Erica Brown

Erica Brown got her start in finance at an early age, helping her grandfather – the owner of a roofing company – with his accounting by hand with a paper ledger part-time while she was in high school. Fast-forward to life after college and the Florida native realized accounting is not only something she enjoys but a profession that gives her a lot of flexibility, which led to an initial start in accounting as a freelancer.

That foundation continues to benefit her now in her latest role as a Client Accounting Manager for Rudler, PSC.

“Understanding small businesses and the people who own them makes me able to relate to my clients because I’ve been on that end with my grandfather. Now, I’m an outside source of help but I understand their struggles,” she says. “I like to help people and see the satisfaction when they know they can trust me. Many clients will say ‘Oh, I have the biggest mess you’ve ever seen, don’t I?’ – I always promise them that I have seen worse. Once I see their numbers and help them feel like they’re in control, there’s a lot of satisfaction in being a helper.”

Starting out as a payroll clerk for a government contractor and controller for a senior care facility, Erica previously worked for Murray, Stok & Co. (now known as Aspiriant) administering accounts payable and receivable and examining budget estimates among other duties. She would then serve as an accounting manager for Spottswood Companies, overseeing month-end reporting efforts, guiding A/P and A/R functions and more. She would then return to Aspiriant in 2022 as a tax associate before joining the Rudler, PSC team.

While she maintains a professional sensibility on that clock, she hopes to help her clients see the fun side of her work as well – especially given how much she enjoys working at Rudler, PSC.

“Rudler does a good job of making everyone feel like they matter and belong,” she says. “We all bring something unique to the table, our ideas are appreciated and they’re very inclusive. I always say I’ve been remote since before remote was cool. But in coming to Rudler, even though I’m remote there’s nothing going on here that I don’t feel like I’m a part of since they’re so good about making everyone feel included in the team.”

Erica earned her associate in arts in Finance at the University of South Florida in 2009. She would later graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Western Governors University in Utah. She resides in Florida with her husband Eric with whom she has two children, and enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, especially when it involves the ocean.