MOVE Like This!

Why Bland & Associates Said No to Private Equity and Yes to ESOPs with Jeremy Vokt

When Bland & Associates started thinking seriously about succession planning, the options on the table felt familiar: sell to private equity, pursue a merger, or follow the traditional partner buyout model. None of them felt right. So Jeremy Vokt helped chart a different course, making Bland the first ESOP-owned CPA firm in Nebraska.
Jeremy joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to walk through how the Employee Stock Ownership Plan works in practice, why it aligned better with the firm's values than any of the alternatives, and what it was like to launch the transition on January 2, 2020, just weeks before a global pandemic. The ESOP didn't just survive the uncertainty. It helped the firm hold together through it.
The conversation also covers the transparency culture that makes it work: sharing financials, stock valuations, and strategic goals with every employee, and using the Entrepreneurial Operating System to keep everyone aligned and accountable.
What you'll take away:
How an ESOP works in a professional services firm and why it's simpler than you think
Why employee ownership builds engagement that equity compensation alone never quite achieves
What it took to change state law to make this possible and what other firms can learn from that
How radical financial transparency strengthens trust, retention, and shared purpose
What to honestly assess before deciding whether an ESOP is the right fit for your firm
Resources & Links
Connect with Jeremy Vokt on LinkedIn
Learn more about Bland & Associates: https://blandcpa.com
Participate in the MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com
About MOVE Like This MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.
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Keep Your Best Talent by Living Your Values with Rehmann CEO Stacie Kwaiser

Rehmann has 1,100 people, 22 offices, and retention rates that consistently beat the profession's averages. That doesn't happen by accident. Stacie Kwaiser, the firm's CEO, joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to pull back the curtain on what nearly three decades of intentional culture-building actually looks like in practice.
The anchor of Rehmann's approach is its Career Advocacy Program — started almost 20 years ago as an initiative to advance women, and now a firm-wide strategy built around sponsorship, visibility, and leadership development. Stacie's perspective is direct: belonging isn't a program you can cut when times get hard. It's a business strategy that drives retention, client relationships, and long-term growth. And Gen Z is watching closely enough to know the difference between firms that mean it and firms that don't.
What you'll take away:
Why sponsorship accelerates careers in ways mentorship alone never can
How Rehmann evolved a women's initiative into a firmwide leadership development engine
Why younger professionals evaluate firms on representation in leadership, not just recruiting messaging
How connecting DEI to client service turns inclusion into a revenue strategy
What it looks like to embed "Put People First" into daily decisions, not just annual reports
Resources & Links
Connect with Stacie Kwaiser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciekwaiser/
Learn more about Rehmann: https://www.rehmann.com
About MOVE Like ThisMOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode🔗 Website: https://accountingmoveproject.com

What the Next Generation Is Really Looking For — with Stephani Mason & Claire Costin

Two accounting professors walk into a podcast, and what they have to say about the next generation of talent should stop every firm leader in their tracks.
Claire Costin (University of Portland) and Steph Mason (DePaul University) both came up through the profession before moving into academia, where they now research inequity, bias, and intersectionality in accounting. They join host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to share what today's students are looking for in employers, and why firms that are quietly scaling back DEI efforts are making a very expensive mistake.
The conversation is candid, research-grounded, and full of moments that hit close to home: the top student who turned down a Big Four offer after being disrespected in recruiting, the myth of meritocracy that ignores how early opportunity gaps begin, and the simple but radical idea that tax returns and audits are still delivered by people who need to feel seen.
What you'll take away:
Why belonging is non-negotiable for the next generation — regardless of political affiliation
How microaggressions in recruiting are costing firms their best candidates before day one
Why meritocracy without equity misses the point entirely
What intentional mentorship looks like and why it benefits the whole firm
Why firms that act courageously on their values right now will win the long game on talent
 
Resources & Links
Connect with Steph Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephani-mason-8928531/ 
Connect with Claire Costin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairecostin/ 
DePaul University Accounting: https://www.depaul.edu/academics/programs/accountancy 
University of Portland: https://www.up.edu
Participate in the Accounting MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com/ 
About MOVE Like ThisMOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. New episodes drop bi-weekly during survey season and monthly in the off-season. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode

