E215 - What It Really Costs to Make Partner with Justin Warren

About this episode

Justin Warren shut his life down for three and a half months a year, running 12 to 15 hour days while his wife held the house together and helped raise their kids. He is a partner at PKF O'Connor Davies, one of the top accounting and advisory firms in the country, and he walks Rob through what climbing to partner actually costs and how he keeps a life while doing it.

The conversation covers how Justin stumbled into accounting in high school, five years of 18 hour days at a Big Four firm, and why he left New York City the same year COVID hit. Rob and Justin also get into protecting one hour a day for the gym, why the hardest part of tax season is the stress and not the hours, and how to tell whether the tax advice you see on social media actually applies to you.

Topics Covered:
- How a high school guidance counselor nudged Justin into accounting because his dad owned a business
- Why he lasted three days in college calculus before committing fully to accounting
- Five years of 16 to 18 hour days at a Big Four firm and what finally made him leave
- Starting a brand new role in November 2019, two months before COVID, and being sure he would be the first one cut
- Why the hardest part of tax season is managing hundreds of clients at once, not the long hours
- How protecting one hour a day for the gym became a non negotiable he would quit a job over
- What to check before you trust tax advice from an influencer or ChatGPT
- How to know whether you actually need an accountant or can handle it yourself

Chapter Timestamps:
00:00 Show intro
01:39 Meet Justin Warren, tax partner at PKF O'Connor Davies
03:20 Stumbling into accounting in high school
04:43 An internship in tax and the road to a Big Four firm
09:44 Five years of 18 hour days, then leaving New York City
10:57 Starting a new role right before COVID hit
12:28 How an athletic background fuels the grind
13:33 Connecting with clients beyond the numbers
15:03 Becoming a thought leader on tax law
17:10 The hardest part is the stress, not the hours
19:12 Front loading to survive busy season
20:48 Building a team at home with his wife
21:51 Role switching and protecting an hour a day
26:00 The truth about tax advice on social media
28:24 How to vet a tax professional
30:32 Is a firm the right fit for you
33:01 When a business actually needs an accountant
34:23 How to connect with Justin
35:34 The legacy he wants to leave

Connect with Justin Warren:
LinkedIn: Justin Warren, Partner at PKF O'Connor Davies

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