Month: December 2024

Elevate Your Business with Insightful Accounting and Planning Tips with Ilona and Takaya Brunner (Ep. 64)

Elevate Your Business with Insightful Accounting and Planning Tips with Ilona and Takaya Brunner (Ep. 64)

How do you run a successful business without sacrificing your personal life?

 Many struggle to find the answers to this question…

Robert Curtiss brings on Ilona and Takaya Brunner, a dynamic CPA duo, to share their inspiring journey and unique approach to balancing work and life as business owners. They dive into how they help fellow entrepreneurs by taking the stress out of back-office tasks so business owners can focus on what truly matters. 

From building a thriving practice while enjoying family life to seamlessly managing client relationships, this episode is packed with practical advice and relatable insights! 

Talking points include: 

  • Juggling Family and Business: How Ilona and Takaya manage their CPA practice alongside family life to maintain balance
  • Full-Service Client Care: Their approach to offering comprehensive support that relieves business owners from financial headaches
  • The Power of Core Values: The importance of knowing your business values and using them to drive success
  • Setting Profit Goals: Strategies for understanding personal and business finance to alleviate stress
  • And more! 

Resources:

Connect with Ilona and Takaya Brunner: 

Connect with Robert Curtiss:

About Our Guests:

Ilona and Takaya Brunner have built a family-owned business that values their relationships with their children, clients, colleagues, and referral partners. They started Brunner Accounting to manage life and business on their terms. 

Ilona’s passion for serving business owners and individuals fueled her desire to open her own practice after spending 8 years in Big Four public accounting and 3 years at a local CPA firm in Burbank. Her services include tax return preparation, tax planning and consulting, IRS and state audit assistance, bookkeeping, and business management.

Takaya helps individuals and companies draw insights from their finances and data. For the last 10 years, he has used his experience as a CPA to execute initiatives with C-level executives by bridging the gap between finance, IT, development, analytics, and business operations. He specializes in helping organizations analyze their financial statements to improve their products, processes, and governance.

Why the Future of Financial Planning is Relationship-Focused with Mike Cy (Ep. 63)

Why the Future of Financial Planning is Relationship-Focused with Mike Cy (Ep. 63)

As the financial world becomes increasingly interconnected, true wealth management goes beyond portfolios—it’s about clarity, relationships, and forward-thinking strategies.

Robert Curtiss and Mike Cy take us into the heart of their holistic approach to financial planning, showcasing the tools and processes that empower clients to achieve confidence in their financial futures. They uncover how cutting-edge technology and adaptability redefine wealth strategies, even in a post-COVID world, while fostering enduring, multi-generational success.

Tune in and discover how a client-first, innovation-driven approach transforms financial advisory into a tool for lasting impact!

Key topics discussed include:

  • Building aligned relationships through the Fit Process
  • Enhancing client experiences with high-tech onboarding strategies
  • Using the Sounding Board Service for proactive financial guidance
  • Simplifying complexities with the Value-Added Support Team (VAST)
  • Unlocking exclusive private market opportunities with alternative investments
  • Adapting virtual engagement tools for seamless client support
  • Creating long-lasting multi-generational financial plans
  • And much more!

Resources:

Connect with Robert Curtiss:

Connect with Mike “Cy” Cajthaml Jr.:

About Our Guest:

Mike “Cy” Cajthaml Jr. has enjoyed a 14-year career in the financial services industry. Mike is a passionate and energetic leader who enjoys developing business refinement and practice management strategies and thrives on helping his clients achieve their goals.

He got his start in the industry at a large insurance marketing organization, where he consulted financial advisors across the country on product and marketing solutions for their businesses. During his time with this firm, he was introduced to Pareto Systems and began learning about the Pareto Process.

After six years of coaching and consulting advisers, Mike decided to become a financial advisor himself and built a practice with his father in Overland Park, KS. Together, they managed millions of dollars of assets and utilized various insurance-based products. Mike knew the value of creating professional contrast in an incredibly competitive marketplace and began implementing many of Pareto’s processes.