I scaled and sold a 7-figure accounting firm in 5 years. Now, through my Future Firm newsletter, I'm giving 9,500+ firm owners the tactics, templates, and frameworks I used to do it.

Ryan Lazanis

Came back from a 2-week vacation to a prank from the team.

Opened Missive and thought it was glitching... and everyone suddenly had the same profile photo.

MINE.

(I literally clicked refresh on my screen a few times to make sure it wasn’t a bug.)

Then I joined the Zoom call for our weekly meeting.

Every single person had Ryan Lazanis as their Zoom name. And everyone kept calling each other “Ryan.”

Needless to say... I was super confused for about 10 minutes. They got me good!

Hope everyone’s still having fun with their teams out there 🙂

Ryan Lazanis, CPA

Giving systems to firm owners to unlock freedom and growth

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There are 26,759 people in my LinkedIn network, and a good chunk are firm owners.

If you’re open to it, drop a link to your firm’s website below, happy to share feedback on a few if that’s helpful.

And also... let’s use the comments section to help folks who are just getting started or looking for ideas.

I’ll also post some firm websites I really like as examples. 🙂

Edit:

Ooof! 75+ websites to review!

I made 1 video that covers the basics of website do's and don'ts and then I reviewed at least half of the websites in this thread. Hope this helps!!!

https://lnkd.in/eKMu8kGK

Strangers pay $1,500 for a tax return. Friends and family pay $700.

Would you let that happen in your firm?

I understand why it does.

You don’t want it to feel awkward. 

You want to help. 

I’m actually a big believer in separating personal and professional relationships for that exact reason.

(I did it with my immediate family, didn’t charge them. But I didn’t want to work with friends.)

Because that $800 difference could be:

– the margin that funds your next hire
– the difference between a 35-hour week and a 50-hour week
– or the full-price client you now don’t have room for

Nothing wrong with favors and helping people you care about. 

Just decide in advance what that looks like.

Maybe it’s:

→ 2 pro-bono returns a year
→ a fixed “friends rate” that still protects your margin
→ or no discounts, but extra care

Just make sure it’s a conscious choice, not something you default to because it feels uncomfortable to say the number out loud.

Because over time, those small decisions quietly shape the kind of firm you end up running.

...

Serious question (but also not):
Do you have a rule for this... or do you decide based on how much you like them? 😂

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3 months after selling my firm, I tried being a “company of one.”

No team. Just me.

Well, seems I didn’t stick to that, because 6 years later I’m running a 10-person team, lol.

Some people are fine keeping things solo. Nothing wrong with that.

Others have a natural tendency to want to build, grow and bust through ceilings.

I fall into the latter category.

In the end, I didn't stay a company of one because...

→ There’s something in me that wants to bust through the ceiling even if it’s hard
→ I want to expand my impact on others
→ I don’t enjoy the status quo and staying at a certain level would make me anxious

I know plenty of people who want to grow, build a team, and scale.

But I also know people in my network who went solo and are crushing it (hi, Erica)

Both paths work. They just come with different tradeoffs.

Clients ain't gonna leave you because their books were off by $83.

They leave because they felt:

– confused
– judged
– ignored
– talked down to
– like a ticket in a queue

And accuracy isn’t a differentiator for your firm. It’s the bare minimum to stay in business.

So if your firm’s marketing is basically:

✅ “We’re accurate.”
✅ “We’re detail-oriented.”
✅ “We know tax.”

...you’re describing every firm -- and also every piece of software your client is already paying for. 

What clients actually pay for now?

CERTAINTY. 

The feeling that someone competent is driving and they can stop white-knuckling the steering wheel.

That’s the outcome.
 
Then communication is the mechanism.

Because your clients don’t experience your technical skill, they experience:

→ how fast you reply
→ whether you explain things like a human
→ whether you sound calm when they’re stressed
→ whether you give options instead of jargon
→ whether they leave calls feeling clearer... or smaller

I’ve said this before:

The firm that makes clients feel calm will beat the firm that’s “technically perfect.”

