Olga Hurtado, EA, MBA
Olga Hurtado, EA, MBA, is a finance and accounting executive with over 20 years of progressive experience in financial management, accounting operations, tax preparation, and business strategy. She came to the United States 21 years ago and has built her entire professional career in the accounting field, developing a reputation for combining technical expertise with strategic insight and client-centered service. Originally pursuing studies in liberal arts, her career path shifted during a pivotal family moment when her father experienced an accident, requiring her to return home and contribute financially to her household. That responsibility became the foundation of her professional direction, leading her to transition into accounting and finance an area where she ultimately discovered both purpose and long-term impact.
In 2015, Olga founded NeatBooks LLC, transforming it from a solo practice into a multi-service accounting and advisory firm with more than 20 employees. Under her leadership, the firm has grown to serve a diverse client base, with a strong specialization in franchisees, franchisors, and the construction industry. The firm provides comprehensive services including bookkeeping, tax planning and preparation, payroll management, CFO advisory services, and business consulting. Olga’s leadership style is deeply operational and strategic she is actively involved in tax and accounting review processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and alignment with the company’s long-term vision. Today, her role has evolved to focus on enterprise-level priorities, including the implementation of AI-driven strategies across the firm, client acquisition and relationship development, and the reinforcement of a high-performance customer service culture throughout the organization.
Olga’s academic and professional credentials further reinforce her expertise. She earned her MBA in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Nova Southeastern University and is currently completing a second master’s degree in Accounting with a concentration in Managerial Accounting. She is also an Enrolled Agent certified by the Internal Revenue Service, granting her federal authority to represent taxpayers before the IRS and strengthening her specialization in tax compliance and advisory services. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Olga serves on the board of the Miami Music Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free music education to children. Her board service reflects her commitment to community engagement, youth development, and the belief that access to arts education can meaningfully transform lives.
• Enrolled Agent (EA)
• Excel: Advanced Formulas and Functions
• QuickBooks Online
• Universidad Autónoma del Caribe - BSBA
• Nova Southeastern University - MBA
• Board Member of Miami Music Project
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say my mindset. Even though we think that we do only accounting, we actually serve people. My customer service mindset has always been the driven factor of serving the clients and making them feel that we are here for them, not only when they receive the information by email or by a portal message, but when they have questions, they know that they can come to us and they receive a response. It's kind of like when you have a therapist and you want to tell them something happened to you - that's basically the approach that we have been taking, but in the business realm with our clients. They feel heard, they feel like they belong with us, and they treat us like partners. I think that's one of our biggest successes in our firm - my customer service mindset, but not only with the external customers, but also the internal customers, which are our employees. We are always trying to give them all the benefits, the health insurance, and the dental, so they feel covered, they also feel heard. I think that combination of those two factors is definitely one of the biggest successes we have as a firm.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't do it alone. I went through a lot of these entrepreneurial paths alone, and the time when I decided to find a tribe to help me and find peers and colleagues who were crossing the same desert that I was, I would say the biggest advice was don't do it alone. I always felt like if I approached a peer or a colleague, it would be like competition, unhealthy competition, I don't know why. But when I found this big tribe of people who were willing to help me, or to understand, or to give me some ideas, then I realized that being alone is worthless. We need to find people along the way to help us and be humble enough to accept that help. I would refer to Arnold Schwarzenegger in that way, because in his book, he's always telling there's no plan B - you gotta surround yourself with good people. Whoever you surround with, those are gonna be your reflection. I was alone, and I started surrounding with people that helped me grow, not only with employees, but with peers, with colleagues, with mentors, with coaches. I think that was a great advice, and I took it, and I was humble enough to listen. Sometimes our ego doesn't allow us to listen. I was humble, and I said, okay, I've been alone for 7 years, now it's time for me to spread my wings.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't overthink it. That will be the advice I will give myself if I was 23. When I started the business, I have never been to the public accounting field. I was always in the private sector. When I moved to public 11 years ago, I minimized myself, and I belittled myself a lot, because I was not a CPA, I was not an EA, and the fact that I was able to build something without being a CPA or an EA, with a structure, with quality, with service - if I wouldn't have those thoughts and overthinking, I would probably grow sooner, and not taking like 8 years to actually see the light as an entrepreneur. My advice to everyone who's starting a business is don't overthink it. Follow your instincts, follow your gut, and it will take you. It will start opening the path for you to follow.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My biggest challenge is when clients have higher expectations of what they think is gonna look like their financials, but the reality is different. When that reality hits them, talking to them and helping them understand that becomes a challenge because sometimes business owners are so stubborn. My biggest challenge sometimes is educating them on how to properly handle all their business affairs and not be commingling with the personal affairs. The other biggest challenge for sure right now is the AI topic, because now clients have access to basically the same tools we do, and they do challenge you a lot. Like, hey, you know, ChatGPT told me this, or Claude told me this. Right now, one of our biggest challenges that we're facing is also trying to minimize that conversation, that critical conversation that we need to have with the client when they explore the AI tools before they come to us, because we need to be more prepared than them.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, loyalty, accountability, and reliability.