25 - Mike Jesowshek - From Accounting Firm to SaaS: Turning Tax Strategy Into a Software Product
Mike Jesowshek joins Nick to break down how he went from teenage entrepreneurship and online marketing to launching a cloud-based accounting firm in 2013, eventually adding tax planning after seeing how often business owners struggled to get proactive strategy from their existing accountants. They dig into how the Small Business Tax Savings Podcast became both an education platform and lead engine, why Mike sold a majority stake in his accounting firm in 2021, and how that transition ultimately led to TaxElm, a software platform built around personalized tax strategy rather than tax prep. Mike shares lessons from an earlier failed software launch, including why getting an MVP to market matters more than building the perfect product, plus how he is now using Claude, AI-assisted coding, and a technical partner to accelerate development. The conversation also covers building a company that does not depend on the founder, balancing software with human tax support, creating an advisor portal for accounting firms and financial advisors, and continually reducing the time it takes business owners to implement tax strategies correctly.
To connect with Mike, check out his podcast and company's websites:
TaxSavingsPodcast.com (https://taxsavingspodcast.com/)
TaxElm.com (http://TaxElm.com)
and follow him on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejesowshek (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikejesowshek)
If you would like to connect with us visit:
https://sagaaccounting.com (https://sagaaccounting.com)
or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854 (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854)
2 Sept 2026
24 - Jason Blumer - AI, Change Management, and People-Oriented Systems for Accounting Firms
Jason Blumer joins Nick to break down how he went from playing in rock bands to becoming a CPA, joining his father’s firm, and eventually helping turn Blumer CPAs into a fully virtual practice. They dig into what remote firms get wrong about process and culture, how Jason’s team is using AI as a change-management tool, and why firms need intentional systems to help people actually adopt new ways of working. Jason also shares lessons from niching into digital agencies, broadening toward entrepreneurs as the market shifted, and building a repeatable marketing engine around long-form content, transcripts, Claude, and structured campaigns. The conversation also covers virtual hiring, firm growth, practice management, and the tools and ideas shaping Jason’s work today.
To connect with Jason, check out his website and LinkedIn:
https://www.jasonblumer.com/ (https://www.jasonblumer.com/)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumer)
and check out his firms' websites and his book:
https://www.blumercpas.com (https://www.blumercpas.com)
https://www.thrival.com (https://www.thrival.com)
https://www.scalewithpurpose.info (https://www.scalewithpurpose.info)
If you would like to connect with us visit:
https://sagaaccounting.com (https://sagaaccounting.com)
or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854 (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854)
19 Aug 2026
23 - Randy Crabtree - From Managing Partner to Speaker, Creator, and Industry Advocate
Randy Crabtree joins Nick to trace a career that has taken him from computer programming and food sales to building, selling, and reinventing multiple accounting-related businesses. Randy shares the story behind launching his first CPA firm with a $60,000 book of business, growing it into a $600,000 generalist practice, and eventually stepping away after realizing the tax-heavy model was creating burnout and taking too much time away from his family. They dig into how Randy later co-founded Tri-Merit around R&D tax credits, built an education-first referral model through CPA firms and associations, and helped grow the specialty tax firm to roughly 70 people. Randy also explains why he eventually gave up the managing partner role, leaned into speaking, education, and thought leadership, and learned to build his career around the work he actually enjoys. The conversation also covers the lasting impact of his 2014 stroke, his focus on mental health and burnout in the accounting profession, the evolution of the Bridging the Gap conference and Unique CPA podcast, and his next chapter through The Brainstorm Group, where his guiding philosophy is simple: “be nice and have fun.”
To connect with Randy, check out his website and LinkedIn:
https://www.randycrabtree.com/ (https://www.randycrabtree.com/)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-crabtree-cpa-1945a67 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-crabtree-cpa-1945a67)
and check out his podcast and conference:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-unique-cpa/id1484824707 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-unique-cpa/id1484824707)
https://open.spotify.com/show/6UI4YbnrPibRD3n03yzdo5 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6UI4YbnrPibRD3n03yzdo5)
www.btgconference.com (http://www.btgconference.com)
If you would like to connect with us visit:
https://sagaaccounting.com (https://sagaaccounting.com)
or to appear on the show, fill out a guest application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854 (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeoshMXYliGh_4tU3OrHw2EjsVwZu3k8KbPi8fRMTCVjca1ig/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102990742476444666854)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
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