As we know, all good things come to an end. But sometimes, that end also means a new beginning. With 3 hosts, 305 episodes, 6 years, 1 award, and thousands of listens, our unique podcast has seen a great deal of success! With success comes the opportunity to improve. So, as they say, out with the old, and in with the new! Join Becca Davis, Director of Practice Growth at Rea & Associates, and Brad Circone, President and Founder of Circone + Associates to discuss the exciting changes in store ...
Nov 01, 2021•31 min•Ep. 305
COVID has reworked the way everything from manufacturing to the hospitality industry works, and, with that, comes a new world for firms looking to drive down their tax bills through allowable depreciation. John Hanning is Principal at Specialty Tax Group and he’s here to talk about how we can optimize the current, post-pandemic tax landscape to our advantage using the concepts they’re developing. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: How Specialty Tax advances the tax industry through t...
Oct 25, 2021•25 min•Ep. 304
As COVID-19 cases continue to climb, it’s clear our pandemic woes aren’t going anywhere for a while – and neither are the issues left in its wake. For key industries like manufacturing, many have been left to wonder what can we do now? And what happens next? CPA and senior manager here at Rea, Andrew Geiser, is joining us today to unpack some of the issues businesses in manufacturing are facing, and provide some insights into what comes next. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: The pa...
Oct 11, 2021•25 min•Ep. 303
Cyber-attacks happen every day. With the rise of virtual reliance, many say that cyber-attacks are the largest modern threat to businesses today – and for good reason. Since 2003, October has been recognized as cyber security awareness month. Cybersecurity expert at Rea, Ty Whittenburg, joins us today to discuss the importance of cybersecurity and how it can help protect your business. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What Cybersecurity Awareness Month is What cyber attacks look li...
Oct 04, 2021•24 min•Ep. 302
We know that the last few years have changed so many things – the way we work, do business, and even interact with each other. In these changing times, how can organizations continue to keep their data safe, and cyber threats at bay? Mark Dowd, Chief Development Officer at InfoGPS, discusses what every organization should have in their tool box to protect from threats, current trends, and more. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What the scope of cyber threats looks like Common mista...
Sep 27, 2021•33 min•Ep. 301
2021 has been utterly dominated by the aftermath of COVID-related changes to the industry and the world. But how, specifically, has that impacted insurance? While often overlooked, insurance is an investment that protects your hard work, and your business, no matter what comes next. So what do you need to know about insurance now that the world has changed? Our guest on today’s episode of unsuitable is vice president of Overmyer Hall Associates and insurance and risk management expert in the fie...
Sep 20, 2021•18 min•Ep. 300
Employee Stock Ownership Plans continue to grow in popularity. Today, more and more owners are considering ESOPs as their ideal succession strategy. They realize that it’s a great way to empower their team and promote continued business growth – long after they retire. We’re going to answer the big question business owners are asking concerning ESOPs: “What’s in it for me?” And to help us answer this question, we have ESOP expert, Ted Lape, back with us to dig into the topic. Listen to this epis...
Sep 13, 2021•30 min•Ep. 299
When you think of Labor Day, you might be thankful for a day off and thinking about spending time with family or relaxing. But did you know that, annually, the week of Labor Day is National Payroll Week? Founded in 1996 by the American Payroll Association, National Payroll Week celebrates employees and the payroll professionals that pay them. While there may not be a better feeling than pay day, do you know about the process that gets the money to your pocket? Our guest on today’s episode of uns...
Aug 30, 2021•20 min•Ep. 298
With the rise of virtual work, and a stronger reliance on virtual tech in the workforce, achieving clear and productive communication within your work team can be harder than ever. How can you sense someone’s true intentions behind the keyboard? How do you achieve a true connection with your team when so much of our lives are virtual? Is your message truly being received? Our guest on today’s episode of unsuitable is author, podcast host, and co-founder of Performance Support Systems, Meredith B...
Aug 23, 2021•25 min•Ep. 297
In less than a year, private companies will be required to adopt the new standard for accounting for leases. This means those who follow generally accepted accounting principles and carry leases are in for some pretty big changes. Jim Suttie, a principal on Rea’s lease accounting task force, is here to provide some much-needed insight into what this new standard means and how to start preparing. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: The new standard for accounting for leases The biggest...
