Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randy Hughes Iii. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Randy, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
Yes, we do several things differently—and it’s intentional. We’re not just a CPA firm; we’re category creators in the business advisory space.
At Seven Figure Profits®, we understand that success and fulfillment have an emotional component. We’re a CPA firm with a wellness division, combining masterful tax strategies with innovative Profit Psychology—because let’s face it, numbers alone never made anyone jump out of bed in the morning. With our guidance, you’ll get the whole package: profitability and fulfillment.
Nearly 50% of all 7-figure business owners fall into the “7-Figure Poor” category—earning high revenues but struggling with low profits and lack of fulfillment. We’re here to change that.
While other firms stop at tax strategies, we go further. Combining CPA expertise, tax strategy, and insights from our wellness division, we help clients master both the money and the mindset. The result? You’ll protect your wealth, multiply your profits, and finally experience the freedom and fulfillment you imagined when you first built your empire.
Most industry standards focus heavily on revenue growth, often at the expense of real profitability and personal well-being. Here’s what sets us apart:
Prioritizing Profitability: While many advisors emphasize top-line growth, we focus on bottom-line profitability. We help our clients optimize cash flow and build sustainable profit structures that ensure they’re not just making money but keeping it in ways that grow their wealth.
Burnout Prevention as a Strategy: Unlike many in the financial or business advisory space, we recognize that burnout isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a business liability. Through our exclusive wellness division, we integrate evidence-based tools to help leaders eradicate burnout, master stress,enhance emotional regulation, improve decision-making, and sustain high performance.
Tax-Advantaged Wealth Building: The industry often defaults to reactive tax strategies. We proactively work with our clients to build wealth in tax-efficient ways, helping them retain more of their earnings while scaling wisely.
Work-Life Integration: While the industry norm often celebrates a “grind” mentality, we help our clients achieve success with time freedom. This means crafting business systems that allow them to enjoy their lives, not just work for their businesses.
Every one of our clients came to us believing that hitting 7-figures would bring them security, but instead, it brought golden handcuffs—overwork, stress, operational challenges, and high tax bills. Now, they experience phenomenal relief with our step-by-step guidance, gaining clarity and confidence in their financial decisions, future steps, and strategic investments. They find themselves more aligned with their values, creating a business and life that truly reflects what matters most to them. This leaves them with a deep sense of peace, fulfillment, and true financial freedom. Our clients’ transformations speak for themselves, and we thrive on the referrals they eagerly share with others seeking the same life-changing results.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’ve always believed that life should be about creating impact and freedom. Early on, I dedicated myself to full-time volunteer ministry work, which taught me the power of service and meaningful contribution. But as I stepped into adulthood, reality hit: passion alone doesn’t pay the bills. I realized I needed to find a way to combine financial stability with the fulfillment of helping others—and that set me on a path that would completely redefine my career and life.
So, like many, I entered the corporate world, I quickly realized it wasn’t for me. The long commutes, the endless grind, and the disconnect between the work I was doing and the life I wanted left me unfulfilled. It became clear that this wasn’t the path I was meant to follow, and I knew I had to create something different, something that aligned with my values and aspirations.
I started Counting Pennies, LLC as my first step. What began as a small venture helping individuals and small businesses untangle their finances soon became much more, a vehicle to create my own freedom while helping others build financial clarity and stability. But I didn’t stop there.
As I grew in my work, a pattern emerged. I noticed many high-earning entrepreneurs were living a paradox—they were making great money but still struggling financially, feeling stressed, and stuck. They were what I now call “7-Figure Poor.” That realization led to the creation of Seven Figure Profits®, a partnership with my wife, Renèe, that combines financial expertise with profit psychology to address the “7-Figure Poor” phenomenon.
As a member of the prestigious Intuit Tax Council, Certified Tax Planning Coach, Certified Tax Resolution Specialist, and Fractional CFO Advisor I help clients tackle the root causes of their financial stress. For many, it’s a mix of overpaying in taxes, poor cash flow management, and a lack of long-term wealth strategy. My work is disruptive by design, I don’t just help people balance the books. I help them rethink how they’re playing the financial game entirely.
Alongside my wife Renèe, who leads our wellness division, we address not only the numbers but also the human side of success. Entrepreneurs often carry the burdens of burnout, stress, and decision fatigue. With her expertise, Renèe helps them master stress, regain mental clarity, and rebuild their energy. Together, we empower our clients to reclaim their wealth, vitality, and joy.
What sets us apart? We solve problems most entrepreneurs don’t even know they have until it’s too late. Whether it’s bleeding money in taxes or failing to scale profits sustainably, we offer clear, actionable strategies that help our clients not just grow their businesses but actually enjoy the success they’ve built.
Looking back, I’m proud of how every part of my journey from ministry to the grind of corporate life to building my businesses has prepared me for this work. It’s not just about fixing finances; it’s about building lives people are excited to live.
