Welcome to the FutureProof Accountant Podcast. I’m your host, Katie, co-owner of Cabot & Main, and we help accounting firms work smarter, streamline their systems, and build firms that last.
Today we’re diving into one of the biggest challenges firm owners face: training your team effectively.

Most accounting firms do not train well. Everyone is busy. The work never stops. New hires join at the worst times. And without a plan, team members are thrown into sink or swim mode. I’ve been there myself. Early in my corporate career, the lack of training left me frustrated, confused, and constantly trying to catch up. That experience shaped how deeply I value effective, consistent training today.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn what truly makes training successful inside an accounting firm and where most owners go wrong. We’ll talk about why training is more than handing someone a manual, how to outline an effective plan, and how to support different learning styles with tools like Loom and real-time shadowing. You’ll also hear how structured training transforms team confidence, improves accuracy, and reduces repetitive questions.

I’ll walk you through the core elements of a strong training program, including how to document what needs to be learned, how to assign ownership to your new hire, and how to equip your team to support the process. I also share why I created the A+ Academy and how it gives firm owners the soft skills, technical knowledge, and tools needed to train with confidence.
Plus, for TaxDome users, our FutureProof Accountant membership includes a fully automated new hire training workflow inside TaxDome, along with platform training your team can use immediately.

Whether you're building your first training program or improving an existing one, this episode will help you create a clearer, more intentional system that supports your team and your clients.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most accounting firms struggle with training
• The essential components of an effective training plan
• How to outline what your new hire needs to learn
• How to use Loom and shadowing to reduce meetings
• Why different learning styles matter and how to support them
• How structured training improves confidence and reduces errors
• How the A+ Academy supports firm owners with ready-made training
• How to automate new hire training inside TaxDome
• Why not training your team is a major opportunity loss

If you want support training your team without reinventing the wheel, explore:
• A+ Academy for complete new-hire training across soft skills, technical skills, tools, and client communication
• FutureProof Accountant Membership, which includes a TaxDome-based new-hire training workflow and platform trainings your team can use right away.

Your team deserves the training that sets them up for success. And your firm deserves the relief that comes from doing this right.

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In this episode of the FutureProof Accountant Podcast, Katie walks you through one of the most important systems inside any accounting firm: your first winning workflow. Whether your current processes feel clunky, outdated, or only “kind of working,” this episode will help you understand how to build a workflow that is scalable, documented, and reliable for both your team and your clients.

Katie shares how she built her very first workflow on a whiteboard, how keeping workflows “in her head” caused problems later, and how creating a clear, documented process becomes the foundation for growth. You’ll hear real stories about why workflows break, how messy drafts eventually become streamlined systems, and how team ownership transforms when workflows are documented.

This episode explores how strong workflows impact firm sustainability, client experience, and long-term scalability. Katie also walks you step-by-step through Cabot & Main’s process for building and refining winning workflows, including how to document, test, automate, and continuously improve them.

If your accounting firm is growing but your systems aren’t keeping up, this episode will help you understand what needs to change and how to get started.

What You’ll Learn:

• What a “winning workflow” actually is and why it becomes the blueprint for scaling your accounting firm
• How outdated, patchy systems hold your firm back and create bottlenecks for you and your team
• Why documenting your workflows matters and how to turn messy drafts into sustainable processes
• How to refine your workflow through automation, templates, and system connections
• Why team input is essential for creating workflows your staff will use confidently
• How workflows impact client experience, turnaround time, and firm sustainability
• The exact process Cabot & Main uses to create winning workflows for clients
• How to continuously optimize workflows as your tech, team, and services evolve

If you want support building workflows that save you hours and help your team take true ownership, join us inside the FutureProof Accountant Membership or book a https://www.cabotandmain.com/buildyourtaxdomehttps://www.cabotandmain.com/buildyourtaxdome for personalized workflow design and implementation.
You don’t have to figure this out alone, and your firm will run smoother the moment you start documenting these systems

In this episode of the FutureProof Accountant Podcast, Katie dives into one of the most common challenges firm owners face without realizing it: becoming the bottleneck in their own business. She breaks down the mindset patterns that keep accountants and bookkeepers stuck in the weeds, including overinvolvement in daily tasks, difficulty delegating, and trying to control every detail of client work and team output.

