Kat Scardaville

My most meaningful professional achievement has been the relationship I've built with my first client, a music school that I started working with in 2019. They've been with me ever since, and now I get to help them navigate their retirement. We've developed such a strong rapport that they come to my family functions now - it's become more than just a business relationship. That experience really reflects what I value most in this work: long-term partnership and being trusted through every stage of a business lifecycle. Growing up in my family's material handling business taught me a lot about how operations and finance intersect in a very real, hands-on way. I saw everything that could go wrong - it was like Murphy's Law every day. That practical foundation is something I still rely on today. When I left that environment in 2019, it literally saved my life because there was no room to grow, and working in a volatile environment doesn't encourage anyone to evolve. That experience taught me a lot about interpersonal communication, accountability, and how to treat people. Now I focus on translating complex accounting language into something small business owners can actually understand and use. I'm drawn to helping creative entrepreneurs and nonprofits because when clients understand their numbers, they make better decisions and feel more in control.

Not every day is the same, and every day is different, and that's okay. You're not gonna be perfect, and it'll never be perfect. If you're a perfectionist, you're gonna end up dead in the bud right now - that's not gonna really help you in the long term. The best thing you can do is just lead by example. What I learned about being on my own was I had to set the example for the people I work with and for the individuals who are looking to me for advice or advisement in any capacity. I gotta show up, regardless of what's going on. Home life can be tumultuous, home life can be great, other things can interfere with your ability to stay focused, and that's survival too - it's okay. The objective is to stay consistent and show up for those who need you, because otherwise you're not going to make any money, and it's definitely not going to be fulfilling. The objective is for it to be fulfilling. I also learned that leaving a work environment with no room for growth was the best decision I ever made - it literally saved my life. Working in an environment that is very volatile does not really encourage anyone to evolve or grow.

The biggest challenges I'm seeing right now are related to AI - everybody's freaking out about it. It's a shame because AI is a tool, it's not really meant to scare anyone. Unfortunately, people think the computers are gonna take over and it's gonna turn into Terminator 2 and Skynet's coming to get us. It doesn't need to be that way. The other major challenge is that there's not a lot of accountants anymore. There is a shortage of finance people - financial advisors, CPAs, enrolled agents, accountants, bookkeepers - but you're always going to need those. It's kind of wild that this profession is so scary, and there is a high level of burnout, don't get me wrong. But there's also a lot of flexibility in the sense that I can go into any industry, plug myself in, and help out in growing the business. It doesn't matter if I'm in Alaska working with oil drillers or if I'm working in the White House - a finance person is always needed. But a finance person who is on the cutting edge and in with the times - by cutting edge I mean AI, new programs, new apps, new methods of saving your money or tax planning - those sorts of things are very valuable. The accounting profession is not really dying, it's just scarce.

The most important values in my work and personal life center around growth, stability, and being able to help others in meaningful ways. There was a point where I left my family's business, which was a volatile work environment with no room for growth, and that decision literally saved my life. Growing up in that business taught me a lot about interpersonal communication and accountability, and I learned that working in an environment that is very volatile does not really encourage anyone to evolve or grow. As a leader, I try to remain positive and equitable. My three daughters are the reason I keep going - they're lovely, I love them so much. When stuff hits the fan, I have to be the rock, and sometimes it's exhausting and I cry a lot, but it's gotta be done. I'm also deeply committed to giving back through nonprofit work. I serve on the board of All Kids Need Music, which provides music education to underprivileged children in New Jersey, and that work matters to me because I started in a music-related environment myself - I play drums and worked with music publications. I'm also considering starting my own nonprofit to educate domestic violence victims on how to make a budget and gain financial independence, because I want to help people just get the hell out of Dodge when they need to. Any way to influence people to live their damn life in the way they want - that's what drives me.