Aug 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 296
A wise, yet fictional character once said: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” Well, the same can be said about retirement. You can plan and strategize and plan some more – right up until the day you receive your last paycheck – and still be shocked by how different your expectations were from reality. Today we’re going to catch up with unsuitable legend, Dave Cain, to learn what he’s been up to since retiring from Rea and the podcast and find out what he wo...
Aug 09, 2021•24 min•Ep. 295
2021 has been another crazy year for everybody and businesses everywhere continue to feel the pinch of a recovering economy. Even though federal and state government entities continue to do what they can to ease the burden on our business sector, there continue to be questions and concerns when it comes to taxes and regulatory requirements. On this week’s episode of unsuitable , tax guru and Rea principal, Christopher Axene, is here to give us some insight into the current tax climate as well as...
Aug 02, 2021•25 min•Ep. 294
The addition of robotic process automation in the workplace has been a spicy topic over the last few years. But, as you might expect, there are a lot of concerns out there – especially among those in the workforce who are worried that robotics will eventually be a replacement for the hard work we humans do every day. We’re going to separate fact from fiction when it comes to bots in the workplace and we’re bringing on Lesley Mast, a Rea principal and leader in our own efforts to implement roboti...
Jul 26, 2021•21 min•Ep. 293
Back in March, we learned a lot about managed service providers versus managed security service providers. Today, Jorn Baxstrom and Shawn Richardson are back to talk about the operational differences between the two and whether the service provider you’re currently working with is focused on helping you hunt for problems in your business... or threats. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: The difference between hunting for problems and hunting for threats The operational differences be...
Jul 19, 2021•24 min•Ep. 292
These days, company culture is everything – especially with so many businesses competing for top talent. When a prospective employee is considering multiple opportunities, a winning company culture can ultimately seal the deal. What are you doing to improve yours? Culture design strategist, Steve Chaparro, has helped companies transform their workplace culture through intentional co-creation and communication and regularly talks about this topic as a keynote speaker. He shares what insights he h...
Jul 12, 2021•26 min•Ep. 291
If you could work smarter and not harder, wouldn’t you? Most of us are looking for ways to maximize our time and work as efficiently as possible. Jillian Carpenter is an associate on Rea ’s client advisory services team where she spends a lot of time with technology. She’s going to share some of the many virtues of QuickBooks Online with us and, ultimately, why she enjoys working with the program. She’s also going to throw in a few tips and best practices for those of you who are already using t...
Jul 05, 2021•22 min•Ep. 290
If your business manages an employee benefit plan, there are some pretty big changes coming down the pipeline that you need to know about... and they go by the name of SAS 136. Kim Veal, a leader on Rea ’s ERISA team, is here to walk us through what’s changing, how it will impact your businesses, and how you can avoid complications during the audit process by preparing for SAS 136 today. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What’s changing with SAS 136 and how it impacts businesses The...
Jun 28, 2021•22 min•Ep. 289
Cyber threats and data breaches are making the news more and more. It’s a terrible thing when it happens to any business, but when your business does work for the government it’s particularly bad – it’s a national security issue. The Department of Defense recently implemented The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification to help protect America as well as businesses that work for the Department of Defense. Ty Whittenburg, a senior team member on Rea ’s cybersecurity and data protection team, is...
Jun 21, 2021•25 min•Ep. 288
Persuading somebody to change their mind about anything or to make a change in some aspect of their life is not an easy task – but it can be done. Brian Ahearn has literally written the book on the art of persuasion and influence: it’s called Persuasive Selling for Relationship Driven Insurance Agents . His first book, Influence PEOPLE , was an Amazon bestseller and was named among the Top 100 Influence Books of All Time. Brian joins us to explain how your ability to master persuasion has a dire...
Jun 14, 2021•24 min•Ep. 287
COVID has significantly impacted all aspects of our lives – especially from a financial perspective. Doug Feller, a principal with Investment Partners, has watched the COVID fallout closely with regard to the changes in financial planning habits. Today he’s going to share his observations and give us some tips to help us get back on track. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: The upside of having a financial plan How spending habits have changed Changes in how clients adopted technolog...