If there’s one thing I want readers to remember, it’s this: you don’t have to choose between financial success and personal fulfillment. With the right strategy and mindset, you can have both. At Seven Figure Profits®, we make sure of it.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Years ago, I was working in a corporate job that didn’t align with my goals or values. At the time, my goals were simple yet deeply personal: to spend more quality time with my new wife instead of the exhausted, leftover energy that my demanding job allowed and to have the freedom to engage in volunteer ministry. I wanted to work part-time.
Walking away wasn’t easy—it meant starting over and stepping into the unknown.
When I finally took the leap into entrepreneurship, it was a bold move, but the early days were anything but glamorous. Life was far from luxurious. There were moments when I felt stretched thin.
When I started out, I didn’t just lack clients; I lacked confidence. I knew the numbers, but working with real people and solving their financial challenges felt intimidating. It was like jumping into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. I had to figure it out on the fly.
I went old-school—putting flyers on cars and leaving them in apartment complexes, hoping someone would take a chance on me. It was humbling work, and at times, it felt discouraging. But each small success gave me momentum. Every client I gained was a lesson in communication, trust, and understanding what people really needed.
Eventually, the tax business became our bread and butter. I’ll never forget that first tax season after taking the leap. In just three months, the work we did generated enough revenue to cover all of our expenses for the next 12 months. That wasn’t just financial relief—it was validation that we were on the right track. It gave us stability, clarity, and the breathing room to focus on growth.
Fast forward to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that same grit guided our transition to advisory services. The challenges of the pandemic forced us to rethink everything about how we served our clients and managed our business. Businesses were facing questions they’d never had to answer before: How do I protect my team? What happens if my revenue doesn’t recover? How do I stay afloat while staying compliant?
We knew we had to step up. One critical shift was clearly separating compliance work from advisory services. To address those needs, we transitioned to an advisory firm, offering tax planning and tax resolution strategies. We realized we were already doing much of this work informally—helping clients strategize and solve problems beyond their immediate compliance needs. This shift was about formalizing our role as trusted advisors and doubling down on delivering the insights and guidance our clients needed.
One of the most fulfilling parts of this transition has been the opportunity to teach my fellow CPAs through the Well-Rounded Accountant (WRA) program. In the WRA program we teach our fellow accountants to build the same business that we built to avoid the feast and famine of compliance work but also to impact the lives of their clients even more as the economic scene ebbs and flows.
Resilience isn’t just about persistence; it’s about starting small, growing from every challenge, and aligning your actions with your values. Looking back, those early struggles were what helped me build the confidence and skills to serve clients at the highest level today.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Start by determining what type of culture you need. The culture you cultivate sets the tone for everything—how your team communicates, collaborates, and approaches challenges. Keep this vision in mind when hiring new team members and evaluating current ones. Your team should reflect the values and energy you want to see in your business.
When it comes to managing a team and keeping morale high, I’ll say this: stop managing people, start inspiring them. Too many leaders get caught up in micromanaging, tracking every little detail, and squeezing productivity out of their teams. That approach is outdated and toxic. If you want a thriving, motivated team, you need to think bigger.
Here’s how I approach it:
Purpose Over Paychecks
People don’t just work for money—they work for meaning. If your team doesn’t know why their work matters, morale will tank. Connect their daily tasks to a larger mission and show them the impact they’re making. Purpose is the ultimate motivator.
Give Autonomy, Not Instructions
No one enjoys having a micromanaging boss. When you’ve chosen the right team members, give them the trust to excel in their roles. We take this a step further by regularly asking team members about their favorite and least favorite roles. This helps us evaluate their strengths and areas where they may need support. Define clear objectives, equip them with the necessary resources, and step back. Empowering autonomy fosters innovation, accountability, and a sense of ownership in their work.
Kill the “Grind” Culture
Hustle culture is dead. If you’re still glorifying long hours and burnout, you’re killing morale. Instead, create a culture where rest, boundaries, and mental health are prioritized. In our team, we practice what we teach our clients: emotional regulation, capacity building, and fostering a healthy lifestyle. These principles aren’t just theoretical—they’re encouraged and regularly evaluated within our team to ensure everyone is thriving.
Build Trust Through Honesty and Open Communication
Transparency isn’t optional; it’s the baseline. Whether it’s good news or bad, your team deserves the truth. We also regularly evaluate what’s working and what’s not as a team. This creates a culture of honesty and trust, where team members feel comfortable sharing feedback and being open about challenges. When people know what’s really happening, they feel respected and trusted, which strengthens morale even in tough times.
Turn Wins Into Momentum
Don’t just celebrate the big wins—go all-in on the small ones, too. Did someone nail a presentation? Land a new client? Even just solve a tricky problem? Celebrate it. Publicly. Enthusiastically. People will work harder when they know their contributions are noticed.
At the end of the day, great leadership isn’t about managing people; it’s about building a culture where they can thrive. Start with the culture you want, hire and evaluate with that in mind, and create an environment where your team feels valued, empowered, and inspired. When you lead like that, you don’t just manage a team—you build a team that’s unstoppable.
