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…

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…

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 th…

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 …

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 …

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…

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 ESO…

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…

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 messa…

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 thi…

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…

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…

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 fr…

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 thre…

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 workp…

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, ult…

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 …

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…

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 Amazo…

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 t…

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 u…

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. Si…

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…

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 pay…

“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 …

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…

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 t…

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 incred…

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 w…

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 …

Even though the 2021 tax season is coming to an end, if you are a business owner, taxes should always be a topic of consideration — especially your tax obligations at the state and local levels. Luke Lucas, a senior manager on Rea & Associates’ state and local tax team, is here to give us some insight into how different states have responded to the…

2020 taught us many lessons, mainly that you will never truly be prepared for everything no matter how hard you try. Even so, understanding the essential functions of your business may help keep you going strong until you can get back on course. Andrew Geiser, a senior manager on Rea & Associates’ manufacturing and distribution services team, share…

The 2021 busy season just got busier for tax professionals. Working through the results of the recent election, new tax provisions resulting from an ongoing pandemic, and more, business owners will have to be prepared to look at things a little differently in the year ahead. Chris Axene, a principal on Rea’s federal tax team, explains what accounta…

Charitable giving in 2020 looked a lot different than anyone could have expected. Policy changes, tax updates, and a larger share of household giving than the preceding year all played a role. Laura MacDonald, principal and founder of Benefactor Group, is here to provide insight into what she witnessed as a leader in the nonprofit space during 2020…

The busiest time of year for tax professionals is about to get a lot busier - thanks to the CARES Act, PPP Second Draw Loans (not to mention PPP 1.0), and the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). There are a lot of questions facing business owners and it's up to the tax professionals to provide them with the answers they're looking for. But, it's fair …

Creating company morale in a virtual world can be quite difficult, but it’s not impossible. Abbey Kanellakis, Practice Growth Senior Manager at Rea, is going to talk about our initiatives within Rea to keep virtual life engaging, known as the Committee of Awesomeness. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: The challenges with keeping up mor…

One Columbus has a vision for the Columbus Region to be the most prosperous region in the United States — that means growing businesses, preparing communities, and more. Chip Holcombe, Director of Investor Relations at Columbus 2020, joins unsuitable to give us a little insight about the One Columbus plan. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to le…

Keeping your organization’s information and computer systems safe can be tricky, but assessing current processes and recommending new and innovative software could put you on the right path to grow your organization. Darrell Williams, Chief Information Officer at Rea & Associates, joins unsuitable to talk about a few IT initiatives Rea is doing to …

The tough part about developing your organization's employee development strategy is forgetting the fact that one size can’t fit all. Annie Yoder, Principal and Director of Development at Rea & Associates, joins unsuitable to talk about how you can balance employee development amongst a broad scale and the differences between Coaching, Mentorship, …

It’s no secret that bad actors are getting sneakier, but with the right tips, you can protect your organization from fraud. Karen Davis, owner and founder of Green Oak Advisors, LLC is here to talk about fraud and how it can impact your accounting processes. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What fraud is and how it occurs The reasons …

With the long-lasting effects of the election and pandemic, you have to wonder how much this will make a mark on your future…. or the legacy you wish to leave behind. Inez Bowie, Principal at Rea & Associates, is here to talk about Estate Planning and how recent events may impact your plan. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: Recommendat…

While many industries suffered in 2020, construction has actually seen a lot of opportunities. Operating a business in 2020 still comes with its own unique set of challenges, but we’re optimistic about the state of the industry in 2021. Joe Urquhart, Vice President of Overmyer Hall Associates, joins unsuitable to talk about construction trends we a…

There is so much change happening in the world of HR and safety guidelines every day. It can be a struggle keeping up with everything. Luckily, we have experts like Renee West, Senior Manager and Lead HR Consultant at Rea & Associates, keeping tabs on everything for us. She tells us about some of the updates regarding the FFCRA, what resources are …

It’s been a weird year for just about everyone and everything, the economy included. So, this year’s end-of-year to-do list is a little weird, too. To help us understand what’s different this year and some of the unique opportunities available to us, we sat down with Dee Gray, Client Service Specialist at Rea & Associates. We talk about COVID-19 si…

COVID-19 continues to make major impacts especially in government funding. So we sat down with Zac Morris, Principal and Director of Government Services Practice at Rea & Associates, and Ken Richards, Principal at Rea & Associates, to talk about the latest and greatest in government funding and our most recent merger with Kennedy Cottrell Richards …

As new trends emerge in today’s society, it’s important that industries follow suit. That’s why Don Gregory, Director and Chair of Construction Law Practice at Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter, and Mike Madigan, Director at Kegler Brown, are here to share the top trends and issues in the corporate legal industry, as well as what they foresee for 2021. …

There are a lot of unknowns right now when it comes to the political environment, and that doesn’t help with the uncertainty that surrounds retirement. But there are still things you can control. Chris Hensel, Principal at Investment Partners, joins the show to share insight on how you can calm your financial anxiety about retirement. Listen to thi…

Finding solutions to reduce the risk of employee injuries can be difficult, especially with the minimal regulations for construction industries. Travis Spagnolo, Certified Safety Specialist at Safex, joins this episode of unsuitable to share a few best practices and stories on how your workplace can prevent serious injury. Listen to this episode of…

Retirement comes with many ups and downs, but knowing your retirement options and getting the proper assistance can help the ride go smoother. And Kim Veal, Supervisor at Rea & Associates, is here to give insight on what to expect with your retirement plan and how you can receive help. Listen to this episode of unsuitable to learn: What you should …

There is nothing scarier than a tax audit gone wrong to haunt your dreams. Knowing the keys to success or failure may save you time, money, and an audit nightmare. Michaela McGinn, Principal and Director of Assurance Services at Rea & Associates, is here to share a few best practices to help you prevent a tax audit horror story. Listen to this epis…