AI, Niches, and Reclaiming Your Freedom with Reza Hooda

What if you could run your entire firm in under 3 hours a week? That’s exactly what Reza Hooda has done, and in a recent episode of the Practice Success Podcast, he shared the exact shifts that made it possible. From ditching the billable hour to using AI to write content, Reza’s insights are a wake-up call for an accountant stuck in the old way of working.

If you’re looking for more freedom, better margins, and fewer client fire drills, this one’s for you.

Listen to the full episode here 👇

The Traditional Firm Model is Broken

Most accountants start their own firm for freedom, but end up creating a job that works them to the bone. Why? Because they copy the model they came from: tracking time, billing by the hour, and reacting to deadlines.

Reza calls this out directly: the billable hour leads to burnout and low profitability. More importantly, it disconnects the value accountants deliver from how they charge for it. Clients aren’t buying your time. They’re buying peace of mind, compliance, strategy, or, in other words, outcomes.

Freedom Comes from Better Business Design

Reza now runs his firm in less than 3 hours a week. But it wasn’t always that way. In 2014, he was working 60+ hours, not seeing his kids, and nearly shut the firm down.

His turning point came when he realized he was missing the skills that actually make a business work: pricing, marketing, delegation, and leadership. Learning those (and applying them) was the difference between owning a job and building a business. As Reza puts it, "You have to stop being just the technician and start thinking like a CEO."

If you want your firm to give you freedom, you have to build it to run without you.

Modern Marketing Matters More Than Ever

Referrals still matter, but today, even referral leads Google you first. That means your website, your niche, and your content all need to be dialed in.

Reza stresses the importance of having a clear online presence and a strong content strategy that speaks to your ideal client. A strong online presence, clear niche positioning, and educational content, he says, help firms win clients on autopilot. And thanks to the pandemic, remote work is normalized. You no longer have to compete just locally. With the right positioning, your ideal client could be anywhere in the country.

Specialization Is Key

Most firms look the same from the outside. Same services, same language, same pricing. That’s why clients compare on price.

Reza broke out of this "sea of sameness" by niching down. His second firm, Capture Accounting, serves content creators. That one decision transformed his business: marketing became easier, pricing got stronger, and workflows became more efficient because every client needed similar services. Generalist firms, he warns, fall into the sea of sameness and can only compete on price. 

Pricing Follows Positioning

When you’re seen as a specialist, you can price like one. 

Reza teaches fixed, upfront pricing tied to the value delivered. Instead of billing by the hour, he creates pricing options that work for both the firm and the client, such as a discount for upfront payment or flexible monthly billing. This not only stabilizes cash flow but also empowers clients to choose what works best for them. Fixed pricing and getting paid upfront, he says, create healthier businesses and happier clients.

AI Is a Game Changer for Marketing

AI won’t replace accountants. But accountants who use AI will outperform those who don’t.

Reza uses AI to amplify his voice, not replace it. By uploading transcripts from webinars, Zoom calls, or past content, he turns everyday conversations into LinkedIn posts, blogs, and lead magnets. Even accountants with no writing background, he notes, can turn Zoom calls into content. You don’t have to be a writer, you just have to document what you already say, then let AI help you turn it into marketing.

Final Thoughts

Reza’s story proves that you can run a profitable, low-stress, modern firm if you're willing to question how things have always been done.

So ask yourself: Are you building a business, or are you stuck in a job you happen to own?