Debbie Kilsheimer: Stop Thinking Small | The Disruptors

"Too often, we're stepping over dollars to pick up pennies."The DisruptorsWith Liz FarrBy age 25, Debbie Kilsheimer was already disrupting the traditional accounting mindset. At her first job, she questioned why clients were billed by the hour when speed and efficiency weren’t rewarded.“The smarter I get, the more efficient I become, the less you make,” she told her boss. “I don’t understand that. Plus, the clients don’t know what anything will cost—so they’re afraid to call.”MORE PODCASTS and VIDEOS: Dave Kersting: Collaborate with Co-Firming | Ashley Francis: AI's a Partner, Not a Replacement | Richard Roppa-Roberts: Collaboration Over Competition | Ira Rosenbloom: M&A Numbers Are Easy - Culture Fit Is Hard | Roman Villard: Ditch the Suit & Shine | Monique Swansen: Align Firm Values with Services | Tina McGill: How to Create Lasting Client Impact | Stefan van Duyvendijk: Develop Operational Mindset | Steve Evans: Why Traditional Hiring Methods Fail | Roger Knecht: Can You Be an Accountrepreneur? | Beth Whitworth: Focus on Outcomes Not Hours Her suggestion to switch to flat-rate pricing was met with disbelief, but she knew she was onto something. Two decades later, Kilsheimer and her husband, Hal, run a million-dollar firm built on premium service, not time sheets.“I’m going to be Starbucks. I’m going to be Louis Vuitton,” she says. “I’m going to be the most expensive accountant they talk to—and I’m going to deliver on that promise.”