Katie shares personal stories from her corporate career and examples from the firms Cabot & Main supports every day, illustrating how even well-intentioned firm owners can unintentionally slow down their team, reduce efficiency, and create unnecessary stress. You’ll hear why empowering your team, establishing clear roles, and building strong onboarding and workflow systems are essential for growth.

If you’ve ever felt like everything depends on you, like you have to review every small detail, or like your team can’t move forward without your approval, this episode will give you the clarity, confidence, and actionable steps you need to finally step into your role as the leader of your accounting firm.

This is a must-listen for accounting firm owners, bookkeepers, tax pros, and operations-minded leaders who want a healthier, more efficient, and more scalable firm.

• The surprising ways firm owners accidentally become bottlenecks inside their own business
• How over-reviewing, over-serving, and overworking slow down your team and client delivery
• Why delegation, empowerment, and clarity are essential for a productive and happy team
• The importance of strong team onboarding and how it supports better performance
• How unnecessary layers of review delay client work and increase stress
• The mindset shifts required to lead instead of manage every micro-task
• The role of workload management tools like TaxDome, Asana, and ClickUp in creating clarity
• Practical steps you can take today to remove yourself from the weeds and build a stronger firm

If you want support building a smoother, more scalable accounting firm with strong workflows, clear onboarding, and empowered team members, join us inside the FutureProof Accountant Membership. You’ll get access to ready-made workflows, templates, team trainings, and the tools you need to step out of the bottleneck and lead your firm with confidence.

You can also book a Customized TaxDome Workflow Build if you want personalized workflow design, system setup, and hands-on implementation support.

Your future firm is waiting. Let’s build it together.

In this episode, Katie breaks down what really makes client onboarding feel overwhelming for accounting firm owners and their clients. She shares the early mistakes that created chaos in her own business, including unclear timelines, missing information, and inconsistent communication, and the moment she realized her process was simply too heavy.

You’ll hear stories from firms that transformed their entire client experience after standardizing and simplifying their onboarding workflow, and learn the small adjustments that make the biggest difference.

If you want onboarding to feel lighter, clearer, and more supportive from the very first step, this episode will give you the direction you need.

What You’ll Learn

• The most common onboarding mistakes that create confusion for both you and your clients
• How unclear timelines and missing information slow down your entire firm
• Why a heavy onboarding process leads to overwhelm and how to simplify it
• Real stories from firms that transformed their client experience with standardized workflows
• The small changes that instantly make onboarding feel lighter and more predictable
• How clarity, consistency, and simplicity set the tone for a better long-term client relationship

If you want support building a smoother onboarding system or you want ready-made workflows, templates, and trainings you can plug directly into your firm, join us inside the FutureProof Accountant Membership. You’ll get the tools, structure, and guidance you need to strengthen your accounting firm's operations without doing it alone.

In this short but sweet episode of the FutureProof Accountant, Katie breaks down the importance of building a strong lead to client system inside your firm. She shares real stories from her own business and from the firms Cabot & Main supports, showing what happens when leads slip through the cracks and how simple workflow improvements can completely transform the client experience.

You’ll learn why mapping the client journey matters, how clarity in your offers reduces back and forth communication, and why automation creates a smoother, more professional process for both you and your leads. If your lead management feels slow, messy, or unpredictable, this episode will help you understand what to fix and where to start.

Takeaways:

This podcast is for accountants, bookkeepers, and firm owners.

The lead to client system sets the tone for client experience.

A clear workflow is essential for smooth operations.

Automation can enhance the client onboarding process.

Mapping the client journey helps identify strengths and weaknesses.

Clarity in offers reduces back-and-forth questions from leads.

A strong lead to client system provides leverage and professionalism.

Client experience improves with streamlined processes.

The importance of activating workflows fully before implementation.

Future episodes will focus on client integration and onboarding.

If you want more clarity, more tools, more templates and more trainings to help you streamline your Accounting Firm, then join us inside the FutureProof Accountant Membership --> https://www.cabotandmain.com/futureproofaccountantmembership