From Accidental Accountant to Sustainable Firm Builder

In episode 159 of the Woodard Report Podcast, Heather Satterley sits down with Amanda Aguillard, Chief Operating Officer at Padgett, for a grounded conversation about what it takes to build a modern accounting firm. The discussion moves from Amanda’s early start in accounting to the real-world challenges firm owners face as they grow, including technology decisions, pricing, capacity, and long-term enterprise value.

Experience on both sides of the table

Amanda’s perspective is shaped by experience on both sides of the table. She has built a firm, supported hundreds of firms through change, and helped create communities where accounting professionals learn from each other instead of relying on vendor marketing or generic conference sessions.

Amanda’s path into the profession started earlier than most. “So in high school, I had a boyfriend actually whose mother was a CPA,” she shared, describing the moment that sparked her curiosity. She took an accounting class in high school, placed in a state competition, and followed that interest into an accounting degree and a master’s in taxation.

After time in Big Four, her life changed direction. She described returning to her career after divorce, with two young children, and choosing not to go back to the demanding public accounting track. Instead, she built her own firm “accidentally,” one client and one decision at a time, which later evolved alongside the early cloud-accounting wave.

Why cloud and community changed the trajectory

Both Heather and Amanda reflected on how the rise of cloud accounting opened doors for a different kind of career. The tools were changing quickly, the ecosystem was expanding, and the people who leaned in early gained an advantage. Amanda explained that the technology side became just as engaging as the accounting work itself, particularly for professionals who enjoy systems, organization, and solving operational puzzles.

That same curiosity became one of the drivers behind Accounting Salon, a peer-based community experience created to prioritize meaningful conversations over traditional “sit in a ballroom” conference learning. The goal was simple: get great practitioners in a room and let them teach each other what is working right now.

What Padgett is solving for firm owners

As COO at Padgett, Amanda now helps firms implement a system for running an accounting firm, including processes, workflows, and a tech stack that can support growth. “Right now, we're at about 165 firms in the U.S.,” she said, noting the wide range of firm sizes in the network, from smaller practices around $100,000 to $120,000 in revenue to firms north of $3 million.

A key point in the conversation was where firms tend to get stuck. Amanda described a “glass ceiling” that many owners hit around the $500,000 to $600,000 mark. At that stage, the owner often feels maxed out, overwhelmed, and unsure of what they are building. “They've built themselves a good job,” she said, but the job can become a trap when the business cannot operate without the owner.

Padgett’s goal is to help firm owners move from owner-dependent operations to an enterprise that can function independently and create value beyond the founder. That shift requires systems, visibility, and decisions that support scale.

Technology decisions and decision paralysis

Technology came up repeatedly, not as a shiny-object conversation but as an operational necessity. Practice management was described as a keystone tool because it provides structure, visibility, and coordination across the firm. From there, integration with the rest of the tech stack becomes critical.

At the same time, Amanda acknowledged how hard it can be for firms to choose tools when the marketplace is crowded, and vendors’ websites rarely tell the full story. “The worst place to get information about technology products is from their website,” she said, emphasizing why peer groups and practitioner communities matter. In her view, real feedback from people doing the work is what prevents firms from overspending, switching constantly, or implementing tools that do not fit their needs.

Sustainable firm economics starts with pricing

When the conversation turned to sustainable economics, pricing became the centerpiece. Amanda explained that underpricing creates a chain reaction. It increases pressure on the owner, limits what the firm can invest in, and restricts the firm’s ability to pay staff competitively or build capacity. She also noted that underpriced clients often correlate with more difficult engagements and higher overall strain on the team.

One of the clearest moments in the discussion was her reminder that the consequences of underpricing are not limited to the owner. “And the reality is it's not about you,” she said, explaining that the burden often gets carried by family, staff, and the long-term health of the business.

Her practical recommendation was to start small and measurable. Build a simple list of clients and annual revenue, sort it, review the lowest-value accounts, and begin repricing a manageable percentage rather than trying to overhaul everything at once.

Looking ahead: consolidation, AI, and the human factor

Amanda shared her view of what the industry may look like in five years. She expects more consolidation in technology and continued consolidation among firms, while also acknowledging uncertainty about how AI will reshape not only accounting work, but the broader small business economy and the types of clients firms serve.

Even with that uncertainty, the closing tone was not fearful. The conversation returned to the value of connection, perspective, and the human element that business owners still need when making hard decisions. Tools may evolve quickly, but trust and guidance remain central to the work.

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Thank you to our show sponsor, Puzzle!

The next generation firm, AI-powered human lead. Puzzle replaces manual QuickBooks workflows with AI-driven books built for review, approval, and audit-ready accountability. Learn more at puzzle.io.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and edited by a human.