From Homeless to $20 Billion Deals: An Accountant's Journey

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Earmark Podcast | Earn Free Accounting CPE

Blake Oliver, CPA

109 episodes

1 week ago

This show is brought to you by Earmark, your source for podcast-based continuing education for accounting and tax professionals. You can earn CPE by listening to the episodes on this podcast and more! Sign up for our mobile app to earn free CPE whenever you want, wherever you go. Learn more at https://earmarkcpe.com.

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From Homeless to $20 Billion Deals: An Accountant's Journey

Earmark Podcast | Earn Free Accounting CPE

52 minutes

4 months ago

From Homeless to $20 Billion Deals: An Accountant's Journey

What happens when a homeless 21-year-old musician transforms into a financial leader negotiating $20 billion deals at Google? Devon Coombs shares his remarkable journey from living in his car after his recording studio failed to becoming an ASC 606 revenue recognition expert who helped shape multibillion-dollar cloud contracts. You'll discover how he leveraged technical accounting expertise to leapfrog traditional career paths, why he cold-called a thousand controllers as a first-year auditor, and his predictions for how AI will transform accountants into "orchestrators" rather than individual contributors. Plus, learn why he's leaving Google to build a consulting practice focused on helping the profession adapt to an AI-driven future.

Chapters

(00:54) - Devon's Early Struggles and Music Industry Journey
(02:59) - Transition to Accounting and Education
(04:52) - Challenges and Lessons from the Recording Studio
(06:58) - Impact of Automation and AI on Careers
(12:59) - Devon's Path to Success in Accounting
(17:59) - Early Career at Deloitte and Winning Business
(22:45) - Transition to Smaller Firm and ASC 606 Insights
(25:36) - Deep Dive into ASC 606
(28:06) - Becoming an Expert in ASC 606
(31:13) - Transition to Google and Work-Life Balance
(34:18) - Negotiating Billion-Dollar Deals at Google
(37:45) - The Role of AI in Accounting
(48:20) - Leaving Google for Principal Consulting Group
(51:49) - Conclusion and Future Collaborations

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Connect with Our Guest, Devon Coombs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devoncoombs/
Website: https://www.devoncoombs.com/

Connect with Blake Oliver, CPA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/