This week on The Fun CPA Podcast, Yuri talks with Macgill Davis, co-founder and CEO of Rize, an AI-powered time tracking tool for accounting firms and professional service businesses.

They talk about why time tracking sucks, how AI can remove manual timesheets, and how firm owners can use better time data to understand client profitability, pricing, interruptions, and focus.

Macgill also shares the story of shutting down a previous VC-backed startup, what that taught him about niching down, and how Rize eventually became a “Whoop for your work.”

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Episode open

1:01 - Meet Macgill Davis, CEO and co-founder of Rize

2:01 - How Rize uses AI to automate time tracking

3:02 - Yuri’s experience using Rize to understand his workweek

7:37 - How Macgill got into the time tracking space

10:00 - Shutting down a VC-backed startup and starting over

12:30 - The biggest lesson: stop building for everyone

14:38 - Testing demand before building the product

16:41 - Who Rize is really built for today

19:02 - Why client-level time data matters for firm profitability

20:30 - How Rize tracks client work without screenshots

23:15 - Tracking task switching, interruptions, and focus

27:11 - Moving from the U.S. to Portugal

29:47 - Life in Lisbon and Portugal’s quality of life

32:41 - Castles, history, and the European lifestyle

36:03 - Wrapping up and where to find Macgill

A SPECIAL FROM RIZE

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ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH Macgill

Website: rize.io

Email: macgill@rize.io

What does it actually look like to build a modern CPA firm without losing yourself in the process?

Yuri sits down with Logan Graf to talk through the real decisions behind firm ownership, from taking the leap into entrepreneurship to figuring out whether buying a firm even makes sense.

They get into pricing, hiring, content creation, social media addiction, and the tension between making more money and actually enjoying your life. They also discuss Logan’s community Counter and how it helps firm owners feel less isolated.

Like always, this conversation goes past ‘tax talk’. It’s an honest discussion about growth, pressure, faith, family, and what happens when success starts to cost more than you expected.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Logan’s early entrepreneurial streak
5:09 - Who Logan is and how he built his firm
12:11 - Buying a firm vs. starting from scratch
21:45 - How to know if you’re ready for firm ownership
25:36 - The reality of content and social media
33:18 - Sponsored content, brand fit, and authenticity
38:44 - Hiring help and knowing when it’s time
45:44 - Why an admin hire might be the smartest next move
51:36 - Faith, family, and balancing it all
53:29 - More money, more problems
1:03:46 - What Logan would do differently starting over
1:05:33 - The shift from compliance to advisory
1:08:43 - Building a modern firm in an old-school profession

1:10:58 - Episode wrap-up

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH LOGAN GRAF

Website: https://www.graftaxco.com/

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

TRY COUNTER COMMUNITY FOR FREE

https://counter.circle.so/checkout/thefuncpa

Most accounting firms don’t have a tech problem. They have a trust problem.

In this episode, Yuri sits down with Jonathan Shkolnik, a developer turned founder building Portali, an AI bookkeeping tool designed to take the pain out of cleanups and month-end work. They talk through why accountants are so change resistant, how to evaluate new tools without getting burned, and what “automation” actually means when accuracy still matters and someone has to own the final review.

They also get into the practical stuff people actually worry about, how bank connections break, when uploading statements is a better workflow, what happens with credit card activity, and why “just export it to Excel” is still a real need for tax focused firms.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:33 - Meet Jonathan + his background

4:16 - Building products for accountants

6:40 - Resistance and pushback

9:30 - Bringing on new tech (don’t wait for the pain)

13:10 - What does Portali do? (and how does it help)

24:11 - Addressing pain points around file sharing, docs and Excel

30:50 - Connecting banks and cards to Portali

36:35 - Being a digital nomad

40:55 - Wrap-up, where you can find Jonathan

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN SHKOLNIK

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

Website: https://portali.tech

In this episode of the Fun CPA podcast, Yuri sits down with Blake Oliver, CPA and host of "The Accounting Podcast," to discuss the evolving landscape of the accounting profession.

Blake shares his unique journey from professional cellist to firm owner, and eventually to a leading voice in accounting technology and media. Blake also shares his POV on automation and AI, firm management, scaling, the technology of it all and of course – where the profession itself is headed.

Whether you are a seasoned CPA, a firm owner, or an accounting student, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on navigating technology and building a successful career in the modern accounting world

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:45 - Episode open and intro to Blake Oliver

3:14 - How Blake got into accounting

7:00 - How Blake got clients in the beginning

9:00 - Reasoning for selling

13:58 - Advice for those looking to sell their firm

16:07 - Post-sale

20:00 - Blake’s podcast (and how it became his ‘job’)

24:20 - Balancing authenticity in your brand while taking on sponsors

27:21 - 150 Hour Credit, what’s next to help the profession grow

35:33 - How do you vet your apps?

41:20 - “Are you optimistic about the profession?”

47:00 - Advice for students

50:00 - Firm growth

52:00 - Standing out at conferences

53:31 - Episode wrap-up

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH BLAKE OLIVER

Website: https://www.blakeoliver.com/

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

This episode is a little different — no guest, just Yuri pulling back the curtain on how his firm actually runs during the middle of tax season.

