In this kickoff episode of Managing Partner Realities: Leading the Modern CPA Firm, host Chad Person is joined by Dawn Howard, a fractional CMO with 25+ years of experience in marketing, sales, business development, and brand strategy inside CPA firms.

Together they unpack why talent is no longer just a hiring problem it’s a leadership and growth problem. They dive into culture beyond perks, what “belonging” really looks like in a firm, how remote and hybrid work are reshaping engagement, and why consistency from leadership and mid-level managers matters more than grand gestures.

They also explore how marketing, HR, and leadership can work together to build a culture that retains top people, upskills them into advisory roles, and ultimately drives firm growth.

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🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

•Talent as a growth lever, not just a headcount issue

•Belonging, purpose & culture that actually sticks

•Remote/hybrid realities & engagement

•Employee experience ➝ Client experience

•Upskilling & advisory capacity

•Communication & consistency as culture drivers

•Gen Z and the evolving workforce

•The bottom line for managing partners

Links

Dawn Howard– Fractional CMO, YorCMO

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-howard-m-s-b4a6b911

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

Youtube: https://youtu.be/OOXTk9SsnAA

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

•Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com

The conversation explores the importance of fostering a culture of continuous improvement within organizations, particularly in marketing. It emphasizes that growth should be viewed as an ongoing practice rather than a static goal, highlighting the role of leadership in driving this mindset.

Takeaways

•Firms that thrive treat growth as an ongoing practice.

•Continuous improvement is essential for all marketing organizations.

•Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering a growth mindset.

•Improvement should be seen as a cultural norm, not a one-time effort.

•Every organization has potential for enhancement.

•A culture of continuous improvement leads to sustained success.

•Non-marketing leaders can influence marketing growth positively.

•Growth strategies should be dynamic and adaptable.

•Encouraging feedback is vital for continuous improvement.

•A proactive approach to growth can differentiate successful firms.

Links

Charles Brower – CMO, Growth and Demand Generation Specialist

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesdbrower

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com

In this episode, Chad and Charles discuss the critical elements of driving growth in professional services firms. They emphasize the importance of defining a clear vision for marketing success, establishing a robust go-to-market framework, and ensuring effective execution and measurement of marketing plans. The conversation highlights the need for alignment between marketing and sales, the role of technology in enhancing efficiency, and the significance of client feedback in shaping strategies.

Takeaways

•A growth goal is not a vision.

•Marketing vision requires leadership buy-in.

•Understanding current state is crucial for growth.

•Align marketing with business structure.

•Define segments for realistic growth planning.

•Sales and marketing must be aligned.

•Client feedback is essential for go-to-market success.

•Execution is key to achieving marketing goals.

•Leverage technology for efficiency in marketing.

•Regularly measure and adjust marketing strategies.

Links

Charles Brower – CMO, Growth and Demand Generation Specialist

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesdbrower

Accounting for Growth is the podcast for CPA firm leaders who know referrals aren’t enough. Hosted by Chad Person, founder of AccountingCMO and fractional CMO to high-growth accounting and advisory firms, each short episode features outside experts with fresh takes on how accounting firms can overcome inertia, unlock opportunity, and confidently scale.

In under 12 minutes, you’ll hear punchy, actionable conversations with marketers, data experts, technologists, and strategic advisors working at the edge of accounting innovation. Whether it's AI in sales, better positioning, or building a smarter pipeline, each guest brings a clear takeaway on how to drive meaningful, measurable growth.

Brought to you by AccountingCMO and powered by yorCMO, this podcast helps you rethink growth, without fluff or filler.

Ways to Tune In

•Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/es-co/podcasts/0dd0a29a-4f47-4480-b01b-6115ddccb42e/accounting-for-growth

•Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGxGsuJPMs2vgc7RThgWm?si=fQxYnDEiQtinP5co97EuZA

Youtube: https://youtu.be/-E-24oJcKPk

•Creator: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/accounting-for-growth-pod

•Fractional C-Suite Retreat is produced by Frost Media Group

Learn more at https://frostmediagroup.com