“I didn't want to be driving all the time,” she says simply. “Later on, when I started my own firm, we've been remote before remote was required and we’ve continued that way.”

The tech transformation

Stuart asks Carla what tech changes in the last 10 years have made the biggest impact. While she admits she’s no tech visionary for what’s next, she’s come to appreciate what technology enables accountants to do—especially when it comes to freeing up their time.

She likes that tech gives accountants time to do more valuable things, like getting more face time with clients or doing more advisory work.

There are a couple of new changes she’s enjoyed. One is being able to meet virtually, easily. And the other is Karbon.

“Karbon is the spine of our organization. It's the big deal of what we do inside of our practice, and has allowed us to really continue to grow and thrive as a remote team. We have a place to communicate and do all the things that we do,” Carla explains.

Recommended reading: How to build an autonomous accounting firm culture

Having ‘squishy conversations’

In today’s market, it’s a challenge enough to find great talent. That’s especially true in accounting where the retirement rate is higher than the rate of new accountants entering the workforce.

But once you get a great employee, the next challenge is to keep them.

“For our current talent, we have to value them and encourage them,” Carla says. “It amazes me that there are still people out there that think, ‘Well, you're salaried. So therefore, I can work you 80 hours a week, and you should just be happy to have a job.’ Those days—if they're not long gone—are on their way out.”

In addition to not overworking her staff, Carla has a unique approach to work-life balance. She prefers acknowledging that our lives outside of work are part of our work, too. She explains her concept of ‘squishy conversations’.

“We are seeing a definite need for us to address some mental health questions. In our society, we have a lot of people that are burnt out. And there's only so much motivation you can give people,” she explains. “We do have to figure out how to continually engage with our team. And it's a lot more of what I call ‘squishy conversations’. We're chatting about families and asking ‘How are you feeling?’ Sometimes that feels a little odd for some of our leaders.”

Seeing your employees as whole humans and not just productive machines will create an environment where people want to stay. She finds this especially true with remote teams, where connection sometimes gets lost. Taking the time to check in mentally with the team can make a huge difference.

But Carla also cautions that leaders need to be mindful when having these conversations: “They have to happen in a tactful way—right place, right time, and within boundaries.”

Living the dream

Stuart asks Carla on the podcast if she’s in her dream job. And she feels that she is.

“It's a dream job. But I don't know that I would have ever dreamed it up,” she jokes.

She enjoys speaking to groups at conferences and being able to pass on tips and tricks that firms can take back and put to use right away. And that’s also the future of accounting as a whole. Carla sees the potential to get more valuable time with clients. The growth opportunity lies in leveraging the tools that we have to grow alongside one another.

• Carla Caldwell, founder of Caldwell Consulting and Training, helps accounting firm owners with tech implementations and training.

• Sometimes the David vs. Goliath battle isn’t company vs. company. Rather, it’s a growth vs. non-growth mindset.

• Carla encourages managers to have more “squishy conversations” with employees. This means acknowledging their lives outside of work.