Practice Management Archives

When Erica Goode, CPA, became a mother, she found herself juggling late-night work sessions and hectic commutes. It took a toll on her well-being. “I was going to prove to everybody that working moms can do it all,” she recalls, “and I did it all. But it felt awful.”

Fast-forward a few years, and Erica now runs an accounting practice making over $200,000 yearly—on less than 15 hours of work per week. How did she do it? Through intentional constraints, deep specialization, and refusing to let burnout define her career.

Erica’s story, which she shared on the Earmark Podcast, offers a roadmap for accounting professionals who want to build financially rewarding practices without sacrificing quality of life.

Escape from Corporate Burnout

Erica’s career began at KPMG, where she moved up the ranks to senior auditor. She was then recruited to Walgreens in Deerfield, Illinois, where a demanding promotion collided with early motherhood.

Even with on-site childcare, the constant scramble to manage deadlines and family obligations was a struggle. “I was always dragging my kids behind me to make a meeting, to get back home to make dinner, only to hop back online until 10:00. It was just this grind I didn’t want,” she says.

Feeling trapped, Erica took a demotion to escape the grueling schedule. Ultimately, she decided to leave Walgreens entirely and planned to become a stay-at-home mom. She never imagined running an accounting firm. When her boss suggested it after she gave notice, she remembers thinking, “That is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

An Accidental First Client

Erica never planned to start her firm. It started when she offered to help the owner of her daughter’s Taekwondo studio with QuickBooks. “I had never seen QuickBooks because I’d always worked with huge systems like SAP or Oracle,” she says. But Erica learned quickly, and soon, a steady stream of referrals turned her “accidental” freelance gig into a bona fide practice.

Growth was slow by design. Balancing parenting with minimal childcare hours, Erica allowed her client base to expand only as her children’s school schedules opened up. “I literally was only growing as fast as preschool grew,” she jokes. This deliberate approach allowed her to refine processes at each stage instead of piling on hours.

Designing a 15-Hour Workweek

Erica’s top priority was to avoid the relentless schedule that had led to burnout. She set a strict 15-hour limit, working Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a mandatory one-hour lunch away from the computer. “That adds up to 18 hours, but I don’t count the lunch break,” she explains. “So I’m really working 15 hours or less.”

While this schedule might seem impossible, Erica credits well-documented standard operating procedures and intentional use of technology for optimizing efficiency. She also hired a non-US-based contractor as a senior bookkeeper. Together, they ensure bookkeeping tasks stay on track without Erica needing to handle every detail. “I want to be the reviewer and the exception-finder,” she says. “That’s where the real client value lies.”

Tech Stack: QuickBooks Online and Fathom

A big part of Erica’s efficiency stems from QuickBooks Online paired with Fathom. QuickBooks automates the bulk of data entry, while Fathom handles real-time reporting and forecasting. “Once I close the books in QuickBooks, Fathom syncs automatically and spits out a customized monthly report for each client,” she says.

She personalizes these reports for each of her 10 clients, highlighting the KPIs and trends most relevant to consultants. But the real game-changer is the forecasting feature. During monthly meetings, she and the client jump into Fathom to update forecasts on hiring plans, upcoming expenses, and potential new revenue. “Business owners love seeing a clear picture of how decisions today will affect their cash flow in six months,” Erica says.

Specialization: Consultants and Agencies Only

At the core of her approach is strict specialization. Erica focuses exclusively on consultants and small B2B agencies—no construction companies, no retail inventory. This uniformity keeps her processes consistent, allowing her to offer clear service tiers and simple pricing. She maintains three tiers:

Bookkeeping ($500–$600/month)
Mini CFO ($1,400/month)
Fractional CFO (up to $5,000/month)

“There’s a huge gap for solopreneurs or small consultancies that need more than just bookkeeping but aren’t ready to pay $3,000 a month for a CFO,” she says. The middle tier solves that issue. Because she only accepts businesses operating within a well-defined niche, the bulk of her bookkeeping and forecasting tasks can be systematized.

The Power of Monthly CFO Meetings

Although she provides “done-for-you” bookkeeping, Erica finds the most significant client value comes from monthly CFO calls. “We’ll spend maybe 20% of the time reviewing the monthly report. Then the rest is what’s on the client’s mind—like, ‘I’m hiring two people. Will I run out of cash by October?’” she explains. Together, they plug those assumptions into Fathom so clients can see real-time outcomes.

