Lang: The Right Clients > Revenue | It’s Not Just the Numbers

Tough client calls, tax planning, and better leadership turned hard knocks into growth.

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here

by Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead – See Today’s Special Offer

Subscribe to CPA Trendlines podcasts anywhere: Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and Audible, Player FM, Audacy, Gaana (India), and Boomplay (Africa).

It’s Not Just the Numbers
With Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead
For CPA Trendlines

Get peace of mind with the right policy, technology, and strategy at an affordable price.

When Lang launched Upside CFO, he didn’t set out with a grand blueprint. “If we’re being honest, we started off with simple bookkeeping,” he says. Over time, his firm evolved into a multi-faceted practice offering fractional CFO services, tax planning, and even financial planning partnerships. Along the way, he admits to trial and error. “Sometimes I do smart stuff. Sometimes I don’t,” Lang laughs.

MORE Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead
MORE Advisory & Consulting
BUY “It’s Not Just the Numbers”

Exclusively for PRO Members. Log in here or upgrade to PRO today.

Yet from that messy middle came clarity: the future of advisory services lies in translating numbers into strategy, choosing the right clients, and building processes that can scale without sacrificing value.

Posted on August 22, 2025

Penny Breslin

About the Author

Penny Breslin is co-author with Damien Greathead of It's Not Just the Numbers, published by CPA Trendlines.

Buy now | Learn more

Co-author Damien Greathead

She is the founder of MoneyPenny, a consulting firm specializing in helping accounting firms and other businesses embrace the power of technology to simplify their operations and increase their profit margins.

Drawing on her years of experience and her knowledge of what it takes to run a successful business, Penny oversees the development of back-office processes for her client firms. From the initial evaluation of the firm’s workflow to technology selection to assisting in the on-boarding of the firm’s clients, Penny works with her clients to maximize the benefits of a paperless and cloud-based firm. Penny has been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who for showing dedication, leadership, and excellence in providing quality consulting services to an international clientele made up of CPA firms and other businesses.

Penny holds a Master of Business Administration in Global Management and is a member of the Intuit Pro-Advisor Group. She's also a Xero Certified Advisor, a member of the Wave Pro Network, and a FreshBooks consultant. She has also co-authored the book, “CFO Services for the Accounting Firm: How to Start.” A firm believer in being able to work from anywhere, you’ll often find Penny running her business on the beach after a morning surf session. She’s also an avid supporter of Meals on Wheels and Oxfam.

Damien Greathead is Head of Accountant and Advisor Marketing for Intuit Quickbooks, based in Sydney, NSW, Australia. He's passionate about helping accountants and bookkeepers have a lasting impact on their small business clients. He's worked with hundreds of firms around the world to help evolve their business models for great growth and profitability. He speaks to accountants and bookkeepers on cloud technology, service definition and pricing, and marketing. Prior to joining Intuit, he was head of marketing at Practice Ignition and Vice President of Business Development at Receipt Bank, North America (now Dext). He can be reached on Linkedin

Click here for more by Penny Breslin

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here

Sponsored by “It’s Not Just the Numbers: How to Move Beyond the Numbers and Deliver Real Value for Your Clients”

by Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead – See Today’s Special Offer

Subscribe to CPA Trendlines podcasts anywhere: Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and Audible, Player FM, Audacy, Gaana (India), and Boomplay (Africa).

Get peace of mind with the right policy, technology, and strategy at an affordable price.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Continue reading your article with a CPA Trendlines Pro membership.