November 2024

Episode #517: Crypto Compliance — Conversation with Joe Woodard and Perry Woodin

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode, Ron and Ed welcome back Joe Woodard, now a TSOE Sponsor, and Perry Woodin, a leading expert in cryptocurrency compliance and reporting. They will dive into the critical challenges professionals face in navigating the evolving regulatory landscape of digital assets. The discussion will focus on actionable insights for accountants, lawyers, and other service providers on staying compliant with cryptocurrency regulations, best practices for accurate reporting, and the key trends shaping the future of digital asset compliance. Perry will also showcase how NODE40's innovative technology is empowering professionals to simplify the complexities of crypto transactions, ensuring audit readiness and regulatory adherence. This timely conversation provides essential guidance for those looking to stay ahead in the rapidly changing world of cryptocurrency.

Joe Woodard, author, consultant, business coach, and national speaker; Founder of Woodard Events, LLC

Perry Woodin, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Node40

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

  • “In 2012 I was at a conference and sitting next to a colleague of mine, and he kept checking his phone like every 30 seconds, and I asked him, “What are you looking at?” He said, “I’m mining Bitcoin” —Perry Woodin

  • “[Satoshi Nakamoto] was really prescient. The ability to think so far into the future, the philosophy, the economics, the computer science, and the willpower to develop something like Bitcoin.” —Perry Woodin 

  • “The [Cryptocurrency] rules are complex but the good thing about blockchain is it's all programmatic. So once you have rules […] you can build out tooling that gives you exactly what you need every single time.” —Perry Woodin

  • About Node40, Perry says, “We really obfuscate or remove the technological barrier, and we produce financial reports that anybody can understand.” More here: https://www.node40.com/ 

Segment two

  • “Bitcoin has proven that itself as an asset and blockchain is is too big to fail, there's, there's no going to zero on this stuff.” —Perry Woodin of Node40

  • “I think we have to think Bitcoin much like we do gold. People aren't transacting daily with gold either. What we are waiting for is the ability to put your Bitcoin to work.” —Perry Woodin

  • Regarding the lack of government consistency in their approach to crypto: “Most of the problem is going to be around companies that want to issue tokens. It's not going to be a problem for those who are investing in digital assets.” —Perry Woodin

  • What should a small accounting firm do in the cryptocurrency space? “The first thing they should do is poll their customers to ask who has digital assets.”

Segment three

  • Joe Woodard’s thoughts on private equity in the accounting space are much more significant than a single post on X. His comments in the third segment of the show today are IMPORTANT if you are paying attention to PE firms. 

  • “AI is going to bifurcate the industry into complex and non-complex accounting. The complex will still be serviced by AI empowered practitioners and the rest won't have practitioners.” —Joe Woodard

  • Regarding a talent shortage in the accounting industry: “If we priced our services better, given the value that we're providing to our customers, then we could treat our teams better (and not burn out our professionals).”

Segment four

  • Did you know that Joe has an Apple Vision Pro? The 15 minute immersive movie produced by Apple was “unreal” and Joe enjoyed it. Fifteen minutes was the right length before he was ready to return to the real world.

  • This quote from Joe does not need to be applied to just the accounting industry: “The AI has become more sophisticated in absorbing documents and doing what a human would have done with those documents.” —Joe Woodard

  • On the impact of AI: “The people billing by the hour are going to punish themselves quickly. The people who are not billing by the hour that don't add value are going to punish themselves. Then only those who truly value price will win.” —Joe Woodard

  • A big THANK YOU to both Perry Woodin and Joe Woodard for joining us today. Please check out Node40.com and, as always, Woodard.com

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #516: Interview with Alan Whitman, Former CEO of Baker Tilly US

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ron and Ed sit down with Alan Whitman, a prominent leader in the accounting field with a deep commitment to fostering dynamic, people-focused growth strategies. As CEO at Baker Tilly, Alan has championed innovative solutions and strengthened client relationships, all while focusing on the firm’s core values and sustainable growth. Join us as we dive into Alan’s insights on leadership, the future of professional services, and how Baker Tilly navigates a rapidly evolving industry landscape.

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

Segment two

  • “Greatest Hits: 5 Keys to Building a Firm that Thrives” by Alan Whitman https://www.alandwhitman.com/newsletter/greatest-hits-5-keys-to-building-a-firm-that-thrives 

  • “Strategy is the anchor from which everything hangs off, all the plans, all the spend, all the actions. The strategy defines where the company is headed and what it wants to accomplish at the macro level. Then you build a plan.” —Alan Whitman

  • “How do you get CPAs be more innovative in an hourly building model?” Ron asked Alan thisGREAT question today and the answer is in segment two of the show.

  • “If you're efficient at doing the wrong things, there's no bigger waste.” —Ron Baker

Segment three

  • We spent some time on the show today talking about the negative aspects of the CPA industry but Alan Whitman had a great quote that needs to be called out, “The CPA profession is storied, and it's been around a long time. It is fundamentally based on trust.”

  • “The AICPA is going through a huge transition and it’s a really exciting time for the for the Association.” —Alan Whitman

  • In the accounting industry specifically, “AI is going to accelerate the need to adopt technology.” —Alan Whitman

Segment four

  • So what has Alan been up to? “I’ve actually been sitting back and saying…okay, if I was going to build this new firm from scratch, how would I do it?” #BreaktheMold https://www.alandwhitman.com/ 

  • What is a business transformation to Alan? “It's about making what you have today different tomorrow, so you can succeed better tomorrow.”