How to Communicate Your Firm's Values When the Language Is Under Fire | MOVE Like This with Cass Bailey

When the language around diversity, equity, and inclusion becomes politically charged, many firms do one of two things: double down on the terminology or go completely silent. According to Cass Bailey, CEO of Slice Communications, both are mistakes.
Cass joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to share how firms can communicate their values with intention and clarity — even in a polarized environment. Drawing from deep experience in PR, internal messaging, and crisis communications, she makes the case that the path forward isn't about finding safer words. It's about being clear on what you actually stand for and making sure your internal culture matches what you're saying publicly.
For firms facing pressure from multiple directions — employees, clients, and ownership — this episode offers a grounded, practical communication strategy that doesn't require you to compromise your mission.
What you'll take away:
Why values-based language outlasts buzzwords in any political climate
How to spot the gap between your external messaging and internal reality — before it costs you talent
Why recruiting is your most visible inclusion metric
How to communicate clearly to stakeholders who don't all agree
What firms should be doing right now to reinforce their culture through everyday decisions
Resources & Links
Connect with Cass Bailey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandraorylbailey/ 
Learn more about Slice Communications: https://slicecommunications.com
Participate in the Accounting MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com
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How Strengths-Based Coaching Transforms Retention at Accounting Firms | MOVE Like This with Angela Oakley

Most firms that try CliftonStrengths treat it as an event. Clark Nuber treats it as a culture. Angela Oakley, Director of the firm's Talent Advisor Program, joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to share what nearly a decade of strengths-based coaching looks like in practice — and why the difference between a one-time assessment and a lasting development program comes down to consistency, champions, and intention.
Angela has been building this program since 2016, embedding strengths into onboarding, performance conversations, and team dynamics. Her approach is pragmatic: start where there's openness, let success build momentum, and make strengths part of how people talk about their work every day — not just during review season.
For firms wondering why their development investments don't seem to move the needle, this episode offers a clear and practical alternative.
What you'll take away:
Why strengths-based development builds trust and engagement faster than traditional approaches
How to use CliftonStrengths in onboarding to accelerate new hire integration
The right way to find champions and grow a program without top-down mandates
Why shifting focus from weaknesses to strengths changes the entire culture of feedback
What it takes to keep a development program alive and relevant year after year
Resources & Links
Connect with Angela Oakley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-oakley-8a72a44/ 
Learn more about Clark Nuber: https://clarknuber.com
Participate in the Accounting MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode 

Why Belonging - and Not Just Inclusion - Is the Real Goal | MOVE Like This Ep. with Donny Shimamoto

There's a difference between being included and truly belonging — and for many women and professionals of color in accounting, that gap is exactly where careers stall. Donny Shimamoto of the Center for Accounting Transformation joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to explore why the profession keeps losing diverse talent before it reaches leadership, and what firms can do differently.
Donny speaks from personal experience as an Asian leader in the profession, bringing both candor and optimism to a conversation that also tackles the political headwinds facing DEI efforts today. His argument: when firms stop treating diversity as a separate initiative and start integrating people-centered practices into their overall strategy, belonging becomes a competitive advantage — not a checkbox.
The episode also announces an exciting new research collaboration between the Accounting MOVE Project and the Center for Accounting Transformation.
What you'll take away:
Why belonging is a more meaningful — and measurable — goal than inclusion
How neutral language can expand DEI participation without diluting the mission
Why retention of diverse talent fails at the leadership level — and how to change that
What it looks like to integrate people practices into firm strategy
Details on the new MOVE + Center for Accounting Transformation research initiative
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Resources & Links
Full episode on CPA Trendlines: https://cpatrendlines.com/2025/05/14/donny-shimamoto-reimagining-diversity-and-belonging-in-the-accounting-profession-move-like-this/ 
Connect with Donny Shimamoto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnyitk/ 
Center for Accounting Transformation: https://improvetheworld.net 
Participate in the MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com 
 
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Skills Testing as a Secret Weapon for Hiring & Retention | MOVE Like This with Ashley Kostos

