but that’s not why i adopted the word.
seven years ago, when the radical cpa was born, i was the weirdo accountant. i was totally the odd woman out.
but the world has changed (i say this a lot). and if you’ve read my first book, you’re aware of how much.
now, the accounting industry needle has moved. the original radical cpa movement – which included shayna chapman, jason blumer, w. michael hsu and chris farmand – started something.
and i’m proud to say, more cpas have continued to come along.
being radical might in fact be more common now than ever before, but we’re still on the fringe, growing. radicals make up about 5 percent of the accounting population now. there are still many firms that look at us and exclaim, “wow, i can’t believe firms do stuff like that!”
we want you to join us
perhaps the backbone of our mission is too simple, but we’re changing because our customers in the world around us are changing. (get used to it, this is my mantra.)
it just comes down to that. and because we’ve been adaptable, we’ve thrived.
we’re not changing because we necessarily wanted to change; we’re changing because it’s necessary.
it’s our reality.
we want to share what we’re seeing and learning. that’s what the radical cpa movement is about. we’re about getting everybody radicalized. i want to share with you what i’ve learned, and i want you to think about how to change your firm. the future of our profession relies on us becoming more creative and relevant – working smarter, not harder.
a new business model for the new firm
what if there were a practical way to evolve, change, innovate and, yes, totally restructure your firm as you know it today? a way to fully embody the radical cpa tenets (and their evolution), and learn how to move with the fast-paced demands of your customers and technology?
i’ll help you recreate your business model. love them or hate them, a business model is a necessary tool – a compass, if you will, on how to focus your business. it’s a living, breathing document, but the key is that it exists. this is more than a checklist. this is where goals are defined and initiatives are completed despite the intense demand of your workload. this is where extra capacity is found, firm goals are shared and all the related parties understand priorities and possibilities. this is business school 101 for the new firm. a practical, hands-on approach to a cpa firm that will thrive in the future.
this system will give you the tools and resources needed to radicalize your firm. it will allow you to start big or small. it can move a large firm, a midsized firm or even a firm of one.
do you know where you want your roadmap to go? a glimpse at the new vision cpa group roadmap:
at the highest level, it begins with a simple defining of goals that are important to your firm. the above chart is my top-of-mind picture to remind me and my firm what’s important. this is what our firm works toward every day, and everyone knows it.
the above are the initiatives that help new vision achieve our four goals. they begin to give us boundaries and structure to allow us to implement our bigger goals.
and so begins our roadmap. keep the visuals in mind so you can begin to develop yours.