Leveraging AI and Advisory to Scale a Modern Accounting Firm

The Unexpected Path to Building GrowthLab

Dan didn’t plan on building a firm. But when he spotted an opportunity to acquire a traditional bookkeeping company, he jumped in. What started as a merger of necessity turned into a strategic foundation. Dan saw the value in owning the "hub"—the bookkeeping and accounting—and building out "spokes" like tax, CFO advisory, HR, and eventually, AI-led services. The goal was to bring the full finance value chain under one umbrella.

Standardization Behind the Scenes, Personalization Up Front

One of the biggest lessons from Dan’s journey is this: you can scale without making clients feel like just a number. Standardization doesn’t mean sameness. By building SOPs, investing in workflow tools, and reducing variability, GrowthLab unlocked margin, consistency, and visibility. But what clients experienced was trust, relationship, and reliability. It’s a reminder that clients care about outcomes, not how the sausage gets made.

Getting Out of Sales to Get Serious About Scale

Like many founders, Dan loved sales. He loved closing deals and driving revenue. But over time, that started to hurt the business. The firm was selling services they couldn’t consistently deliver. The turning point? Dan stepping out of the sales process. That move allowed the team to sell only what they could execute well, and set the stage for operational maturity and better customer outcomes.

AI Isn’t Coming, It’s Already Here

Dan and I went deep on AI in this episode. We both believe we’re in a 2-4 year window where AI, used well, will dramatically improve firm margins without hurting top-line growth. But that window will close. AI isn’t just replacing offshore labor, it’s transforming how firms operate from the inside. Dan talked about building AI workflows, task-based agents, and even the concept of a future AI HR department. The firms that win won’t just be "using AI." They’ll be structured for AI.

People Skills Are The Real Moat

In an AI-driven world, the differentiator won’t be who has the fanciest bot. It’ll be who builds the strongest relationships. Trust, credibility, and the ability to advise: those are the human skills that can’t be automated. As leaders, it’s our job to elevate our teams into these roles and help them grow into the new paradigm.

The Economics of Future-ready Firms

One of my favorite parts of this conversation was diving into what future firms might look like economically. We talked about a world where $1M revenue per employee isn’t a stretch, it’s an inevitability for firms that build the right way. That means structured teams, AI at the center, and high-leverage advisory work leading the way.

Key Takeaways for Firm Owners

1. Don’t wait for the perfect moment to start. Get scrappy and iterate.
2. Standardize operations to scale while keeping the client experience personal.
3. Step out of founder-led sales to create accountability and execution.
4. Build for AI now, not later.
5. Invest in your team’s soft skills. They’re your biggest asset.

The Bottom Line 

Dan’s story is proof that transformation isn’t just possible, it’s necessary. The firms that will thrive through the next era are the ones making bold moves now. If you’re ready to shift from firefighting to future-proofing, this episode is a must-listen.

Want to hear the full conversation? Listen to the episode on After the First Million, or connect with us at https://www.decimal.com/contact-us.