What if your next great hire isn't the one with the most impressive resume — but the one who actually scores highest on the job? Ashley Kostos, Sales Manager at Accountests, joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to explore how data-driven skills assessments help accounting firms hire smarter, develop talent faster, and remove bias from promotion decisions.
Ashley shares how assessments built specifically for the accounting profession go beyond the interview to measure real-world technical skills, software fluency, and personality traits like ethics and resilience — and how firms are using that data not just to screen candidates, but to build meaningful career paths.
In this episode:
Why resumes and interviews aren't enough to assess true readiness
How skills testing reduces bias in hiring and promotion
Using assessment results to build tailored onboarding and development plans
The Pathway to Partnership report — benchmarking employees against leadership traits
Why re-testing every few years leads to stronger, more resilient teams
If your firm is losing people and not sure why — or hiring on gut instinct and hoping for the best — this episode will change how you think about talent decisions.
MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms.
Learn more about the Accounting MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com
#AccountingLeadership #CPA #PublicAccounting #TalentStrategy #WomenInAccounting #AccountingMOVEProject #HiringBestPractices #AccountingFirms

How BPM's CEO Embeds Inclusion Into Firm Strategy | MOVE Like This with Jim Wallace

What does it look like when a firm's CEO truly leads DEI from the top? BPM CEO Jim Wallace joins host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk to share how his firm has woven diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into its business strategy — not as a side initiative, but as a core operating principle.
 
Jim shares how BPM's guiding value, "Because People Matter," shows up in everything from leadership development to colleague resource groups (CRGs) — and why measuring belonging is just as important as measuring revenue.
 
In this episode:
✅ Why DEI must live in your strategic plan, not on the sidelines
✅ How top-down commitment creates firm-wide momentum
✅ Using engagement surveys to track belonging — and acting on the results
✅ How colleague resource groups drive connection and inclusion
✅ The metrics BPM tracks to hold itself accountable
 
Whether you're a managing partner, HR director, or firm leader wondering how to move from intention to action, this conversation delivers a practical, honest look at what it takes.
 
MOVE Like This is the podcast for accounting firm leaders building more equitable, competitive, and people-first firms. Hosted by Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk.
 
Learn more about the MOVE Project: https://accountingmoveproject.com 
 
#AccountingLeadership #DEI #CPA #PublicAccounting #WomenInAccounting #MOVEProject #AccountingFirms #InclusionAtWork

MOVE Like This - Carrie Steffen, Iowa Society of CPAs

In this episode of MOVE Like This, Bonnie speaks with Carrie Steffen about what she’s seeing from her new role as CEO of the Iowa Society of CPAs. After 25 years advising firms on growth and marketing, Carrie stepped into the CEO role in 2025 with responsibility for member engagement, education, and legislative advocacy. One of her earliest takeaways is that communication is far more complex than it appears. A state society represents professionals across different firm sizes, geographies, and career stages, and reaching them effectively requires clear, intentional messaging that builds trust and keeps people connected to the profession.
Carrie also links today’s talent pressures to broader economic realities and generational expectations. Professionals entering the workforce during uncertain economic periods often prioritize stability, flexibility, and a sense of community. In that environment, belonging is no longer a “nice to have.” It plays a central role in whether professionals stay in the field, develop within their firms, and see a future in the profession.
The conversation also explores the profession’s pipeline challenge and why fewer students are choosing accounting. Carrie suggests part of the problem is messaging: the profession often highlights deadlines and workload instead of the impact and opportunity that a CPA career can offer. At the same time, accounting is competing with highly visible careers in tech and finance. Firms that want to remain relevant will need to tell a more compelling story about the stability, versatility, and long-term career paths accounting provides while also listening to younger professionals whose perspectives will shape what the profession becomes next.

Jessica McClain, Girl Scouts CFO, Joins the MOVE Conversation

Just in time for Girl Scout cookie season, we talk to Jessica McClain, the organizations newly-appointed CFO. On this episode, Jessica and Bonnie talk about the importance of "belonging" in the workplace. Research shows that at least 64% of people feel the need to hide some aspect of their identity from their co-workers. Trying to keep part of yourself hidden is stressful, and the energy used to perform a certain way is energy that is not being used to perform a job and take care of client needs. We discuss what individuals can do to embody authenticity, and what situations indicate it is time to move on to another job. We also talk about what accounting firms can do to create a culture where people of all stripes feel safe to be themselves. You can learn more about Jessica here or on LinkedIn.