Katie Thomas, CPA – 2024 “40 Under 40” Honoree
Owner
Leaders Online, LLC
https://leaders-online.com
- Valedictorian, Undergraduate in Accounting, University of Kansas
- Valedictorian, Post Graduate: Masters in Accounting, University of Kansas
- Passed all four CPA exams on the first attempt, with a cumulative 94 average.
- Tax Accountant at EY
- Owner and Founder of Leaders Online, a digital marketing firm for accountants and professional service providers looking to increase their impact, influence, and income. The size and experience of firms we work with vary, as some firms are in the top 100 and some are just getting started.
- I have a large social media community with over 42,000 LinkedIn followers, 22,000 Facebook followers, 9,500 Instagram followers, 1,600 Youtube subscribers, and 1,800 Twitter followers.
Recent Activities
Over the past year, my team and I have spearheaded implementing a unique inbound recruitment strategy, now adopted by multiple Top 100 firms nationwide, to combat the industry’s talent shortage. Further, we’re constantly leveraging the newest technology. For example, we’re using AI to generate content faster and more effectively for firms by leveraging large language models (LLMs) in two key ways. First, we use LLMs to draft content from transcripts of client interviews focused on insightful moments. Second, leveraging an RSS feed aggregator, we use LLMs to summarize timely news related to their niche. Our team then refines both types of AI-generated content to ensure quality and accuracy, keeping firms ahead of the marketing curve with minimal effort while maintaining the human touch. Alongside this, I’ve been a mom to a 2-year-old girl and welcomed a new baby boy into my life the past year.
What are you doing to make a difference in the profession, your community, the world?
In addition to running the agency, I’m devoted to giving back to the accounting profession and my local community. I mentor aspiring CPAs and accounting students, offer pro bono marketing advice to local business owners, and frequently speak at industry events to share best practices. I’m also very active on social media and publish a weekly newsletter that provides an in-depth look at a marketing concept or question. This newsletter gives firm owners actionable steps they can immediately implement for tangible improvements.
Current Professional Reading / Listening
- Podcasts
- Revenue Vitals podcast by Chris Walker.
- All-in Podcast with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
- Accounting Podcast by David Leary and Blake Oliver
- Books: You’ll always find me reading both a business book and a fiction book.
- For business, a new read this year was Fantastical Prospecting by Jeff Blount, which was awesome.
- As far as fiction goes, an awesome recent read was The Women by Kristin Hannah.
See all of the 2024 “40 Under 40” and “20 Under 40” honorees.
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