Workiva is the only software that unifies reporting across organizations. We help take the complexity out of complicated work, whether that be financial reporting, audit and risk, or ESG.
Workiva has nearly 6,000 customers, and we got our start helping them move from financial reporting (think reporting to the SEC and other regulatory agencies) on reams of paper to using software-as-a-service to file electronically.
You can see how this might have made us popular with finance and accounting professionals. The objective of the Off the Books podcast was to connect with those pros – the ones who know us AND those who don’t – in a branded podcast that was both informative and relatable, and gave the Workiva brand added cachet with financial pros in a format that they could easily share with their peers.
The podcast, which began as a home-grown effort by a few Workiva employees discussing ideas related to accounting, has evolved into a library of 139 episodes that reflect and sometimes debunk expert opinions about corporate reporting of all types.
At Workiva (and in Off the Books), we do serious work, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. The human, conversational element is key to standing out in our niche field. While we delve into topics like the dangers of a failed financial audit, the pros and cons of generative AI, and career advice, we also dig into accounting memes and recap the greatest movies about accounting (you’d be surprised!).
When Steve Soter joined Workiva in 2019, he had known the company and our software for several years as a customer. As a former corporate controller and accountant, Soter also deeply understood the demands of our customers’ jobs, because he had lived them.
In his role at Workiva, Steve talked to customers every day. He met them at conferences, in professional communities and, especially once the COVID-19 lockdown began, on conference calls and in video meetings. Always lively and informative, those conversations sparked the idea that a podcast would be the perfect way to share these exchanges with other professionals, especially during their hectic reporting seasons when they could listen when the time was right for them. In partnership with several teams across the marketing organization, the Off the Books podcast was born.
There are a number of podcasts in the finance and accounting space, and most of them delve heavily into the mechanics of accounting or the minute details of technology. These are important topics, but maybe not best suited to individuals looking to connect on a professional and human-interest level.
The strategy became clear: produce a podcast for accountants, auditors, controllers, and other finance pros on the topics they wish they could discuss with each other.
Episodes run the gamut from preparing for a cybersecurity event, to career planning, to real-life stories from the field. We feature Workiva thought leaders, customers, and industry experts such as the regulators who enforce reporting standards.
Our editorial calendar is driven by our community, and we dig into topics that engage our key audiences while also helping them be better at their jobs. Our core editorial principles, as the podcast enters its fifth season, have evolved over time to include:
Corporate Reporting matters. Our listeners are on the front lines of a clean, accurate report, and the risk of non-compliance (to their organization and to their careers) is very real.
Sustainability and finance professionals are real, interesting people. In almost every episode, we pair experts in the field with non-expert journalists who are genuinely curious about the industry. Our co-hosts aren’t creating reports, but they understand how much they matter and structure the content of each episode to make the pros shine.
Great ideas are worth sharing. Our internal experts and many of our customers are not only smart and interesting, but they’re generous with their time. We wanted this podcast to give back to our community and make them part of the Off the Books wave.
Five seasons in, we’ve built a community of listeners and have even gone on the road with a traveling studio at Workiva’s flagship events. We record attendees in the style of ESPN SportsCenter, where controllers and auditors shine like professional athletes.
2023 was a banner year for Off the Books. One of our core goals was to become more of a known entity in the accounting and finance podcast space. Ways we accomplished this:
Not only did our downloads and views show growth, internal buy-in from various stakeholders grew exponentially stronger in the last year. This was the year the show transitioned from a more under-the-radar pet project to a fully accepted and embraced avenue for creating thought leadership content.