“They get clarity on big decisions, whether it’s paying themselves consistently, timing a new hire, or maximizing retirement contributions,” she notes. And it’s precisely this hands-on advisory that justifies her subscription model. Even when clients weigh downgrading services, they quickly realize the CFO session is what they value most.

Why She Doesn’t Do Tax Prep

One key departure from many CPA firms: Erica does not handle income tax filings. Instead, she collaborates with clients’ existing tax preparers or refers them to an outside specialist. “I come in as the translator,” she says, acting as the liaison between client and preparer. By avoiding tax busywork, she preserves her bandwidth for strategic discussions and the recurring monthly engagements that truly move the needle for her clients.

Growing Slowly—on Purpose

Today, Erica’s firm earns around $200,000 in annual revenue, with a net of about $180,000. It took around five or six years to reach this point, largely because she refused to exceed her self-imposed 15-hour weekly limit or expand beyond her one contractor. “I know the formula to scale bigger,” she says, “but I also know that I enjoy my life more without adding complexities.”

A telling story: She once tried removing herself from capacity constraints and realized she risked falling back into the same burnout patterns she had fled. “I’m quick to fire if the client isn’t a good fit, and I stick to my niche,” she emphasizes. “I’m not looking to become a million-dollar firm with multiple CPAs. That’s just not the lifestyle I want.”

Rethinking Practice Success

For Erica, success means earning a healthy income without sacrificing time with her kids or her passions—like hiking in the vast national forests of Idaho. She’s proof that a smaller, highly specialized practice can be profitable and deeply rewarding. “I used to be afraid to say out loud that I only work 15 hours,” she confesses. “But now I see it inspires other CPAs who don’t want the 40- to 60-hour grind.”

Her advice is simple: start small, niche down, price for value, and automate relentlessly. If you’re willing to challenge traditional accounting firm norms, you can build a practice that prioritizes both client results and your well-being.

Learn More & Earn Free CPE

Erica shares more insights and tips on her podcast, Consultants and Money, where she offers free advice on everything from planning cash reserves to consistently paying oneself.

Check out her interview on the Earmark Podcast to hear the full story of how she structured her 15-hour week.

You can also earn CPE for listening! Register for the free CPE course on the Earmark app.

Every accounting professional knows the dilemma: you’re expected to handle complex client relationships, ensure top-notch technical work, and juggle operational tasks—all at once. This all-in-one approach often leads to burnout, stunted growth, and high turnover.

Enter the “Finders, Minders, and Grinders” framework, a well-known model in professional services.

During a recent webinar, Mark Ferris of Panalitix explained how aligning each person’s natural personality with the right role can transform your practice. Instead of forcing everyone to “do it all,” you identify and empower:

Finders (relationship builders who generate new business),
Minders (managers who oversee processes and teams),
Grinders (technical experts who dive into the detailed work).

By putting people where they naturally excel, you reduce inefficiency, nurture talent, and build a more resilient firm. Below, we’ll explore how to apply this framework to create an environment where team members thrive, clients receive the best service possible, and your business can scale sustainably.

Why Matching Personalities and Roles Matters

When people consistently act against their natural inclinations, they burn out quickly. “If we act contrary to our natural inclination—our personality—it takes quite a lot of effort,” Mark Ferris explains. “That is tiring, and it’s not something we can keep up forever.”

Many traditional accounting practices mistakenly assume everyone can (and should) wear multiple hats equally well—reviewing hundreds of returns, leading team meetings, chasing new clients, and more. While some staffers can manage briefly, over time, misalignment in roles leads to errors, missed deadlines, and unhappy team members.

Skills vs. Personality: It’s crucial to separate learned skills (e.g., mastering new accounting software) from the deeper personality traits (e.g., being comfortable with negotiation or thriving in a structured environment). People can gain new technical skills, but asking a naturally reserved, detail-oriented accountant to spend most of their time selling may not succeed in the long run.

The Three Roles: A Balanced Trio

Successfully running an accounting firm means tapping into three core roles, each with distinct personality traits that maximize productivity and satisfaction.

Grinders

Focus on technical tasks like preparing returns, bookkeeping, complex compliance, or advisory projects.
Excel with structure and detailed rules, working methodically to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Often patient, diligent, and prefer minimal distractions when completing high-stakes work.

