Author Spotlight: Matt Rampe Talks About Writing His First Book

Matt Rampe, ASA, PCC, is about to add “author” to his already impressive list of talents. His debut book, CPA Firm Strategic Planning: Your Roadmap for Long-Term Success, covers Rosenberg Associates’ 5i strategic planning process, along with insights, case studies, and practical implementation tips. Leading up to the book’s official release on Oct. 22, 2025, Matt shares what inspired it, how the writing process went, and what he hopes readers will take away from it.

About Your Writing Experience

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: I’ve been thinking about this book for years. I’ve heard other authors say that. The major questions we use in strategic planning come from Appreciative Inquiry, a framework for organizational change created by Dr. David Cooperrider at Case Western Reserve University and which is now used globally. I was trained in that system, and as I worked with CPA firms in consulting, I clearly saw how it could be applied. We often approach our firms with a problem-fix mindset, and that isn’t going to get us where we need to go in this era of accelerated technology and change. We need inspiration, collaboration, and to focus on our strengths.

Q: What was the writing process like for you? Did you follow a routine or write when inspiration struck?

A: I absolutely followed a routine. I read a book on writing by Stephen King. His advice was not to wait for inspiration—it’s too ephemeral and fickle. Instead, show up and write a set number of pages every day. If you do that, the muse will occasionally pop in while you are writing. That was true for me too. I wrote four days a week in half-day sessions until it was done. I was surprised at how quickly it came out.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing your book, and how did you overcome it?

A: The challenge was more of a slow-brewing one for me—deciding on the strategic planning methodology. It took me years to learn, master, and customize this methodology. Once I did, writing about it came fairly easily.

About the Book

Q: Can you provide a brief summary of the book and its key themes?

A: It’s meant to be a very practical read for CPA firm leaders. It lays out why we need strategic planning more than ever (think an industry in disruption), what strategic planning is and how to do it. We walk through the five essential stages: Initiate, Identify, Imagine, Innovate, and Implement. The second half of the book contains practical tips on topics such as influence and coaching, with tools to accelerate your results and create lasting change.

Q: Why did you choose this particular topic?

A: Strategic planning is a natural fit for my personal strengths: focus, futuristic, learner, strategic, and action. I started with strategic planning and leadership coaching when I first became a consultant. As I got better at that, I gravitated to working with groups of leaders to improve their firms, so it was an evolution. I am always thinking about 10 years into the future and making action plans on the whiteboard in my kitchen, even if it drives my family nuts.

Q: How much of this book is drawn from your professional experience?

A: It’s all informed by CPA firms I or someone else at Rosenberg Associates has worked with. There are academic concepts, but the application to CPA firms is based on our experience with many firms in many different situations. That’s why I added an ongoing storyline about an allegorical CPA firm, to really ground the concepts in the context of a partner going through this process.

Inspiration and Influences

Q: Who are some authors that inspire you?

A: So many! I love to read. There are five bookcases in my house I have claimed as my own. That said, it depends on the topic, but I am a big fan of authors like Dan Pink, the Heath Brothers, and Adam Grant for making research-based insights accessible and useful. On the fiction side, Harry Potter is phenomenal from a writing perspective. The word choice, characters and story structure blow me away.

Q: Did you find any resources particularly useful while writing the book?

A: Coffee and my laptop. Actually, I did use ChatGPT to help me with some of the research. I knew which concepts I wanted to pull, but it helped me drill down into the details faster than I could on my own. Of course, I verified all the sources! We also conducted some of our own proprietary research, which is spread throughout the book.

Looking Forward

Q: What did writing your first book teach you about yourself?

A: I enjoy writing! I can see myself writing another book. I’ve written in shorter form for many years, but I found writing a book was satisfying as well. I like that you can really go deep on a topic and give the reader more substance than you can in 1,000 words. Right now, I think that substance is something firm leaders really need.

Matt’s debut book, CPA Firm Strategic Planning: Your Roadmap for Long-Term Success, offers a clear, practical framework for helping CPA firm leaders turn strategic planning into real results.

Check out a reading sample, learn about the pre-order perks, and pre-order the book here!

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