Podcast Episode Overview
Alicia sits down with longtime friend and Intuit Trainer/Writer Network co-founder Alison Ball to trace her path from Intuit through Liscio and BookKeep to running her own consulting practice as a trusted sounding board for tech companies and practitioners alike. Alison breaks down why so many accounting tech products stumble (hint: they skip the accountants), shares Blake Oliver’s now-famous advice to fix your bottleneck before pointing AI at anything else, and makes the case for why the UK’s tax system might be a preview of where the US is headed. Grandkids, gardens, and gamillion-dollar vines make an appearance too.
Creators & Guests
- Host – Alicia Katz Pollock, MAT
- Guest – Alison Ball
Sponsors
Pilot – http://uqb.promo/pilot
Veltrix – http://uqb.promo/veltrix
Podcast Highlights
(00:00) – Podcast Welcome Guest Intro
(00:45) – Off Brand QBO Shirt Story
(01:36) – How We Met At Connect
(04:24) – TWN Origins And Auditions
(07:05) – TWN Disbanding Impact
(09:03) – Layoffs And Career Shifts
(12:43) – Product Design Mistakes
(15:25) – AI Bottlenecks And Decisions
(17:39) – Community Collaboration Shift
(22:13) – Canada Vs US Accounting
(24:29) – Canadian Community Leaders
(25:21) – Inclusive Culture And Travel Plans
(26:16) – Training Tour Across Canada
(27:03) – Advice For Industry Change
(28:48) – Getting On The AI Train
(31:16) – Tech That Fades Into Background
(32:21) – AI Apps And Workflow Value
(35:25) – Making Tax Digital Future
(40:05) – Life Updates And Where To Connect
(43:36) – QuickBooks Hands On Training Pitch
(45:24) – Final Thanks And Wrap Up
Links
Reach out to Alison at https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonball/
Listen to our episode about Intuit layoffs: uqb.show/146
HANDS-ON QUICKBOOKS TRAINING COURSE, http://royl.ws/HOT2026?affiliate=5393907
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This podcast is independently operated and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Intuit Inc. or QuickBooks®. Any references to Intuit and QuickBooks products are made solely for the purpose of discussing the topics related to the company and its software.


