MISSION

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Elevated Accounting supports the financial endeavors of entrepreneurs with an authentic atmosphere and customized business coaching, to produce the most reliable, accurate and easy-to-understand accounting solutions that will grow with you. 
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• We translate the financial lingo into a language you can understand.

• We believe in an authentic atmosphere where you receive personalized support and attention.  Chances are you don’t have (or want to spend) time on the nuances of your finances, taxes, and business requirements.

• Support, to us, is providing a backbone and a foundation that your growing company can stand on and grow with. 

CORE VALUES

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Gratitude 
We're grateful to serve our community of loyal clients. They share our vision of quality service, a desire for constant improvement, and an outlook of gratitude.

Passion
We're passionate about creating efficient, workable, and custom solutions for clients’ personal and business needs.

Courage
We're all about having the courage to be transparent for the highest good.

Integrity
Be real. Be honest. Period.

Flexibility
Because all we have in this world is change, both within and without. We value the opportunity to flex and grow with your business, and adapt to the need of the moment.

MEET OUR TEAM

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Sarah Gould

Owner & Founder

sarah@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 Ext 1

Raised in Whitefish, Sarah Gould ventured to Oregon and Idaho for her college education.  She supported herself through college by interning as an auditor with a local CPA firm and cramming through the higher accounting classes at night. She was offered a job at that same firm immediately upon graduation. 

Despite the incredible opportunities available to her, Sarah missed the Whitefish vibe, her family, and the endless outdoor adventures. Sarah moved back to the Flathead Valley and began putting down roots and furthering her career experience in accounting and finance — gaining valuable tax, auditing, nonprofit, corporate, and small-business expertise. 

She also garnered experience in business, leading nonprofit boards, working as both a CFO and a senior accountant with multiple large corporations.

After 10 years in the field, she felt a calling to do things differently.
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As an auditor there were many experiences where Sarah walked into a business and noticed the look of fear and failure on her client’s faces before she even said hello. She reveled in the opportunity to meet clients, help them feel comfortable and confident in their accounting experience. She had (and continues to have) a genuine desire to help. 

Sarah says, "People often open business to share with the world their gifts; the chef, the graphic designer, the landscaper. However, there is a whole other part of sharing that craft with the world — the business side of things."  Sarah noticed this stressful paradigm especially during tax time. 

Observations like this began compounding, and ultimately fueled Sarah's drive to open Elevated Accounting— a friendly firm putting people and their passions first, supporting business owners by solving problems and creating systems that work for people, for their business, and for their employees.  

"Business owners want to do what they love, not sit in a tiny office and crunch numbers," Sarah says. "That's how it should be, and that's how we manage our client-centered approach with businesses large and small."

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Krista Putnam

Staff Accountant II

krista@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 Ext 2

Krista has been living in (and loving!) Montana for 12 years now—originally from beautiful northern Minnesota. She graduated from MSU Bozeman with a degree in Sociology, and then decided to go after bookkeeping, and earned a degree in Accounting. Accounting resonated with her because the concepts flowed easily, and she honed in a true passion for setting up a company's financials so they are streamlined with a consistent flow.

Lucky for business owners with little time to have their nose in the details, Krista's favorite task is dealing with account discrepancies. For her, it's not frustrating... it's like solving a puzzle! Krista likes taking the burden off EA's clients and putting them at ease, knowing the financial health of their business is being cared for by professionals.

When not crunching numbers and solving puzzles, Krista spends most of her time with her partner, two baby boys and two giant dogs!

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Kendra Dicks

Bookkeeper

kendra@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 x4

Six years ago, Kendra and her family had a notion to move out of the city and enjoy the great outdoors. So they packed up their belongings and moved to Whitefish, Montana... site unseen!  They haven't looked back since. Kendra, her husband and 3 boys can be found enjoying everything indoors or outdoors Whitefish has to offer.

When Kendra was a little girl she could be found playing "office" in her mother's Accounting and Tax Preparation Firm.  She took to playing with numbers at an early age and enjoys the little details and being able to help ease frustration for the client by taking the worry out of their hands.

It has been a long time since Kendra has played "office."  Today, it's her career. She comes with 20 years of experience in office administration and bookkeeping experience.  She is most excited when helping clients with bank reconciliations and the bill payment process in Quickbooks — both online and desktop. 

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Stephanie Rodriguez

Bookkeeper

stephanie@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 x5

​Stephanie grew up in small town Laurel, MT. Her career began as a receptionist and quickly advanced when she learned the ropes of the Corporate world. She has excelled in Payroll and has worked with over 31 restaurants to take care of employer & employee needs. She has specialized in employee/employer specific legalities.  To complete the experience package, she has small business experience as a dance studio owner, teacher, & bookkeeper due to her time in Billings, MT.

In 2014 Stephanie and her husband decided to uproot their lives and plant themselves in the Valley with their two dogs.  She is a certified Yoga instructor on the side and has specialized in Aerial Silk Yoga.

Math and problem solving have always come easy to Stephanie and she shines whenever she can effectively work through a difficult number puzzle.  She has a welcoming presence and a helpful persona.  

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Liz Ericksen

Bookkeeper

liz@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 Ext 6

Liz and her family moved to Bigfork from central North Carolina in 2017 looking for an adventure. Having never set foot in Montana before getting out of the U-Haul the Flathead Valley immediately felt like “home”. Liz and her family are so glad to be here and love exploring this wonderful place. 

Liz received undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Psychology from Appalachian State University. She brings 13 years of experience working in a wide range of companies, from a winery to a tech startup, honing skills in accounting, bookkeeping, customer service, marketing, and office management. 

Liz is detail oriented, has a high standard for quality of work. She has an eye for creating and implementing efficient processes and a passion for working with small business owners to help their businesses be as successful as possible. 

When not at work Liz can be found reading, baking, hiking, wild harvesting/crafting, lake days, and spending time with her family. 

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Jolene Jones

Administrative Assistant

admin@elevatedaccounting.com
​406-800-1008 Ext 3

Jolene was born in Portsmouth, VA.  Her mother was in the Navy so she spent much of her younger years traveling all over the country.  When Jolene was 12, she finally landed in Montana and joined four generations of family. Through the years Montana has captured her heart with its vast landscape and endless opportunities for adventure. She enjoys long hikes and the great outdoors with her mini-schnauzer, Fritz. 

In 2014 Jolene graduated with an Associate's degree from FVCC in Office Management and spent time working corporate jobs navigating through what she was good at. Thankfully she soon joined Elevated Accounting.  Jolene enjoys organization, a good flow of procedures, writing, and making sure an office functions smoothly. 

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