“Learn your craft, gain confidence, and learn how to gain people’s trust”
Midwest Region: Brian Malthouse, President of VonLehman CPA & Advisory Firm, headquarters - Fort Wright, Kentucky
Tell us about your first experience with CPAmerica? I was with a national firm for 10 years, and my first experience with CPAmerica was right after VonLehman joined the association. What was most helpful and had the largest impact was the Practice Management Survey. This shows firms’ profits and billing rates which helps our firm determine hourly rates each year based on what our peers are charging. Ever since then, we’ve been analyzing our rates every year and the survey always makes us realize we need to up our game. It really changed the whole culture of our firm. Can you describe a time when CPAmerica’s member sharing assisted with an issue at your firm? The most impactful time would be the VIP (Visitation Improvement Program) visit with Steve Tatone and Steve Knebel. At the time our firm was getting ready to merge and we thought everyone was on the same page. After Tatone and Knebel interviewed our staff we found out we were wrong. Both Tatone and Knebel had instant credibility and the guidance they provided was heard. What’s your favorite part about
membership with CPAmerica? Definitely the relationships with my peers. I have developed some great ones. I can pick up the phone and get an immediate response. This association is really the more you give, the more you get in return. What’s one piece of advice you would give to new firms that have just joined CPAmerica? My advice would be to get involved right away. When we first joined CPAmerica, my partner had asked that I speak at a CPAmerica conference on partner compensation. Because of this, more people knew who I was, and Occupation: President Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Three things about Brian Malthouse: 1. Grew up in Cincinnati and has lived there for the last 37 years 2. Favorite bands: U2, The National, and Florence and the Machine 3. Outside of work, passionate about exercise and playing golf
I immediately had credibility and was approachable. What’s your hometown and describe your experience there? I grew up in Cincinnati and have lived there for 37 years. It’s a great mid-western town – pro-business and pro-entrepreneurship. It’s a great place to run a business and raise a family. Tell us what makes you a unique managing partner? I’d say my openness – you can ask me any question. There are no secrets in our firm. What is your personal philosophy? Learn your craft, gain confidence, and learn how to gain people’s trust. Even if you are an introvert, and most accountants are, learn your craft and people will trust you. If you are good at what you do, people will notice. What’s your favorite thing to do in Fort Wright and why? We just built a brand new headquarters building there and it is spectacular – it is modern and designed for employee and client collaboration, and it even has a café. So to tell you the truth, I spend most of my time there collaborating with my colleagues when I’m in Fort Wright. Ver. 053118A