Keep It Real, Stay Curious: Inside the Collaborative Culture of TydeCo

In this conversation, Becky Clawson, TydeCo’s Global Director of Marketing, sits down with Debbie Denler, Division Manager of Client Accounting and Advisory Services (CAAS), to explore what makes TydeCo’s culture truly exceptional.

Through heartfelt anecdotes, from cross-continental conversations to surfboard Santas, Debbie shares powerful stories of team support, leadership in action, and intentional growth. She highlights how TydeCo’s core values, Keep It Real, Stay Curious, Do More Smarter, We Deliver, and Better Together, shine through in everyday moments.

Debbie: I think we have a really good culture and vibe. It’s interesting working with a team that’s halfway across the world. There’s a lot of curiosity—when different holidays come up or school years begin and end, it sparks conversations like, “When does your kid’s school year start?” or “What holidays are you celebrating?”

One of my favorite conversations with the South Africa team was about Santa Claus. I asked, “What does your Santa wear at the mall?” because, here, he’s in a full suit for a snowy Christmas. But for them, it’s summer. So I pictured Santa in board shorts with a surfboard. They laughed and said, “No, Debbie, Santa still wears the full suit.” I joked that he must be sweating like crazy in the heat!

These little moments bring cultural awareness and political awareness—things we wouldn’t usually think about.

I’ve also seen how supportive the team is. During the 1099 season, one of our West Coast teammates needed some forms reviewed late on a Friday. I logged in, thinking I was the only one still awake. But someone from another state, who wasn’t even on that client or team, jumped in to help. That was such a powerful example of what kind of team we have.

What brought me to TydeCo in the first place was the emphasis on work-life balance. I was told it was a priority, and in accounting, that’s not something you usually hear—or experience. But it’s real here. People take time off for family, for health, and no one makes it a big deal. And because we all value that balance, we also respect each other’s boundaries.

Debbie: I think I lead by doing. Just the other day, we had a situation where a client needed help adding Intacct users. Someone on the team needed assistance, so I jumped in and took care of it. Later, their manager asked how it ended up on my plate, and I simply said, “They needed help.”

I try to set that tone. And when a team needs help with something specific, like IELTA, I’ll point them toward someone with that expertise. Over time, I think that’s helped create an environment where it’s totally okay to reach out to one another.

What’s great is that people genuinely enjoy sharing their knowledge. When someone gets to do a training in their area of expertise, you can see how excited they are. They really light up. So it’s become part of our culture—helping each other, not because we have to, but because we like to.

Debbie: We have a monthly casting meeting where we go over important updates and what’s happening in the division, but we’ve added a bit of fun to it. For example, on Valentine’s Day, our entire presentation was themed around conversation hearts and Valentine’s graphics.

After the business portion, we play a game. That month, we did a “Name That Tune” with love songs. The best part? It ended with a Whitney Houston sing-along. Even team members who usually keep their cameras off were singing. It was such a fun, unexpected moment.

For our most recent meeting, we went with a travel theme. We created slides with blocked-out images of places around the world. As we revealed parts of each image, the team guessed where it was. That sparked conversations about travel stories, bucket lists, and places people had visited.

It’s created a space where we can laugh, relax, and genuinely get to know each other—not just as colleagues, but as people.

Debbie: I think our values are kind of like guiding principles. They shape how we interact with each other, whether it’s internally with the team or externally with our clients.

It reminds me of when everyone used to wear those WWJD bracelets—“What Would Jesus Do?” Sometimes I think of it as, “What would TydeCo do?” or even “What would Snuffles do?”

When we’re facing challenges or discussing something as a team, I try to ask: Does this change or decision align with our values? Does it make sense with who we’ve said we want to be? That helps keep us centered.

Debbie: Yeah—Keep It Real really resonates with me.

I think when we’re facing challenges or having tough conversations, we need to be honest, but we also need to deliver that honesty with empathy.

Some people hear “keep it real” and think that means saying whatever comes to mind, but for me, it’s about saying it in a way that someone can actually hear and receive it. If the message is too harsh, the person may focus more on how it was said than what was actually said.

When there’s a mistake or an error, I’d rather just lay it out: “Here’s what happened. What can we do to fix it? Can we create a process to prevent it in the future?” It’s about focusing on the issue, not the person.

If everyone brings that mix of honesty and empathy, I think we’ll be a much stronger team.

