90% Digital Leads: Reuben’s Model for Firm Growth

Most firms wait for referrals. Reuben Bergola built a data-driven marketing engine and is now using AI to systemise bookkeeping, BAS, and client acquisition at scale.In this episode, I chat with Reuben, Managing Partner at New Wave Business Solutions, a multi-service advisory firm that started in accounting and now spans law, financial planning, insurance, and digital marketing. We dig into how his team drives 90% of new business through digital channels, where AI fits into their systems, and how they’ve added 30–35 people in just 12 months without losing culture.Key Takeaways• How New Wave evolved from an accounting practice into a multi-division business advisory firm• Why Reuben focuses on AI and automation to handle bookkeeping and BAS prep while keeping humans on the final review• The data-driven marketing funnel behind their growth: SEO, Google Ads, Facebook retargeting, and founder-led content• Why most firms give up on paid ads too early, and how New Wave thinks about lead quality, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition• How they attract talent by building a culture people want to join—clear growth paths, support, no-blame learning, and shared winsReuben’s story shows what happens when a firm stops relying on referrals, tracks its numbers properly, and treats AI as a way to free people up for higher-value advisory work.Guest: Reuben Bergola, Managing Partner, New Wave Business SolutionsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/managementaccountantgoldcoast/Website: https://www.new-wave.com.auConnect with me, Leonard De Beer:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonard-de-beer/Subscribe to the Business Growth Podcast and learn how top finance leaders are scaling smarter, serving better, and building firms that last.