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Leaders of the Ledger from CPA Practice Advisor in partnership with Rightworks spotlights the people and ideas shaping the future of the accounting profession.
Each episode host Rob Brown interviews influential firm leaders, innovators and rising stars to uncover how they are tackling today’s biggest challenges whether it is client advisory services, AI and technology, talent strategy or firm growth through M&A.
Built on CPA Practice Advisor’s trusted recognition lists like the 40 Under 40 Influencers in Accounting and other collections of prominent professionals, this show goes beyond the headlines to share practical insights, personal stories and proven strategies from those moving the profession forward.
If you are a firm owner, leader or ambitious professional who wants to stay ahead of the curve Leaders of the Ledger is your inside track to the conversations and connections that matter most in accounting.
Subscribe now to hear from the voices redefining what it means to lead in the profession.
Speaker 1 (00:00.174)
was leading an outsource accounting team at my prior firm and it sounded like an amazing opportunity. My current firm, GHA, called me. Really, we're looking for someone to come set up this outsource accounting desk at our firm where I'm working with clients and helping solve their problems, building teams.
Because there's no such thing as regular hours anymore or a 9 to 5, is there? You might be working evenings and weekends.
Flexibility comes responsibility. You have to be responsible and get your work done and earn that trust where work personality and then home personality will come.
things do you write about? are you passionate about?
Well, one of my articles that's out there right now through GHJ is how to build a high performing team virtually. That also has been a journey of platform.
Speaker 2 (00:42.274)
You've got your own personal brand. What excites you most for the future in your world and this job, Arna?
think that we have such an awesome opportunity, AI and technology, all these buzzwords out there, but in reality, to partner with the new technologies that's coming out and upskill ourselves to take this profession to new heights.
Speaker 2 (01:07.438)
It's Rob Brown here with another edition of the Leaders of the Legipods where we shine a light on people in the accounting world that are doing tremendous things and while they may not think of themselves as influencers, other people see them as being inspirational or encouraging, are just really really good at what they do. Arna Erazo is our guest today. It's lovely to have you with us Arna. Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:30.74)
yourself as an influencer, how does that sit with you?
Now that's an interesting question because there are times that, well, to answer your question, no, I don't see myself as an influencer, but there are times where I've been told I have influenced someone on various parts of their journey. And so those are times I'm reminded, you know, I should look at myself as an influencer. It's just not quite, I'm not quite.
Well, accounting types are not known for bragging about things too much, are they? saying how great they are. But you've obviously done things in your young life that have made you influential in some way. Tell us a little bit about your world.
Yeah, so, you know, my career trajectory has been very interesting. I started out my career in Big Four and audit as accountants do. And then I jumped into industry working in different accounting and finance roles to really understand how business operates from the inside, learn from being boots on the ground. And from that,
point, I actually took a pause when I had my daughter and I didn't know if I wanted to be a working mother, if I wanted to stay at home, like what I wanted to do. And so I took about six months off and I quickly realized that, you know, being a mother is my greatest joy, but I also missed a part of myself and jumped back into advisory and public accounting, something I said I'd never do, but here we are. And in a different capacity, in a way where I'm working with clients and
Speaker 1 (02:53.496)
helping solve their problems, building teams, strategizing on practices. And so one opportunity led to another. And my current firm, GHA, called me to say, hey, we really would like, we're looking for someone to come set up this outsource accounting desk at our firm. I was leading an outsource accounting team at my prior firm. And it sounded like an amazing opportunity to have in my career to start something from scratch, knowing the industry and.
So I took that opportunity. was a leap of faith to some extent because I live in Oklahoma and my firm is located in Los Angeles. So it would have, it is a hybrid role. We call ourselves dispersed employees. So it was a leap of faith and did that. And so now I'm three years in and the practice is thriving and we have been able to go from.
you know, four clients to now we have over a hundred clients from 14 members to now we have 12 years. So it's been a fun journey and a fun ride to see, know, to be able to build something from scratch and see it scale and see it grow. And the future is bright in this industry. And I'm just lucky to be a part of it.
