In this episode of the Accounting Insiders Podcast (recorded February 11, 2026), Gary DeHart sits down with Jody Padar (Radical CPA) and Katie Tolin, co-founders of XcelLabs, to talk about what accounting firms need to do right now to stay relevant as AI accelerates. Jody shares her early days building one of the first “cloud firms,” how consistency and authenticity helped her break through on LinkedIn long before “going viral” was a thing, and why advisory (not compliance) is what clients will keep paying for. Katie breaks down what AI is actually changing in marketing and growth, what “good” AI usage looks like, and why education matters if firms want adoption to stick. They also discuss Botkeeper’s closure and what it says about innovation in a risk-averse profession, plus a walk-through of XcelLabs’ approach, including “Navi,” a tool designed to help professionals improve how they show up in real client conversations. If you’re still treating AI like a side project, you’re already behind.
Connect and learn more:
Katie Tolin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katietolin/
Jody Padar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-padar-18a9711/
XcelLabs Academy: https://www.xcellabsacademy.com/