The Woodard Report Podcast: Featuring Heather Day and Joe Woodard

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Heather and Joe discuss the growing threat of AI-powered financial scams and practical steps firms can take to protect themselves and their clients. They also explore major shifts in the accounting technology space, including platform-driven CAS models, AI misconceptions, and evolving firm strategies.

Current events —

• Financial scams on the rise and they are getting better. How can we protect ourselves?
• Xendoo to purchase the Infinite platform from Botkeeper

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• Portlandia
• A Knight of the 7 Kingdoms

Excellent things we learned —

• More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech
• The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy

Member spotlight —

• Melissa Honan, Profitable Painter CPA

The Woodard Report article of the week —

• Inside Intuit's Career Pipeline Program for Accountants

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 and Joe discuss new research on global AI adoption and what it means for accounting firms, highlighting how early adopters are gaining strategic advantages while others risk falling behind. They explore recent funding surges in AI-powered accounting tools, practical considerations for implementing AI within firms, and the importance of governance, strategy, and financial independence in adapting to rapid technological change.

Current events —

• AICPA CIMA Survey Shows Growing AI Adoption Gap
• Basis is the first stand alone AI enablement platform to reach unicorn status

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• Blue Moon
• Billions

Excellent things we learned —

• Copilot allows you to switch between all OpenAI and Anthropic models
• The average American adult watches 3 hours and 43 minutes of television every day

Member spotlight —

• Lisa Crawford, Owner of Crawford Financial Solutions

The Woodard Report article of the week —

• Explore the AI Track at Scaling New Heights 2026

Thank you to our show sponsor, Puzzle! Puzzle, 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.

Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/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
• The "pile on" around month end automation

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• The Breakfast Club
• Titans: The Rise of Wallstreeet

Excellent things we learned —

• 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

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

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
• Botkeeper Shuts Down

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• Victoria
• Landman

Excellent things we learned —

• To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers

Member spotlight —

• Julie Healy of Clear Cents Bookkeeping

The Woodard Report article of the week —

• My Daughter Went to a TurboTax Store and Here's What Happened

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, 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. 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
• Learn more about Padgett

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.

Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/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
• Connect with David on LinkedIn

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 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 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

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe and Heather speak about major January updates in the accounting space, including the IRS's Free File program and why Joe prefers a subsidized third-party prep model over direct IRS filing. They also dig into how large firms like RSM are rolling out tightly governed generative AI tools (like "Ask Luca"), and what that teaches smaller firms about AI quality being driven by both model capability and data control.

Current events —

• IRS got rid of Direct File and is promoting Free File
• RSM lauched its own Generative AI Tool caled AskLuca

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
• Your Honor

Excellent things we learned —

• In the Room Where It Happens: Generative AI Policy Creation in Higher Education
• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

Member spotlight —

• Jennifer Scott of HireEffect

The Woodard Report article of the week —

• The Competitive Advantage of AI Training for Accounting Professionals

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 and Heather speak about early-2026 accounting and tech happenings, including new CPE training for Intuit Enterprise Suite, and why leaning into AI skills can create outsized professional value.

Current events —

• Introduction to Intuit Enterprise Suite Training
• Rapid AI adoption with growing AI skills requirements

TV/Movie quote of the week —

• Victoria
• House of David

Excellent things we learned —

• Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything
• The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results

Member spotlight —

• Jodi Plett of Flexkeeper

The Woodard Report article of the week —

• The Competitive Advantage of AI Training for Accounting Professionals

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 speaks with Nancy McClelland, CPA about her journey as the "Dancing Accountant" and how embracing authenticity, community connection, and people skills has shaped her firm and career. They explore the importance of trust, niching, and collaboration between bookkeepers and tax professionals.

About Nancy McClelland, CPANancy The Dancing Accountant is a CPA on a lifelong mission to educate the professionals who support small businesses and their communities. She runs 'Ask a CPA', a Q&A membership for bookkeepers who want to learn to prepare "tax-ready" books; co-hosts "She Counts" (the real-talk podcast for women in accounting); was named Top CAS ProAdvisor; Top 50 Women in Accounting; Bridging the Gap Mentor of the Year; ToPS Speaker of the Year; and AICPA Global Women to Watch – you can check out her award-winning MSN column at thedancingaccountant.com.

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