You're pretty much completely remote then, aren't you? Given the geography of your situation, presumably they bring you back to the office on occasions because culture's important connection, isn't it? You want to know your fellow colleagues. Yeah.
No, absolutely. And you know, one of the reasons why this firm is my home is because of the culture that we have. And the firm has done a phenomenal job in preserving that. we have done the dispersed model and the hybrid model, remote model before well before.
Speaker 1 (04:24.526)
This wasn't a response to COVID. This was something that's ingrained in the culture of the firm to get the best people, regardless of where they are and integrate them into the culture. So absolutely, we have a couple of times a year, the firm flies out everyone to our orders and we do what's called a firm-wide week where we collaborate, we get together, we have speakers that come in, we do community service events, we do just get together as a firm to continue that stickiness. And oftentimes, there are geographical areas where the
in the US where we have concentration of folks. So those folks will get together. I'm in Oklahoma, the Texas Oklahoma folks, get together, try to get together a couple of times a year. When I travel for conferences, I will always grab dinner or lunch with whoever's in that locality. So you have to be creative as to how you find connections and how you continue to create that stickiness. But I think the firm leads with that culture first and that mindset.
first and that's kind of ingrained in how we work with clients, how we work with each other. So I completely agree with you, is very important and you just have to be creative and be intentional about continuing to.
And creative again, not a word you associate with CPAs because they don't always go well together. But I'm starting to get a feel now for why you are perhaps seen as influential because it seems you're very intentional with cultivating your network, with getting out there, with not just being a well-kept secret and not doing what many accountants do is just sitting back and relying on their technical expertise to show to the world that they are really good. You are broadcasting, putting things out there and you're showing up. Would that be?
Yeah, that's a really I would say you said that really well, and you know, I would say naturally I am outgoing person so that
Speaker 1 (06:03.864)
certainly helps, right? And it helps, but it's also a challenge in the sense of being remote, being an outgoing extroverted person sometimes don't go well together. And that's essentially why, to your point, I like to show up. I do write articles. I do podcasts like these. I'm really connected with the larger CAS community. And I do say community with intentionality because that's what it is. We share knowledge with each other. I'm involved in several conferences where all the leaders and within CAS practices get together.
and just have a brainstorming session. And it's part of, you I love what I do because of the relationships I get to build, not just with our clients, but also with people and team members. And it is a very relationship forward industry. And I think it's sometimes it gets lost to your point, where think accountants, okay, well, in your office and you're doing your nine to five, but in this world of advisory and this world of clients, and it is very much a relationship focused business.
As a father of two daughters, myself, I'd love to ask you about motherhood because it's difficult being a woman and having that decision and children and taking a break and building a career. Talk to us about that journey.
Yeah, that's a really special one to me. you know, I, it took me a lot to get comfortable doing both. It's not a one or the other. It's an and right. You can have a career and be a phenomenal mother in a way that you want to be. And to me it took me, it was a journey in getting there because I didn't grow up in a way where, women around me, I should say, not my immediate family, just in society. Yeah. We're very much, you know, you,
raise your kids and it came from a traditional background. so, but my immediate family, my mom and dad both have very much been.
Speaker 1 (07:47.714)
go do what you want to do, stand on your own two feet, be independent. So it was conflicting views growing up where society says one thing and then my family the other. And so I had to kind of find my own footing in my own journey there. And now it's become a passion of mine to where I'm very involved in our women's empowerment cohort at work, supporting other women that are going through that decision or that. There are challenges, don't get me wrong. And I don't get it right. And it is very much a balancing act. But what I have
to understand is that, you know, people talk about balance and it's 50-50 in it.
essentially true, but it's not 50-50 every day. There are days where I'm 90-10 where I'm taking half the day off to go be with my daughter. She has a school event. I'm there. I'm doing PTA stuff. I'm involved in volunteering and then I'm coming home and finishing my client work or what I need to do. And there's other days where having a supportive partner is amazing. My husband will go pick her up and do the things that it truly takes a partnership at home and understanding that it's not, you're not going to be that nice 50-50 blend every single day and that it's
up and down, but overall you have to find what works for you to get the balance that you desire from your work and your person.
