It’s been 20 years since I’ve been to AICPA‘s biggest conference.
Twenty — you read that right.
“Wtaf? But Nancy, you LOVE conferences! You’re always telling us how life-altering they are and how much you learn, grow, and connect! 20 years?!”
Ok, so here’s the story.
20+ years ago I was a non-credentialed tax pro & bookkeeper (damned good at both mind you) and my tax/research software asked if I’d help them with their marketing materials — they wanted someone who was actually using the tools to make edits, give feedback, recommend content. As a writer and editor, I was excited for the opportunity, and it went well.
So well in fact, that they invited me to attend the big conferences where they were exhibiting — I think it was “AICPA TECH” back then; and the “Practitioners Symposium”. They wanted me to work the booth, not as a salesperson, but as a real-life practitioner who could explain what I liked about the software and how it compared to others in the space. Pretty cool gig. In theory.
But two things ended up being pretty crappy.
First off, I was super-disappointed at how unlike me the attendees were. As someone who ran a bookkeeping practice where we proactively helped clients succeed, with personal advisory services and trusted guidance, we invested a lot in technology and education. The folks I was meeting at these shows were generally uninterested in either. And definitely not interested in personal relationships with clients. It was a “once-a-year get-in and get-out and make as much money as possible” vibe. I was turned off big-time. I felt like these were not my people.
And then something else happened that confirmed it. Once they found out I wasn’t a CPA, I was treated like crap. Even though I was a well-educated and accomplished tax pro. I had been a member of National Association of Tax Professionals for years and voraciously devoured their educational materials. But none of that mattered — I was clearly not in their club. And worse, I was a BOOKKEEPER. So far beneath them. It was eye-opening.
Needless to say, I eventually stopped going. I found tech-forward conferences like SleeterCon and Woodard’s Scaling New Heights; made friends at NATP Tax Forums and their National Conference, as well as the IRS Tax Forums. And I left AICPA behind for a long time.
Eventually I decided to become a CPA just so I could say “yes” when asked by colleagues (not by clients — they didn’t care one way or the other). But I still wasn’t interested in what AICPA had to offer.
Until Lisa Simpson and the AICPA Town Hall came into my life. It was the pandemic, and I needed technical guidance. Fast. I needed to put everything I had into saving my clients and my neighborhood from ruin. And they delivered! I felt such camaraderie and support, and it’s no stretch to say I couldn’t have done it without them.
So I gave them another chance!
Here’s the happy ending to this full-circle story.
When Lisa Simpson, Erik Asgeirsson, April Walker, CPA, CGMA, Mark Peterson, Melanie Lauridsen, Mark Koziel CPA, CGMA, Lexy Kessler and the rest of the AICPA Town Hall team came into my life (check out past episodes on their YouTube playlist for free), I was deep into the desperate work of trying to save my clients and my neighborhood from ruin. (I own The Dancing Accountant, a remote yet hyper-local firm in Chicago.)
And they delivered! I felt such camaraderie and support; and the technical guidance, tools, client resources, articles & education were unmatched. Not to mention the advocacy at both the federal & state levels! It’s honestly not a stretch to say I couldn’t have done it without them.
So, I gave AICPA another chance. I re-joined (and to-date a rarely miss a Town Hall; I consider it quality “me-time”.) I attended Digital CPA (DPCA) and loved every moment. Talk about *my* people! Tech-forward practices embracing bookkeeping, client accounting and advisory — which in the intervening 20 years some CPAs realized are key to providing value-added client services, while leaning into the personal relationships that make work satisfying for team members as well as essential for clients.
I dived in deeper, joining the Town Hall focus group, and becoming a volunteer AICPA Scholarship Judge. I led over 500 people in a fake-aerobics dance class on the mainstage at their Global Women’s Leadership Summit. (Yes, really.) And I was proud to have been named an inaugural Global Woman to Watch.
But I still wasn’t ready for ENGAGE — not until 2 years ago, when so many friends, including Nicole Davis, CPA, raved about the quality of education, the progressive thinking reminiscent of Randy Crabtree, CPA‘s Bridging the Gap conference (my fave), and the connection among attendees.
You know me — FOMO struck, so I applied to speak for 2025; submitting a session on my greatest passion in life: addressing the capacity crisis in accounting by removing the “wall” between tax pros and bookkeepers that had been my nemesis at these conferences 20 years ago.
No dice. So I decided they weren’t ready for the message, put them back on my list of closed-minded old-school money-grabbers… and proceeded to close my own mind with old prejudices.
Then came along Mark Gallegos. He saw me speak at Intuit Connect and raved, then asked why I didn’t apply to speak at ENGAGE. I told him, “I did. Y’all didn’t think my message was important.” He asked if I’d try again; I told him I didn’t have time. (I’m admittedly hot-headed.) He came to my presentation at Bridging the Gap on bookkeeper + tax pro collaboration (Daniel Hood & Gail Perry, CPA, highly-respected voices in the field, did too; I was impressed by their curiosity!), and next thing you know… the session I submitted last year was accepted for 2026.
Are we seeing a sea-change in the most-trusted profession? Embracing technology, personalizing professionalism, hiring non-traditional talent, accepting that the onsite billable hour is not mightier than helping our clients succeed? Is this The Next Wave?
You tell me. And I’ll see *you* at AICPA ENGAGE 2026.
(Use code ENG2026 to save $150 — https://www.aicpaengage.com/)
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