In 1946, during a lecture in London about education and human development, Italian educator Maria Montessori challenged the audience to consider that progress is not always linear. “We cannot give an idea of linear progression,” she said. “There are different periods when energies and possibilities are different.”
Montessori was one of Italy’s first female physicians. She was a trailblazer who experienced significant adversity in her life yet went on to become one of her era’s most influential educators.
In the latest episode of The Woodard Report podcast (sponsored by RightWorks), recorded live from Scaling New Heights 2024, hosts Joe Woodard and Heather Satterley celebrated "courageous journeys in accounting." The episode highlighted the stories of three remarkable accounting professionals who demonstrated extraordinary bravery, ingenuity, and tenacity in their careers, proving that progress is not always a straight line.
Caleb Jenkins, who was named ProAdvisor of the Year at Scaling New Heights ’24, began his accounting career at age 13. Attending his first conference as a teenager, Caleb quickly established himself as a rising star in the accounting and bookkeeping industry.
Jenkins’ most significant act of courage came during his mission work in Haiti. After being approached by a nonprofit organization to help with their bookkeeping, Caleb initially hesitated, feeling unprepared for the challenge.
However, despite his young age, he ultimately took on the challenge, successfully helping the organization establish much-needed financial controls and structure.
After spending 14 years in a high-stress corporate accounting role, Monica Davis faced a health crisis that forced her to reconsider her career path. Unfortunately, her decision to prioritize her health coincided with another major challenge: facing the loss of her job due to layoffs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Davis made finding a job her new full-time job, eventually landing a role as a bookkeeper. Her passion for the work eventually led to her starting her own bookkeeping firm.
Despite the challenges of starting a business—especially during a global pandemic—Davis’s determination paid off, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
Michelle Mitchell left a successful corporate career to raise her children, later returning to the workforce and starting her own accounting firm.
Shortly into her new venture, Mitchell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Even while coping with the myriad of challenges the condition caused, Mitchell chose to keep the truth about her condition a private matter.
Even as she silently battled her condition, Mitchell worked hard to build her business from the ground up.
Satterley said that when she discussed her diagnosis, Mitchell said, “I don't talk about it because I don't want to give it life.”
Satterley applauded Mitchell’s courage—not only from building her own firm while battling a severe health condition, but the courage she showed by owning her power through sharing her story. “She's a powerful, powerful woman,” Satterley said. “Sharing her story was her way to say, ‘I have power over this.’”
As these members of Woodard’s community exemplify, courage comes in many forms. All accounting professionals can benefit from their example, knowing that with courage, humility, and the support of our communities, anything is possible.
To hear more about the inspiring stories of Jenkins, Davis, and Mitchell—as well as more takes from Woodard and Satterley on the subject of courage—listen to The Woodard Report Podcast on your favorite steaming platform!