You can apply for the 2025 U.S. ProAdvisor Awards HERE or nominate a U.S. ProAdvisor HERE.
Back in 2014, I introduced an article that Joe Woodard contributed for publication with a 'glimpse of a prototype' ProAdvisor Award. Soon thereafter, the first Top 100 ProAdvisors were announced.
Since then thousands of ProAdvisors have participated in the Insightful Accountant's ProAdvisor Award Program and I am sorry to say that we don't even have a full-count of that number, nor even a comprehensive list of all the ProAdvisors who were ever nominated... it just wasn't something we ever set about capturing. But what I do know is that collectively, hundreds of Top ProAdvisors have made it to the very top of the awards over the years. When we add-up all the categorical award recipients it represents more than a 'Top 100'.
Despite the growing number of participants, there are still fundamentals that come into play when the points are applied to the scoring questions within our formal application. Joe Woodard set many of those fundamentals into words in his January 14, 2014 article titled "Strategies for Distinguishing Yourself as a QuickBooks ProAdvisor."
Joe's intent in writing the article was to provide motivation for ProAdvisors to participate in the Awards Process by preparing themselves for recognition... as he put it "the need to distinguish yourself from the tens of thousands of other consultants 'playing' in the space." Joe then proceeded to set down five strategies:
- Earn a Wide Range of ProAdvisor Certifications
- Get Published
- Become a QuickBooks Trainer
- Join Professional Networks Targeted to ProAdvisors
- Become an Expert on at Least One Product that Integrates with QuickBooks
Certifications
At the time Joe wrote, 'Desktop was the deal', and he emphasized both QuickBooks and QuickBooks Advanced certification (QBO didn't even have an advanced certification at the time). He also strongly recommended Enterprise and Point-of-sale as well as the newly issued QuickBooks Online certification.
Obviously things have changed today... everything pretty much revolves around QuickBooks Online these days. So much so that today when Intuit says "QuickBooks" they mean 'QBO' unlike back in 2014 when "QuickBooks" referred to "Desktop." Today, the 'Advanced certification' is only available for QBO, long since has that hard-earned "QuickBooks Desktop Advanced ProAdvisor" certification been lost to time. Additionally, Point-of-Sale is "vanishing like a mist."
Regardless, Certification is one of the key elements, just as Joe wrote that ten-plus years ago, to distinguishing yourself. Out of the total possible score for the 2024 ProAdvisor Awards right at 10% of the total points come from certifications (current and past).
The more you have, the longer you have them, the more points you earn... it is just that simple. And another roughly 10% of the total points come from the related 'training' hours (credits) you earn in preparing yourself to earn and maintain those certifications.
Getting Published
Joe told you that Insightful Accountant had an open submission policy for articles... that really hasn't changed. But it is almost like "pulling wisdom teeth" to get ProAdvisors to submit articles, even about themselves or their practices. It's true that you can earn valuable points in the ProAdvisor Awards by 'writing'. We have an entire category that is dedicated to 'Educator/Author', that originally started out as 'Trainer/Writer.'
You might not consider yourself an author if you write "your QuickBooks Story" or "what's unique about your QuickBooks Practice", but 'every word counts.' Quite literally, we ask you how many words you wrote that earn you points. But one man's article is another man's "social media post."
When Joe wrote his feature back in 2014, 'social media' was just really getting started. Today, people have blogs and podcasts and websites where they 'write' or 'say' their own stuff, and voice their opinions and teach their own thoughts and contribute to the welfare of the ProAdvisor community in one way or another... and the ProAdvisor Awards give you the option of recording such accomplishment... it's why we have a "Social Media" ProAdvisor Award, that originally started out as "QuickBooks Evangelist."
Become a QuickBooks Trainer
The Intuit Trainer/Writer Program, at least within the United States, was recently discontinued. Over the years, hundreds of ProAdvisors had been selected to participate in that program and to develop much of the training and certification content that Intuit used for QuickBooks education. But, Intuit isn't and has never been, the only source of QuickBooks (and related) education.
