Earmark Podcast | Earn Free Accounting CPE

What if researching a client’s tax question could count toward your CPE requirement? Blake Oliver joins state CPA society leaders Shelly Weir, Boyd Search, Allen Lloyd, and Chris Jenkins to explore CLARKE, a framework designed to document learning during everyday work with AI tools. Learn how it aims to capture evidence without storing full conversations, why CPE providers are challenging the seat-time model, and what regulatory hurdles remain before on-the-job learning could earn credit.Chapters(00:00) - CPE Misses Real Learning (01:09) - Meet the Builders (03:21) - How the Idea Started (06:48) - Why Seat Time Fails (09:38) - Lessons From Medicine (11:58) - What CLARKE Does (15:14) - Privacy and Learning Records (18:28) - Tool Agnostic Framework (24:50) - Why Societies Built It (28:03) - Regulators and Adoption Path (30:54) - Timeline and Pilots (33:12) - Rethinking the Purpose of CPE (39:48) - Fixing Reporting Friction (42:49) - CPE in 10 Years (47:48) - Where to Learn More (48:12) - Closing Thanks Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guests: Shelly Weirhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shellysiceloff/Boyd Searchhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/boyd-search-2099356/Allen Lloydhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mtcpaexecdir/Chris Jenkinshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cj52973Learn more about Five Storm Systems and CLARKE: https://fivestormsystems.com/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Could one accountant manage $1 million in client fees? Pilot CEO Jessica McKellar joins Blake Oliver to explain that goal and how Meridian automates month-end production work while leaving people responsible for review. They explore accuracy checks, audit trails, and the shift toward judgment and client relationships. Learn what AI could mean for firm capacity, accountant pay, and the economics of a solo practice.Chapters(00:00) - Accountants Outearning Engineers (00:49) - Why Pilot Built In House (02:06) - Meridian Overview (03:51) - Close Checklist Automation (06:17) - AI Agents Under The Hood (07:14) - Autonomous Close In Practice (08:59) - Handling Missing Client Data (13:15) - Pilot Impact And Evolution (19:26) - Accuracy Guardrails And Proof (24:21) - Audit Trail And GL Limits (26:15) - Ledger Agnostic Abstraction (28:41) - Browser Only Ledger Tasks (29:14) - Autonomous Close With Automation (30:09) - MCP Connectors And Agent Workflows (31:42) - Two Ways To Use Meridian (32:40) - QuickBooks AI And Platform Threats (35:56) - Making The ROI Case (40:23) - Pilot Benchmarks And 1M Per Accountant (42:39) - How AI Changed Engineering (46:29) - What AI Wont Replace In Accounting (52:45) - Why Accounting Jobs Persist (54:59) - Relationships And Wrap Up Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with JessicaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesstess/Learn more about Pilot:Website: https://meridian.pilot.com/tapConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

AI creates capacity, but it doesn’t create demand. CPA Echo Zhong joins Blake Oliver to explain how her firm uses Claude and Gusto to prepare payroll and update cash flow forecasts—and how automation helped her payroll manager move toward tax advisory. Learn why saving time is only the beginning, how to charge for owning the client’s problem, and why trust and human relationships still matter when software can do more of the work.This episode is sponsored by Gusto.Chapters(00:00) - AI Capacity vs Demand (00:30) - Meet Echo at Gusto Next (01:51) - Claude Automates Payroll (05:04) - Cash Forecast in Excel (06:13) - Time Savings and Scenarios (08:28) - Why Multi Client MCP Matters (10:06) - Email Triage and Self Training (12:20) - When Software Eats Compliance (14:54) - Advisory and Pricing the Work (17:29) - Staff Impact Payroll Manager Story (18:58) - Payroll Change Management (20:38) - Rethinking Software Skills (22:40) - Chat As The Interface (25:01) - Token Costs And Prototyping (27:21) - Capacity Versus Demand (28:39) - From Tools To Services (30:38) - Why Humans Still Matter (33:34) - Wrap Up And Where To Connect (34:32) - Thanks Gusto and Outro Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Echo ZhongLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/echozhongLearn more about Zhong & SanchezOfficial website: https://www.zhongsanchez.com/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

AI is taking on routine accounting work—but what should accountants do next? Blake Oliver talks with Mike DePrisco, CEO of the Institute of Management Accountants, about measuring AI’s payoff through faster closes, fewer errors, and better forecasts. They also explore corporate career paths, the shift toward strategic thinking and storytelling, and why case-based training matters. Learn how targeted skill-building and continuous learning can help you stay relevant as the work changes.Chapters(00:00) - AI Tops CFO Worries (02:19) - Rising AI Costs (04:21) - Measuring AI ROI (07:12) - What IMA Does (08:47) - Management Accounting Today (12:10) - Intangibles vs GAAP (18:18) - AI and Accounting Jobs (24:32) - Skills for the Future (26:27) - Training and Case Learning (32:07) - Mid Career Advice (35:27) - Wrap Up and Links Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Mike DePriscoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-deprisco/Learn more about IMA® — the Institute of Management AccountantsOfficial Website: https://www.imaglobal.org/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Could Florida have quietly unraveled CPA licensure? In this episode, Blake Oliver talks with FICPA CEO Shelly Weir about the legislation that threatened to eliminate Florida’s Board of Accountancy, scrap CPE requirements, and weaken the CPA license. Shelly explains how the profession fought back, why mobility and interstate commerce were central to the case, and where CPAs can embrace smart modernization without giving up public protection.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 116 Interview: Shelly Weir of FICPA on the Fight to Save the CPA in Florida (01:10) - Why Shelley Stayed Quiet (03:09) - What the Bill Proposed (07:23) - Why Deregulation Happened (09:33) - How FICPA Beat It (12:44) - Mobility and Modernization (15:54) - Threading the Needle (17:56) - Compromise Ideas Ahead (21:49) - Midnight Capitol Showdown (24:00) - CPE and Future Reforms (26:16) - Will It Return (27:55) - Closing Thanks and Call Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Shelly WeirLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shellysiceloffLearn more about the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountantshttps://www.ficpa.org/aboutConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Karl Paadam made partner at PwC Estonia at 26, spent a decade in tech, and came back to build United Accountants on a contrarian thesis: the future of accounting is human. He joins Blake to explain how a firm can hand bookkeeping, categorization, and reconciliation to an AI operating system that layers on top of whatever software a firm already runs, freeing CPAs to keep their local brand and focus on judgment and advisory work. They also get into outcomes-based pricing, what it means to build "the first big small firm," and why the accountant who ignores AI is the one who gets replaced.Chapters(00:00) - Welcome Karl Paadam to the Earmark Podcast (01:51) - Building a Practice (02:40) - Leaving PwC for Tech (03:29) - Accounting Is Human (05:17) - Advisory Skills Shift (06:35) - AI Productivity in Practice (09:25) - United OS Walkthrough (10:34) - Partner Model Keep Brand (14:50) - Integrations No Rip Replace (18:44) - First Big Small Firm (21:48) - Outcomes Based Pricing (25:00) - AI Like Excel Era (28:05) - What AI Does Next (29:21) - Fear Traps and Controls (32:39) - Who United Fits Best (33:25) - Wrap Up and Contact Learn more about United Accountants https://www.unitedaccountants.com/ Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Karl PaadamLinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/karl-paadam-39730214Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Is AI really replacing accountants—or just changing the job? Blake Oliver talks with Capterra analyst David Jani about new survey data showing where AI is gaining traction in accounting, from chatbots and data entry to forecasting and fraud detection. They unpack why 89% of users report ROI, why firms are still struggling to hire, and why weak AI data-handling policies could create serious security problems.Accounting Trends in 2026: How AI is Changing Work, Skills, and Strategyhttps://www.capterra.com/resources/accounting-trends-ai-software-changing-work/Chapters(00:00) - EAP 114 (01:26) - Survey Methodology (04:26) - AI Adoption Today (05:39) - Where AI Shows Up (19:57) - Staffing Crunch Data (24:10) - Manual Work and Spreadsheets (26:17) - Next 12 Months Ahead (28:11) - 2027 Predictions and Threats (32:04) - Where to Place AI Bets Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, David JaniLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jani-7627872b/Learn more about Capterrahttps://www.capterra.com/accounting-software/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

What if AI wipes out the entry-level accounting work firms have relied on for decades? Blake Oliver talks with Sikich managing principal Richard Lynch about the rise of the “super accountant,” why the pyramid-shaped firm may become a diamond, and how AI could force firms to rethink training, billing, and performance metrics. You’ll hear what firm leaders must change now—and what happens to those who don’t adapt.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 112 (07:41) - Training The Next Gen (09:39) - Rethinking Early Career Work (14:17) - Learning Review Without Doing (18:41) - Automated Tax Prep Reality (21:28) - Billable Hour Under Pressure (26:33) - Why Timesheets Persist (28:21) - Why Hours Persist (29:53) - Timesheets Trust and Control (30:53) - Preventing Burnout with Targets (32:30) - AI Breaks Time Productivity (34:39) - Shift from Production to Value (37:02) - New Metrics Client and Staff (39:13) - Revenue Incentives and Attribution (44:24) - Basketball Team Performance Model (46:33) - Hours Culture and Team Standards (51:34) - Leaders Choose Progression Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Richard Lynch, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardlynch/Connect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

What does the data actually say about where accounting firms are headed? Blake Oliver talks with Chelsea Summers of Inside Public Accounting about the real numbers behind firm performance, pricing, staffing, offshoring, advisory growth, and AI adoption. You’ll hear why top firms aren’t just working people harder, how offshore teams are boosting margins, and why hourly billing may be the biggest obstacle to using technology well.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 112 (04:45) - Advisory vs compliance mix (09:40) - Capacity and burnout signals (18:27) - Pricing models and billable hour (25:08) - AI ROI and adoption blockers (29:37) - About IPA and closing Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest, Chelsea SummersLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseasummers620/Learn more about Inside Public Accountinghttp://insidepublicaccounting.comConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

Blake sits down with Lawrence Zlatkin, VP of Tax at Coinbase, to unpack the state of crypto taxation. From how the IRS treats digital assets as property to the new 1099-DA, stablecoin reporting burdens, and the policy changes Coinbase is pushing for in Washington, this episode covers what tax pros need to know now and where the rules may be headed next.Chapters(00:00) - EAP 111 (02:11) - What is Form 1099-DA (03:08) - Reconciling 1099 data (03:53) - Why cost basis matters (08:29) - IRS use of gross proceeds (12:44) - Crypto tax basics (14:07) - Staking and 1099-MISC (15:36) - Stablecoins as property (17:43) - Reporting thresholds and privacy (22:42) - Policy priorities in DC (23:47) - De minimis and admin burden (28:34) - Charity and appraisal rules (30:15) - Foreign investment safe harbors (32:20) - Why Congress moves slowly (34:56) - Wrap-up and thanks Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guest Lawrence Zlatin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-zlatkin-880417bLearn more about Coinbasehttps://www.coinbase.comConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/