Every time. 🙂

Hey LinkedIn. I've been on vacay for 2 weeks. Other than nonstop talk about Claude vs. ChatGPT, did I miss anything?

Linda is your Tax Manager.

Linda is also your Director of Operations.

Linda is exhausted.

But you didn’t plan it.

She was good, she was trusted, she was there, so whenever the firm needed something, Linda got the call.

Next thing you know, Linda's doing two completely different jobs under one salary and telling everyone she's fine.

SHE IS NOT FINE.

Every single day she's choosing between the client work that's due and the operational stuff that's been sitting on the back burner since January. 

Client work wins. It always wins. 

→ So the processes never get built 
→ The team stuff gets half the attention it needs 
→ The internal fixes just keep waiting

And because she's good, because she never complains, never misses a deadline, never makes it your problem, you don't notice how unsustainable it actually is.

Until she burns out. Or leaves. Or both.

Linda deserves one job with actual focus and actual ownership and a to-do list that a normal human being could reasonably finish.

Go check on your Linda. 🙂

A hard truth: 

Your best team member might quit... even if they like you.

Because liking you doesn’t pay rent.

If you want to keep A-players, it’s usually not about perks.

It’s about 5 things:

1) Clarity

→ What does “great” look like here? 
→ What matters this week? 
→ What doesn’t?

2) Fair pay (above market)

High performers know their value. 
If you’re “competitive,” you’re competing... with everyone.

3) Flexibility

Just enough trust to live like a human. 🙂

4) No micromanagement

If you hired them for ownership… don’t take it back the second they do it differently than you would.

5) Ask better questions (instead of jumping to conclusions)

Before “why didn’t you do X?” try:

→ “What happened?”
→ “What got in the way?”
→ “What would make this easier next time?”

Most A-players don’t leave after one hard week.

They leave when they realize:

“This is just how it’s going to be here.”

…

P.S. Ever left somewhere you liked… because the offer was better?

Confession from a coaching client of mine:

“I love an accounting firm business, but I don't love accounting.”

Is that a problem?

My answer:

Heck no, it's not a problem! Some of the best firm owners out there are pretty terrible accountants.

Thoughts?

My #1 fan has read every newsletter since 2018. She’s 92.

And she doesn’t understand most of what I write.

I write 3 email newsletters a week.

I try my best to make them as insightful and as valuable as humanly possible, yet in a digestible way.

I will admit that sometimes, I write a newsletter because I think it'll be fun for me and at least one other person.

One of the newsletters I sent a few weeks ago is one of those... because I wrote it for one of my fans, who is my grandmother.

Otherwise known as Nanny.

She's been a reader of my newsletter since my very first edition on Nov. 28, 2018!

The photo below is of us playing jarts up north at the cottage.

(Side note: Jarts were banned in Canada and the US in the 80's after 6,100 emergency room injuries in an 8-year span)

She reads every single one of my newsletters, even if she doesn't understand what the heck I'm saying.

You'll no doubt have #1 fans in your business as well.

It's important you give them the recognition they deserve and make them feel important.

Thanks for being a #1 fan, Nanny!

P.S. If you want the newsletter (Nanny-approved-ish), you can subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/edg-g5T8

P.P.S. Who is your #1 fan? Give them a shout-out in the comments 🙂

I hired the most expensive option twice last year. On purpose.

In both cases, the person I chose was by far the priciest.

One was my coach (about 4x the next best option).

The other was a $35k software migration expert (roughly 10x the alternative I was considering).

So why do some people charge way more... and still get the deal?

One BIG reason:

Their marketing pre-sold me.

My coach’s newsletter + content hit exactly what I was dealing with. It felt like, “yep, this person gets my world.”

Same with the migration expert.

Before we ever spoke, I already felt confident they’d seen my problem before and knew the path through it.

Here’s what made those stand out:

When I actually got into sales conversations with other options... a lot of it felt transactional.

