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What does it actually look like to build an accounting firm designed for the future?

In this episode of the INSIDE Public Accounting podcast, Chelsea Summers talks with Rachel Farris, CPA, founder of a boutique advisory firm and TaxStack AI, about specialization, talent, pricing, AI adoption, and the evolving narrative around accounting careers.

Rachel shares why narrowing a firm’s focus can strengthen client relationships and reduce operational friction, how firms can rethink hiring and onboarding, and why the profession’s talent challenges are about more than compensation alone.

The conversation also explores fixed-fee pricing, responsible AI adoption, and the importance of building firms around flexibility, curiosity, and people-first leadership.

Rachel offers a candid perspective on what accounting firms may need to rethink over the next decade: From the way they recruit talent to the way they define value for both employees and clients.