The Real Bottom Line with AlbertTheCPA

Running a Firm While Filming a Show Every Week: Season 1 Finale

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

We're wrapping up Season 1, and this time I step to the side. Y'all have been hearing me talk about my team every episode, so this time they get the floor. Chrisy, Lauren, and Rachel get into what they actually do at Right Choice, what it took to shoot a full show while running a real accounting firm, and the stuff that never made the final cut.

We've had a good time bringing you this show every week and we're not done yet. Watch the full video here. Like, comment, subscribe and Follow @AlbertTheCPA on all social platforms so you'll be the first to know what's coming next.

Is Buc-ee's Bullying? BMW and Spider-Man Dashboard Deal and Rainy Day Reserves

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Buc-ee's is out here suing another small family-owned mini mart over its mascot, and Albert explains why a billion-dollar brand picking on the little guy is just a bad look. Then BMW slapped Spider-Man ads on its dashboards, even though they swore they'd never touch them, but Lauren explains why it was actually a great use of "Other People's Audience" and for this week's Ask AlbertTheCPA, how much cash should actually be sitting in your business account?" Albert breaks it down - and more.

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLine on Instagram for more.

Bonnet Ban, Black Banks Merger, and Are Your AI Chats Public?

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Tuskegee University banned bonnets, durags, and bedroom shoes in classrooms. Two of the oldest Black owned banks in the country, Optus Bank and Mechanics and Farmers Bank, just merged into the largest Black owned bank in America. Private AI chats were showing up searchable on Google, Byron Allen cut 35% of Buzzfeed's staff after his takeover, and this week's Ask AlbertTheCPA: "how much should i pay myself?"

Watch the full episode on @AlbertTheCPA on YouTube channel and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram for the latest updates.

Broke, Broke, Boomer | America Has A Problem

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Y'all, EYL and Atlanta are beefing over Invest Fest and we had to weigh in on it. Then we get into why grocery prices are up 32%, why millions of people are losing SNAP benefits, and why boomers are buying bigger houses instead of downsizing while their kids move back home. & this week for Ask AlbertTheCPA: "How do I boost my cash flow?"

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLine on Instagram for more updates from your favorite CPA.

Pardons for Sale, Black Billionaires Booming, and Uncle Nearest Whiskey Woes

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:00:00 -0400

A D.C. lobbyist took $600K from Boosie for a pardon that never came, Uncle Nearest founder Fawn Weaver is locked out of the company she built, and 18 Black Americans made this year's Black Billionaires Club. Lauren and I break down the lesson Harold's Chicken is teaching every business owner about estate planning, and I answer the first question every small business owner asks, "how do I actually pay myself?"

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram for more.

AI Collapse, Trump $250 Bills, and Employees or Contractors?

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400

Michael Saylor's Strategy Inc. just sold $216 million in Bitcoin after years of preaching "never sell." The Treasury confirmed the Harriet Tubman $20 bill is dead, the same week a Trump $250 bill got floated. ThriveCart, the checkout platform thousands of businesses depend on, went down twice in one week during a peak sales window. Plus: can you legally call your whole team contractors? The IRS has three tests that say otherwise, and the penalties for getting it wrong aren't cheap.

Click here to watch the full episode on YouTube. Follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLine on Instagram for the latest updates.

Fraud for Love, Bias Costs Billions, and You May Need a CFO

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:00:00 -0400

A lawyer's going straight to jail after stealing $4.4 million to impress his girlfriend. A VC passed on investing in Cloudflare because he didn't think a woman could run it. It's now worth $87 billion. We break down what happens when a small business goes viral before it's ready to scale, and Albert answers another popular question, "When do you actually need a CFO instead of a bookkeeper?"

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram for more.

Tipping Wars, Bye Bye Spirit, and the Bankruptcy Boom

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 10:00:00 -0400

This week on The Real Bottom Line with AlbertTheCPA: Spirit Airlines just found out cheap doesn't scale, and it's the clearest pricing lesson small business owners will get all year. We look at why Chapter 11 filings are up 42% year over year. Our team is debating whether tipping is really the customer's job...and Albert gives the real answer to why your revenue keeps climbing while your bank account doesn't move.

Watch the full episode on YouTube and follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLine on Instagram for more.

Duffle Bag Business, Back Office Blues, and The Wiz

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

A Texas nail salon chain just got caught running payroll off the books. They're another reminder that the IRS sees everything. Plus, Pat McGrath built the first Black-owned beauty brand to hit a billion dollar valuation, but now she's lost control of the company she built. The brand didn't fail. The back office did. & we get into a hiring story that every small business owner who's ever been sold a dream by the wrong person will feel immediately.

Watch the full episode here on YouTube. Like, comment, and subscribe to @AlbertTheCPA. Then follow @AlbertTheCPA and @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram to get the latest updates. New episodes drop every week.

Chapters

00:00 – IRS Is Watching: The Nail Salon Payroll Scandal

02:57 – How Pat McGrath Lost Control of Her Billion Dollar Brand

06:43 – The Hiring Mistake Every Small Business Owner Makes1

3:22 – Wedding Write-Offs, Fake Payroll, and Bankruptcy Resets

20:58 – How Do I Know If My Business Is Actually Profitable?

Dirty Deletes, Budget Cuts, and the Truth About S Corps

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

5.2 million layoffs and counting...what does that mean for you when your clients start cutting budgets? Plus, Albert and Lauren get into the business expense category people forget to check that's quietly draining cash every month. And Albert answers a question he gets all the time, "S Corp or LLC? Which one is better for my business?" The answer isn't as simple as what you're seeing online.

Watch the video on the @AlbertTheCPA Youtube channel here.

Cakegate, TikTokTax, and the $3 Trillion Opportunity

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

Social media and business don't always mix the way people think, and this episode gets into exactly why. Albert opens with real examples of viral moments that became real business consequences, then explains why social media made the top of the IRS 2026 Dirty Dozen list and the $3 trillion opportunity waiting for Black entrepreneurs right now. Plus: how do you raise your rates without losing clients or getting dragged online?

New episodes drop every week. Subscribe to AlbertTheCPA on YouTube for video and follow @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram to get the latest updates.

AI Layoffs, Vegan Bankruptcies, and The Lord's Chicken

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:00:00 -0400

In our premiere episode of The Real Bottom Line with AlbertTheCPA, Albert breaks down three real business headlines and the financial lesson hiding inside all of them. We're talking record-breaking revenue that still ended in layoffs, a cultural icon facing bankruptcy despite a $100M valuation, and a restaurant that holds a very special place in Albert and Lauren's story... whose local operator is now filing Chapter 11.

The real story is always in the numbers.

Plus: the team plays a round of Facts Only, and Albert answers the question a lot of small business owners seem to be asking lately, "Why is it so hard to find a good accountant?"

The answer is actually a lot simpler than you think.

New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss what's next.

Introducing: The Real Bottom Line with AlbertTheCPA

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:50:00 -0400

Your favorite CPA just started the show you didn't know you were missing...

Real talk. Real numbers. The Real Bottom Line with AlbertTheCPA.

Every week, Forbes-featured CPA Albert C. Hurston, Jr. breaks down the biggest headlines in business, culture, and entrepreneurship...and gets to what nobody else is talking about. Real lessons, real numbers, and straight answers to the questions small business owners are actually asking.

New episodes drop every week. Follow @TheRealBottomLineShow on Instagram to get the latest updates.