Dark Horse CPAs, an accounting and tax firm serving small businesses across the United States, has promoted Chris Ries, CPA, from Associate Principal to Principal after he completed the firm's Principal Accelerator Program. The program is designed for entrepreneurially minded CPAs who want to build a scalable book of business without starting from scratch.
Ries's path to Principal required a shift from pure client service to deliberate practice ownership. Dark Horse provides administrative infrastructure, sales training, lead generation, and operational support, but Ries said the responsibility of shaping a practice ultimately falls on the Principal. "There's a lot more that goes into running a practice than just serving clients' tax and accounting needs," Ries said. "The first few months required a lot of soul-searching and getting clear on what kind of work I actually wanted to do, instead of just taking on everything that came my way."
Ries credited Dark Horse's leadership team and peer community as a key differentiator from traditional partnership structures. "Running your own practice can be lonely, especially in a profession where no one person can realistically know everything," he said. "Here, leadership is focused entirely on supporting Principals and Accelerators, not splitting their attention across client work. That changes everything. When Principals are supported, clients are better served."
One unexpected discovery for Ries was that lead flow was not the primary obstacle. "I worried there wouldn't be enough opportunities coming in," he said. "Instead, the real work was figuring out who I wanted to serve and how I wanted to serve them. Learning to say no to opportunities that didn't fit was something I didn't expect, but it's what allowed me to build a practice aligned with my goals."
Chase Birky, CEO and co-founder of Dark Horse CPAs, initially doubted Ries's readiness. "When our Chief Revenue Officer, Justin Kurn, brought Chris to a third-round interview and told me how long he'd been in public accounting, I told him to cancel it because I thought there was no way he could be ready for this job at this point in his career," Birky said. "Justin persisted to advocate for him so, eventually, I gave in. And, I'm so glad I did. It was immediately apparent that he knew his craft and had great mentors that invested in him along the way."
Ries expressed enthusiasm for the autonomy of Principal ownership. "There's no pressure to chase arbitrary growth targets," he said. "My focus is building a practice that fits my life, my priorities, and the clients I want to work with." The Accelerator Program is currently accepting new participants. CPAs can learn more at abetterway.cpa.
