On episode #13 of the Unbalanced Podcast, hosts Candy Bellau and Sam Hallburn sit down with CPA and firm owner Marlon Wolfman to talk about the unscripted, unfiltered realities of firm ownership. Marlon, who runs FutureFy Tax and Accounting Solutions, shares how his journey from a traditional firm to his own modern, values-driven practice has been anything but linear, and full of lessons worth repeating.
When the partnership isn’t the plan
Before launching FutureFy, Marlon partnered with someone to acquire a retiring accountant’s book of business. The business arrangement looked promising on paper, but cracks appeared quickly. Their visions for the firm didn’t align. Marlon prioritized modernization and efficiency, while his partner valued low-cost legacy systems and busywork.
The deeper issue? A weak operating agreement.“It was vague,” Marlon explains. “There were no clear terms on how to exit the partnership or divide clients. It could’ve easily gone to court.”
His advice: Treat your operating agreement like a prenup. “Spell everything out, especially the stuff no one wants to talk about. You’ll save yourself heartache later.”
Going solo and learning when to say no
After leaving the partnership, Marlon launched his own firm. But striking out on his own brought a new challenge: resisting the temptation to say yes to every client. “It’s scary. You’re thinking, if I’m not billing, I’m not making money,” he says. “But I took on clients I shouldn’t have. I ignored my gut.”
Those early mismatches led to scope creep, constant emails with sensitive info, and clients who didn’t align with his process or values. His biggest lesson? “If it’s not a right fit, partner or client, don’t force it. Grow slower, but grow in the direction you actually want.”
Building boundaries and sticking to them
Today, Marlon’s practice is built around flat-fee pricing, subscription-based services, and a refusal to stray outside his professional wheelhouse. “I don’t run payroll. I don’t review contracts. I’m not a lawyer,” he laughs. “But I know people who are.”
Instead of overextending himself, he now relies on a trusted network of strategic partners to handle services he doesn’t offer and refers freely. “The more I referred out the work I shouldn’t have done, the more I got referrals back for the work I do want to do.”
The power of saying no
Marlon doesn’t niche by industry, but he’s crystal clear about the type of work he’ll take on and the clients he wants to work with. “It has to align with what I want to do and where I want my business to go,” he says. “That’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re starting out, but it changes everything.”
He also no longer breaks his own boundaries, something both Sam and Candy confessed to doing early in their careers. “We set the rules, then we’re the first ones to break them,” Sam jokes. “But it never works.”
Mentorship, accountability, and intentional growth
Marlon credits much of his progress to mentorship and accountability. “I’m ADHD, so left to my own devices, I’ll go off the rails,” he admits. “Mentorship helped guide me. Accountability kept me on track.” By defining his core customer and core offering, and sticking to them, Marlon says his entire trajectory shifted.
Final words of advice
Marlon’s closing message to the Unbalanced community? “Nothing will ever go exactly according to plan. But if you know what you want and work toward it, intentionally, you’ll build the practice that’s right for you.”
And if you’re wondering where to find him, just google Marlon Wolfman. “If you can find another one, I’d love to meet them,” he jokes. You can also visit his website at futurefytax.com, or look for the guy in the formal Stormtrooper jacket at your next accounting conference.
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