– Quick chats
– Scripted questions 
– Well-trained reps

It all felt like “a process.”

My coach’s process felt different. 

– Warmer 
– Human 
– Like a real conversation

And that’s what made me choose him. I trusted him. 

That trust didn’t start with the proposal.

It started months earlier… with content that hit exactly what I was dealing with, and a process that felt genuine.

That’s why clients will pay 10x more for some firms and not blink.

Because when your marketing pre-sells and your process builds confidence…

…price somehow stops being the deciding factor. 🙂

I often decline “good opportunities” in my business.

(Even when they’re enticing, and even when they pay well)

It took me longer than it should have to learn that sometimes the “best” opportunities are the ones that quietly knock you off course.

Especially when:

→ They’re not aligned with where you’re taking the business
→ They’re not aligned with how you want to operate
→ They create momentum in a direction you don’t actually want

So here’s a simple filter I use (and I give to firm owners I coach) to decide fast without overthinking:

Before you say yes, answer these 3 questions:

1) Does this move the one thing I’m focused on right now?
2) What will this steal time from? (Be specific.)
3) What momentum does this create?

If the answers aren’t a clear yes, it’s a no. 

But there are exceptions.

If it genuinely helps the people you already serve, maybe consider it.

If you’re truly curious and want to learn, maybe.

Some people thrive on being everywhere. 

Ten events in 3 months, 7 podcasts a month, partnerships coming out of their ears. That energizes them.

That’s great if that’s you.

Some of us are just not wired that way.

I just constantly remind myself (and the firm owners I coach) that every yes, even the good ones, has a tradeoff.

5 things that could make an angry client *happily* pay you double:

(And keep you top of mind.) 

1) Give them peace of mind.
2) Flag bad news early.
3) Avoid all the nasty surprises.
4) Make them feel taken care of.
5) Apologize when you mess up.

The last one is the big one.

Because when something goes wrong, most firms default to: “That’s not our fault.”

And maybe it technically isn’t.

When a frustrated client reaches out, there's almost always something you could have done better.

(I say "almost always" because there are some clients that just plain stink.)

We all make mistakes.

The difference is whether you defend... or you take ownership.

Clients don’t pay more because you’re perfect.

They pay more because they trust you.

And trust grows when you:

– Flag issues before they discover them
– Take responsibility without excuses
– Fix things quickly and calmly

If you apply that across the firm, something interesting happens:

You deliver a better experience, clients happily pay you more, you serve fewer of them, and still make the same (or more) money.

Win-win.

If my COO could have awarded me with a trophy soon after she was hired, it might have been this. 

She was hired because I detest anything related to operations.

Putting systems and processes in place.

Hiring, interviewing, and onboarding.

Managing a team.

All that kind of stuff...

Maybe 6 weeks in, she sent me a Loom which had a few of these lines in it:

→ “You hired me to get you out of the weeds. But you're getting yourself into the weeds.”
→ “You are holding on to those reins tight.”
→ “You are in the nitty-gritty weeds.”
→ “You have to take your hands off of everything.”

And this beaut:

→ “I need you to get out the way.” 💣 💣 💣

Point made!

Did I mention she's quite direct? 😂

It was a bit of a wake-up call for me, truthfully.

Because all this time I didn't think I was that bad.

But seems I was.

And the reason I share all this is because I actually see the same kind of "control freak" personality traits in those I coach.

They're involved in EVERYTHING in the firm, making sure things are perfect.

And it kinda makes sense:

Because accountants have been trained to get things just right.

To balance every penny.

(Can you imagine if the books didn't balance?!)

But that doesn't translate well into running a business where things don't actually need to be perfect.

That's because having control over everything means you'll bottleneck.

Which means you sacrifice freedom and growth.

In fact, my COO had this piece of advice, which I think may be helpful if you struggle with being a control freak:

✅ “It's OK to let things breathe.”
✅ “It's OK to let some balls drop.”

