For many accounting professionals, transitioning from a traditional 8-to-5 corporate job to scaling a global agency can feel like an overwhelming hurdle. However, bridging that gap relies on two crucial elements: building operational confidence and developing strong, tech-enabled business systems.
On an episode of the Scale You Podcast, hosted by Le-an Lai Lacaba—co-founder of an Executive Assistant Agency, 2xYou—sat down with Mariane Labonet, CEO of TaskWise, co-founder of WorkSync, and founder of the Accounting Peoples community. Mariane shared her journey from corporate employee to fractional CFO, how she built a thriving network for Filipino accountants, and why leveraging AI is essential for financial efficiency.
From 8-to-5 Corporate Employee to Agency Founder
In early 2021, Mariane was working a standard corporate schedule while balancing a night-shift side hustle as a remote bookkeeper for a New York-based firm. Recognizing the vast potential of the global remote work landscape, she resigned from her corporate position to pursue full-time freelancing.
Her transition from solo freelancer to agency founder happened organically:
“I'm an accountant by profession… I normally posted my wins on social media and LinkedIn. One of my MBA classmates told me, ‘Hey, you're getting clients, why not put up your own business? I work in BPO—I can set up the operations and HR, and you get the clients.' That's how TaskWise was born in August 2021.” — Mariane Labonete
Starting with a fully remote operational structure, Mariane expanded her service offerings from bookkeeping to high-level fractional CFO advisory, helping international firms across North America and Singapore streamline workflows and navigate tax compliance.
Nurturing Talent: Building the 24,000+ Member Community
Simultaneously with launching TaskWise, Mariane established Accounting Peoples, a Facebook community created to support Philippine CPAs and bookkeepers transitioning into the global remote market. The group grew from 50 initial members to a network of over 24,000 professionals.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs in the Global Market
Many skilled CPAs struggle when moving from local traditional firms to international remote clients. Mariane's community provides a practical roadmap focused on:
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Bridging the Confidence Gap: Encouraging professionals to communicate directly, manage deliverables independently, and handle client-facing responsibilities.
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Mastering Modern Tech Stacks: Training accountants on global tools, including QuickBooks Online (QBO), Zoom, project management software, and financial AI automation.
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Continuous Professional Development: Helping Philippine CPAs navigate pathways to international certifications, such as becoming US CPAs.
Redefining CPA Leadership: Growth and Communication
As a fractional CFO and agency leader, Mariane stresses that financial reporting is only half the job—the real value lies in strategic guidance and transparent communication.
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Timeliness and Precision: Business owners rely on financial statements to make critical scaling decisions. Inaccurate numbers directly hinder strategic growth.
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Replacing Micromanagement with Trust: Healthy client relationships focus on clear deliverables and mutual expectation management rather than invasive tracking or clock-watching.
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Authenticity as a Brand: Mariane attributes her community and agency growth to transparent, unvarnished advice regarding the realities of client acquisition, market rates, and operational struggles.
Leveraging AI for Financial Efficiency and Scaling
Rather than fearing artificial intelligence, Mariane views AI as an indispensable collaborator for business operations and strategic finance.
Key AI Applications in Modern Accounting:
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Rapid Scenario Modeling: Creating profit margin calculations, financial comparisons, and multi-year projection graphs within minutes.
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Workflow Automation: Streamlining internal documentation, pitch decks, business plans, and content creation.
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Executive Advisory: Using AI for initial data structuring while applying human oversight and contextual judgment to deliver strategic insights to CEOs.
“People are scared of AI, but they don't realize this is something you have to collaborate with. This is where you start to scale, grow, and step away from competitors.” — Mariane Labonete
Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
Mariane’s core leadership philosophy revolves around multiplication. By sharing knowledge freely through her platforms, her ultimate goal is to mentor professionals who can build their own firms, create remote job opportunities, and lead high-performing teams across the globe.
Watch the full episode here.
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