In reality, the education source is you, and countless number of other ProAdvisors who love to teach and develop a passion for it. As Joe mentioned in his article, webinars were then and are today numerous and their hosts, including Insightful Accountant are always looking for ProAdvisors who want to teach webinar content. Scaling New Heights, Joe's own annual event for education of accountants, bookkeepers, consultants (and yes, ProAdvisors) also accepts submissions for instructional content.
More and more ProAdvisors are building their own YouTube and TikTok training libraries of content they deliver to the ProAdvisor and QuickBooks user communities. Teaching content is another great 'point earner' in the awards, even when your classes don't qualify for CPE, and more when they do.
Professional Networks (and Associations)
Back in 2014, Joe's networking organization for ProAdvisors was called the National Advisor Network, and many ProAdvisors participated in local chapters of NAN. Others were involved in different smaller groups. Of course, accountants and bookkeepers had their own networks and professional associations.
Over the years, membership in such groups changes, especially as new organizations emerge in the profession. We give you the opportunity to report membership in more than ninety such organizations (within both the US and International) applications... so many that it grows more difficult to verify each year new vs. old groups, so we also provide you with write-in space to list the one you joined that we haven't tracked down yet.
And what you do, what you attend, and what you accomplish in those networks can be reported in the applicable sections of the formal ProAdvisor Awards application with even more 'write-in' options for the 2025 Awards year than ever before.
Travel to Spain for the conference of a group of European accounting professionals? Yep, you can report those hours or credits earned for 2025. The same applies if you head over to Singapore for a bookkeeper association boot camp.
Insightful Accountant is giving you more opportunities during the 2025 ProAdvisor Awards to earn more points from your activities with more and more associations than ever before.
Become an Expert on at Least One Product
Better yet, become an expert on at least One Dozen Products. Do you realize if you had taken Joe's advice back in 2024 and only 'became an expert' on one new product per year each year since then that you would be an expert on a Dozen Products today, and a true expert at that.
It's easy to devote yourself to just a 'limited tech stack', because supposedly "nobody can be an expert on every App." But with the diversity of apps out there, you might find that there are a dozen or more devoted exclusively to your 'Niche' (specialization)... like Inventory, or eCommerce, or Legal, or Construction, and many more.
At the time, Joe was thinking that ProAdvisors could build a business around a single app (like Method, which his team had great success with) and be the very best at just that one App. He, like myself, believed that users and other ProAdvisors would flock to them for assistance; after all, I did that with QuickBooks 'Data Repair.' But, as soon as demand arises, so does another ProAdvisor who is looking to 'do that too.'
But guess what? That just means you need to learn another App, and another App and another App to afford yourself greater opportunity. And with each new App, you are building your points for the ProAdvisor Awards.
If you are stuck in a single app, and you use that app, and you refer that app, and you resell that app, and you are certified in that app, and you are even a developer-authorized implementer of that app, you still won't earn as many points as if you use 20 apps, refer all 20 of those, sell 5 of them, are certified in 5 more, and are an authorized implementer of 5 more.
It's simple, you want to earn more app points in the ProAdvisor Awards and be recognized for a categorical award based on product(s) like our 'App-ology' or 'Integration' awards? Then be an expert in more than one app and be involved (using, referring, certified and implementing) in as many apps as possible.
This year, you will not only be able to pick from some of the most widely-used and highly-ranked apps on the market, but we will once again allow you to 'write-in' your preferred app in each of a group of categories if you don't find it listed. Now, "how about those apples."
In Summary
Joe's words are still as true today as they were back in 2014, although they need to be slightly 'modified' according to the times, the changes in products, the changes at Intuit and in their ProAdvisor Program, and the changes in the way professionals 'ProAdvise' today.
His fundamental message remains... you need to find a way to 'distinguish yourself'. One of the best ways to do that is to be part of Insightful Accountant's ProAdvisor Awards and be recognized for who you truly are, "one of the best of the best."
I look forward to your participation in the 2025 ProAdvisor Awards when they open next month.
Murph
PS - thanks to Joe Woodard for his 'original article' from 2014 that you will find HERE.
Thanks also to the 2025 Insightful Accountant ProAdvisor Award sponsors shown below.