If you want to have the type of business where you're hands-off, the pivot starts with you. 🙂

When I was much younger, I’d take almost any job.

Didn’t care who it was for. 

I just wanted the experience.

A foot in the door.

A paycheck.

So when I tried to hire for my own firm, I assumed others felt the same. 

I thought:

Post a role, pick someone, done.

But here’s the part I didn’t think through:

(And one I wish more new firm owners would hear)

Just because people need jobs... doesn’t mean they’ll want yours.

Some firm owners post a role and expect applications to flood in, then they get frustrated when the “right” person doesn’t show up.

But hiring isn’t one-sided.

You have to work for it before someone says yes.

That means:
→ Clear expectations
→ A real career path
→ Flexibility (because yes, they care)
→ A reason they’d choose YOU over 10 other job posts that all sound the same

If your mindset is “someone will take this, people need jobs”...

You’re going to attract the wrong people and deal with way bigger problems later. 

Top talent doesn’t just want a job anymore. 

→ They want direction
→ Stability 
→ Flexibility 
→ They want to know what they’re walking into.

If that part’s unclear or not at all appealing, they’ll move on. 

So build something worth joining.

Then someone great will say yes. 

P.S. Any tips you’d add to help attract top talent?

I’ve met a lot of “successful” firm owners who aren’t happy.

And I don’t mean their business is falling apart because on paper, it’s doing great.

When they say that, I don’t doubt them.

But I usually ask a few quiet questions to get a fuller picture:

- Are you happy?
- Are your clients happy?
- Is your team happy? 
- Is the firm actually generating the profit you want?

If even one of those is off...

Then maybe things aren’t as great as they seem.

Because on the surface, things can look fine. 

But behind the scenes, things are barely holding it together.

→ Revenue is growing... but so is stress.
→ Clients are staying… but you’re not sure why. 
→ The team’s working… but burning out quietly. 
→ And you haven’t taken a real break in months (or years). 

This is more common than most people admit, especially in firms that are “doing well.”

It doesn’t mean that you’re failing. 

But it’s a sign to slow down and ask the right questions.

Not always fun to hear:

But if you want your firm to grow without everything flowing back to you, the work starts with you. 

Easier said than done...

Which is why I'm excited to present on this subject on March 25 during the Bookkeeping Workflow Summit with several other fantastic presenters.

My specific session is titled:

How to Stop Being Your Firm’s Bottleneck: A 3-Step Program

(It's free and virtual so you can attend in your pajamas. 🙂)

Register here to attend or catch the recording: https://lnkd.in/eTDVFkTE 

Also I’m excited to do this alongside some seriously good people: ⚡️Roman Villard, CPA, Kellie Parks, CPB, FCPB, Greg Scholten, EA, and George Abdelmessih.

A weird metric I love:

“How often does your team solve something without telling you?”

If the answer is “never”... that’s worth looking at.

Here’s why:

→ It usually means they don’t feel safe making decisions
→ They don’t have clear standards to lean on
→ They don’t have decision rights
→ They’re missing context
→ You’re too fast to fix

A few practical moves that don’t feel like babysitting:

1) Stop answering on the spot.

“Make the call and tell me what you decided.”

(Watch how fast ownership shows up.)

2) When they bring a problem, ask one question:

“What do you think we should do?”

3) Pick one area and fully hand it over.

4) Let them be wrong sometimes.

Never in a catastrophic way. But if there’s no room to miss... there’s no room to lead.

One more thing:

I’m not saying all this from some perfect leadership pedestal.

I still catch myself jumping in too fast sometimes.

But I’m just committed to improving them.

That’s the work.

POV: Different ways people handle tax season stress 🔥

Which one are you?

P.S. This was taken during our team retreat in Bohol in 2025. Yes, the fire was real!

Most firm owners try to prove ROI with numbers.

But the best ROI is often... 

Relief.

