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What does it take to walk away from a successful corporate career, start your own business, and then rebuild it all over again at age 49?
In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, host Mark Ferguson sits down with Gary Newton Cooper, founder and owner of Cooper CPA Group in Houston, Texas, for an engaging conversation about entrepreneurship, business growth, leadership, succession planning, and the future of accounting.
Gary's journey is anything but ordinary. From becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree to serving as a CFO, taking a company public, earning eight patents, and building successful accounting practices, Gary has experienced the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship firsthand.
When he relocated from Dallas to Houston at age 49, Gary had to rebuild his CPA practice from scratch. Rather than relying exclusively on traditional referrals, he created his own networking organization and embraced digital marketing and SEO to generate new business.
Today, Gary shares the lessons he's learned and why he's passionate about helping the next generation of entrepreneurs succeed.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Starting over at 49: How Gary rebuilt his CPA practice in a new market without an established client base.
- Growth beyond referrals: How networking, SEO, content marketing, and digital visibility helped build a sustainable pipeline.
- The entrepreneurial mindset: Why calculated risk-taking, focus, determination, and hiring the right people are essential for growth.
- Building a business worth buying: How clean financial records, documented processes, and reduced owner dependency can increase business value.
- Succession and exit planning: Why entrepreneurs should prepare years in advance before selling their companies.
- AI and the future of accounting: How automation and artificial intelligence are reshaping professional services and creating new opportunities.
- Mentoring the next generation: Why Gary believes sharing knowledge and helping entrepreneurs succeed is one of the most rewarding parts of business.
A key takeaway: Successful entrepreneurship isn't about avoiding failure. It's about learning from experience, staying focused, taking calculated risks, and building systems that allow a business to grow beyond its founder.
Whether you're launching your first business, scaling an established company, or preparing for an eventual exit, Gary's experiences offer valuable lessons you can apply to your own entrepreneurial journey.
Connect with Gary Cooper
Founder & Owner, Cooper CPA Group
Website: https://coopercpagroup.com
Email: gcooper@coopercpagroup.com
Phone: 713-243-8590
About Growth Without Referrals
Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group, Growth Without Referrals features authentic conversations with entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders about building predictable growth, overcoming challenges, and creating sustainable businesses that don't depend exclusively on word-of-mouth referrals.
Email: mark.ferguson@prestige-services-group.com
Subscribe to Growth Without Referrals for more conversations about entrepreneurship, business strategy, leadership, technology, and scalable growth.
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