Down to 40 Hours
Accelerator
A small-group coaching & training program
For single-owner CPAs ready to go down to a 40-hour week without dropping revenue.
May 1 - July 31
$995/mo
3-month minimum requirement
Month-to-month for as long as you like thereafter
Get Control • Stabilize Your Workload • Decrease Stress
So sick of working that you wonder if the money’s worth it?
If you’re like other CPAs, you are:
Chasing clients for documents
Drowning under a pile of returns
Trapped by overpaid staff who can’t answer their own questions
Working weekends to keep up
Waking up at 3am in a panic, wondering if you checked the right box on that 1120-S
Running your accounting firm shouldn’t feel like a health risk.
You can’t get through tax season without a Costco-size thing of peanut butter pretzels and a flat of Dr. Pepper
Walking and yoga are out the window
You’re on blood-pressure meds
When you’re working, you wish you were with your family, and when you’re with your family, you’re preoccupied with work
Taking a vacation in tax season is a pipe dream
You want to work less, but:
You don’t want the hit to the bottom line
You’re the only one with the technical expertise
You’re waiting on clients for documents
You can’t let go of clients until they pay you for last year’s return
You’ve tried:
Working 80 hours a week
Hiring a Senior Accountant at $120K
Firing a handful of clients
Raising prices 10%
Changing Practice Management Systems
Using ChatGPT to write emails
But none of it helped you work less.
Why not?
Because it wasn’t fixing the heart of the problem:
The traditional accounting firm model is broken. Everything you tried was never going to work if the accounting firm was built on a “bill for time doing work for clients” model.
The “bill for time doing work for clients” leads directly to working long hours.
It can all be fixed.
By making improvements one-by-one to pricing, packages, and the kinds of clients you choose to work with, you can get your life back, and your accounting practice under control.
Imagine…
Feeling in control of your firm, and:
Knowing who your clients are
Being on top of your workload
Having clear, consistent, up-front prices
Getting paid before starting work
Bringing in new clients who are happy to pay your higher prices
Being able to forecast revenue 6 - 12 months out
Plenty of cash so you have breathing room to take your foot off the gas for a minute
Having a roster full of clients you enjoy, who:
Read your emails
Get you stuff on time
Implement your advice
Respect your boundaries
Value your expertise
Are more than happy to pay you
Making money you’re happy with:
Taking home $150K, $200K, or $400K (or whatever amount feels great to you)
Filling your retirement buckets
Without feeling guilty or greedy
Without worrying about what your neighbors will think
But your time matters more. Over time, you want to:
Stop working Sundays
Stop working Saturdays
Stop working in the evening
Stop working at 5pm
Stop working Fridays
…because really, you want to have a life again.
At the end of the day, you want freedom:
To work the hours you want
When you want
Doing work you enjoy
For clients you enjoy
Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator will show you the way
Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is for folks like you looking to get their time back, reduce stress and pressure, attract better clients, and have a bigger impact without losing revenue. If your accounting practice feels stuck, stalled, or inefficient, coaching will show you what’s wrong, what to do about it, and hold you accountable for making progress.
You Can’t Get There Alone
If you could have done it alone, you would have by now. You know you need guidance, help, and accountability. Otherwise you risk getting sucked into client work, emails, and fires.
What Got You Here Won’t Get You Down to 40 Hours
You said yes to everything to build your practice and gain experience. You bent over backwards to make needy clients happy. That got you here. But going Down to 40 Hours requires that you learn how to say no, turn away revenue (for now!) and set healthy business boundaries.
How To Get Down To 40 Hours
It’s a little different for each CPA, but the bones of the process are the same.
We need to know:
Your capacity during and outside tax season
How many clients you have
How many kinds of clients you have
How you’re pricing
What you’re selling
Once we take stock, we can start figuring out how to get you where you want to go.
I’ll help you:
See how many clients you have room for
Decide which clients to keep
Let go of work you don’t like
Price new incoming clients better
Reprice Legacy Clients, Friends and Family Freebies, and Little Old Ladies in a way that works for you
Disengage ill-fitting clients at a pace that feels doable
That’s all.
Down to 40 Hours is not meant to be hard.
