The Death of the Funnel: Why Accountants Need Narrative Ecosystems to Grow

The Growth Minded Accountant

Funnels are dead. And in this episode of The Growth Minded Accountant, host Lee Reams II and guest Rebekah Barton explain why the old lead-generation playbook no longer works—and what accountants must do instead.

For years, firms were told to rely on funnels: fill the top with ads and PDFs, nurture with email, and push leads down until they buy. But in Fall 2025, that’s not how clients make decisions.

Clients now:

• Google you, check Yelp, scroll LinkedIn, and DM a friend.
• Ask ChatGPT who the best advisor is (and trust the recommendation).
• Get their answers directly from Google’s AI Overviews, often without ever clicking a website.

The result? Funnels don’t just leak—they’re broken.

In their place comes the Narrative Ecosystem: a consistent story told across every touchpoint—your website, Google profile, proposals, onboarding, and even your newsletters. It’s the only way to win in a world where AI is deciding what people see and who they trust.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional funnels no longer match today’s discovery process.
• How Google’s AI-first SERPs and ChatGPT’s dominance are reshaping trust.
• What a Narrative Ecosystem looks like in practice for accountants and advisory firms.
• How AI can amplify your narrative across every client interaction.
• Practical steps to move from funnel-thinking to ecosystem growth.

👉 Funnels are relics. Narrative ecosystems are the future. And with CountingWorks PRO powered by MAX, tax pros and accountants can finally scale smarter and faster—without more headcount or cookie-cutter marketing.

Subscribe to The Growth Minded Accountant wherever you listen to podcasts—and discover how to build a modern, visible, and advisory-first firm in the AI era.