Podcast
The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Transformation Economy by THRESHOLD
Hosted by Ron Baker and Ed Kless · EN
The Soul of Enterprise is designed to champion the insight that wealth is created by intellectual capital, a product of the inexhaustible human spirit.
Wealth is above all an accumulation of possibilities. These possibilities lie hidden in the womb of the future, waiting to be discovered by human imagination, ingenuity, and creativity, manifested in free enterprises dedicated to the service of others. Tune in to The Soul of Enterprise, with Ron Baker and Ed Kless, broadcast live.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ron's Rummage: Clearing Ron's Stack of Stuff
1w ago00:56:24Tap to summarizeIn another installment of our fan-favorite miscellany series, Ron digs into the ever-growing stack of articles, ideas, trends, and observations he's been collecting—and finally clears the deck. From developments in technology and AI to economics, business strategy, professional skepticism, and the occasional offbeat tangent, this episode is a rapid-fire tour through the topics that caught Ron's attention but didn't yet have a home of their own. Along the way, Ron and Ed connect seemingly unrelated dots, challenge conventional wisdom, and share practical insights for entrepreneurs, accountants, and knowledge workers navigating a world changing faster than ever. Expect sharp commentary, unexpected connections, and plenty of classic TSOE banter in this wide-ranging conversation.
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Episode 586 - Convergence Is Here: What AI Means for Your Future with Greg Tirico
2w ago01:01:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ron and Ed welcome back Greg Tirico to explore the accelerating convergence of technology, especially AI, and its profound implications for professionals. Drawing on insights from the "Convergence 2026" report, Greg unpacks how traditional firm boundaries are dissolving as tech, talent, and capital increasingly intersect. The conversation dives into what this shift means for knowledge workers, from evolving skill expectations to the redefinition of value in professional services. As AI reshapes workflows and client expectations, firms must rethink not only how they operate, but what they offer. If you're trying to understand where the profession is headed and how to stay relevant in an AI-driven world—this episode provides a clear, informed perspective on the forces shaping the future.
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Episode 585 - Conversations from the Chaminade Leadership Summit
3w ago01:00:04Tap to summarizeIn this special episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ron and Ed welcome a panel of speakers from the Chaminade Leadership Summit (CLS), an event focused on developing principled leadership and purposeful organizations. Joined by Bro. Thomas J. Cleary and fellow summit speakers, the conversation explores the intersection of leadership, values, and organizational culture. Drawing from their diverse experiences, the panel discusses how leaders can foster trust, inspire accountability, and navigate complexity in today's rapidly changing environment. From practical leadership frameworks to personal reflections on mission-driven work, this episode offers insights for anyone looking to lead with clarity and purpose—whether inside a firm, a team, or a broader community.
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Episode 584 - Accrual Intentions - Interview with Alexis Kingsbury
4w ago00:58:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ed Kless and Ron Baker speak with Alexis Kingsbury about a rather audacious experiment: running an entire accountancy practice staffed almost entirely by AI. The firm—Accrual Intentions—had eleven AI "team members" and one human: Alexis. What began as a curiosity about the real capabilities of AI quickly became something far more interesting. The AI team produced accounts, onboarded clients, and developed surprisingly human-like dynamics—personalities, accountability, even a kind of culture. But the experiment also ran into limits, particularly around compliance and professional judgment. The result is Kingsbury's new book, a fascinating mix of business experiment, comedy, and serious reflection on what AI actually means for professional services.
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Episode 583 - The AI Tools Changing Accounting - Fourth Interview with Hector Garcia
Apr 1700:58:24Tap to summarizeExecutive Summary In this episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ed Kless and Ron Baker sit down with Hector Garcia, one of the most recognizable educators in the accounting profession thanks to his hugely popular YouTube channel. Known for translating complex technology into practical insight, Hector joins the show to discuss the rapidly evolving ecosystem of AI tools for accounting professionals. The conversation moves beyond the hype to explore which tools are actually useful today, how AI is reshaping workflows, and what accounting professionals should be experimenting with right now if they want to stay relevant in an AI-augmented profession. Episode Description Artificial intelligence is everywhere in accounting right now. But separating the genuinely useful tools from the endless parade of demos, buzzwords, and vendor hype can feel like a full-time job. That's why Ed and Ron invited Hector Garcia to the show. Hector has become one of the most influential educators in the profession through his wildly popular YouTube channel, where hundreds of thousands of accounting professionals follow his explanations of emerging technologies, workflows, and software tools. His specialty is cutting through the noise and showing practitioners what actually works. In this episode, Hector walks Ed and Ron through the latest generation of AI tools available to accounting professionals—what they can do, where they fall short, and which ones are worth experimenting with today. But the discussion goes deeper than just tools. The trio also explores how AI is reshaping the role of the accounting professional, from automation of routine work to the emergence of new advisory opportunities. For anyone trying to keep up with the pace of technological change in the profession, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at what matters—and what doesn't.