It’s meant to be manageable. It’s meant to be doable in the time you currently have. We keep it simple. We take small steps every week. You make progress. And after 3 months, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.
What It Is And How It Works
The format of Down to 40 Hours:
24/7 community support on a platform called “Circle”
24/7 access to the Down to 40 Hours Video Content Library with everything I teach on the podcast and more, to view at your pace
Weekly Live Coaching
every Tuesday at 11am MT, with a couple of minor exceptions
hosted by Geraldine 2x/month
hosted by a Mastermind Graduate 2x/month
Private Podcast – the Live Coaching sessions are recorded, and the audio is uploaded that day
(Optional) Weekly 30-minute private mindset coaching sessions so you can think more clearly
Max size = 6. Big enough to have multiple voices contributing, but small enough to have my attention and focus right on your challenges
Weekly bite-sized homework & assignments to keep you making progress and hold you accountable
Weekly time commitment: Anticipate 2 - 4 hours per week.
Pricing
Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is $995 per month, paid monthly, with no upfront pay-in-full option. That means the initial investment is $2,985 (paid monthly). This 3-month minimum is in place because it’s the minimum amount of time needed to create meaningful change and build real momentum.
After the initial three months, participants can continue month-to-month for as long as it’s valuable. While many choose to extend their journey, those who feel they’ve achieved their goals by the end of the initial term are free to transition to other options.
It’s not uncommon for participants to recoup their entire investment during the program—and the goal is to 10x that investment within a year.
Let me say this...
Coaching is not for everyone. We dig in. You need to be prepared to change habits, routines, and processes that you’ve been used to for years.
Change can be scary. It’s hard for everyone. But if you want things to be better, you have to change something.
Change nothing = same results.
If you’re ready, add your name to the interest list for early access when registration opens.
100% Happy Client Guarantee
Make the investment risk-free. If you’re unhappy inside Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator, tell me within two weeks, and we’ll find a way to make it right.
No questions, no hassles.
Guaranteed.
What happens when I register?
As soon as you register, you receive confirmation emails that grant you immediate access to the:
Accelerator space, so you can start connecting with your colleagues
Live weekly training and coaching sessions
for Accelerator participants only
hosted by Geraldine every other week (2x month)
hosted by a Down to 40 Hours Mastermind Alumni every other week (2x month)
Down to 40 Hours Private Podcast, so you can start listening to the back catalog
Link to schedule 30-minute mindset coaching sessions so that you can take advantage of 1:1 private coaching right away
We kick off on Thursday, May 1st, with our first Live Coaching session.
Just imagine a 40-hour workweek.
It might be hard to imagine only working 40 hours a week, and still making just as much money as you did when you worked 80 or 60 hours a week. But that’s what we do in Down to 40 Hours.
We know it’s not rocket science, and that there’s no single magic bullet. Getting Down to 40 Hours happens when you commit to solving one single problem at a time, and permanently solving problems week after week. It’s a matter of focus, commitment, going step-by-step, and being willing to stay with a problem until you’ve worked through it.
We keep you moving. One of the reasons so many accountants get stuck is that the hard things are sometimes just. too. hard. to do, and they allow fires to distract them. So the hard things, that are often the most important things, get left unaddressed. When this happens for too many years, the accountant becomes surrounded by multiple hard things whose size and appearance has become enlarged over time. Change has become too daunting.
We end the overwhelm. We take one problem at a time and break it down until the steps are short and manageable.
But Don’t Take My Word For It…
Here’s what other EAs and CPAs have said:
Since joining the mastermind, my revenue has increased by $37,000, and my net income has increased by $27,000. Thanks for helping me improve my business and have a clear path!
Rebecca Warnick, CPA
“After our first couple of Zoom meetings, I knew that I had made the right decision for my business. And after a few weeks in the program, I realized that joining this Mastermind was one of the best decisions I had EVER made for my business in its 13 years of existence.”
Julie Powell, CPA
I’ve achieved way more than I let myself hope for. We recently purchased a new trailer (as I’m making more $$$ in less hours) with dreams of meandering down the west coast to San Diego next spring (I’ll be working only 10-20 hours a week, from anywhere with wifi, thanks to you).
The main benefits? Community, guidance on working toward business goals, practicing new skills/offerings in a safe space, and more revenue.
Not to mention, it is so well organized! And there is a lot more content and help than I was expecting, that part’s great.
I like the community – everyone is so friendly and generous. It’s nice to ‘talk shop’ with other CPAs.
I created personal tax return pricing, rather than billing, including 50% increases, and that has been a positive experience with lots of signups from returning clients.
Laurie Rauk, CPA
I made two years of progress in my business in four months, and revenue is UP 15%.
Randy Larkin, CPA
Before I began Mastermind, it was like I was walking in the dark, and client work would just happen whenever. Now, with the help of GC, we have “turned on all the lights” and I can quickly recognize all the ‘things’ that might happen and know how to prepare for them. I also have the confidence to choose what work I will perform and which clients remain on my roster.
Had I not found GC and right-sized my client base (and increased prices), I could have easily been working 80 hours or more for the exact same amount of money. My hours now are at 40-45 hours per week during tax season and 20-30 outside of tax season.
Getting my hours down was more important than increasing revenue, but anyway, this past year, my firm generated an additional $100k in net profit from the prior year, and I expect this to become my new baseline going forward. In addition, my margins have about doubled. I was so underpriced I had to do twice the work to get the same profit. Now, I am finding the price ceiling for the work I offer. Meanwhile, the lower-margin work is being phased out.
What’s helped me the most is the weekly group coaching. So many of us will face similar struggles, and it's beyond beneficial to have a supportive group. Maybe someone has faced this before and can offer wisdom & best practices. And the rest of the group can learn how to navigate quicker by using this knowledge.
But the biggest overall difference for me is the confidence I have gained. I understand the demand of my expertise, I understand my value as a professional, and can articulate this back to the clients.
Melissa Downs, EA
The hardest thing was finding the time. But now I’m further down the path on not only who to work with, but how to work with them.
I got so much out of you focusing directly on my business, hearing what colleagues were doing, and knowing exactly what I was going to accomplish.
Side benefit? I’m pretty decent in Squarespace and took over some of my website copy/marketing and like it better than relying on a 3rd party provider to do all that. Which I know isn’t delegating, but it works for me.
I’d recommend Mastermind to anyone who is struggling with lots of low-paying clients and trying to figure out how to reposition into something smaller, tighter, ‘nichier’, higher-fee.
Thank you for everything!
Alicyn Mcleod, CPA
Because I do primarily stock option tax planning, I wasn’t sure whether my business would fit in the dynamics of the group. Happy to realize that that piece was irrelevant, and that there are plenty of issues and topics that span across the board (whether someone is doing tax or accounting or what not is secondary).
I appreciated the set office hours where members of the cohort get online. Many times just hearing about other people’s problems allow me to reflect on my own practice and how I can approach things to improve mine, and that there are different ways of doing things besides what we’ve been accustomed to doing.
I also needed the accountability. Even if life is busy you still make time for this. I needed the community– a group super friendly accountants all trying to move towards their goal. Seeing and hearing from others that my problems are not just “my problems” really resonated with me.
It may seem like a lot of money up front, but the improvements once implemented you should be able to recoup your investment pretty quickly.
I would recommend CPA Mastermind to CPAs who are serious about making changes to their practice and is willing to make the investment in time (and money). Because if you’re just toying around with the idea, a lot of the work that you do in this program is going to challenge a lot of personal beliefs and you need to be open to doing things a different way.
If nothing else, reach out to Geraldine and have a conversation. You owe it to yourself to see if there’s something better out there.
Minnie Lau, CPA
Committing to the initial investment was the biggest obstacle. By having a conversation with you, it gave me the courage to take the leap. I avoided a ton of mistakes I would've otherwise made. The structure provides me with a clear path and accountability checks so I stay focused. I likely would still be spinning my wheels if not for going through CPA Mastermind.
I enjoy the candid feedback from you. Whenever I have a conversation with you, I feel like I am leveling up. The same could be said about the life coaching sessions. I wanted to continue to have accountability and have a space to bounce ideas off of you and avoid getting stuck.
Whether you're just starting or years into the profession, the amount of clarity you get through the program is second to none. I feel so much more clear about who I want to serve, and how I want to serve them having gone through the program.
Matt Chiapetta, CPA
“I am extremely grateful I came across you on LinkedIn and made the commitment when I did. I was getting by in business but was losing the passion to show up for my clients and that has completely changed. I feel confident in the direction my business is going and excited about the clients on my roster.”
Heck Yes! I recommend CPA Mastermind to anyone I know in a similar situation as I am at in my business. The main reason is the very specific niche that Geraldine works with, the conversations, advice, and coaching is very very specific and that takes out the work that might otherwise fall on my plate. Rather than advice like “add a client pain point to your wording”, you get “add the struggle of getting in touch with your accountant and being left in the dark”.
Mastermind has helped me eliminate clients I don’t enjoy working on. I found a group of clients that I really connect with and it just feels “easy” to serve. I know how to talk about the services I provide from my clients pain points vs what I will be doing for them. I get accountability to actually do the stuff to move the business forward instead of always working on client things. And I get permission and encouragement to dream bigger.
I stayed for another round to keep the momentum going. I show up differently for my clients when I am getting coached in my own business. I wanted that extra support during a time that it is easier to get buried in client work.”
Sheila Hansen, CPA
“I would recommend CPA Mastermind to any CPA on any level because you can achieve goals through a systematic approach through the mind of an engineer, you can test it with peers, and it forces/helps you first see your obstacles so that you can then overcome the obstacles.”
Kathy Duryea, CPA
Still have questions?
Great! I have answers:
Who is Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator for?
It’s designed for single-owner CPAs and EAs with an existing firm, clients, staff, and systems, and a minimum of $100K in revenue. There’s no maximum, but most people in my orbit top out around $1.5M in top-line revenue.
REVENUE QUESTIONS
What if my revenue is less than $100K?
Keep building until your top-line revenue exceeds $100K or $8300 average MRR.
What if my revenue is greater than $1.5M?
If you can still be nimble and make decisions reasonably quickly, earning more than $1.5M should not deter you.
GROUP & SIZE QUESTIONS
Who else will be in the group?
My content, expertise, and style attract CPAs and EAs who are hard-working, smart, generous, caring, and bright in both senses of the word.
How many are in the group?
Max size = 6. Expect a mix of CPAs and EAs who just found me, and others who’ve been following my work for a while.
Will I belong?
YES. You belong here. Everyone belongs here. It’s tempting to think, “But I’m not like the others,” for various reasons, but I promise you that everyone else thinks that too. I think what makes you different is your secret weapon and your advantage that we need to lean into, not run away from. You belong here. The more diversity, the better.
CAN I JOIN IF QUESTIONS:
I am Canadian? Tax is different up here.
Yes. There are usually 1-2 Canadians in every round. Most say that even though there are differences, the business of being a CPA is universal.
I am a partner in a firm, rather than solo owner?
Yes. As long as you can make and implement decisions.
I am a bookkeeper?
No, sorry. Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is for CPAs, EAs, and accountants only.
I still price hourly?
Yes! As long as you are open to progressively transitioning away from it. There are ways to price that are better for you and your client, and in the end, you’ll be much more profitable once you learn how to price rather than bill.
TIME QUESTIONS
How much time should I allocate for this?
The more time you allocate to working on your business, the faster you will get results. Two hours a week is usually enough to see solid results; four hours a week will help you move even faster.
What if I don’t have time?
The only way out of overworking is to find time to work ON your business. Working more hours usually makes the problem worse, not better.
But if you can’t make the time, then now isn’t the time—you won’t get much out of it, and other people won’t benefit from your brilliance. Consider adding your name to the interest list for a future round.
What if I have a vacation scheduled?
You should still register – business and life can move forward, and vacations should be included. :)
What are dates of upcoming cohorts?
Cohorts begin in:
- late April (2025 dates: May 1 - July 31)
- mid September (likely 2025 dates: Sept 16 - Nov 21)
- early January (TBD)
and run for 3 months.
PROGRESS QUESTIONS
What happens if I don’t get as far as I want?
We define where you want to go, create a plan to get you there, and give you all the coaching you need so you can execute your plan. Around here, we PLAN the path to our goals, then create it rather than focus on fear and indulge in confusion about why we can’t or won’t.
Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is designed to move obstacles out of the way so you reach your goals.
You have unlimited access to help, but you must ask for it if you need it.
What are my options after one round of Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator?
Once you’ve implemented the basics, you have options:
1. Stay in the Accelerator until you’ve stabilized your firm. It’s $995/mo for as many months as you need. Most people need about 6 - 8 months to stabilize their firms. (Want a simple rule of thumb? Stabilizing a firm takes about 2 months for every $100K of top-line revenue.)
2. Downshift to the Go Easy pace of Peak Freedom for $197/mo.
3. Pause as long as you need; come back any time.
NICHE QUESTIONS
What if I don’t know how or where to niche?
Niching can create a lot of fear and confusion. As long as you are willing to be coached and willing to decide to get more specific about who you work with, I got you. Usually we just take the next right step; we don’t do anything that’s so scary it paralyzes you.
What if I pick the wrong niche? Would you tell me? Would you let me pick a bad niche?
My role is to support you in being the happiest and most successful you can be. With that in mind, I won’t let you flail so that you can experience “figuring it out on your own.” I will be transparent about my thoughts on your niche. I will tell you if you’re headed up a tree with no fruit. But – you will always know more about your preferences, your people, and your business than I ever can. We’ll work together so that you can be confident you’re headed down a profitable niche path for you, AND you’ll feel at home with your people.
What if I am not an expert in my niche yet? I feel like an impostor.
It’s impossible to be an “expert” in your niche until you’ve been in it for a while. We will help you deepen your knowledge of your niche so that you can offer clients more valuable expertise.
What if I am not willing to niche or specialize?
If you are committed to being the best generalist out there, that can work, but this round of Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is not for you. Still, get on the interest list, and stay tuned for future offerings.
PRICE QUESTIONS
Will you help me raise my rates?
You bet I will. I can help you decide how much to raise your prices and how to communicate price increases without sending your clients running for the hills.
PACKAGING QUESTIONS
Right now, everything is per form and a la carte. Can you help me package?
Yes. You don’t have to package everything, but packaging your services will simplify many aspects of your accounting practice.
Can you help me package without getting killed on scope creep?
Yes. That’s exactly what we do around here. :)
DISENGAGING CLIENTS QUESTIONS
Will you help me disengage clients? I’m really nervous about that part.
Of course. We do this in a way that is respectful to your clients while managing revenue, so that you don’t feel like you’re walking a cash flow high-wire.
Do I have to disengage everyone?
You don’t have to do anything, and I will never “make” you do anything. But I will help you see the results of the different choices you could make, so you can better decide what is best for you and your accounting practice.
A big part of my role is to help you see where you are making choices to keep specific clients where you might feel like you have no choice.
Sometimes it can feel impossible to extricate yourself from certain client relationships (“But she was at my wedding!”). Still, you can, and you can do it in a way that completes the business relationship but keeps the personal relationship intact.
And, if you want to keep a handful of pet-legacy-clients for whatever reason, I’m not going to come after you.
FINDING NEW CLIENTS QUESTIONS
Will you help me find new clients?
Finding new clients is not the focus of Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator. However, the work we do inside the Accelerator includes clarifying your Ideal Client Profile, what you sell them, and how you help them.
Doing this work frequently results in new good-fit clients finding their way to you.
WEBSITE QUESTIONS
Can you help me with my website in the Accelerator?
After you’ve stabilized your firm, yes. While you don’t have to create a new website if you don’t want to, most of my clients find that freshening their website up-levels their presence, clarifies their offerings, and brings in higher-quality business.
If you want to create a whole new website, I can help you navigate the process – I know website-making is not your jam.
Still have questions?
I can answer logistical questions, help you make a clear choice or help you determine whether Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator is the right thing for you, and more.
If you didn’t see the answer to your question above, you can email me at gc@geraldinecarter.com with “Down to 40 Hours – Accelerator” in the Subject line. I will get back to you by the end of the week.
Go back up, there’s nothing left down here except the site map & footer!
Make the choice to change the trajectory of your future – add your name to the interest list now to get first access to registration when it opens.