It to the culture of the firm too that they will let you be flexible like that because there's no such thing as regular hours anymore or a 9 to 5 is there? You might be working evenings and weekends so that you can accommodate the other areas of your life.
Speaker 1 (09:07.254)
Absolutely. you know, our one of our big, I don't want to use the word mantra, but something that we see at the firm and our managing partner, Tom Berry actually started this, it's called hashtag be more and it's being more than just, you know, work and it's family self firm. That's the mentality and he preaches that and he has, he has a large family and we see him lead by example. And on that flexibility piece, it flexibility comes responsibility to right. You have to be responsible and get your work done and earn that trust. But at the same time,
is something that is very much encouraged at the firm where we are one person. We're not a work personality and then home personality. They all integrate together and it's important to take care of yourself in a holistic way so you can show up in the way that you want to at work and at home.
As an author myself and podcast, you're going out there to put your thoughts into word and vocalize what you're doing. What kind of things do you write about? are you passionate about?
Yeah, you know, I write a lot about, well, one of my articles that's out there right now through GHJ is how to build a high performing team virtually, right? And that also has been a journey. I've never done that before until I came here. My entire team is dispersed. We are all in different parts of the country and we started that way. And to build a team where you're building a practice and a team, for me, it comes down to people first. You have to have the right, build the right culture, build the right team.
and everything else takes care of itself, right? So if you have a strong team, you have good people, you are all on the same wavelength, growing in the same direction, they take care of themselves, they take care of their teammates, then they take care of clients, and then the practice grows. So to me, I'm very passionate about being a people first leader and also being people first when it comes to clients, right? Clients come to us when...
Speaker 1 (10:57.548)
the world that I live in, the clients come to us when things are broken, right? Something's not working and they need to change and they need to fix it, or they are experiencing challenges growing. So there's always a purpose of why clients come to us. And so to build that trust and that relationship first to where we can have a dialogue as to what their pain points are and how we can support them, you wouldn't normally think that in accounting you would lead with a relationship first, but with clients, it is.
the world that I live in, you have to because they're sharing very intimate financial information to us, right? They're sharing challenging times with us and we're there to help them problem solve, but there's a level of trust you still have to earn before, you know, they open all their challenges, so to speak. So definitely, I would say that helping clients, building teams, supporting the next generation is something that I'm just really passionate
You're writing about what you know, which is the advice they give to all authors and writers, isn't it? Write about what you know. You run experiences, you run expertise, the things that you care about.
Exactly. Yeah. And to your point, it just flows at that point, right? It doesn't become something that you are forcing or you're researching. It's just something that is natural to you and you're writing about it. So yeah, it's a three-part series. Two parts are out right now. And then I also write about helping clients through, you know, different...
different challenges and why outsourced accounting is a great platform and it's a great option when clients and businesses are thinking through how to grow, how to scale. It's not just an, I should rephrase that, it's not just an option. It's honestly a strategic decision to partner with an outsourced accounting team and the why behind it. So I write about that as well.
Speaker 2 (12:37.816)
So you're writing on behalf of GHJ, you've got your own personal brand too. Do you ever put stuff out that's just to do with honor and the things you're interested in or is it always work related? Because accountants, they do want to put stuff out there, do want to be known for things. They've got causes, they've got crusades, they've got things that they care passionately about that actually might have nothing to do with work or accounting.
