The Woodard Report Podcast: Featuring Heather Satterley and Joe Woodard

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe and Heather talk about the evolving accounting landscape including Anderson Group's bold IPO and Carbon's acquisition of AIDER AI. What do these moves signal about automation, workflow convergence, and private equity's growing influence? Current events — Tax firm Andersen to file publicly for IPO as soon as this week Karbon acquires Aider to deliver the future of AI-powered accounting and bookkeeping TV/Movie quote of the week — Heather mentioned the movie "The Greatest Showman" Joe mentioned both "Dune Prophecy" and "Lost in Space" Excellent things we learned — Magical AI: the text expander Member spotlight — Beth Whitworth presented by Kim Petro, Practice Advancement Coach at Woodard The Woodard Report article of the week — Confronting Self-Doubt: Accountants' Edge in an AI World Thank you to our show sponsor, Zoho! Zoho is a unique and powerful software suite to transform the way you work, designed for businesses of all sizes, built by a company that values your privacy. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe speaks with Gail Crosley about how accounting firms can achieve sustainable, profitable growth through strategy rather than chance. Gail breaks down the difference between opportunistic and strategic growth, using her "fishing" analogy to show how narrowing focus, identifying ideal client profiles, and evaluating market conditions lead to lasting success. She also explains how firms can adapt when industries shift and reveals her three key elements of growth. Service, channel, and target can help firms thrive organically rather than through mergers. About Gale Crosley Gale Crosley, CPA, CGMA, is a well-known strategic revenue growth consultant, who has helped almost 500 CPA firms over the past 20+ years. She has worked with their managing partners and other leaders to transform their firms to high growth environments, achieving exceptional organic growth. Nine of the top 20 fastest organically growing firms in the past year are, or have been, her clients. For 18 consecutive years she's been recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting by Accounting Today, and for 16 years selected one of the Top 10 Most Recommended Consultants in Inside Public Accounting's Best of the Best. Connect with Gale Crosley on LinkedIn Thank you to our show sponsor, Woodard!!! The Woodard membership program will help you build your ideal practice with our coaching, education, community and resources. We'll get you there with strategic direction from experienced pros, access to skill building and resources and a community to continually inspire your practice's transformation. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Kristen Keats about how to bring joy back into accounting. Kristen is a CPA and industry leader, with over twenty years experience serving small businesses and self-employed clients. With Heather, she shares her mission to create more meaningful, balanced, and fulfilling work for accountants by focusing on client relationships, fair pricing, and team connection. Together, they discuss shifting from burnout and billable hours toward a mindset of empowerment, communication, and purpose where both clients and accountants thrive. About Kristen KeatsKristen launched her career at a national accounting firm and owned her own practice for more than eight years. Before founding Breakaway, Kristen served as a partner at a local Portland firm and a senior tax manager at a large regional firm. Kristen is an avid and early adopter of new accounting technologies and an expert on cloud accounting. She is passionate about listening to her clients and gaining a well-rounded understanding of their needs and long-term goals, always striving to make their lives easier. Kristen received her degree from the renowned W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. When Kristen is not advising her clients and leading her team, she enjoys reading, camping, and, most of all, spending time with her two lively teenagers. Connect with Kristen Keats on LinkedIn Thank you to our show sponsor, Canopy!Unclunk your firm with Canopy, the fully integrated practice management that helps accountants build the firm they always wanted. The suite includes client and document management, workflow, time and billing, engagements and proposals, and more. Check out getcanopy.com. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe speaks with Jeff about the future of AI in accounting and how predictive models can transform bookkeeping accuracy. Jeff shares how his company, Digits, leverages AI not to replace accountants but to streamline workflows, reduce errors, and give professionals more time for higher-value work. They also explore the difference between generative and predictive AI, the role of accountants in reviewing outputs, and why firms must adapt quickly or risk being outpaced by competitors. About Jeff Seibert Jeff Seibert is the co-founder and CEO of Digits, where he's building the world's first AI-powered accounting platform for startups and small businesses. Jeff is also a frequent presenter on both entrepreneurial and technical topics and has lectured at Stanford, Harvard, MIT, and Tufts, as well as keynoted Scaling New Heights, Twitter Flight, AppsWorld, AnDevCon, EclipseCon, and others. Learn more about Jeff at: JeffSeibert.com Twitter LinkedIn Thank you to our show sponsor, Canopy! Unclunk your firm with Canopy, the fully integrated practice management that helps accountants build the firm they always wanted. The suite includes client and document management, workflow, time and billing, engagements and proposals, and more. Check out getcanopy.com. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Madeline Reeves about the evolution of advisory services in accounting and how firms can confidently transition from transactional work to advisory relationships. Madeline shares insights from her Advisory Amplified Roadshow, a national event series designed to give accounting professionals practical tools for productizing advisory services, building stronger client connections, and leveraging AI to unlock efficiency. About Madeline Reeves Madeline Reeves' career has centered around working with accounting firms to help elevate understanding by providing education & coaching around cloud based technology. Learn more about Madeline Reeves and Advisory Amplified at this link. Thank you to our show sponsor, CorpNet! CorpNet is the trusted leader in business formation and compliance services, offering one of the best tools for accountants, CPAs and tax professionals nationwide. The CorpNet Partner Program, 10X her firms revenue by helping clients form a business, register for payroll taxes, maintain compliance and more. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe speak about upcoming regulatory changes that could ease the burden on government contractors and the potential disruption of the proposed HIRE Act, which would heavily tax outsourced accounting labor. They also dive into how the profession must adapt to staffing shortages, the evolving role of CPAs and noncredentialed accountants, and the transformative impact of AI on jobs. Current events — White House proposes to get rid of 60 accounting requirements for contractors Will the HIRE Act hurt outsourcing? TV/Movie quote of the week — Heather mentioned the movie "Her" Joe mentioned the miniseries "aka Charlie Sheen" Excellent things we learned — Fourlane CX: Cloud Interface For QuickBooks Desktop A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond Member spotlight — Brittany Byrd presented by Lamont Nesbitt, Practice Advancement Coach at Woodard The Woodard Report article of the week — Next-Level Bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online: Going Beyond the Basics Thank you to our show sponsor, CorpNet! CorpNet is the trusted leader in business formation and compliance services, offering one of the best tools for accountants, CPAs and tax professionals nationwide. The CorpNet Partner Program can 10X your firms revenue by helping clients form a business, register for payroll taxes, maintain compliance and more. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe speak about the Supreme Court's pending decision on tariffs, how it could trigger massive refunds for businesses, and why accountants need to prepare now. They also discuss Ernst & Young's $1 billion investment in AI, exploring how automation might relieve staffing shortages while reshaping the profession. Current events — Refunds on Tariffs if Supreme Court rules them Unconstitutional Ernst & Young (EY) pledged $1 billion to advanced AI and workforce development TV/Movie quote of the week — RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Joe mentioned Game of Thrones Excellent things we learned — The Case for Using Small Language Models The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision Member spotlight — Jane Watkins The Woodard Report article of the week — Better Questions. Better Hires. Stronger Firms. Thank you to our show sponsor, Zoho! Zoho is a unique and powerful software suite to transform the way you work, designed for businesses of all sizes, built by a company that values your privacy. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

