What small firms are getting right about tech and why they’re not alone

Small CPA firms play a critical role in the accounting profession, and new tools are helping them compete, innovate, and grow. In this episode of the JofA podcast, Stephanie Otero, CPA, the AICPA’s vice president–Small Firm Advocate, discusses why small firms matter, how AI and automation are leveling the playing field, and where innovation thrives in smaller practices.

She references real-world examples and previews the PCPS Small Firm Success Series, a free, CPE-eligible webcast series for AICPA members.

The conversation also looks ahead to ENGAGE in Las Vegas and the ways AICPA resources and communities help small firm practitioners realize they do not have to go it alone.

Related resources:

• Private Companies Practice Section firm membership.
• Resources for small firms.
• Transforming Your Business Model resources.
• April 20 PCPS Overview Session.
• Article on small firms’ use of AI and automation.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

• The importance of small CPA firms to the profession and why Otero is passionate about advocating for such firms.
• How AI and automation can help small firms compete with larger organizations.
• Practical examples of practitioners using technology to build capacity.
• AICPA resources can help small firm leaders connect and grow.

Play the episode below or read the edited transcript:

— To comment on this episode or to suggest an idea for another episode, contact Neil Amato at Neil.Amato@aicpa-cima.com.

Transcript

Neil Amato: Hi, listeners. This is Neil Amato with the Journal of Accountancy, and you’re listening to the JofA podcast. For this spring 2026 episode, my guest is Stephanie Otero, an AICPA vice president focused on advocating for small firms. Stephanie, welcome to the JofA podcast. We’re happy to have you on.

Stephanie Otero: Hi, Neil. Thanks for having me. I’m happy to be here.

Amato: We are recording remotely. I am in North Carolina. You are in New Mexico. I’m pretty sure you are the first JofA podcast guest from the Land of Enchantment. We’re glad to add that new state to our list. If you could remind listeners first, you’ve not been in the role that long, but how long have you been the VP and small firms advocate?

Otero: Yeah, I jumped into my role in September of 2025, so I don’t know — it’s maybe just a little bit over six months, trying to do the math in my head very quickly.

Amato: Yeah, exactly. I think September being the ninth month, us recording in March, that’s about six months. New to the role, but getting more comfortable every day and passionate about it. So tell me something about that passion. Why specifically are you passionate about the small firms that are so important to the profession?

Otero: Absolutely. First, I’ll start by clarifying small firms. We define that as less than 30 professionals. I get that question a lot, what is a small firm? That’s everything from sole practitioner up to a firm with up to 30 professionals. I am so passionate about them because they are really the heart and center of our profession. We need them, small businesses rely on them, nonprofit organizations rely on them.

They’re really important to our overall accounting profession. I’m also passionate because I used to be a small firm owner myself. I had my own CPA firm in Palm Springs, Calif., for about 13 years, and I was a sole practitioner for many of those years, and then I ended up having a team of five, including myself. I just love all things small firms, and I feel like this position has come full circle for me in my career.

Amato: That’s great. It’s good to know some about your background and also why it’s a passion for you, why it means something because you’ve lived it. In a recent article, you wrote that AI and automation can amplify small firms’ competitive edge when it comes to speed, flexibility, those close relationships with clients. Tell me more about how small firms can use some of those tools.

Otero: Absolutely. I love this question because I think AI and technology level the playing field for small firms in comparison with large firms. My advice to them is always to embrace AI and technology and see where you can utilize it within your firm to help build capacity or help create efficiencies. I think within small firms is where innovation and creativity thrives. It does so because they wear multiple hats, so they have to be creative in thinking of new ways that they can create efficiencies and build capacities.

Within the article, small firm owner Nicole Davis talks about how she uses AI to automate certain parts of her practice, how she used it to create a chatbot to answer questions related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. I love those examples because those are easy ways you can use and implement AI within your practice.

Amato: They are really good examples. I have heard about Nicole Davis, have not talked to her myself before. We will include a link to that article in the show notes for this episode. When you meet firm leaders such as Nicole, who as we mentioned was a focus of that article, how energizing is it just to see how firms such as hers are innovating?

Otero: It’s so exciting to see. I love being in a room with small firm practitioners because I gain so much insight. I learn so much, and I leave so inspired. For instance, I remember talking to a small firm practitioner. She’s a sole proprietor, and she talked about how she uses Loom to create tax videos during busy season.

So instead of meeting individually with each client, which takes up quite a bit of time, she would record five-minute videos where she would go over their tax return, explain any large variances or unusual variances, talk about strategies for next year, and then she would send that video off to them. I just thought that was so ingenious and such a creative way to have capacity within her practice and to use technology in her favor.

Amato: The AICPA has something called the PCPS Small Firm Success Series. What is that, for people who haven’t heard of it before?

Otero: Yes, thank you for asking this question. The Small Firm Success Series is a webcast series designed specifically for small firm practitioners. It’s free to AICPA members, and it provides CPE credit. We have four of them. The first one is starting on June 25.

And actually speaking Nicole, she’ll be one of the speakers, along with another small firm practitioner, Shayna Chapman. I’ll be speaking with both of them and asking them how they use technology and AI within their practices and what tech tools they really do enjoy and what really work within their firm. So that’ll be a good one to watch.

Amato: That’s great. Again, that event is coming up in June. Speaking of June, another big event on the accounting calendar is ENGAGE, which is coming up starting June 8 in Las Vegas. It’s your first time going to ENGAGE. Tell me about some of, I guess, your anticipation for it and any particular plans related to small firm advocacy.

Otero: Yes, as you mentioned, my first time to go, so I’m pretty excited to go. I have heard it is the conference to attend. I’m looking forward to really meeting and networking with other small firm practitioners. I feel like when I meet them and when I have discussions, that’s when I learn the most about them and where the challenges are within their practices.

I’m also speaking at ENGAGE. I have two sessions. One of them is on the EDGE Leadership track. The title is “All the Places You’ll Go: CPA Edition.” I love this. It’s myself along with three other CPAs, and we’re talking about where the CPA has led us within our career. I’ve had a pretty diverse background, and I started at a small firm. I’m excited about that session and to be able to speak on my career and where it’s led me.

The other session I’m part of is with Daniel Moore. He’s also a small firm practitioner, and we’re going to be talking about how to transform your practice into a smarter firm using technology and automation to create efficiencies and build capacity within your practice.

Amato: That’s great. That “All the Places You’ll Go,” it sounds like a Dr. Seuss reference to me.

Otero: It does. I love the take on that. Yeah, so I thought that was pretty unique.

Amato: Cool. Again, that’s ENGAGE, starting June 8 in Las Vegas. We’ll have a link in the show notes to the registration page for that conference. Stephanie, we’ve covered a lot of topics. We’ve covered them quickly, succinctly. But what else would you like to emphasize for listeners in this episode?

Otero: I would just like to remind small firm practitioners that they don’t have to go at it alone. Within the Private Companies Practice Section at the AICPA, we have small firm networking groups. It’s a great way to build community within there. I also want to remind them that we have a ton of resources at the AICPA that are really geared for small firms. And then just to remind them that I’m here. I’m here for them. I’m their advocate. I’m here to listen, learn, and to help them in any way that I can.

Amato: That’s great. We’ll share some of those pertinent resources as links also. Stephanie Otero, thank you for being on the JofA podcast.Otero: Thanks for having me. This was great.