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Episode 582 - Agencies After AI: Reinvent or Decline - Fifth interview with Tim Williams
Apr 1000:57:49Tap to summarizeRon and Ed welcome back strategy expert Tim Williams to explore a hard truth: AI is not just a new tool for professional firms, it is a structural shock to their traditional business model. For decades, most firms have relied on time-based billing, headcount leverage, and labor-intensive processes. But when AI compresses project time and automates execution, what happens to a model built on hours? Tim argues that professional firms — from ad agencies to law firms — must rethink not just how they work, but how they price, position, and define value. This conversation will dive into why AI accelerates the decline of cost-plus thinking, why intellectual capital is the real asset, and how professional firms can redesign their economics before the market does it for them. While Tim's particular expertise is in the advertising/marketing business, the principles and practices he teaches apply to professional firms across the board. If your revenue model depends on selling time, this episode may feel slightly uncomfortable. That's the point. The future of the professional business won't be determined by how much AI they adopt, but by whether they have the courage to change the way they get paid.
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Episode 581 - Every Decision You Make - Second interview with Tim Naddy
Apr 300:57:01Tap to summarizeThis week, we welcome Tim Naddy, CFO of the Savannah Bananas—a team that has redefined what it means to create value for fans (and, not incidentally, built a wildly successful business doing it). But this conversation goes well beyond yellow tuxedos and sold-out stadiums. At the center is Tim's book, EDYM: Every Decision You Make, a deceptively simple premise that turns out to be anything but: every choice—large or small—carries weight, compounds over time, and ultimately shapes both outcomes and identity. We explore how this philosophy plays out inside an organization famous for breaking every conventional "rule" in baseball. From pricing and fan experience to internal culture and leadership, Tim shares how intentional decision-making—not spreadsheets alone—drives extraordinary results. Along the way, we challenge the notion that financial leadership is about control and compliance, and instead reframe it as stewardship of choices, trade-offs, and consequences. Because in the end, every decision you make… makes you. If you think being a CFO is about reporting the past, this episode might just convince you it's really about designing the future.
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Episode 580 - The Business of Civic Leadership - Interview with Tim Riordan
Mar 2700:58:21Tap to summarizeRon and Ed welcome Tim Riordan, president of BIPAC (Business-Industry Political Action Committee), for a conversation at the intersection of business, civic engagement, and public policy. BIPAC works to educate and mobilize the business community around the political process — equipping leaders with the tools and insight needed to participate thoughtfully and effectively in American democracy. Tim brings decades of experience helping organizations navigate the often-murky waters of public affairs, grassroots advocacy, and leadership development. In a time when politics and business are increasingly entangled, sometimes constructively, often chaotically, he offers a perspective grounded in education, participation, and long-term institutional thinking. As a Soul of Enterprise guest, Tim fits squarely into the show's deeper inquiry: What responsibilities accompany enterprise? How should leaders engage the broader culture without being consumed by it? And how do we preserve institutions that allow free people to flourish? This conversation explores not partisanship, but participation and why the health of the republic depends in part on whether business leaders choose to show up.
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Episode 579 - Leading a Modern Advisory Firm - Interview with Matt Armanino
Mar 2000:57:44Tap to summarizeRon and Ed welcome Matt Armanino, CEO of Armanino Advisory, for a conversation about what it really takes to lead a modern professional services firm in an era of relentless change. Under Matt's leadership, Armanino has pushed beyond the traditional boundaries of accounting — building advisory depth, embracing technology, and reimagining how firms create value for the businesses they serve. In this episode, Matt shares his perspective on scaling culture, navigating growth without losing identity, and balancing innovation with institutional stability. They explore what leadership looks like when your firm is no longer "just" an accounting practice but a multidimensional advisory organization — and what it means to build something designed to endure. As a Soul of Enterprise guest, Matt embodies the show's core inquiry: how do we elevate the profession from compliance to contribution? This conversation goes beyond tactics to mindset — and what the next generation of firm leadership must understand if it hopes to thrive.
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Episode 578 - Stop Managing Minds Like Hands - Knowledge workers aren't paid for hours!
Mar 1300:58:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Ron and Ed explore a distinction that Peter Drucker saw decades ago but many organizations still struggle to grasp: knowledge workers are fundamentally different from service workers — and managing them the same way is a category error. Drucker famously wrote, "The most valuable assets of a 21st-century institution (whether business or nonbusiness) will be its knowledge workers and their productivity." That statement isn't aspirational — it's diagnostic. Knowledge workers own the means of production: their minds. They cannot be supervised into excellence, scheduled into creativity, or measured into insight. Ron and Ed unpack what truly differentiates knowledge work: autonomy over time, responsibility for outcomes rather than tasks, the necessity of continuous learning, and the reality that effectiveness — not efficiency — is the governing metric. If we continue to treat accountants, consultants, and other professionals as if they were interchangeable labor inputs, we shouldn't be surprised when engagement drops and innovation stalls. The future belongs to organizations that understand what Drucker meant — and are willing to build differently because of it.
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