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In this episode, I make the case that your personal brand may become your greatest career insurance policy in an AI-first world. I explain why most accountants remain professionally invisible, how the internet has fundamentally changed the way opportunities are created, and why becoming known for something incredibly specific can unlock a level of leverage that wasn’t possible a decade ago. I also roast a real accounting firm that’s grown through acquisitions, share my thoughts on seasonal tax firms, niche positioning, and staffing, and answer Mailbag questions about building AI apps, AI security, accounting firm acquisitions, practice management software, automation, and what the future looks like if AI can do the accounting work for us.

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// Chapters:
00:00 - Why Personal Branding Matters More Than Ever
01:37 - Welcome to the Podcast
02:03 - Stop Being Professionally Invisible
04:12 - The Real Meaning of Personal Branding
06:01 - Why Visibility Creates Opportunity
07:44 - Finding a Game You Can Win
10:02 - Why Specificity Beats Reach
12:09 - Finding Your Unique Voice
13:06 - Turning Content Into Opportunity
17:09 - Will AI Make Personal Brands More Valuable?
20:00 - Escaping the Hour-for-Dollar Trap
22:04 - The Easiest Way to Stand Out
23:56 - Roast a Firm
24:42 - The Story Behind This Firm
29:49 - The Challenge of Buying Other Firms' Leftovers
35:08 - Choosing Between Seasonal and Year-Round Work
36:03 - Finding Seasonal Tax Talent
39:08 - Going Deeper Into Your Niche
41:59 - Mailbag
42:34 - Building AI Apps Inside Your Firm
48:00 - Buying an Accounting Firm
50:20 - Replacing Sage Intacct
52:03 - Building Your Own AI Reconciliation Tool
53:22 - Is Claude Cowork Secure?
54:42 - Can Instead Replace Traditional Tax Software?
57:14 - Specialized AI Agents vs Claude
1:00:00 - Do You Really Need More Automation?
1:01:54 - Choosing Between Canopy and TaxDome
1:04:20 - What Happens When AI Can Do Everything?
1:05:56 - Closing Thoughts

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627 How Accountants Can Build A Personal Brand in 2026 [The best thing you can do for your career (and firm)]

Jason On Firms Podcast

627 How Accountants Can Build A Personal Brand in 2026 [The best thing you can do for your career (and firm)]