  • A big THANK YOU to Alan Whitman for joining us today. He’s out there everyday looking to #BreaktheMold and you can read more about him at this link https://www.alandwhitman.com/ 

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #515: Election Exasperation and More

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW SUMMARY: In this special post-election episode, Ron and Ed dive into the highs, lows, and surprises from the 2024 U.S. election. They’ll explore the economic and business implications of the election results, unpack key possible policy shifts, and discuss what the outcome could mean for professionals and beyond. Tune in for insights, analysis, and a touch of humor as they make sense of the latest political landscape.

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

Segment two

Segment three

  • At the start of the segment, Ed had a great quote… “Polls drool. Election markets rule.”

  • The betting market aggregator run by John Stossel (former TSOE guest, episode 204) and Maxim Lott is an aggregate of individual betting markets. More here: https://electionbettingodds.com/ 

  • The Harris campaign and allied groups spent $1.9 billion on ads. The Trump campaign and allied groups spent $1.6 billion. Between the time Harris entered and November 1, Democrats outspent Republicans on presidential ads alone by $460 million.

Segment four

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits. 

Episode #514: Implementation Innovation — Interview with Kurt and Reid Banger

NEW SHOW FEATURE: If you want to ask Ron or Ed a question and be featured on the show, please submit a voice recording from any device at https://thesoulofenterprise.com/questions

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, hosts Ron and Ed sit down with Kurt and Reid Bangert of Bangert, Inc., innovators in construction technology solutions. The Bangerts will share insights into “The Bangert Way,” a transformative approach that eliminates traditional hourly billing in favor of a streamlined, transparent process tailored for construction businesses. Tune in to learn how Bangert, Inc. supports the industry with Sage Intacct, fostering expertise and effectiveness for Customers nationwide. Don’t miss this conversation on reshaping construction project management and accounting practices!

About Kurt Bangert

As principal at Bangert, Inc. Kurt leads his 40-year family business into a new era of technology and service delivery related to the construction industry. They lead our industry in changing the way software has been implemented for decades by aligning ourselves and our customer's interests, being 100% transparent in our dealings, and offering our knowledge for free on the Bangert, Inc. YouTube channel.

About Reid Bangert

Deploying change as the third generation in his family’s 40-year business helping commercial contractors achieve productivity through applied technology. Reid champions continuous technology deployment. He has revolutionized how Customers deploy technology with their proven process, The Bangert Way: bangertinc.com

Kurt Bangert

Reid Bangert

SHOW NOTES

Segment one

  • (Sarcasm ahead) This might sound shocking to you but Bangert, Inc is changing the way software has been implemented for decades by aligning with their customers interests.

  • While transitioning the business to a new model of implementation, the Bangert team made the decision to offer their knowledge, for free, on their YouTube channel. Link is here: https://www.youtube.com/bangertinc 

  • Reid has a great hat on for the interview today. It says, “Digital First” and reminds the entire Bangert team to ask, “How can I use next generation systems to make the customer experience better?”

  • The whole beginning [of our company’s transformation] was, “We want happy employees because happy employees make happy customers.” That’s why the team STOPPED SELLING and spent many months building internal tools and processes to better support customers.

Segment two

  • Billing by the hour and one-to-one customer consultant assignments are the two components that make up the outdated billable hour business model. “The business model is set so that the cards are totally stacked against the customer.” —Kurt Bangert

  • Regarding a business model transformation at Bangert, Inc: “We also eliminated billing reviews, which was an instantaneous mood boost because I don't know if you've ever been through a time card review or filled out time cards. We got rid of time cards, of course, but let's just say no one really enjoyed that.”

  • Regarding the Bangert business transformation: “I knew that we would have some people self select and I knew that we would probably assist others in finding a better fit for employment. And they were all really good people.”

Segment three

  • At a video per day, the Bangert YouTube channel has everything from basic functionality in Sage products to construction accounting 101. Check it out here https://www.youtube.com/@BangertInc 

  • The first thing you want to know is, “What does it cost?” The Bangert website has a PRICING CALCULATOR front and center. Try it out at this link: https://bangertinc.com/sage-intacct-construction/pricing-calculator/ 

  • “Kurt mentioned the transparency. For me, it's not only about the transparency, but the customer experience through and through.” Reid Bangert

Segment four

  • Regarding a transition to the subscription model: “As long as you still think about job costing a project, you will never be successful.” —Kurt Bangert

  • What has a subscription model done to the Bangert customer makeup? Now that it is on the Bangert team to provide continuous value, “it attracts a more sophisticated buyer.” Well said, Reid! 

  • “We've been able to cut implementation time by 50% and the cost of implementation by 70%.” —Kurt Bangert

  • “Ask Richard” is an LLM based chatbot for Sage Intacct users. It’s so much more than that and you can start learning about it here: https://www.constructiondive.com/press-release/20241018-bangert-inc-unveils-ask-richard-a-free-web-platform-powered-by-a-propr/

  • A big THANK YOU to both Kurt and Reid Bangert for joining us today. They have an enterprise software pricing calculator on their website as well as a YouTube channel with over 1,300 videos. Check them out here https://bangertinc.com/ 

Bonus Content is Available As Well

Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.

Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.