Byron K. Patrick, a CPA and tech innovator who co-founded TB Academy, discusses how AI is revolutionizing accounting education and practice. He details the hands-on courses offered by TB Academy and shares favorite tools like Gamma.app and Google's Notebook LM. Byron warns against pitfalls like poor prompting, while showcasing practical AI applications in real life. He also delves into exciting near-future developments, including Microsoft Copilot and advanced automation capabilities, emphasizing their potential impact on the accounting profession.

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe speak about the Gen Z workplace, Microsoft's research on which jobs are most vulnerable to AI disruption, and how accountants can interpret numbers much like mathematicians describe the inexpressible. They also share TV and movie quotes that highlight the importance of continuous learning, spotlight a Woodard member's practice transformation, and discuss hiring strategies that ensure stronger, more intentional teams. Current events — GenZ needs extra praise Jobs Most at Risk from AI - Report from Microsoft TV/Movie quote of the week — Heather mentioned Foundation Joe mentioned Game of Thrones Excellent things we learned — You can switch between ChatGPT models Member spotlight — Vicky D Henry, CPA The Woodard Report article of the week — Interviewing on Purpose - Great Hires Through Better Questions Thank you to our show sponsor, Woodard!!! The Woodard membership program will help you build your ideal practice with our coaching, education, community and resources. We'll get you there with strategic direction from experienced pros, access to skill building and resources and a community to continually inspire your practice's transformation. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Lisa Rothstein about the power of visual storytelling and how even simple drawings can transform complex financial conversations. Lisa, a New Yorker cartoonist and author of Drawing Your Genius, explains her "three C's" framework—character, concepts, and context—as tools to make abstract ideas tangible, engaging, and memorable. About Lisa RothsteinLisa Rothstein is a New Yorker cartoonist and author of "Drawing Out Your Genius" who helps business professionals communicate using simple drawings. Learn more about Lisa at: Amazon Thank you to our show sponsor, Brex! Brex accounting partners close clients books faster, earn rewards for referrals and attract new customers all on Brex. Brex's integrated platform provides numerous accounting automation benefits, which enable your accountants to focus on premium advisory services, help clients close the books faster and elevate the overall client experience. To become a Brex accounting firm, visit brex.com/partners/accounting to apply. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast