Between Two Ledgers

11 - Sales for accountants who hate selling with James Sundin

Content Snare — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:00:00 +0000

James Sundin is the co-founder and Chief Evangelist at R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T. He's spent 16 years getting good at the one thing most accountants dread: sales. In this chat he makes the case that selling isn't being pushy, it's helping people buy. He lays out exactly how a firm can win the right clients without chasing anyone. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - James Sundin
(00:00:54) - James Sundin on Tom Johnson
(00:02:31) - "What Do You Do?"
(00:03:06) - Pitch Slap Champion
(00:06:01) - In the Elevator With Rich People
(00:07:01) - How to Win Clients Before They Speak to You
(00:11:34) - A website for your firm
(00:12:39) - How to Win Clients Again
(00:15:20) - How To Market To Your Clients?
(00:20:54) - Grow: An Accountant's Advice
(00:25:02) - Want More Money for Your Business?
(00:26:30) - How to get out there and start networking
(00:32:11) - 7 Must-Read Books for Startups
(00:33:14) - How To Find Your Ideal Clients?
(00:37:36) - The Joy of Barbecuing
(00:40:59) - What does James do with his customers and content stack customers?
(00:41:28) - I Am The Only James Sundin In The World

10 - Building better managers in accounting firms with Rob Pillans

Content Snare — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 05:54:43 +0000

James Rose talks with Rob Pillans of Planet Consulting about why accounting firms often overlook learning and development. They explore the shift from technical to non-technical skills as people become managers, common gaps in delegation and communication, and how firms can build more capable teams through structured training and clearer expectations. Topics covered Resources

9 - Jacqui Trumper on networking as an introvert and building a firm her way

Content Snare — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:51:06 +0000

James Rose talks with Jacqui Trumper of Black Cat Accounting about building an efficiency-first firm from the ground up. They explore choosing best-in-class tech over all-in-one systems, improving processes early, and how Jacqui turned networking as an introvert into a growth advantage. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - With Jackie Trumper
(00:00:39) - Jackie Trapper
(00:04:35) - In the Elevator With Brad Feld
(00:09:39) - All the Event Attendance
(00:11:30) - How to start a business on a casual basis
(00:13:48) - How I got my job down from 6 hours to 1
(00:19:41) - Starting your own business
(00:20:46) - The Small Business Association Events
(00:24:08) - Expert Network: Luck or No?
(00:27:57) - BUSINESS REVIEW: Starting a Business

8 - Amy Holdsworth thinks firms should free accountants from admin work

Content Snare — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:10:13 +0000

James Rose welcomes Amy Holdsworth of Clarity Street to discuss improving operations inside accounting firms. They explore why tech is only a small part of the solution, how poor processes create roadblocks, and why protecting accountant time is key to growth. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:01) - Amy Holdsworth
(00:01:19) - Amy Holdsworth on Becoming a Mother
(00:02:00) - How to Build a Practice Management Team with a Tech Focus
(00:04:54) - No One Knows What a Practice Manager Is
(00:05:35) - OPs/Practice Management/Admin
(00:09:52) - Is the Accountant the Roadblock?
(00:11:52) - There is a shortage of accountants in the industry
(00:14:28) - The bottleneck of accountants
(00:20:11) - How to Prioritize Your Time
(00:21:44) - The Way Accountants Are Screwing Up the Work Process
(00:23:30) - Administrator vs. Accountant: Who Should Do the Work?
(00:27:18) - Empowering the Admin Team: Controlling the Client's
(00:32:20) - Empowerment For Business Owners
(00:35:23) - Should You Pay For Your Flights?
(00:37:45) - The Greatest Inflation in the Industry: Accountants
(00:39:06) - App Stack: Quick Tips & Snippets Of Gold

7 - Building a lifestyle-first accounting business with Meryl Johnston

Content Snare — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:11:03 +0000

James Rose hosts Meryl Johnston to discuss lifestyle design for firm owners and the trade-offs it requires. They discuss working backwards from an ideal day, saying no to protect time, reinvesting early into systems and people, and how Meryl stepped back from being CEO while keeping the business growing. Topics covered: Resources:

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Between Two Ledgers
(00:00:36) - A Taste of Meryl Johnston
(00:01:35) - Work Remotely and Freedom
(00:02:24) - Beating the Office With Kids
(00:05:27) - How to Build a Business for Lifestyle
(00:08:58) - Ex-Bookkeeping Guru on Bean Ninjas
(00:11:36) - Beme Ninjas on the Productization Journey
(00:15:32) - The Transition From Benages To Advisory
(00:18:54) - Team Up: Recruitment in the Philippines
(00:24:22) - A colleague's role at Dynamite
(00:26:31) - How Do You Balance Your Life Goals With Your Work?
(00:32:15) - Hiring Senior Executives

6 - Inside the habits and systems driving Seamless SMSF’s standout culture with Taryn Holman

Content Snare — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 07:25:48 +0000

James Rose talks with Taryn Holman of Seamless SMSF about building culture by design. They explore hiring for fit, creating high-trust teams, and using experiences to strengthen relationships with clients and peers. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - In the Elevator With Seamless's Tina Holman
(00:01:03) - Taryn Holman on How to Be More Positive (
(00:03:41) - Seamless's Matt Walsh on Working With the Seamless
(00:04:01) - What Makes The Seamless Business So Epic?
(00:09:18) - What Makes A Firm So Special?
(00:14:26) - Tom Had The Idea To Sell Baseball Bat Merch
(00:16:31) - The 2-hour coffee or beer chat
(00:19:50) - Seamless on Non-Negotables
(00:20:33) - The Brave Rose Book Series
(00:22:42) - The culture of Seamless Networks
(00:23:47) - Exclusives: How to Make Your Events Standout
(00:29:48) - How to Get Information Out of People
(00:34:42) - The Future of AI in Business
(00:36:27) - What's the Remote Workplace Culture?
(00:40:35) - How to Chill Out With Your Kids

5 - John Knight on creating a people-first brand that draws top accounting talent

Content Snare — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 01:00:00 +0000

James Rose speaks with John Knight of businessDEPOT about using brand and culture as a competitive advantage in professional services. They cover attracting entrepreneurial talent, fostering collaboration across disciplines, and what’s changed as the firm has grown and the accounting industry has evolved. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Creating a Brand That Stands Out
(00:00:46) - John Knight on Decorating Your Home
(00:05:17) - The Depot: A Chartered Accountants' Brand
(00:09:38) - The Business Depot: Remembering our Events
(00:12:22) - Inside the Co-Workers
(00:12:49) - What happened to Co-Working in Brisbane?
(00:16:28) - The Business Depot Collective's transition
(00:21:07) - The attracting of talent at Business Depot
(00:23:01) - How Do You Cultivate a Culture?
(00:29:02) - Letting go of legacy culture
(00:31:07) - Leading the Next Wave in the Accounting Industry
(00:37:15) - John Cleese on The Simpsons

4 - Alan FitzGerald on finding clarity in accounting tech and making smarter software decisions

Content Snare — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:00:00 +0000

James Rose hosts Alan FitzGerald, founder of Practice Connections and veteran accounting tech advisor, to discuss how firms can cut through the noise and choose software that truly fits. They explore why small firms move faster than the Big Four and what it takes to make tech decisions that actually stick. Topics covered Resources

3 - How to automate your firm the right way with Isaac Perdomo

Content Snare — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 01:00:00 +0000

James Rose hosts Isaac Perdomo, co-founder of automation firm Opzer, to discuss how accounting and professional service firms can scale through smarter automation and process clarity. They talk about where to start and how smarter automation delivers up to 33% more clients even with a smaller team. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:01) - Interview With Isaac Perdomo
(00:00:56) - How Did I Get Good at Automation?
(00:04:34) - Automation and Why Firms Should Care
(00:08:10) - Where Should an Accounting Firm Start on Automation?
(00:11:39) - Tools for Beginners in Automation
(00:14:40) - Business Owners Need to Learn Automation
(00:19:18) - High-Tech Lead Cycle: Low-
(00:25:29) - Onboarding Processes
(00:26:53) - What's Automation Like for Your Business?
(00:34:02) - Beyond Excel: Business Intelligence, Reporting & More
(00:36:26) - Top Executives: What's Your Favorite Tech?
(00:38:10) - Are We Ready for the AI Bubble?

2- How search funds work (and why accountants excel) with Chris Davey

Content Snare — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:13:28 +0000

James Rose meets Chris Davey, founder of Accountica and Search Fund Oz, to discuss the nuts and bolts of search funds and why accountants are uniquely positioned to succeed in ETA. They talk about models, capital, sourcing, and the day-to-day grind so first-timers know where to start and what this business really looks like. Topics covered Resources

Chapters

(00:00:01) - Chris Davey
(00:02:05) - Pandora on the Search Fund Industry
(00:02:50) - Looking for a business partner: How to start your own business
(00:07:41) - What to Do To Start a Business in Australia
(00:18:59) - Don't Start a Startup With An MBA
(00:24:55) - A Day in the Life of Search
(00:26:20) - How to Find a Broker in the Daily Life
(00:27:02) - My Search: Should I Buy a Crypto Business?
(00:32:12) - Have Too Many Accounts thrown into Crypto?
(00:33:05) - Ideas for Starting a Business in Australia
(00:41:18) - In the Elevator With Search Funds
(00:43:51) - Ryan O'Donnell on Search Investing

1 - Trent McLaren on how to become an intentional networker and build a strong accounting brand

Content Snare — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:24:14 +0000

James Rose chats with Trent McLaren, co-founder of Vinyl and long-time accounting industry leader, about how intentional networking and authentic relationships have shaped his success. They discuss why personal connection outperforms marketing spend, how empathy drives client loyalty, and how building in public helped launch Vinyl to thousands of users in months.

Topics covered

Networking on steroids
Building influence
Using events to find and retain clients (and how cost effective they can be)
The importance of brand in a crowded market