Debbie: I think a big difference is that we no longer feel so separate. Before, it felt like we were working in silos instead of as one team.

Even within CAAS, there were challenges. Last year, we didn’t have direct reports, so if something came up, we had to go to someone’s manager instead of addressing it directly. That created some awkwardness.

Since then, we’ve restructured and now have a much more collaborative setup. We hold regular one-on-ones with direct reports—not just to discuss client work, but also goals, growth, and building trust.

I’ve also noticed the impact of our global calls. When someone is introduced—who they are, what they do, what they’re about—it helps put a face to a name. Before, if I didn’t work with someone directly, I might not even know who to reach out to.

I remember being on a client call once, and the leader didn’t show up. They weren’t on my team or even in my division. I sent emails and got no response, and I had no idea who to contact. But within CAAS, that wouldn’t have happened. I’d know exactly who to call.

Joining other meetings like the ERP quarterly call has helped, too. It’s a different group from CAAS, but it’s helped me learn who specializes in what and how we can support one another.

It’s been a really positive shift.

Debbie: Yeah, the CAAS team’s work is very cyclical. Every month, we’re restarting the same processes.

Recently, I was on a call with one of our assistant controllers, reviewing a client’s budget versus actuals. We were trying to understand why we were going over budget. So I started asking: Why are you doing this task? What does it accomplish? Why does it matter to the client?

We realized we were just going through motions—doing tasks because they were on the list, not necessarily because they delivered value. For this particular client, we identified a process that didn’t add any real value. It was just another box to check.

Later, during a check-in, that same team member told me they’d started asking themselves the same questions on another client: Does this make sense? Is there any real value?

That reflection helped shift the mindset from just doing tasks to focusing on impact. And I think that’s a powerful takeaway.

Debbie: Recently, I spoke with a team member I’ve worked with for years. I noticed they had lost their spark. They were still getting their work done—accurate and on time—but something was missing.

So I said, “You used to really light up about your work. You were excited, especially about helping others. You’re still doing a great job, but you don’t seem to enjoy it anymore. Is there something you’d like to be doing more of?”

They told me that some of the tasks they loved weren’t even part of their current role. They were good at what they were doing, but it wasn’t lighting them up.

I took that back to our management team. We value this person’s expertise, so we asked: could we create a role that includes more of the work they love, and that still benefits the business?

And we did. That one conversation helped us unlock more energy, better alignment, and reminded me to keep asking: Are there others on our team who might thrive in a slightly different role? If we can match what lights people up with what we need, everyone wins.

Debbie: Yeah, it really does.

It still feels like a small company, even though we’re much bigger now. I’ve been in roles where you outgrow your job, but you’re stuck because that’s the box you’re in—and no one’s thinking about how to evolve it.

But here, we genuinely look at individuals and ask: What could be better for them and better for the company? That’s a special thing.

Debbie: Yeah, I definitely see the team working on Do More Smarter. Our team manager recently looked at our onboarding process and realized we didn’t have a uniform, documented process. She said the team sometimes gets stuck in a kind of paralysis—there’s so much to do, they don’t know where to start.

So she created an onboarding workbook for new clients. It breaks down the entire scope of work into small steps. What’s cool is that it tracks everything—scope, progress—and each team member can add notes, flag issues, or indicate where we need to discuss something.

We also include client follow-up emails in the workbook, so anyone can jump in and see where things stand. The team has been loving it. They say it gives them structure, makes things simpler, and creates a lot of efficiency. It was something we really needed, and it was great that she stepped up and created it on her own.

Debbie:  Oh goodness. I think I see a lot of people on the team who really do Keep It Real. They’re great communicators and can give simple, easy-to-understand instructions.

But I also think some accountants tend to shy away from that kind of communication. They don’t love face-to-face interaction and prefer email. So I think a big part of it is blending the two, encouraging more face-to-face meetings and more personal interaction.

In those meetings, some of us are strong on the empathy side, and others might need a little help there. So we’re working on modeling that same behavior across the board: honesty and openness, but also kindness, so the message is received well.

I think we’re doing okay, but it’s an area where we can still grow and improve together.

Debbie:  When I meet with a team member one-on-one, I always start with, “How have you been since our last time?” or “What did you do over the weekend?” I spend time getting to know them, remembering things like, “You had a family barbecue,” or “Your child had an event at school.”

It’s about showing that we genuinely care—not pretending, but actually remembering and connecting. I try to do that with all my one-on-ones.

