I am truly honored and delighted to make the Insightful Accountant Top 100 ProAdvisor list two years in a row!
Insightful Accountant identifies and recognizes the Top 100 QuickBooks ProAdvisors across the globe each year in its annual award program, formally recognizing recipients at the Scaling New Heights Accounting Technology conference, to be held June 16-19, 2024 in Orlando.
QuickBooks ProAdvisors are first nominated, and then go through a lengthy vetting process, before eventually opening up to a public vote. Applicants for this prestigious award are ranked based on their performance across various categories, measuring everything from QuickBooks knowledge and continuing education, to utilizing the best tools and partner apps within the QuickBooks ecosystem. Real-world experience with clients is a requirement. Winners have said the Top 100 recognition by peers and their industry has opened doors and provided inspiration and new perspectives, and I agree; I have no way of knowing for sure, but I imagine this recognition made a difference when I was selected to speak at Scaling New Heights for my first time.
I would love to express sincere appreciation to Gary DeHart, Murph, and the entire Insightful Accountant team for their hard work evaluating the nominees — it’s quite special to receive an award from a publication that has been a trusted go-to resource for so long: especially this year, having been invited to be a member of their inaugural advisory board.
Special thanks to all those who voted, in particular my esteemed colleagues and valued clients. It’s extremely exciting to share space with luminaries in the Intuit QuickBooks world such as Lynda Artesani, Carla Caldwell, Sharrin Fuller, Matthew Fulton, Caleb Jenkins, Alicia Katz Pollock, Michelle Long, Kim Noh, and Veronica Wasek.
But this year is even more special than the last, for another important reason. If you’re a regular reader, you know how enthusiastic I am about one of my professional organizations in particular: Bookkeeping Buds. Well, this year, every single one of the amazing women in this group that was nominated for the Top 100 received a place in either the main tier or the “Top 25 Up-n-Coming” award. This really says something about the community that Cindy Schroeder has built. We support each other — and something that I see in common with all our Top 100 and 25 Up-n-Comers is that every one of them focuses on helping others. I feel like that’s a huge part of what Buds is about and it feels great to be recognized for it! As Cindy often points out, we are truly stronger together… though technically in competition, we realize that when we support each other unabashedly, the rising tide we create lifts all boats. Special shout-outs to this group: Melissa Miller Furgeson, Kelsey Elliott, Wendy Kelley, Deb Kilsheimer, Questian Telka, and Hope Brown. You continuously inspire me to rise to your example of sisterhood.
Looking forward to the formal announcement at Scaling New Heights. If you see me there, please come on up and introduce yourself!
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Congratulations! Your passion for serving your clients and your community at large shines through in all you do! It’s so great to see you get the recognition you deserve!!!
What a kind and beautiful comment! Thank you so very much, Audrey. I’m blessed to have colleagues like you who I can call friends as well.
To be perfectly honest, our process doesn’t even look at ‘where’ or ‘for whom’ a ProAdvisor candidate works so long as they self-qualify for consideration when they confirm in their application that they are working directly with clients.
So, when you tell me that everyone from a particular firm (big or small) was recognized in the 2024 Top 100 ProAdvisors or Top 15 Up-n-Coming ProAdvisors, it’s news to me.
With the exception of the small contributory points derived from a candidates votes received as a percentage of the total votes cast (representing the subjective ‘approval’ value of a candidates peers) the remaining scores are totally objective based upon the nearly 800 factors (representing nearly 52-thousand possible points) that existed in this year’s application form. [“It takes me a long time to add up all those points since I only have 10 fingers and toes.”]
Candidates are scored in every ‘category’ they qualify for unless they decline to participate in a ‘category’. Category rankings determine the top candidates in that category which then become part of the Top 100 based on the number of allowed candidates from each category, or in the case of the Up-n-comers, the top 25 candidates that qualified for that category.
So, while some might say that it is ‘purely fate’ or ‘purely coincidence’ that a particular group or agency would have everyone they nominated achieve standing in one of the two lists, the reality is that it is ‘purely personal achievement’ that earned each of them the points to score themselves into the Top 100 and Top 25.
Congratulations then to those spoken of here, for ‘having the right stuff’ and being part of Insightful Accountants 2024 ProAdvisor Award recipients.
Hi, Murph! Thanks for all the amazing work you put into this special award. With that many points to evaluate, you might want to ask for more fingers and toes! :)
To clarify — Bookkeeping Buds is not a particular firm, but rather a professional membership organization of women who run their own bookkeeping practices. It provides education, support, and camaraderie among members, and gives us an amazing opportunity to make a difference in each other’s lives, and in the field as a whole. It’s truly remarkable, and a testament to the caliber of women in the group, that every one of us that was nominated for the IA Top 100 received it (or the Up-and-Coming). Of course, you would have no way of knowing that we are all members of this group — but it’s a great indication to others who are looking to shine bright to consider joining a professional association; the mentorship and accountability alone make a huge difference to encourage our drive and accomplishments.