The Business Lessons That Built a National CPA Firm

What does it take to build one of the largest Black-owned accounting firms in America?

In this powerful episode of Black Money Tree, Jerome Love sits down with Thomas Jones Jr., retired partner of McConnell Jones LLP—the largest African American-owned CPA firm in the United States—to discuss entrepreneurship, accounting, investing, banking, leadership, and building generational wealth.

From humble beginnings in Daytona Beach to helping build a nationally recognized firm with offices across the country, Thomas Jones Jr. shares the lessons that transformed accounting into a pathway to ownership and wealth creation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why accounting is the language of business
• How to prepare your business to be sold at any time
• The importance of relationships in business growth
• How banks evaluate entrepreneurs and capital requests
• The truth about debt and leverage
• The role HBCUs play in creating business leaders
• How acquisitions and organic growth built McConnell Jones LLP
• The future of AI in accounting and finance
• Why the best investment you can make is in yourself

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, accountant, business owner, or aspiring leader, this conversation is filled with practical wisdom for building wealth that lasts generations.