Earley AI Podcast — Episode 65: David Hartley and Dave Blatt

Guests: David Hartley, Partner-in-Charge, Advisory at Anders CPAs

               Dave Blatt, Principal and Technology Practice Leader at Anders CPAs

Host: Seth Earley, CEO at Earley Information Science

Published on: March 24, 2025

In this episode of the Earley AI Podcast, host Seth Earley welcomes two insightful guests from Anders, a top 100 CPA firm: David Hartley and Dave Blatt. David Hartley is a seasoned CPA with a profound understanding of the synergy between finance and technology. He advocates for how AI can enhance traditional accounting roles rather than replace them. Dave Blatt brings a wealth of knowledge in AI automation and analytics, focusing on empowering mid-sized companies to harness AI for competing with larger players.

Join us as we dive into the world of AI applications in the finance, accounting, and mid-market operations sectors. Our guests dispel common myths and fears surrounding AI, exploring how small and medium-sized enterprises can practically and effectively adopt AI technologies to drive transformation and growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Demystifying AI: Understanding AI in the context of mid-market companies and addressing misconceptions around AI replacing human jobs.

• AI for Mid-Sized Enterprises:** How AI is accessible and beneficial for mid-sized businesses, allowing them to compete with larger organizations.

• Impact on Accounting: Enhancing traditional accounting roles through AI and freeing up time for more value-added activities.

• Implementation Strategies: Best practices for implementing AI in mid-sized companies, focusing on education, small projects, and quick wins.

• Real-World Applications: Case studies in industries like construction and manufacturing, where AI has improved efficiency and productivity.

• Communication and Trust: The importance of communication and building trust among team members to ensure successful AI adoption.

Insightful Quotes:

"Start small and not make it so daunting... get some quick wins that will be a catalyst to doing more projects and bigger efforts." - Dave Blatt

"AI is not replacing accountants. It's freeing them up to do the higher-value work that requires judgment, expertise, and client relationships." - David Hartley

"The mid-market companies that embrace AI now will have a significant competitive advantage over those that wait." - Dave Blatt

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davehartley/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveblatt/

Website: https://anderscpa.com

Article: AI Adoption Is Not as Hard as You Think – Start Now or Fall Behind

Ways to Tune In:
Earley AI Podcast: https://www.earley.com/earley-ai-podcast-home
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1586654770
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nkcZvVYjHHj6wtBABqLbE?si=73cd5d5fc89f4781
iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-earley-ai-podcast-87108370/
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/earley-ai-podcast
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/18524b67-09cf-433f-82db-07b6213ad3ba/earley-ai-podcast
Buzzsprout: https://earleyai.buzzsprout.com/ 

Podcast Transcript: AI Adoption for Mid-Market Accounting and Finance

Transcript introduction

This transcript captures a conversation between Seth Earley, David Hartley, and Dave Blatt on practical AI adoption strategies for mid-market companies in accounting and finance. Topics include demystifying AI fears, implementing AI in accounting workflows, starting with quick wins, real-world case studies from construction and manufacturing, and building trust through communication and education.

Transcript

Seth Earley:
Welcome to the Earley AI Podcast. I'm your host, Seth Earley, and today I have two great guests from Anders, a top 100 CPA firm. Joining me are David Hartley, a seasoned CPA with deep expertise in finance and technology, and Dave Blatt, who specializes in AI automation and analytics. Gentlemen, welcome to the show!

David Hartley:
Thanks for having us, Seth.

Dave Blatt:
Great to be here.

Seth Earley:
So let's start with the big picture. There's a lot of fear and hesitancy around AI, especially in traditional industries like accounting and finance. What are you seeing?

David Hartley:
There's definitely hesitancy, and a lot of it comes from misconceptions. The biggest fear is that AI is going to replace jobs, particularly in accounting. But that's not what we're seeing. AI is not replacing accountants. It's freeing them up to do the higher-value work that requires judgment, expertise, and client relationships. The routine, repetitive tasks—those are what AI handles. That allows accountants to focus on advisory, strategy, and deeper client engagement.

Seth Earley:
Dave, you work specifically with mid-market companies. How does AI fit into that segment?

Dave Blatt:
Mid-market companies are in a really interesting position. They don't have the resources of large enterprises, but they also can't afford to fall behind. AI levels the playing field. It allows mid-sized businesses to automate processes, gain insights from data, and operate more efficiently—things that used to require huge IT departments and budgets. The mid-market companies that embrace AI now will have a significant competitive advantage over those that wait.

Seth Earley:
What are some practical applications you're seeing in accounting and finance?