That's a great question. And currently when I'm writing articles, it's through primarily GHJ. But I will say that I do oftentimes provide thought leadership for myself on LinkedIn. If I see an article that I have thoughts on, I will often repost with some of my thoughts on it. So I dabble in that a little bit. And like I said, I'm pretty involved in the industry. So I do go to different conferences. And again, it's through work. But also I think I get to add my personal touch to those conferences as well.
speaking engagements. do a lot of that as well on on topics. I'm actually going to be speaking at a pretty large conference in December on outsourcing within client accounting services. So, but yes, I'm starting to double my feet into what that looks like and getting out there more and different.
But that's testimony to the groundwork you've put in, suppose. Nobody calls you to speak at a conference if they've never heard of you. So your name is out there. Your personal brand is visible. What would you say to people watching, listening to this, Arna, that thinking you have way too much time on your hands. I don't have time to write a blog or stick a post up or write about something. This lady's got far too much time.
It's funny, you I believe that you make time for things that you're passionate about. Nobody has time. Everyone has busy lives. It's intentional. Exactly. And you find time. And if you're writing about things or showing up a way where it's inherent to just who you are, it doesn't feel like you're working and it doesn't feel like you're really putting forth that much effort. just becomes secondary to who you are. And I think that's something that is a really important thing to talk about is that everyone has a why they're doing what they're
Speaker 1 (14:35.054)
doing and find your why, turn that why into your purpose and work becomes just inherently part of what you
You gave a shout out to Tom Berry, obviously a very influential leader. How coachable are you? Do you lean into coaching and mentoring, Arna?
Yeah, mean, absolutely. I would not be where I am without some phenomenal mentors I've had along the way that have.
challenged me in ways I didn't know I could stretch in, have given me grace when I needed to, let me learn from my mistake, and just have continued to show up for me and believe in me in times where I didn't myself. And I absolutely think feedback and coaching is a gift. I would say early on in my career, when I first started out my career, it was harder to get into that mentality and that mind space. And that was definitely challenges that came with receiving feedback. But now when I think about feedback, it's feedback only comes
to you when someone wants you to be better. And if people aren't giving you feedback, to me that's more of a red flag than someone saying, Arna, this is what you're doing, try it this way, or have you thought about this?
Speaker 1 (15:37.944)
giving me because they want the best for me. And those are the people that are going to be there alongside you as you kind of go through your career paths. And mentorship is very, very important to me. And I try to pay it forward too and do the same for the next gen. That is something, again, I'm very, very passionate about too. And no, mentorship and feedback is certainly a gift that is received.
lot about the talent pipeline and people leaving accounting and people not taking accounting majors and the problem with the brand of accounting. Where do you stand on that?
I understand where the perception of accounting, where it has been, will say that different challenges and why outsourced accounting is a great platform and it's a great option when clients and businesses are thinking through how to grow, how to scale. It's not just an, I should rephrase that, it's not just an option. It's honestly a strategic decision to partner with an outsourced accounting team and the why behind it. So I write about that as well.
So you're writing on behalf of GHJ, you've got your own personal brand too. Do you ever put stuff out that's just to do with honor and the things you're interested in, or is it always work related? Because accountants, do want to put stuff out there, do want to be known for things. They've got causes, they've got crusades, they've got things that they care passionately about that actually might have nothing to do with work or account.
That's a great question. And currently when I'm writing articles, it's through primarily GHJ. But I will say that I do oftentimes provide thought leadership for myself on LinkedIn. If I see an article that I have thoughts on, I will often repost with some of my thoughts on it. So I dabble in that a little bit. And like I said, I'm pretty involved in the industry. So I do go to different conferences. And again, it's through it's through work. And but also I think I get to add my personal touch to to those conferences as well.
Speaker 1 (17:24.016)
I do a lot of that as well on on topics. I'm actually gonna be speaking at a pretty large conference in December on outsourcing within client accounting services. So but yes, I'm starting to double my feet into what that looks like and getting out there more and different.
that's test
And back to the analytical and creative. If you have a creative mind and you're analytical, to me, that's just a powerhouse, right? Like you can take your career as far as you want to go. I think we need to change the perception of what accounting is and what a successful career in accounting looks like, because it's very different from 15 years ago to us now.
