• Scale with Purpose:

    The Service Entrepreneur's Guide to Intentional Growth

    If you run a small services-based company, you may want to scale your business. But are you ready for what it will take to grow it?

    Scale with Purpose is your guide to maximizing a company’s profitability through efficient use of human capital. Jason M. Blumer and Ian Vacin have each spent more than twenty-five years talking, listening, observing, advising, consulting, and mentoring knowledge-based service firm owners. In Scaling with Purpose, Blumer and Vacin present the lessons that they’ve learned—and that you will need to learn.

  • What others are saying...

    Tim Williams
    Author, Positioning for Professionals

    The realization that growth isn’t linear, but rather a series of plateaus, is the foundational insight explored by this immensely useful growth guide for professional service firms. Each plateau is an opportunity to reexamine not only the question of how to grow, but also why.

    Blumer and Vacin succinctly answer both of those questions, supported by a wealth of real-world examples that will not only teach you the correct practices, but also the guiding principles that will help you build a business that matters.

    Paul Dunn
    Co-Founder, B1G1

    Jason and Ian have spent decades not just studying what makes service businesses grow — they’ve been doing it themselves and walking alongside others doing the growing too. That’s what makes this book the real deal: it’s packed with practical wisdom, clarity, and frameworks that move you from the chaos of growth to the calm of intentional scale.

    If you’ve ever felt stuck at a growth ceiling, this book hands you the ladder — and shows you how to climb. Chapter 12 gives you a brilliant view from the mountaintop. This is a Masterclass in what scaling with purpose truly means.

    David Yuan
    Founder, Tidemark

    At a time when accounting firms face a choice—stagnate or reinvent—Scale with Purpose offers the clearest path forward. This book isn't just advice; it’s a deeply-researched, field-tested blueprint!

    When you start a business (or an investing firm for that matter), you’re putting financial livelihood, your ambition, your ego at stake!. Vacin has written the book every ambitious founder had ten years ago. It’s a masterclass in how to scale without losing your soul.

    Gary Boomer
    Visionary, Boomer Consulting, Inc.

    Too many leaders chase time and money, then wonder why purpose and relationships fall apart. Scale with Purpose flips the script. What if freedom came from clarity, not hustle? Be bold enough to start with “why.”

    Scaling isn't about doing more — it's about becoming more. Invest in yourself, your team, and the tech that frees you. The return? Purpose, time, trust... and growth worth leading.

    If you want freedom, start with purpose — not a packed calendar. Scale with Purpose shows leaders how to communicate better, lead smarter, and grow intentionally. Don't scale by accident. Lead on purpose.

  • ABOUT THE AUTHORS

    IAN VACIN

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    Ian has almost 30 years’ leadership experience in technology and accounting companies. He has held executive roles at major companies (Xero & Intuit) plus is co-founder of Karbon. Ian is passionate about helping accounting professionals be as successful as possible to help the small businesses they serve.
    He was named a Top 20 under 40 in 2016 by the CPA Practice Advisor and a Marketer That Matters in 2013 by The Wall Street Journal. Ian has a Master of Engineering Management and an MBA from Northwestern University and Kellogg School of Management.
    He lives in San Francisco, California.

    JASON M. BLUMER

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    In his 30 year career (25 years as a scalilng entrepreneur), Jason founded Thriveal, LLC, a coaching, training, and educational company serving entrepreneurial CPA firm owners. For 25 years, he’s also been the CEO of Blumer & Associates CPAs. He hosts the Thrivecast podcast and speaks regularly on reimagining professional services.
    Jason helps traditional service practices to evolve into strategic advisory firms that deliver exceptional value while building scalable, profitable businesses.
    He lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

  • Podcast, Part I: Jason Interviews Ian on the Thrivecast

    In this part 1 podcast episode, Jason chats with Ian Vacin, co-founder and chief customer officer of Karbon. Known for his extensive background in industrial engineering, high tech manufacturing, Ian brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the table.

    Together, they dive deep into the intricacies of capacity planning and resource management for accounting firms, drawing from their own collaboration history and experiences on road shows. The culminations of these conversations found their way into their book.

    Podcast, Part II: Jason Interviews Ian on the Thrivecast

    Jason sits down for part 2 of his episode with Ian Vacin where they finish their teaching from the highly successful Deeper Weekend conference. This episode is a follow up from Ian’s sessions at Thriveal's Deeper Weekend conference. and they dive into the Qualitative Research they are doing for their upcoming book on Human Capacity.


    Learn about the 7 qualitative research findings that help firms reach profitability and firm success, that are also covered in their book.

    We've been at this for a long time!

    Close to a decade ago, Ian invited Jason to join him on a traveling roadshow where Jason explained how firms find their niche and stand out from their competitors.

    Ian and Jason have been traveling and teaching together for many years.

  • The Consultants:

    The book Scale With Purpose came about through the deep work of business building. Ian, Julie, and Jason have been collaborators for many years, have run businesses for many years, and have spoken and written together for many years (in fact, Julie Shipp, project managed this entire book). All 3 consult and have been in some of the toughest engagements and companies that have stretched and taught them the skills that you, as our reader, need to grow your company. Here are the consultants' expertise:

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    WE SPEAK, WRITE, TEACH, AND CONSULT WITH SERVICE ENTREPRENEURS TO CHANGE THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. REACH OUT AND WE'LL SEE IF WE ARE A FIT TO WORK TOGETHER.

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