BF Borgers, the audit firm whose clients included Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., got called a “sham audit mill” by the SEC’s top enforcer. White tells us how that affected BF Borgers’ clients.

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From outside the New York Stock Exchange, Steve talks to Nick Mazing of AlphaSense about that special something that keeps capital markets going: transparent financial reporting. They get into IPOs, the evolution of financial reporting, and AI. Check out the full episode.

Nick Renkoski and Steve Soter are joined by Penny Ashley-Lawrence to discuss workplace issues that affect women and what everyone can do to make the world of finance more fair.

Schools out! Season two is wrapped up and Nick and Steve are grabbing their surfboards and hitting the waves. We’ll be back soon with more on the latest from the financial waves.

We’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is more accounting memes! This time, Steve Soter plays quizmaster and tests the accounting knowledge of Nick Renkoski—who is not an accountant. The results are revealing in more ways than one.

Off the Books stays on top of the emerging world of bitcoin this week by speaking with Steve Soter and Ben Taylor, co-founder and CEO of SoftLedger, an accounting software provider that specializes in cryptocurrency.

Nick Mazing of Sentieo joins Nick Renkoski and Steve Soter to cover the biggest financial news of the first part of the year. SPACs! ESG! Crocs! Oh, my!

Bob Hirth of Protiviti concludes our conversation about ESG reporting, making the case that finance teams would do well to be an early adopter and not a laggard.

Nick Renkoski and Steve Soter are joined by Bob Hirth, Senior Managing Director at Protiviti, and an ESG proponent to discuss his career, the state of ESG, and why businesses should get on board.

Steve Soter, April Brady, and Josh Gertsch are back to finish their lesson for upcoming accounting professionals; the good, the bad, and the stuff no one will tell you. Listen up—don’t worry, there won’t be a test.

With graduation day coming up, Off the Books answers some listener mail about advice for upcoming accounting professionals. Steve Soter, April Brady, and Josh Gertsch drop some knowledge on recent grads. Listen up, class.

Adam Roundy from Hallows & Company in Salina, Utah (population 2,500) join Drew Deubner, Steve Soter, and Nick Renkoski to explain how connectivity allows firms to think big even in small towns, allowing you to do meaningful work wherever you want to be.

See what Nancy Golembiewski said when she was asked what she would do differently from her first initial public offering.

Missed the first part of our chat with Nancy? Find it here!

Never heard of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)? Well, it likely won’t be long before your finance team will be required to report on it. Smart teams are already starting. Darcie Brossart joins Drew Deubner and Steve Soter to discuss what to look out for.

Author Mel Robbins recently spoke to Workiva about her 5-second rule for productivity and creativity. Joel Capperella, who spoke with Mel, join Nick Renkoski and Steve Soter to discuss what Mel’s message means for finance professionals.

Drew, Nick, and Steve are joined by Nick Mazing of Senteo to discuss what has already taken place this year and what it means for the rest of this unprecedented time. From Game Stop to SPACs, we’ve got you covered.

You asked and we answered! Today we look at a piece of listener mail to learn a little bit more about mergers and acquisitions with the conclusion of our conversation with Erik Elfrink of KPMG.

You asked and we answered! Today we look at a piece of listener mail to learn a little bit more about mergers and acquisitions with Erik Elfrink of KPMG.

Meet Nick! He’s taking the reins from Drew while he’s out for a bit. He’s nice and is into hot sauce. You’ll like him.

Today we’re playing a high stakes game of follow the leader, talking with experts from Deloitte about what makes a good financial leader, how that need has changed, and a little bit about how to be liked along the way. Play on!

Hot diggity! It’s the second half of our conversation about SPACs. Join Steve, Drew, Josh Gertsch, and Caleb Cannon as they continue unpacking SPACs and where they’re headed in the future. Tune in!

Great Scott! Will SPACs be the IPO of the 21st Century? Will going public ever be the same? How many pairs of Crocs can Steve cram in his closet? Join Steve, Drew, Josh Gertsch, and Caleb Cannon as they find those answers via 1.21 gigawatts of podcast power. Tune in!

Today, we’re checking the OTB Mailbox. Drew and Steve help a listener understand what in the Sam Hill is going on with GameStop, what the SEC will do next, and learn why the muffaletta is nature’s perfect sandwich. Tune in!

Taking a company public is no small feat. Nancy Golembiewski had been through one initial public offering before she joined Duolingo as a controller to help with its IPO. Listen as she takes us back to her very first IPO.

“Follow” us or subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2 of our chat with Nancy.

So, banks tried this new accounting standard, and then COVID blew the whole thing to hell. And the related, but kinda-not-related, CARES Act didn’t help things either. It’s a doozy. Heather Markheim and Chris Albela untangle the whole mess for Drew and Steve. Tune in!

So, banks got ready for this new accounting standard, and then COVID blew the whole thing to hell. And the related, but kinda-not-related, CARES Act didn’t help things either. It’s a doozy. Heather Markheim and Chris Albela untangle the whole mess for Drew and Steve. Tune in!

