Marcus is back from five weeks on the conference circuit, from Collective's Recharge to Intuit and ADP councils to Accounting Today's Firm Growth Forum, and he and Rachel unpack what it signals for firms. They cover the surge in roll-ups and private equity moving down market, the tension between staying autonomous and centralizing operations, the AI agents landing inside nearly every platform, and the QuickBooks sunsets and price increases hitting this summer. They close with a preview of Gather and a case for using the slow season to act on what you learn, not just collect more sessions.

Sponsors
Discover.AI - discover.ai

Introducing Collective by DBA
https://collective.cpa
https://www.linkedin.com/company/collectivebydba

Learn More About Dillon Business Advisors
https://www.dillonadvisors.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dillonbusinessadvisors

Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcast
https://earmarkcpe.com

Download the Earmark CPE App
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app

• (00:00) - Welcome to Who's Really the Boss
• (03:00) - San Diego With The Girls
• (06:21) - Why Attend These Rooms
• (07:50) - Firm Growth Awards
• (09:17) - M&A Market Breakdown
• (14:47) - Centralize Or Stay Decentralized
• (22:57) - Rebrands And Proprietary AI
• (25:05) - AI Agents And Token Costs
• (32:47) - Platform Shifts And Price Hikes
• (37:24) - Gather Event Preview
• (43:22) - Improvement Season Takeaways
• (45:22) - How To Get Involved