Virtual Rolodex with Laurian Tollett and her CPA Journey
From Virtual Rolodex hosted by TXCPA Houston by Kristie Ondracek
January 13, 2026 · 13 min
About this episode
Laurian Tollett shares her journey from aviation to becoming a partner at a growing CPA firm, highlighting diverse opportunities in the accounting profession.
From Aviation Dreams to Accounting Leadership: A CPA’s Journey in a Growing Firm Episode Summary In this episode of TXCPA Houston Virtual Rolodex, Kristie Ondracek sits down with fellow CPA Laurian Tollett, Partner at DRDA LLC, to discuss her career journey, leadership role, and the wide range of opportunities available within the accounting profession. Laurian shares how her path began in aviation before she discovered accounting as a profession that offers stability, flexibility, and endless opportunity. Now a partner at a growing mid-sized firm, Laurian discusses her work across attestation, tax, valuation, and firm leadership—highlighting how CPAs can build dynamic, people-centered careers that evolve over time. This episode is especially valuable for students, early-career professionals, and anyone questioning whether accounting is limited to “audit or tax.” What You’ll Learn in This Episode ???? What a Partner’s Day-to-Day Really Looks Like Laurian explains how her role spans attestation, financial reporting, tax, valuation, client relationships, recruiting, and firm growth—showing that no two days are ever the same. ???? Why Mid-Sized Firms Offer Unique Opportunities…
People in this episode
Host: Kristie Ondracek
Guest: Laurian Tollett
Topics covered
- CPA journey
- accounting profession
- leadership
- mid-sized firms
- career opportunities
Keywords
- CPA
- accounting
- leadership
- career
- mid-sized firms
- valuation
- tax
- attestation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: DRDA LLC
More episodes of Virtual Rolodex hosted by TXCPA Houston
- Virtual Rolodex with Loren Fogelman, Founder & CEO Business Success Solution · May 21, 2026 · 22 min
- Virtual Rolodex with Saim Akif, CPA, Crypto Tax · May 13, 2026 · 23 min
- Virtual Rolodex with Jasir Jamal, CEO from Longhorn 1031 Exchanges · May 12, 2026 · 14 min
- Virtual Rolodex with Natalie Picha and Matt Berti from RHP Wealth Management · May 7, 2026 · 23 min
- Virtual Rolodex with Lindsay Kline, EA, Founder, Great Bookkeepers Wanted · April 29, 2026 · 17 min
- Virtual Rolodex with Allyns Melendez, CEO of HR Transformed · April 23, 2026 · 20 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Virtual Rolodex hosted by TXCPA Houston podcast page.