Gear Up for Growth
AJ Johnson: New CPA Licensure Pathway Opens Doors to Talent | Gear Up for Growth
Lewis: Workforce Development Is the Next Imperative | Gear Up For Growth
Training and growth—not just recruitment—will determine the profession’s future.
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Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines
When Jan Lewis, vice chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), says, “The world is a complicated place, and who better than a CPA to help cut through the noise?” she’s not offering a slogan. She’s issuing a call to action.
More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth
In a wide-ranging and refreshingly candid conversation with host Jean Caragher on Gear Up for Growth, Lewis makes the case that this moment—right now—is one of the most consequential and opportunity-rich periods the CPA profession has ever faced.
Kepczyk: Tech IS the New Business Model | Gear Up For Growth
Firm leaders can no longer ignore this conversation.

Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines
Weak Business Models Exposed | Gear Up For Growth
Sponsored by “Radical Pricing: How to Optimize Profits, Delight Customers, and Build a Top-Value Firm” by Jody Padar | See Today’s Special Offer
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On this episode of Gear Up for Growth, host Jean Caragher sits down with John Higgins, founder and CEO of Higgins Advisory, to explore how ChatGPT and generative AI are reshaping advisory services, pricing models, and the way CPAs work.
Higgins is blunt about the opportunity—and the risk. “AI and ChatGPT-type tools can become your advisory services assistant,” he says. “They help CPAs communicate better as advisors and focus on what matters most for each client. But you can’t let them turn into a way of giving away your time.”
Gear Up for Growth spotlights the best strategies for smart and effficient growth in today’s competitive landscape. More Gear Up for Growth every Friday here.| More Capstone Conversations with Jean Caragher every Monday | More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More CPA Trendlines videos and podcasts here
For decades, CPAs have been told they need to “become more advisory.” The challenge hasn’t been belief—it’s been execution. Many practitioners equate advisory with answering questions accurately, rather than proactively guiding decisions.
Generative AI changes that equation.