David Hartley:
Lots of them. Document processing and extraction—pulling data from invoices, receipts, contracts. Reconciliation and matching—automating the comparison of transactions across systems. Anomaly detection—flagging unusual transactions that might indicate errors or fraud. Report generation—creating financial reports and analyses. All of these tasks used to be very manual and time-consuming. Now they can be largely automated.

Seth Earley:
What about beyond accounting? What are you seeing in operations?

Dave Blatt:
We're seeing applications across the board. In construction, AI helps with project estimation, scheduling, and resource allocation. In manufacturing, it's predictive maintenance, quality control, and supply chain optimization. In professional services, it's automating proposal generation, client communications, and project tracking. The common thread is that AI takes over the routine work so people can focus on the strategic work.

Seth Earley:
So how should mid-market companies approach AI adoption? Where should they start?

Dave Blatt:
Start small and don't make it so daunting. You don't need to transform everything at once. Pick one process, one pain point, and address it with AI. Get some quick wins that will be a catalyst to doing more projects and bigger efforts. The worst thing you can do is try to boil the ocean. Start focused, prove value, build confidence, then expand.

Seth Earley:
Can you give an example of a quick win?

David Hartley:
Sure. One simple example is automating invoice processing. Most companies are still manually entering data from invoices into their accounting system. AI can extract that data automatically, validate it, and route it for approval. It's a clear, measurable improvement—faster processing, fewer errors, lower cost. And once people see that work, they're more open to other applications.

Seth Earley:
What about the human side? How do you get buy-in from teams who might be worried about their jobs?

David Hartley:
Communication is absolutely critical. You need to be transparent about what AI is going to do and what it's not going to do. Show people how it will make their jobs easier, not eliminate their jobs. Involve them in the process. Get their input on what tasks are most tedious or error-prone. When people see that AI is a tool to help them, not replace them, the resistance decreases significantly.

Seth Earley:
Dave, you mentioned education. How important is that?

Dave Blatt:
It's foundational. Most people don't understand what AI is or what it can do. They have vague fears based on sci-fi movies or sensational headlines. You need to educate your team about what AI actually is—not magic, not sentient, just sophisticated software. Show them real examples in your industry. Let them experiment with AI tools. The more they understand it, the less threatening it becomes.

Seth Earley:
What are some common mistakes you see organizations making?

Dave Blatt:
Several. First, trying to do too much at once. Second, not involving the people who actually do the work. Third, expecting perfection from day one—AI requires iteration and refinement. Fourth, neglecting change management—the technology is often the easy part; the people and process changes are harder. And fifth, not measuring results. You need to track the impact so you can demonstrate value and justify further investment.

Seth Earley:
Can you share a success story from your work?

David Hartley:
We worked with a mid-sized construction company that was struggling with project cost tracking. They had multiple systems that didn't talk to each other, and they were spending huge amounts of time manually reconciling data. We implemented AI to automatically extract data from various sources, reconcile it, and flag discrepancies. The result was about 70% reduction in the time spent on this process, plus much faster visibility into project costs. That allowed them to make better decisions in real-time rather than weeks after the fact.

Seth Earley:
That's impressive. What enabled that success?

Dave Blatt:
A few things. First, they had clear pain points and were willing to try something new. Second, we started with a pilot—a limited scope to prove the concept. Third, we involved the project managers and accountants who actually used the data. They helped us understand the nuances and refine the solution. And fourth, leadership was supportive and communicated the value to the team.

Seth Earley:
What advice would you give to a CFO or finance leader who's thinking about AI but doesn't know where to start?

David Hartley:
First, educate yourself. Don't rely on vendor pitches. Understand the basics of what AI can and can't do. Second, look at your processes and identify where you have the most pain—high manual effort, lots of errors, slow turnaround. Third, talk to peers in your industry who've implemented AI. Learn from their experiences. Fourth, start with a small, focused project. And fifth, measure everything. Track time saved, errors reduced, costs decreased. That data will help you justify scaling.

Seth Earley:
Any final thoughts for our listeners?

Dave Blatt:
Don't wait. The technology is here, it's accessible, and it's getting better every day. The companies that are experimenting and learning now will be the ones that thrive. The ones that wait will find themselves at a disadvantage. Start small, but start now.

David Hartley:
And remember, this is about augmenting your team, not replacing them. AI is a tool that makes people more effective. The human judgment, the expertise, the relationships—those are still essential. AI just handles the routine work so your people can focus on what really matters.

Seth Earley:
Well, David and Dave, thank you both so much for joining us and sharing your insights.

David Hartley:
Thank you, Seth.

Dave Blatt:
Thanks for having us.

Seth Earley:
And thank you to our listeners. You can find David and Dave on LinkedIn and learn more about Anders at anderscpa.com. Thanks for tuning in to the Earley AI Podcast, and we'll see you next time!