Jun 07, 2021•23 min•Ep. 286
If there’s one thing that never goes out of style it’s “succession planning.” That’s because owners want to ensure that the business they’ve dedicated their lives to is going to provide them with a desirable outcome – all while allowing them to retire worry-free. While planning for an ownership transition isn’t necessarily the easiest task you’ll undertake, it can be rewarding – particularly if you work with the right advisors. Tim Jamison has been the “right advisor” for many business owners ov...
May 31, 2021•26 min•Ep. 285
Rea & Associates continues to advocate alongside the Ohio Society of CPAs to help build a better business climate throughout the state. Because Ohio Society members work closely with most businesses state-wide, people often reach out to it for its holistic insight into the business community. Scott Wiley is the Ohio Society’s executive director. Since joining the OSCPA in 2013, Scott has made considerable strides to strengthen the organization and its mission of promoting more substantial bu...
May 24, 2021•22 min•Ep. 284
Remember that old saying: “It takes a community to protect a child?” Well, since COVID hit, it’s become obvious that it also takes a community to protect local business. Fortunately for businesses everywhere, there are incredible community resources to pull from. Jennifer McDonald, president and CEO of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce, shares what the chamber has done to help Licking County-area businesses over the last year. We also discuss the many reasons business owners should reach ou...
May 17, 2021•22 min•Ep. 283
Remote work has become the new normal, and as a business owner, you can’t help but wonder how this will affect your business during tax seasons to come. Kathy LaMonica, principal and senior manager of Rea ’s State and Local Tax (SALT) team is here to discuss the layers of remote work and what landmines do you need to be aware of, registering for payroll taxes in new states, and more. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What remote work looks like for SALT What out-of-state employment ...
May 10, 2021•23 min•Ep. 282
“Sales” has a bad reputation. When you think about somebody who “sells” for a living, what type of person do you think about? Does the image of a pushy car salesman come to mind? Or maybe you’re thinking about a conversation you had with pushy telemarketers during dinner? Why does the very thought of “sales” leave such a bad taste in our mouth? On this episode of unsuitable , we are pleased to have notable keynote speaker, best-selling author, and salesman extraordinaire Todd Cohen with us to an...
May 03, 2021•26 min•Ep. 281
How important is your company’s brand? As a business leader, you’ve worked hard to build a company on key values, instill solid company culture, and deliver an excellent experience. These qualities have all shaped your business’s brand. But what if you were faced with a really tempting opportunity or a decision that would ultimately take you out of sync with the brand you work so hard to build. What would you do? Brad Circone is a branding expert who has helped develop the brand voice of countle...
Apr 26, 2021•24 min•Ep. 280
These days, work is no longer defined by showing up at 8, punching a clock, doing your job, and getting outta there at 5. Employees are increasingly shaping the workforce and they are demanding a business environment that prioritizes health, well-being, psychological safety, flexible work options, DEI, and more. Karen Sating, a leader on Rea’s HR team shares what Rea is doing to shape the work-place environment and reinforce a “people-first” culture. Perhaps our conversation today will provide y...
Apr 19, 2021•24 min•Ep. 279
Relationships are the cornerstone of any good organization and initiative. What we’ve learned over the years is that the stronger the relationship, the more success you are likely to achieve. When it comes to the topic of relationships, there are so many avenues we could take. In this episode of unsuitable, we are going to take a look at the incredible relationship that has formed between Travis Gulling, executive director of A Kid Again, and Rick Ricart, president of Ricart Automotive Group, an...
Apr 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 278
People tend to spend more time thinking about and planning their next family vacation than they do thinking about and planning for retirement. As a result, they are ill-equipped to make that inevitable leap into their Golden Years when the time finally does come. Darlene Finzer, a Later Life Planning expert at Rea & Associates, is here to discuss what later life planning is, why it’s important, and how a professional in this field can help you plan – and experience – the retirement of your d...
Apr 05, 2021•22 min•Ep. 277
Do you know the difference between a “Managed Service Provider” and a “Managed Security Service Provider”? While they may have similarities, there are some crucial differences between the two – starting with the fact that managed security service providers lead with a security and risk-first approach. Shawn Richardson and Jorn Baxstrom, leaders on Rea’s cybersecurity and data protection services team, are here to explain these differences and why your business should be paying attention to who i...
Mar 29, 2021•23 min•Ep. 276
