From Barns to Boardrooms: My Unscripted Path to CAS Leadership

If you had told me years ago that I’d one day be helping accounting firms across the country build multi-million-dollar Client Advisory Services (CAS) practices, I probably would’ve laughed. My path to leadership in this space hasn’t been polished or linear. It wasn’t the product of a well-planned trajectory or corporate roadmap. It was forged through grit, reinvention, and more than a few unexpected detours. And in hindsight, that winding path is exactly what prepared me to do what I do today.

The early days: grit, horses, and books 

I began my career in the most unconventional of places—a family-owned thoroughbred racehorse farm. There, in the barns and foaling stalls of Ohio, I spent my days delivering foals and managing bloodlines. It was physically exhausting work, but it was also steeped in discipline, precision, and deep responsibility. Life on the farm taught me the value of showing up, even when it’s hard, and doing your part for something larger than yourself.  

It was also my first brush with accounting. I managed the farm’s financial records, reconciling vet bills, feed costs, breeding fees, training bills, and payroll. At the time, I didn’t realize how important that experience would become. I was just doing what needed to be done. But those long days taught me attention to detail and the foundational logic of financial stewardship. 

Then life threw me a curveball. After a divorce, I found myself without a safety net or support system. The farm, and the life that came with it, was no longer mine. I had to start over—from scratch. You don’t get a referral from your ex-husband’s family. 

A detour in an ambulance 

Starting over meant leaning into resilience. With an interest in medicine, I earned my EMT license and took a job driving an ambulance. My days were filled with real emergencies, and the experience was humbling. I learned to make critical decisions in high-pressure situations, often with little time and high stakes. Those skills—thinking clearly under pressure, acting decisively, staying calm—would later serve me well in the business world. 

Eventually, I remarried and added an additional daughter.  I was a stay-at-home mom raising 3 beautiful girls but something was missing. This is when I began managing the households and personal finances of ultra-high-net-worth families. This work reignited my connection to accounting. I started using QuickBooks for household and personal accounting tasks—my first encounter with a tool that would ultimately define much of my future. 

From QuickBooks to controller to public accounting 

With that growing expertise, I transitioned into a controller role within the industry. I loved streamlining workflows and optimizing financial clarity. Then came a pivotal moment: a public accounting firm recruited me, and I joined with a focus on expanding their QuickBooks-based offerings. 

I quickly realized how underserved small business clients were in terms of proactive, tech-enabled advisory. I became an early adopter of tools like QuickBooks Online and BILL (then Bill.com), and leaned into the potential for scalable, value-driven client services. My passion was clear—using the power of technology to elevate the client experience, and empowering firms to move from transactional compliance to ongoing advisory partnerships. 

Scaling success at BDO 

In January 2015, the firm I worked at was acquired by BDO. Not long after, I was asked to lead the technology team for their national CAS practice. It was a leap—and a gift. Over the next almost ten years, I helped scale that practice from $12 million to over $70 million in revenue. 

The experience was a masterclass in what it takes to grow an advisory practice at scale: team structure, process design, tech enablement, change management, and leadership buy-in. I got to work across dozens of offices and help shape a national approach to CAS. I also learned that even in large firms, success comes down to people—empowering staff, building trust with clients, and aligning services to solve real problems. 

Now at Woodard: sharing the blueprint 

Today, I’m at Woodard, working shoulder-to-shoulder with firms who are building their own CAS practices—whether they’re just getting started or scaling to eight figures. I get to combine everything I’ve lived—every job, every pivot, every lesson—and use it to guide others through the same evolution. 

I help firms navigate the complexities of modern client advisory: choosing the right tech stack, building efficient workflows, pricing services appropriately, and creating advisory experiences that clients actually value. From solo practitioners to Top 100 firms, I help teams build what I call the “Ideal Practice”—one that’s profitable, scalable, and fulfilling to run.  

A final thought: the power of the pivot 

If there’s one message I could share with anyone reading this, it’s this: Your path doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. In fact, it probably won’t be. The setbacks, the side roads, the starts and stops—they’re not failures. They’re training. We learn so much more from failures then successes. 

I didn’t follow a traditional path into public accounting leadership. I followed the opportunities in front of me, learned along the way, and stayed curious. And that curiosity, combined with resilience, has been my greatest asset. 

So, if you’re somewhere in the middle of a career pivot—or wondering whether your experience “counts”—trust that it does. Every skill you’ve picked up, every challenge you’ve overcome, is equipping you for what’s next. 

From barns to boardrooms, I’ve lived the unscripted path—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.