Doing More With Less

Marilyn Melendez grew up in her mom’s accounting firm, and taking it over meant trading a “never say no to business” mindset for one built around fit, time, and peace of mind. She joins Marcus and Rachel to talk about honoring a founder’s legacy while changing how things are done, why her ideal client is a type of person rather than an industry, and how her accounting firm got smaller while still making about the same money. Introducing Collective by DBA https://collective.cpa https://www.linkedin.com/company/collectivebydba Learn More About Dillon Business Advisors https://www.dillonadvisors.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/dillonbusinessadvisors Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcast https://earmarkcpe.com Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.app (00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro (01:05) - Marilyn Background and Bilingual Firm (03:10) - Best Advice Avoid Burnout (05:42) - Firm Story and Succession Shift (09:44) - Niche Beyond Industry (12:33) - Advisory Alignment and Client Fit (18:22) - Letting Go of Wrong Clients (20:39) - Succession Planning Lessons (26:00) - Pricing Mindset and Protecting Team (33:29) - Culture Investments Team Retreats (38:37) - Sabbatical and Fresh Perspective (44:05) - Human Connection in an AI World (45:44) - Culture Tip Listen Deeply (49:51) - Closing Thanks and Wrap Up