Ep.41 Beyond Numbers: Attracct’s John Roberts Talks Values, Growth, and Giving Back

1/ Meet John Roberts, the CPA challenging everything you expect from accounting. From walk-on football player to co-founder of @AttracctAccountingAdvisors, his journey is anything but boring. This Muddy Waters Clear Vision episode is packed with lessons on teams, leadership, risk, and legacy2/ John’s #1 career advice? “Worry more about just getting on the right team and less about your role on that team.” Whether you are on the bench or a starter, being around winners will shape your future more than titles.3/ Growing up, John saw the highs and lows of entrepreneurship firsthand. His father ran a business, and often struggled for clarity from the “traditional” CPA world. That pain sparked John’s mission: bring proactive, relational service to owners who deserve answers, not confusion.4/ Sports shaped John’s approach. He played college football (walk-on, scholarship, FOUR knee surgeries!), battled adversity, and watched a losing team turn into winners overnight when the right coaching staff set new standards. No one person bigger than the team. Culture > talent.5/ Leadership style? “Lead from the front.” Don’t just pull the weight—be out there, first in, last out. “Accountability, integrity, extreme ownership, drive, family—and BE COOL.” (Yes, “be cool” is a core value. Not your father’s CPA firm for real.)6/ PSA: John and his co-founder learned taxes, processes, and firm-building from scratch. “We didn’t learn outsourced accounting at a big shop— we bootstrapped all of it.” They hire for attitude & willingness over skills. “I can teach debits & credits. I can’t teach you to care.”7/ Real talk: Sometimes you mess up and have to eat crow. John shares owning painful conversations with clients (“I thought you’d get a $20k writeoff, but it fell through”). But it’s all about accountability—and never making the same mistake twice.8/ Give back. John’s team is deeply involved in mental health orgs, Alzheimer’s advocacy, Empower 225, youth mentorship—putting talents, time, and treasure to work. “We’re just conduits. Our role is to press forward and make a difference.”9/ If he could tell his younger self anything? “Just because nobody around you is doing something, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.” Don’t be a prisoner to your environment. Try more things, seek new perspectives, and never just eat what you’re fed.10/ Where’s Attracct heading? Doubling again by 2027, snagging acquisitions, serving bigger clients, building a killer sales team—and always, always leading with heart, culture, clarity, and that essential cool.11/ Legacy: “I want to be known as someone who took risks, put others first, and spread peace and joy. It’s an abundant world—if I can inspire that belief, I’ve done my job.”12/ Bottom line: Whether you’re building a business or a career, get on a great team, lead with integrity, stay curious, give back, and—maybe most important—be cool. You might just reinvent the game. #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CPA #BusinessGrowth