Big Takeaways from the Donovan CPAs Podcast

Jeff Donovan shares what he’s most proud of after serving as managing partner for 14 years: practicing what he preached by successfully passing the torch. 

Donovan CPAs grew 4X during Jeff’s leadership. The transition to BJ represents the first time in over 50 years the firm is led by someone outside the Donovan family.

“I practiced what I preached, which is business succession… and now I’m stepping out of the way to allow somebody, BJ Lippert, who is way better at managing the internal business than I am… And me elevating to the visionary role, that’s actually my happy spot.” — Jeff Donovan

2. Why “People First” is Strategic, Not Just Nice

Timestamp: 16:27–18:19

Donovan CPAs flipped the conventional client-first model on its head. Jeff explains that focusing on the team first leads to better service and stronger long-term results.

“The public accounting world had always been clients first, then the firm, then the employees. And so we decided to flip that upside down… If you focus on the people… they’re going to serve the clients better.” — Jeff Donovan

3. EOS, When You Use It Right

Timestamp: 32:04–39:54

EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) derives from Gino Wickman’s Traction. It’s a framework for running your company with more focus, more growth, and more enjoyment.

While Donovan CPAs had introduced EOS years ago, it wasn’t until they brought in a certified implementer that it became transformative. BJ shares how EOS gave the team clarity, accountability, and a system to track toward a 10-year goal.

“We’ve been using EOS for about seven years. We’ve been using it right for about four years. EOS helps us remain accountable, stay focused on the most important things, and ignore the clutter… Do those little things every day that accumulate to the one year success. And if you do the one year right, the three year success happens, and then the 10 year success happens.” — BJ Lippert

4. Culture Requires Consistent Cadence

Timestamp: 22:44–28:15

BJ outlines how consistency in communication is a cornerstone of Donovan’s internal culture. From Monday morning culture emails to Friday partner updates and triannual feedback loops, he believes repetition is essential to embedding vision and values.

“We talk about failure and growth that comes from failure. We talk about vulnerability. We talk about the word culture, and what does culture mean? And how you how can you bring it to life? We talk about supporting your teammates and being there for one another. We talk about how leadership isn’t just from the partners down, it’s from every seat you can you can lead. Innovation flows from when you’ve opened up the lines of communication.” — BJ Lippert

Why It Matters