Recorded on March 3rd, Yuri walks through what tax season looks like inside his firm right now: how he tracks returns, why he still uses a spreadsheet workflow, and what he’s experimenting with to improve operations. He also shares the reality of running a lean accounting firm, managing part-time help, and balancing client work while keeping his weekly schedule under 40 hours.

Along the way, Yuri breaks down his tech stack, discusses the pros and cons of hiring too quickly, and explains how he structures pricing and client selection to keep the firm profitable without burning out.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Trailer
00:52 - Why this is a solo episode
2:52 - Tax season reflections so far
6:23 - The spreadsheet that runs the firm
9:23 - Pricing structure and payment process
11:15 - Why spreadsheets still work (for now)
15:47 - Why hiring too quickly can backfire
19:20 - Managing the schedule under 40 hours
21:07 - How Yuri chooses which clients to work with
24:41 - Why solo firm tax seasons feel different
27:24 - Closing thoughts

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykapilovich/
Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

Marketing doesn’t need to be pain wrapped in mystery. But it’s such a necessary factor to growing and expanding your business the way that you want.

Yuri is joined by Karen Reyburn, a CPA turned Scotland based agency owner who’s spent 15 years helping accountants and bookkeepers attract better clients without forcing themselves into content or marketing activities they hate.

They dig into why “niching” usually misses the point, how to pick marketing channels your audience actually uses, and why trust is built through consistency, not one big burst of effort. Plus, Karen does a live, first impression website teardown of Yuri’s site and explains the small copy and layout tweaks that can quietly boost conversions and filter out the wrong leads.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:50 - Meet Karen Reyburn!

5:13 - What CPAs consistently struggle with (in marketing)

9:02 - Niching

11:17 - How should CPAs approach marketing?

20:27 - Any marketing activity takes time

21:18 - The best way to identify which (marketing) direction to take

29:11 - How Karen determines what firm owners should do

37:06 - Karen looks at Yuri’s website

45:56 - Scheduling and moving people to the next step

58:03 - Closing thoughts and wrap-up

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ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH KAREN REYBURN

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

Website: https://wearepf.com/people/karen-reyburn/

Mental health isn’t a “nice to have” in accounting, it’s the difference between making it through tax season and quietly burning out.

In this episode of The Fun CPA, Yuri sits down with Cassie and Brandon Christensen from Modern Therapy to talk about the intersection of burnout, anxiety, and the culture of overwork in the profession. They unpack why being “always available” doesn’t make you a better accountant, how people pleasing turns into constant stress, and why the phone, email, and social apps are built to keep you stuck in the cycle.

You’ll hear practical, realistic ways to start creating boundaries, protect your limited downtime, and rebuild an identity that isn’t 100% tied to work, even if you’re still logging long hours right now. If you’ve been feeling that dread in the morning and the same spiral at night, this conversation will hit home.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:46 - Episode open and intro to Cassie and Brandon

4:19 - Defining anxiety, importance of taking a step back

11:15 - Separating from work (especially when you’re WFH)

15:45 - The ‘intersection’ between burnout and anxiety

19:09 - Symptoms of burnout

23:20 - Steps you can take

29:38 - Maximizing ‘Quality Time’

31:15 - Family time and being present

35:53 - Boundaries and fighting the people-pleasing urge

40:12 - Know what you value, scheduling and isolation

52:15 - Closing thoughts and wrap-up

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH BRANDON AND CASSIE

Modern Therapy – Based in Eatontown NJ

Website: https://moderntherapy.online/

Sharrin Fuller sold two accounting firms for 2x the average multiple and she did it by building a business that could run without her.

On the Fun CPA Podcast, Sharrin, CEO and founder of Glass Wallet Ventures, breaks down the real story behind her journey, how she engineered a highly automated firm that was actually easy to sell, and the one mistake she sees firm owners make over and over again: not getting paid upfront.

They also get into the less-talked-about side of firm growth, like what it’s like being an accountant with personality in a traditionally “stuffy” industry, why creating content can feel awkward when you don’t fit the mold, and how to build a team and systems that position your firm for scale and eventual acquisition.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro

0:39 - Episode open, meet Sharrin

5:15 - Sharrin’s journey

9:12 - Sharrin’s firm, the structure and sale

14:43 - Building to sell vs. building for longevity

17:11 - Developing your firm, implementing new software

28:28 - Zapier and getting fancy with it

33:13 - How do you decide what to automate?

38:40 - Talking about apps and being an influencer

43:06 - Sharrin’s book, her process for writing it

46:28 - A big mistake Sharrin made in the past

53:15 - “What does a successful 2026 look like?”

1:01:14 - Where you can find Sharrin and closing thoughts

ABOUT HOST YURI KAPILOVICH

Yuri, aka #thefuncpa, has been in the accounting profession for over 15 years and has seen, first hand, the challenges the profession brings. After seeing that no firm was fitting the bill, Yuri set out to do things his own way with his firm K&A and the journey began with LinkedIn posting at the front end.

Yuri is proud to bring you #thefuncpa podcast highlighting the fun and all the amazing opportunities our profession can bring us all.

CONNECT WITH YURI KAPILOVICH

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

Website: https://www.thefuncpa.co/

CONNECT WITH SHARRIN FULLER

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

Website: https://glasswalletventures.com/