We love listener mail! Steve and Josh explain what busy season is, Drew breaks up their incessant bickering, and somehow snowboarding is involved. Tune in!

In the back half of our two-part conversation, Dom Fatibene and Ernest Anunciacion wax nostalgic about their travels with CAS and how it’s shaped their careers. Let’s go! Tune in now!

Take a moment of silence for General Electric’s corporate audit staff training program. Two former participants say goodbye to the Navy Seals of audit, and offer useful tips for practitioners. Drew offers Kleenex to wipe their tears. Tune in!

Drew is not an accountant, which means he doesn’t understand the accounting memes that make the internet LOL out loud. Steve uses the force and breaks ‘em down. This one's blowin' up like the Death Star. Tune in!

Our European correspondent Conor O’Kelly gets Steve and Drew up to speed on what’s new in the EU and UK: airlines, statutory reporting, the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP), and more. Cheerio!

Nick Mazing of Sentieo drops the deets on all the fascinating stuff that’s happened behind the scenes in Q3 financial disclosures. Steve and the Drew-Tang Clan spit rhymes on the Biden administration, what’s new with the SEC, and so much more. Check it out, y’all!

In the second half of our conversation, Tim Tribe of Ingen Financial Forensics shares some really incredible stories about his life as a forensic accountant. Check it out! Listen now!

Take a microscopically close look at the fascinating world of forensic accounting with Tim Tribe of Ingen Financial Forensics. Find out what forensic accountants do, how he landed the gig, and what it’s like to teach juries about accounting. Check it out! Listen now!

Steve and Catherine got to ask a former SEC regional director two big questions: Just how much should a CEO know about operations? What’s up with the SEC climate disclosure rule now that it’s stayed? David Peavler of Jones Day shares his perspective and blows their minds! Listen now.

The Paycheck Protection Program offered small businesses shelter from the impact of COVID. But, as Marc Butler of Intelligize explains, it’s not quite as straightforward as you’d think. Steve and Drew chat chickens. Hit it!

What the what? Steve sat down for an interview with Sherron Watkins, the whistleblower at the heart of the Enron scandal, to get the whole scoop on what led up to her reporting the crimes, her life afterword, and much more. It’s a can’t-miss episode! Tune in now!

We originally aired this one back in April, but we could use something a little more lighthearted right now. Listen to a spooky tale based around a real-life accounting horror story shared by listeners. Boo!

We’re surfing way off the deep end with this one! Right in time for Halloween, listen to this spooky tale based around a real-life accounting horror story shared by one of our listeners. Tune in—if you dare!

Questions? Feedback? Want to be a guest on Off the Books?

Write us at offthebooks@workiva.com.

Just a quick update with the show—we’ve got some great stuff in the works for you, and more than a few surprises. Stay tuned!

Here's the episode of The Daily we mention. And, here's the New York Times article that that episode is based on.

(Check them out, they're really good.)

The amazing Nick Mazing, head of research at Sentieo, skims the surface of this quarter’s earnings releases and pulls out some really wild market trends. Plus, learn how to build your own market indicator! Meanwhile, Steve and Drew concoct the perfect Oreo. Tune in now!

So the IIA rolled out a new Three Lines model, which shakes the internal audit function to its core. What’s it mean, why’s it important, and what now? Ernest goes long with some football analogies, David waxes eloquent about gazpacho and accountability, and Drew drops puns, per usual. Tune in!

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The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s NOCLAR proposal has caused quite a stir in the audit community.  Matt Kelly, Editor and CEO of Radical Compliance, joins Steve and Catherine to share more about what the NOCLAR audit proposal is, why many audit firms are expressing concerns about it, and what audit committees are asking about it. Tune in to get all the details!

 

Read Matt Kelly’s article on NOCLAR here: https://www.radicalcompliance.com/2024/02/27/noclar-audit-proposal-keeps-going/

Hear more from Matt Kelly on the SEC’s climate-related and cybersecurity disclosure rules: https://www.workiva.com/resources/reading-tea-leaves-predictions-cybersecurity-chatgpt-and-more, https://www.workiva.com/resources/audit-and-risk-prep-sec-climate-rule

Conferences: love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t really go to ‘em anyway. Brooke Upton and Dana Williams attended some virtual sessions and took meticulous notes on agile auditing, continuous controls monitoring, and conference snacks. Tune in, learn the cool buzzwords, and sound smart to your coworkers!

So your guest bedroom slash office feels like an empty void. Zoom calls are flatter than day-old Diet Coke. What’s an accounting leader to do? Charles Carrington, partner at Deloitte, joins Drew and Steve to talk emotional intelligence, mental health, and intentional leadership in the time of Coronavirus. Tune in!

Private equity, as Steve and Drew learn, is the business of buying businesses, making them work better, then selling them. Jennifer Neill and Emilie McLaughlin give them the full scoop, and Steve starts an international bus conglomerate for pennies on the dollar. Tune in now!