In team meetings, I like to add some fun at the end so we can see each other in a different light. Early on, the South Africa team told us they felt like the U.S. team was all business—no friendliness, no “How are you?”—just straight to the point. So we’ve worked to change that.

Now we blend our cultures more. We have monthly team meetings where we laugh, play games, and share photos. At Christmas, everyone sent in pictures, and it was so cool to see how people decorate and celebrate around the world.

We’re also working on helping everyone know who specializes in what. We highlight expertise and ask team members to do training on their specialty. Then they become the go-to person when someone needs help. It helps people connect beyond their usual circle and builds trust across the team.

Debbie: I think the biggest thing we need to focus on for growth is continuing to focus on technology. Technology has come so far, so fast, in the last few years. I mean, I never thought I’d be using AI to record my meetings and give me a summary, but it’s very cool—and everybody loves it.

So I think just keeping on top of what is the latest and greatest technology, doing those demos, and then coming back and asking: does that benefit us? Does it benefit a client?

One thing the CAAS team did in the last few months is create a technology committee. We picked a few individuals on the team who love technology and love learning new software systems. It’s been really cool—when something new comes up, they’ll go do the demo and then come back and provide a benefits analysis. And in some instances, if it is a software they think benefits us internally or helps a client, they come back super excited and want to try it.

So if we do implement it, we already have major buy-in from the team. Our team is very technology-focused. They love that. So in order to stay relevant and on top, we’ll need to stay on top of what technologies are out there—and how they can help us do things better.

Debbie: Yeah, so I recently stepped into the role of Division Manager of CAAS. I think it’s really going to change my focus. Before, I was leading a team of controllers and assistant controllers and had a book of clients. Now I’m taking a bit of a step back and looking at the division from a broader perspective—things like processes we can put in place, procedures, profitability, and the big one: driving growth.

I’ve been doing a lot of the potential client calls, meeting with them, learning what they need, preparing accounting analyses, offering recommendations, and figuring out how we can help. It’s been really exciting to sign new clients and introduce them to the team, knowing I have a solid team who’ll deliver great results.

Now, I’ll share a leadership lesson I’ve learned recently—it wasn’t pleasant, but it stuck. I usually believe that everyone comes to work wanting to do a good job. I don’t think people show up planning to be a menace. But I recently learned that not everyone wants to learn, grow, or change—and that really surprised me. I’m always looking for feedback and ways to grow, so it caught me off guard.

This individual was just not interested in learning the TydeCo way or being part of the team. They wanted to do things their own way. And at some point, you have to accept that you can’t make change happen with someone who isn’t open to it. It almost feels like a failure, but it’s not—it’s just a reality. Sometimes the best move is to part ways peacefully, keep the team positive, and continue moving forward. Not everybody thinks the way you do, and that’s okay.

 

Debbie: I kind of have this vision of what TydeCo would look like as a global leader. I think we’d be known as a company that delivers high-quality services on time and consistently exceeds client expectations. I’d love for our name to be recognized globally, not just for our work, but for being a team that’s enjoyable to work with—people who clients genuinely like talking to.

I’d also love to see the CAAS team expand globally. We’re already moving in that direction with our Sage Intacct implementations. I’d love for CAAS to be right there alongside ERP.

We’re going to be tech-forward, offering the latest technology internally and externally. Automating wherever we can. Getting rid of repetitive tasks that don’t need human attention.

But what would really be cool? Seeing TydeCo on one of those “Top 100 Places to Work” lists. I always look at those and think, “Who are these companies and what do they do to earn that?” I think we already offer so much—work-life balance, valuing our people—and it’d be amazing for the team to see that recognized.

We also need to keep developing a global mindset. Business expectations are different across regions. For example, our South African team thinks the U.S. team could be a bit more friendly at the start of meetings. On the U.S. side, we really value directness—just tell us if a Friday deadline isn’t happening so we can manage the client’s expectations.

So we’re still working on blending our business cultures. I think we’re making good progress. But the biggest step we can take is to clearly lay out that ultimate vision and break it down into small, manageable steps. Piece by piece, we’ll build on what we already have.

Debbie: Debbie: I had to think about this one. But I’m going with “collaborative.” I see it all the time—especially in the CAAS division and between CAAS and ERP. One side needs help, the other has a specialist, and they jump in. There’s a lot of teamwork and support. So I think “collaborative” really captures it.