About Us

We believe staying matters as much as showing up.

Accurate financials matter. So does having a team that stays engaged enough to help you use them.

The traditional accounting model stops at delivery. Reports get sent. Questions remain. Decisions get made without enough context. Enlightened Order was built to close that gap, with proactive communication, clear interpretation, and a higher standard of follow-through — from a team that stays engaged.

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Katie Vogel, Founder and CEO of Enlightened Order
The firm

Founded in 2012. Nationwide. Fully remote.

2012

Founded, serving business leaders nationwide. Fully remote from day one.

100%

Fixed-fee engagements. No hourly billing.

One team

accounting, tax, and advisory under one roof.

Leadership

The people behind the firm.

Katie Vogel, Founder & CEO of Enlightened Order

Katie Vogel

Founder & CEO

Katie founded Enlightened Order in 2012 and has run it ever since. Her financial background started in investment management and pension administration, then moved into grant administration — first for scientific research at a large research institution, then for nonprofits. That work trained her to read numbers as inputs to real decisions, not as compliance artifacts.

She also holds a degree in Education, and the discipline of translating complex material into language a working person can use has shaped how she practices accounting. That background informs EO’s approach: financial information explained clearly, connected to the decisions in front of the business, and delivered without unnecessary jargon. Katie is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and a QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor.

Today Katie leads firm strategy, partnerships, industry presence through speaking and writing, and selected high-touch advisory engagements. Running a growing firm has also put her on the same side of the table as EO’s clients: every operational, hiring, pricing, and client-mix decision the firm’s CEO buyers wrestle with, she has worked through in her own business.

Michelle Smith, CEPA®, COO at Enlightened Order

Michelle Smith, CEPA®

Chief Operating Officer

Michelle joined EO as COO after nearly 20 years across firm ownership, firm management, and advisory work for accounting practices. She was an early leader in cloud accounting and firm systems design, and holds the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) credential along with advanced QuickBooks certifications, recognition as a Top 100 QuickBooks ProAdvisor, service on Intuit’s Accountant Advisory Council, and membership in the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

As COO, Michelle oversees EO’s client experience, delivery systems, and firmwide quality-control standards. She leads many Discovery Calls and Financial Clarity Assessments and helps ensure that each new engagement is scoped, staffed, and transitioned to the appropriate account lead.

Michelle also leads EO’s Exit Planning practice and remains directly involved in strategic advisory engagements where the work calls for her.

Beyond leadership

Every engagement is staffed by the team that fits the work.

Each engagement is staffed according to scope, with the appropriate accounting, Controller, tax, CPA, CFO, or specialist involvement added where the work requires it. Your assigned team is introduced at kickoff, with roles and responsibilities clearly defined.

Accountants

Accountants handle the day-to-day accounting work: transaction review, reconciliations, month-end close, reporting, and the consistent delivery rhythm each engagement depends on.

Controllers

Controllers oversee the close, review significant reconciliations and adjustments, assess financial processes and controls, and lead the specialty reporting included in the engagement.

CPAs and tax professionals

CPAs and tax professionals lead tax preparation and planning and support advisory, transaction, and Exit Planning work when CPA-level tax or financial expertise is required.

CFO leads

CFO leads provide forward-looking financial leadership for Transformative and selected advisory engagements, including forecasting, decision modeling, scenario planning, and capital-event preparation.

Every engagement has a named primary point of contact. You will not have to chase a general inbox or repeatedly explain the business to someone new.
How we work

Our mission

We turn financial information into clear, confident action, so founders can lead their businesses instead of managing the financial function.

Through meticulous accounting, thoughtful tax strategy, and practical advisory, we bring calm, clarity, and structure to the financial side of running a business.

We believe that expertise is only valuable when the client can understand it, trust it, and use it.

The O.R.D.E.R. Standard

The principles that shape every client relationship, every deliverable, and every decision we make.

O
Organization

Clean systems, clear processes, and financial information that supports informed decisions.

R
Reliability

Consistent delivery, proactive communication, and commitments we keep.

D
Diligence

Careful work, sound judgment, and appropriate review where the work requires it.

E
Empathy

We understand the pressure of running a business and communicate with clarity, patience, and respect.

R
Responsibility

We take ownership of our work, communicate directly, and follow issues through to resolution.

How we put the standard into practice

Think One Step Beyond

We do more than complete the isolated task. We consider why it matters, what else it may affect, what the client will need next, and whether an adjacent risk or opportunity should be raised.

This does not mean expanding work beyond the engagement without approval. It means applying judgment, communicating what matters, and involving the right people when the situation requires it.

Own the Outcome

We do not define completion as sending an email, finishing our portion, or passing the issue to someone else. We remain responsible for helping move the matter toward a clear resolution.

That does not mean one person does everything. It means ownership is clear, follow-through happens, status is communicated, and concerns are escalated before they become larger problems.

Credentials and affiliations

Professional credentials, recognition, and industry involvement that support the work.

  • CPA-led tax practice — CPA support is incorporated into tax, advisory, and exit-planning engagements when the scope requires it.
  • Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) — Michelle Smith leads EO’s exit-planning practice using the Value Acceleration Methodology™.
  • Industry recognition — Michelle Smith was named a 2024 Top 100 ProAdvisor by Insightful Accountant and has served on Intuit’s Accountant Advisory Council.
  • Healthcare Financial Management Association — EO leadership participates in HFMA to stay connected to the financial and operational issues affecting healthcare organizations.
  • QuickBooks certifications — Multiple EO team members hold certifications across QuickBooks Online, Advanced, Desktop Enterprise, Payroll, and Client Advisory Services.
Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) 2024 Top 100 ProAdvisor — Insightful Accountant Intuit Accountant Advisory Council Member HFMA Member — Healthcare Financial Management Association QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor QuickBooks Online Advanced Certified ProAdvisor (Level 2) QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Certified ProAdvisor QuickBooks Payroll Certified ProAdvisor
Speaking & Events

Book Katie or Michelle for your next event.

Practical financial education delivered in plain English for conferences, chambers, SBDC events, webinars, and workshops nationwide.

Katie Vogel

Katie Vogel

Founder & CEO

Boulder, Colorado  ·  Available nationwide

Topics

Financial clarity, leadership through growth, building a decision-ready finance function, and translating financial information into action.

Signature Talks

  • → Why Your Business Makes Money But You Never Have Any
  • → The Tax Mistakes Small Business Owners Make Every Year
  • → What Your Financial Statements Are Actually Telling You
  • → Building a Business You Can Actually Sell Someday
  • → From Chaos to Order: A Financial System That Runs Without You

Formats & Length

Keynote 45–60 min Breakout 30–45 min Lunch & Learn 30 min Webinar 45–60 min Workshop half-day
Michelle Smith, CEPA

Michelle Smith, CEPA

Chief Operating Officer and Exit Planning Advisor

Tennessee  ·  Available nationwide

Topics

Exit readiness, building enterprise value, financial operations, accounting-firm systems, and client experience.

Signature Talks

  • → Exit Planning: It's Not What You Think
  • → Hiring Math: When You Can Actually Afford Your Next Employee
  • → From Messy Books to Clean Books: A Practical Cleanup Roadmap
  • → Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Your Business
  • → Building Financial Processes That Run Without You
  • → Working With Your Accountant: A Field Guide for Business Owners

Formats & Length

Keynote 45–60 min Breakout 30–45 min Lunch & Learn 30 min Webinar 45–60 min Workshop half-day

Ready to talk?

Start with a Discovery Call. If the Financial Clarity Assessment is the right next step, we’ll confirm that on the call.

Book a Discovery Call