Minders

Oversee operations, manage workflow, and coach the team.
Share some qualities with Grinders—organized and detail-oriented—but also display strong people-management skills, diplomacy, and warmth.
Handle scheduling, capacity planning, and progress checks, ensuring that deadlines, quality standards, and budgets are met.

Finders

Excel at building relationships—both with current clients (for retention and upselling) and potential clients (for growth).
Socially confident, comfortable with change, and willing to engage in negotiations or tackle conflict head-on.
Key drivers of new business, strategic partnerships, and revenue expansion.

When these three roles blend smoothly, an accounting practice functions like a well-oiled machine: technical work is done right and on time, the team runs efficiently, and new business opportunities consistently flow in.

Putting the Framework into Practice: A Real-World Example

Mark Ferris illustrates how to structure an accounting firm around these roles, ensuring each group can handle about $1 million in annual fees before you replicate the model.

Production Team (Grinders)

Bookkeepers, accountants, or tax specialists focus on client work.
Supported by a Production Manager (Minder), who handles capacity planning, scheduling, and quality control.
A Senior Client Manager (Finder) focuses on nurturing client relationships, resolving issues, and spotting upsell opportunities.

Clear Role Distinctions

Administrative staff (e.g., office manager, client service coordinator) handles day-to-day tasks like data collection, engagement letters, or invoicing.
Each Production Team is shielded from distractions, so Grinders can do technical work, Minders can improve processes, and Finders can build strong client relationships.

Career Path Alignment

Team members see exactly how they could progress: a skilled Grinder with strong interpersonal skills might train to become a Finder; a Grinder who loves organizing and leading might transition into a Minder role.
Owners can also step into the role that suits them best—whether that’s business development (Finder) or operational leadership (Minder)—and delegate the rest.

With this structure, hitting $1 million in fees signals the formation of a second production group with its own Finder, Minder, and Grinders. This model avoids an unwieldy top-heavy partnership structure and instead grows in self-sufficient, scalable “pods.” As Mark notes, clearly showing these pathways and roles is critical for recruitment and retention—two huge pain points for many firms.

Taking a Business-Minded Approach

A crucial takeaway is to run your practice like a business:

Track Productivity: Understand how much of your Grinders’ time is billable, and ensure Minders have enough oversight bandwidth. Finders may have less billable work but drive overall firm revenue and strategic direction.
Measure Results: Regularly review profitability at the production-team level. Look for ways to optimize workflow, rebalance roles, or adjust pricing.
Plan for Growth: Once a team reaches capacity, replicate the structure. No need to weigh down the firm with too many partners at the top.

Self-Reflection for Leaders and Owners

Even if you’ve been “doing it all” for decades, it pays to pause and consider which responsibilities bring you the most satisfaction. You might discover you prefer Finder tasks—nurturing client relationships—while leaving day-to-day management to a dedicated Minder. Or maybe you truly enjoy the technical depth of the work (Grinder) but feel forced into too many sales meetings.

Realigning your own role can be transformational: you get to focus on what you do best, and you build a leadership team that covers every dimension of the business.

Additional Resources to Guide Your Transformation

Panalitix LearningHub: Mark Ferris’s organization offers a wide range of tools, templates, and short courses to help you implement the Finders, Minders, Grinders structure. You’ll find interview questions to hire the right personality type, training modules on capacity planning, and resources on workflow optimization.
Coaching & Mentoring: For firms wanting deeper guidance, Panalitix provides group coaching, one-on-one sessions, and specialized projects.
Free Webinar Replays: You can watch recordings (like the one linked above) for more detailed discussions of productivity tracking, org-chart design, and incentivizing your team.

The Path to a More Resilient Firm

Adopting the “Finders, Minders, and Grinders” model is about more than a neat organizational chart—it’s a mindset shift toward placing people where their talents shine. The result? More engaged employees, a better client experience, and an accounting practice that can grow without sacrificing service quality.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner looking to hire your first employee or a mid-sized firm aiming to double revenue, the framework helps you avoid the burnout trap and keeps your team energized. In an industry where talent is scarce and client expectations keep rising, this approach could be your edge.

Ready to dive deeper? Watch Mark Ferris’s full webinar replay to gain practical tips on structuring your teams, setting productivity targets, and charting clear career paths. Embrace this powerful framework, and set your accounting firm on a path to enduring success.

From Burnout to Blueprint: How One CPA Built a $200K Practice Working Just 15 Hours a Week