The Woodard Report Podcast: Featuring Heather Satterley and Joe Woodard

Episode 161 - AI Fluency, Pricing Strategy & the Future of Accounting - The Woodard Report Podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe discuss new research on AI adoption in the workplace, highlighting the growing wage and opportunity gap between AI-fluent professionals and those who are not. They also explore major shifts in the accounting tech landscape, including month-end automation, evolving pricing strategies, and competitive convergence among software platforms. Current events — * Only 5% of workers are AI fluent - according to Google study [https://fortune.com/2026/02/19/exclusive-google-ipsos-report-five-percent-of-workers-ai-fluent-raises-promotions-workforce-advantage-gen-z-advice/] * The "pile on" around month end automation [https://www.accountingtoday.com/list/tech-news-ramp-canopy-both-announce-ai-powered-bookkeeping-solutions] TV/Movie quote of the week — * The Breakfast Club [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088847/] * Titans: The Rise of Wallstreeet [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18278410/] Excellent things we learned — * Undergraduate enrollment in accounting continues to rise [https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/news/2026/jan/undergraduate-enrollment-in-accounting-continues-to-rise/] Member spotlight — * Dave Eshbach of CleanSlate Financial Services The Woodard Report article of the week — * Canopy Bookkeeping Launches to Streamline Month-End Close [https://report.woodard.com/articles/canopy-bookkeeping-launches-to-streamline-month-end-close-fpwr-pmgwr] Thank you to our show sponsor, Digits! Digits is the world's first agent general ledger, accounting software that works for you. Built from the ground up for the AI era, Digits automates bookkeeping in month and shifting your team from data entry to review and advisory. Visit Digits.com to get started today. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast [https://www.woodard.com/podcast]

Episode 160 - AI's New Accounting Era: The Foundation, the Fallout, and the Future - The Woodard Report Podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe discuss the launch of the AI Native Accounting Foundation (including its first award at Scaling New Heights) and what BotKeeper's abrupt shutdown signals about the rise and fall of "tech-driven bookkeeping" first movers. They explore why the future is "human-first, AI-enabled," arguing firms must shift from selling bookkeeping/tax prep to building advisory skills and wisdom-driven judgment that AI can't replace. Current events — * AI Native Accounting Foundation launches to cut AI hype [https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/ai-native-accounting-foundation-launches-to-cut-ai-hype] * Botkeeper Shuts Down [https://www.botkeeper.com/to-the-botkeeper-community] TV/Movie quote of the week — * Victoria [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5137338/] * Landman [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14186672/] Excellent things we learned — * To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers [https://hbr.org/2026/02/to-thrive-in-the-ai-era-companies-need-agent-managers] Member spotlight — * Julie Healy of Clear Cents Bookkeeping [https://clearcents.org/home-8778] The Woodard Report article of the week — * My Daughter Went to a TurboTax Store and Here's What Happened [https://report.woodard.com/articles/my-daughter-went-to-a-turbotax-store-and-heres-what-happened-ocewr-fpwr] 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 [https://www.woodard.com/podcast]

Episode 159 - From Accidental Accountant to Sustainable Firm Builder - The Woodard Report Podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with Amanda Aguillard about her path from discovering accounting at 16 to building a cloud-based firm, launching the peer-driven Accounting Salon community, and becoming COO at Padgett. They discuss how Padgett helps firms implement standardized systems to reduce decision paralysis and build a business that isn't dependent on the owner. About Amanda Aguillard, CPA Amanda Aguillard was only 16 years old when she realized she wanted to become a CPA, and she's used that passion to encourage innovation in the industry she loves. That commitment lives on through her work as the Chief Operating Officer of Padgett, one of North America's largest accounting service and business consulting providers. Amanda oversees operational and logistical guidance for the company's network of firms. This includes identifying and incorporating the latest cloud technologies into the Padgett operating model. She also is focused on developing and facilitating the necessary trainings to ensure these platforms and tools are successfully implemented by Padgett firms. Amanda, who is a past Top 50 Women in Accounting, is the author of Xero: A Comprehensive Guide for Accountants and Bookkeepers [https://www.amazon.com/Xero-Comprehensive-Guide-Accountants-Bookkeepers/dp/1119759226]. She was the Xero Evangelist of the Year in 2016, and used her experience as a Xero Certification instructor to co-found Elefant, a continuing education company for accountants and bookkeepers. She has written numerous articles for industry publications, including the Journal of Accountancy. Prior to joining the executive team at Padgett, she ran Aguillard Accounting LLC, focusing her efforts on providing unparalleled client support service through a cloud-based practice that could be done anywhere in the world. Amanda also is the founder of Accounting Salon, a thinktank of cloud accounting experts, and its virtual offshoot, SALONv. Amanda, who holds a Master's Degree in Taxation from the University of Denver, regularly speaks at state CPA societies and industry technology conferences, including Accountex, AICPA Engage, Scaling New Heights, Clio Cloud Conference and Xerocon. When she's not advocating for her industry, she spends her time cooking for her two children, reading historical fiction and backcountry hiking. Learn more about Amanda * Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaaguillard/] * Learn more about Padgett [https://padgettadvisors.com/] Thank you to our show sponsor, Puzzle! Puzzle is the next generation firm: AI-powered, human-led. Puzzle replaces manual QuickBooks workflows with AI-driven books built for review, approval, and audit-ready accountability. Learn more at Puzzle.io [https://puzzle.io/]. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast [https://www.woodard.com/podcast]

Episode 158 - From 150 Hours to AI Hype: What's Really Changing in Accounting - The Woodard Report Podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather speaks with David Leary about the biggest shifts shaping the accounting profession such as the rollback of the 150-hour CPA requirement and how alternative pathways are already boosting the pipeline of new accounting graduates. They also dig into what AI is actually good for (and where it still fails without strong firm processes and human oversight), plus why private equity in accounting can create serious conflicts of interest, particularly for assurance-related work. About David Leary David Leary is the Co-Founder and COO of Earmark. He is an innovative and influential force in the small business accounting world with over 22 years of QuickBooks experience. * Learn more about Earmark [https://www.earmark.app/] * Connect with David on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidleary/] 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 [https://www.woodard.com/podcast]

Episode 157 - From Bookkeeping to Business Coach: Collaboration, Advisory, and AI Done Right - The Woodard Report Podcast

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe speaks with Tanya Hilts about how bookkeepers can move from compliance work into true advisory by leading with better questions, leaning into collaboration, and building confidence through real-time financial conversations. Tanya shares how AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity can help generate smarter client questions and speed up analysis, while emphasizing that the real "threat" isn't AI itself, but professionals who learn to use it well. About Tanya Hilts Tanya Hilts, CPB, FCPB is an award-winning accounting pro helping firms adopt practical AI, tighten processes, and grow profit-focused advisory. * Connect with Tanya on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TanyasBootcamp] and learn more about her "AI in Action" series 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 [https://www.woodard.com/podcast]