If your client sleeps better because you’re on top of their mess, that’s value. 🙂

Data-driven leader who battles operational chaos and turns it into gold mines for teams. I spot inefficiencies, streamline processes, and save time so professionals can thrive.

At Portali, I'm helping accountants conquer back-office mess with AI tools that automate the grind and unlock productivity.

Connect if chaos is your enemy—let's optimize. See how at https://portali.tech

Jonathan Shkolnik

A ranch owner and a digital nomad walk into a Google Meet.

One’s in the U.S., one’s in Paraguay, both speak Russian.

LinkedIn did that. Not your “7 tips for Q4 tax savings” carousel.

Forget about Deals, ROI, S-Corps, and 1099's.
Did you ask yourself recently why you are on this platform?

I didn't know what to expect when I jumped on a call with Christian Tebbs. He probably thought I'd pitch him something. 

Me? I'm chilling.
I just wanted to talk to someone interesting and hear what they do.

Christian is not only a ranch owner.
He is leading Nimbl's financial operations. 
It is no coincidence that they are thriving. He teaches leadership.
Control - not chaos. Correct tech implementation. 

We laughed, shared amazing experiences from our past and present.
The energy was so high that it caused a 4-hour power outage across all of Asuncion, leaving me looking for a shadow outside.

Generating deals here is nice.
Meeting interesting and real people is even better.

Have you already had a virtual coffee with someone in your network?

🛑Stop working for your accounting software | COO @ Portali | Your Cleanup Just Got 4x Faster.

*I owe CPAs an apology.

My last version of this post used a harsh hook that came across badly. That wasn’t my intent, and I’m sorry for how it landed. I have a lot of respect for the profession and the people in it. We are building tools that should help and not hurt CPAs.*

My feed is full of AI carousels.

Not mediocre individuals.

Just mediocre LinkedIn content.

The same generic, AI‑generated posts everyone else does.

1 like. Every time.

I started posting here 3.5 months ago.
I decided to write like I talk and share real stories from working with accountants.
Now I’m hitting 50+ meaningful engagements on almost everything.

Meanwhile, a lot of technically brilliant people are still stuck at 1.

They know everything about tax law.
They can close books in their sleep.
But when they show up here, they sound like everyone else.

Ryan Owens and I want to change that.

We’re putting together something that actually helps accountants (and other professionals) show up on here without sounding like robots.

Because being great at your job means nothing if nobody knows you exist.

The LinkedIn Live session is in 2 weeks. Link is in the comments.

A few days ago I made a big mistake. 

In an attempt to be more visible on LinkedIn, I crossed the line and offended the same people I work with and serve.

Instead of delivering my message well, I delivered it rudely, with a hook that was too much. The last thing I ever want is to sound disrespectful toward a profession I genuinely respect.

I came from nothing. I was cleaning tables at 14. My whole career has been built on respect and genuine curiosity for what the other side does. That’s why this situation, where I ended up disrespecting a group - even without intending to - made me very uncomfortable.

One person in particular was offended. I reached out and apologized privately. It’s their call whether they accept it.

I also understand now that in the quick-scrolling era we live in, the hook is often all people see, and mine landed as offensive before anyone got to the context.

Hooks can create polarity, traffic and discussion. But there’s a point where a hook stops being provocative and just feels hurtful, and that’s a line I don’t want to cross again.

I’ll learn from this.
In this weird online world, I’m glad I got this lesson now.

Moving forward, I’ll still be proactive and bold - just with more attention to how it lands on the people I respect.

I bullied my Calendly link into doing actual work last week.

Now my Calendly is a Sigma.

No more “book a call and we’ll see what happens.”
Now when someone books, they get a 5‑minute Portali video showing the strongest features.

In 7 days:
12 unique viewers.
Over 50% watched the whole thing.

So people show up to the call like:
“Yeah I watched the video… how do we plug this into our work?”
Not:
“So, uh, what do you guys do?”

Way less small talk.
Way more “can this handle XYZ?”
And the tourists quietly disappear because they realize this is an actual solution, not a demo to waste their afternoon.

Everyone talks about reducing friction,
Then sends a plain Calendly link and sets the vibe. 
I went ahead and shared the pitch before the meeting.

You pay for your tools. 
Make them work for you.

p.s we help accounting firms finish cleanups in 2 hours instead of 9.
If you want to learn how -> follow me for more content.

If my LinkedIn hook made you disconnect, good.

I wrote one hook that was misinterpreted. 

The funny part? The original post was essentially a love letter to the good CPAs. 
I talked about the ones who obsess over clients, communication, and clean books.
The line was just the hook that made people stop and read.

The good CPAs messaged me to say it was accurate.
One CPA jumped into the comments with:
“Why are non‑CPAs always picking on CPAs?”
Then called it “annoying social media” and quietly removed me as a connection.

That’s the fastest way to spot fragile professionals:
They hide behind their credentials.

Your letters don’t make you immune to criticism.
They definitely don’t make your content good.

The CPAs I respect are too busy improving to feel attacked by the word “mediocre.”
They study marketing, storytelling, and communication on top of tax and GAAP.
They want their industry to be better.

Hooks are supposed to polarize.
They pull in the people who get it
and push out the ones who don’t.

My content is for the CPAs who nod and keep building.
Not the ones who disconnect over a sentence.

Most people wake up in their beds on Saturday and prepare pancakes. 

Me? I don't even know where I'll be living in 3 months. 

Saturday started with a mission:
Preparations for my adventure.
1 month from now, I'll be closing one of the most exciting chapters in my life.

Asuncion, Paraguay -> Lima, Peru. 
The levels of excitement are high, and so is the stress.

From sort-of-home to stranger again.

Peru is only the beginning.
It is where the penny will drop.
There's no going back.

In 2 months, a roadshow across 6 states in the US.
Meetings with post-tax-season CPA's and Bookkeepers.
Those who want to do cleanups differently.

Plans after the roadshow? 
None. 
Am I going back to Peru? Am I going back to Paraguay? 
Only God knows.

Some say it is scary to be free.
And they are 100% right.

I am scared.

I am also grateful.
Grateful for a life many could only dream of.
Grateful for freedom,
And for experiences I will cherish for life.

p.s. we help accounting firms and smb's finish monthly per-client cleanups in 2 hours instead of 9 without changing your QBO workflow.

If you are a CPA or a bookkeeper based in Florida, Utah, Nevada, California, Texas, or New York, and you want to start doing cleanups differently, or you know such people, tag them here. 

Let's connect!

Everywhere you look it’s ‘AI will fix everything.’ Cool story. 

The CPA's I talk to just want to know if they can actually trust what’s behind the buzz. So me and Ryan Owens decided we'll talk about it.

I’m putting something together around this for tomorrow that a lot of CPAs in my feed won't like.

Zachary Galvin, Brian Woogerd and 58 other attendees

Building buyers trust when AI hype feels risky: Real stories from our sales

AI is exciting.
AI is also terrifying.

Both things are true.

March 4th - live on LinkedIn.
We're talking about building trust when buyers are skeptical, scared, and smart.

Real stories. Real objections. Real solutions.

Drop a 🙋 if you're coming.

A businessman designed your day‑to‑day tool. Not an accountant.

That is a bigger threat to your sanity than AI ever will be.

In recent studies, 99% of CPAs reported some level of burnout.
I talked about this last month during a Bookkeepers.com LLC session.

Tax season. Burnout. The grind that everyone says is just part of the job.
It's not. 
It's because the main tool you're using was built for SMBs first.

Here's what I actually believe:

Burnout should be reduced. Significantly.
Tools should help, not slow you down.

That's the whole reason Portali exists. 9 hrs cleanup -> 2hr.
It was created by a solopreneur CPA. Over 30 years of experience.

The video above is one minute from that session.

Watch it.

Then ask yourself the last time work felt easy.

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The Battle

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