The sun is shining here where I am. The sun, he's hopefully shining on the accounting profession because it is an incredible career choice. We do need to tell better stories about it. I absolutely agree with you that the people inside it, the people overseeing it, we could all be better for the brand of accounting. What excites you most for the future in your world and this job on?
You know, I think that we have such an awesome opportunity to leverage AI and technology and all these buzzwords out there. But in reality, to partner with the new technologies that's coming out and upskill ourselves to take this profession to new heights, right? And take it to where we want to go. I'm just really excited about where this client accounting service industry is headed. It's the fastest growing industry in any accounting firm. And that growth, while it's been tremendous,
Speaker 1 (18:48.432)
over the past five to eight years, I see the growth continuing, but in a different way. And I think it's gonna challenge current practices on leveraging technology, leveraging outsourcing, again, being creative as to how we take this industry to the next level. And I'm just really looking forward to CAS 3.0, right? Where this entire industry is headed. And like I said, I'm just fortunate to be part of the ride and to be part of this industry.
It's wonderful. A couple more questions, if I may. Being influential in whatever professional role you're in, why is that important? Could give some answers because it's a world I live in and that you get to have a voice in things, you get to have a say in things, you get to dictate policy and procedures, you get to lead better and be more of an example. But the people listening and watching who are perhaps not influential, they may be a little bit introverted, they haven't got a strong personal brand. Why might be more intentional with that side of the career benefit them?
think the word influential can mean multiple different things. Influential doesn't mean you have to be someone that can stand in a room with a crowd of a thousand and give a public speech, right, about something that's very influential. I think influential can, that's not the only definition of it. I think influential can start in your day to day, how you speak to someone, how you show up for clients.
how you strategize, how you show up in a difficult situation, how you mentor someone. So I think being influential can be accomplished in many different ways. And for someone that is introverted, it doesn't stop you from giving someone advice when they need it, right? It doesn't stop you from showing up on a client call in a certain way to where the client builds that trust in you. So I don't think you have to be extroverted to be influential. I think you have to do things the right way. And I think one thing for me that I really take
to heart is that you get to a point in your career where it's not about you, it's about people that you are leading and you, the servant leadership mentality that you are there to support your team, you're there to build others up and that becomes your job. And that is where the influential, think, definition really comes into play where if you can encourage and influence people around you and support them and lift them up, you're influenced.
Speaker 2 (21:00.046)
That's a very, very good answer. I love the nuance that you're putting on that. I completely agree with you. We don't all have to be TikTok influencers and Instagrammers and putting our life out there. Final question for you, Anna, what might be one or two top tips for CPA types out there, accounting professionals, to be a little bit more vocal, a little bit more visible, a little bit more courageous in building their personal brand and being out there a bit?
Yeah, I would say that the top one, I know it's going to sound cliche, but really just be yourself, know who you are, stay grounded in who you are. And when you are confident with yourself, you will attract people that are similar in that space. And then it becomes a conversation. It doesn't become network.
It doesn't become this immense effort that you're putting into. So know who you are, be grounded, be yourself. And the other thing I will say is comfortable being uncomfortable. You're never growing unless you're putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and embracing change. It's something that it's hard to do. I'm one that struggle with it. But I will say that once I got okay with living in the unknown and living in the uncomfortable and not always having the answers is when I've grown the most. So continue to push yourself, but be grounded in that.
That's wonderful. are bringing it to you here on Leaders of the Ledger podcast on behalf of CPA practice advisor. Do check this show out wherever you can get it. We are shining a light on influential people in the CPA space who are definitely leaders of the ledger. It's been a privilege, Anna Erazo, to speak with you today. Thank you so much for your passion, your insight.
Thank you Rob so much for having me. This is such a fun conversation and I look forward to having more.
Speaker 2 (22:34.464)
And we're done. Well what a delight you are.