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Most firms think their competition is the CPA office down the street. Jody Padar, co-founder of XcelLabs and the original Radical CPA, says that is not even close. In this episode, she joins Tom Wadelton and Adam Hale to talk about why AI's real job in accounting is making CPAs more human, not replacing them, and how her company built a coaching tool that scores advisors on authenticity and clarity instead of billable hours.
Key Takeaways:
- The real competition isn't another firm. Jody says most CPAs are still comparing themselves to the firm down the street, when the actual threat is a FinTech or a VC-backed startup building a firm from a blank sheet of paper.
- Navi coaches the human, not the workflow. Jody's company, XcelLabs, built Navi to listen to advisory calls and score CPAs on authenticity, clarity, and impact instead of billable hours.
- Practice the hard conversation before you have it live. Navi lets CPAs rehearse a pricing conversation or advisory pitch against an AI client before ever picking up the phone with a real one.
- Humanness is the differentiator for 2030. As AI takes over routine compliance work, Jody argues the CPAs who thrive will be the ones who lead with authentic, well trained client relationships.
Episode resources:
● XcelLabs Academy: http://www.xcellabsacademy.com
● If you have questions or would like to be a guest on the show, email us at mcpasuccessshow@anderscpa.com
● Check out the Virtual CFO Playbook Course: https://anderscpa.com/virtual-cfo-services/vcfo-playbook/
Quotes:
- Jody Padar: "It is going to be our humanness."
- Jody Padar: "Most CPAs don't realize their competition isn't another firm. It's a FinTech or a VC-backed startup that just got a bazillion dollars to build a new firm with a blank slate of paper."
- Adam Hale: "We have to move to more of a simulation, just like flight. If you learn to fly, they're not throwing you in the airplane and saying, hey, figure it out. They're putting you in something where you can get hands-on experience."
- Tom Wadelton: "Tons of people are going to come and say, I can give you better-looking dashboards and data, but it's the person who's saying, yeah, but we'll have the conversation in the wisdom."
About the Guest
Jody Padar, CPA, known as The Radical CPA, is a leading voice in accounting transformation. She pioneered the cloud firm model and has been named to Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People list for more than a decade. A three-time author and sought-after advisor, Jody has helped firms evolve across traditional practices, cloud models, and fintech startups, including Botkeeper and April.
Today, she co-founded XcelLabs, where she leads AI-X, an AI-powered firm model helping CPA firms move beyond automation and build future-ready leadership.
Website: http://www.xcellabsacademy.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-padar-18a9711/
About the Hosts
Tom Wadelton is a Virtual CFO at Anders, bringing over 20 years of financial expertise from his tenure at a Fortune 500 company. He has extensive experience spanning financial management, accounting operations, and information technology integration. Tom specializes in delivering strategic Virtual CFO services, helping businesses optimize their financial performance through advanced accounting solutions.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomwadelton/
Adam Hale, CPA, is a Partner and Managing Director of Advisory at Anders, dedicated to transforming traditional accounting practices through innovative Virtual CFO services. With over 20 years in public accounting, Adam has been instrumental in the ideation and development of CPA training courses.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhalecpa/
About the Show
The Modern CPA Success Show is the go-to podcast for accounting firm owners eager to enhance profitability and master Virtual CFO services. This podcast leverages combined expertise in delivering top-tier Virtual CFO services across North America.
Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2458888
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndersCPA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anders-cpa/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anderscpa/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@andersvcfo
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