Why Dominating The Accounting Industry Belongs To CPA Firms Who Think Beyond Compliance
#burntheboats. The accounting profession is at a crossroads. Private equity is buying into the Top 100. Alternative Practice Structures are tearing down old walls. And firm leaders—especially in the middle market—are facing a blunt reality: the compliance-only model isn’t enough.
The firms that thrive from here won’t be the ones doing the same thing better. They’ll be the ones doing the right new things—adding services that drive value for clients and growth for the firm.
That’s exactly where Growth-Drive comes in. And why we are collaborating with my good friend and strategist Christine Hollinden CEO of Hollinden: Growth Without Guesswork. We agree on one big idea: a few CPA firms will win the ‘business growth services' war. Why? How? A few leaders will burn the boats, embracing new ideas and business models, nailing the Growth-Driving Objective Innovation. They will move boldly into new models. We are committed to your success -see us at AT Growth Forum and AICPA Engage.
There are proven processes delivering what it takes to win.
Leading a CPA firm? Here’s why the data matters to you:
Why It Matters: PE wants firms that scale. Growth-Drive helps you deliver advisory services that drive recurring revenue and client value—exactly what PE is looking for.
Why It Matters: Your clients are asking for help growing, scaling, and exiting successfully. Growth-Drive gives your firm a step-by-step method to deliver what they need.
Why It Matters: With C3D-certified advisors and Growth-Drive tools, your advisory practice becomes the growth engine of your firm.
Why It Matters: C3D certification gives your people the tools and confidence to lead high-value conversations—with methodology, process, and tech to back them up.
Private equity is moving fast. Over 30% of the Top 100 firms are already backed by PE, and that number is growing. Why? Because accounting firms have sticky clients, predictable revenue, and room to scale—especially if they can move beyond tax and audit.
Meanwhile, Alternative Practice Structures are opening up new ways to deliver advisory services. No longer bound by the traditional CPA firm model, these APS organizations are recruiting non-CPA talent, expanding service lines, and building the kind of firms that can move fast and grow faster.
In both cases, one thing is clear: advisory is the next frontier. But it’s not enough to say you offer advisory. You need to deliver it. Consistently. At scale. With real client impact.
We built Growth-Drive to help firms like yours move beyond compliance and into real strategic advisory. Not by guessing. Not by throwing another coaching program at your partners. But by giving you a proven, teachable methodology—and the tools to deliver it.
How will you change the game? Consider a complete knowledge, technology and support stack:
Firms that successfully implement these services are proven to grow their advisory revenue—AND they are growing their client relationships, their partner capacity, and their enterprise value.
More importantly, they position themselves for the future of the profession. Whether you’re helping clients looking to retain top talent, prepare for succession, or increase their multiple before talking to private equity—this is the playbook.
We work with firms of all sizes: regional leaders, APS innovators, PE-backed consolidators, and entrepreneurial practices ready to break through the ceiling. If this is you, then let’s talk.
Because the firms that figure out advisory now? They’re the ones that will own the future.
Ready to make advisory real?
Explore Growth-Drive and the C3D certification at www.growth-drive.com
Call (843) 284-7878 or email george@growth-drive.com.
Or connect with me in person at Hollinden's Accounting Today Growth Conference booth or AICPA Engage Booth. We''re also sponsoring the AM&AA conference this July.
Want to learn more?
(c)2025 Growth-Drive Holdings LLC. Use permitted under license. All Rights Reserved.
George Sandmann, Founder: May 14, 2025 9:56:06 AM
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George Sandmann, Founder: May 6, 2025 9:30:59 AM
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