A few months ago, I did something I rarely do; I signed up for a high-priced out-of-town workshop. These kinds of gatherings are often disappointing for me, but I figured this one might be different. It promised two full days of insight from one of the leading voices about business growth and scaling, which is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.
I flew in the night before, showed up early the next morning, and settled into my seat, notebook in hand, ready to learn. One problem: The expert, whose name was all over the promotional materials and my ticket, wasn't there. Instead, we had to sit through a series of presentations from the leader's team. The content wasn't bad, but it wasn't what I came for. After a few hours, I realized this workshop wasn't the best use of my time (or money).
So, I left.
Back in my hotel room, I opened my laptop and pulled up ChatGPT. I typed in: "I want you to be [this expert business leader]. These are the questions I need answered for my business. Help me build a 12-month action plan."
And it worked.
(Disclaimer: The author receives no compensation or promotional consideration for products and services mentioned in this article.)
Because so much of this leader's thinking was already in the public domain — in podcasts, books and interviews — my AI bot could channel his voice very accurately. My AI experience wasn't just better than sitting in the conference room with the expert's team, it was like having a private advisory session with the leader himself. Through AI I could ask follow-up questions, drill down into specifics, and get feedback that was tailored to my exact situation
That's when it hit me: If I could do this with one expert, why not use AI to build an entire advisory board composed of the people I most want to learn from?
The dream-team advisory board
Most accounting firms are wrestling with similar challenges today: pricing, process improvement, recruiting, retention, new technology adoption, improving client experience, and standing out in the marketplace.
Now, imagine calling a board meeting and having Jeff Bezos (pricing and scale), Elon Musk (innovation), Charlie Munger (mental models) and Indra Nooyi (culture and leadership) sitting around the table with you. That's not wishful thinking anymore. With AI, you can get their perspectives in real time on a wide range of subjects.
Here's what I did after my disappointing workshop: I prompted ChatGPT with the following: "Act as Jeff Bezos. How would you redesign the pricing strategy of an accounting firm to scale while adding more client value?" Then I tried this prompt: "You are Charlie Munger. Walk me through the decision-making traps I might be falling into as I think about M&A".
Are the answers perfect? No. But they're thought-provoking. They shake you out of the same circular conversations you keep having with partners. Sometimes just hearing the words phrased in a different way can unlock a new angle. It's like getting to borrow someone else's brain for an hour — and it's entirely free.
Giving your client a seat
The second kind of advisory board might be even more important: your client avatar.
Here's the reality — most firms don't really know what their clients think. We like to assume. We like to project. We like to imagine. But if we ask clients directly we discover that they care about things we never thought were important. Now, you can give your clients a permanent seat at the table.
Here's how:
- Start by defining your ideal client in detail. Let's say it turns out to be a 50-year-old real estate investor with a handful of rental properties and growing interest in multifamily deals. Let's also say she uses LLCs and partnerships but isn't fully confident that the structure of her businesses is tax-optimized. Her biggest fear is missing deductions or setting up an incorrect entity structure that leads to an audit. Her biggest frustration? Having to explain real estate basics to her CPA instead of the other way around.
- Feed that profile into AI and tell it: "From now on, you are this client. Answer my questions as she would."
- Then ask AI what you'd ask if the client was literally in the room: "What frustrates you about working with an accounting firm?" or "What would make you feel we were indispensable?"
When I tried this approach, the answers were uncomfortably honest. They reminded me that while I take pride in my technical sophistication, my ideal clients care more about my availability and proactive guidance. And that's the kind of client insight you want shaping your decisions.
You can make the avatar sharper by layering in real client survey data or feedback from past tax seasons. The point isn't to avoid talking to clients — it's to keep their voice present in every strategic conversation you and your team have.
Why this matters
Here's the big takeaway: Access to expertise is no longer the problem. Execution is.
Ten years ago, a midsized accounting firm couldn't access Jeff Bezos's perspective on pricing or run a role-play with their perfect client avatar. Today it can. That means the firms that get ahead won't be the ones with the most money or the fanciest consultants. It will be the ones that build execution discipline around today's tools.
If you want to make this real, schedule a quarterly "advisory board meeting." Invite your chosen "members." Maybe Bezos, Munger and your client avatar. Come with three questions you need answered. Run the prompts. Debate the responses with your team. Then walk away with three concrete decisions to act on.
It might sound unconventional, but after trying a virtual advisory board meeting myself, I can tell you it works. And once you start, you'll never want to go back to guessing or recycling the same stale ideas.
Closing thought
I spent thousands of dollars and half a day at a workshop to realize something I could have done from my own office: The best advisory board you'll ever have is already available to you. The only question is whether you'll invite them into the room.
What is your firm doing to get more out of your advisory board meetings? I'd
