Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Victoria Thayer
Victoria Thayer
Founder & CEO, Novii CPA
Victoria Thayer is founder and owner of Novii CPA, a Madison-based accounting firm that incorporates a subscription model to support entrepreneurs and small businesses. She came from Venezuela to the University of Rochester, initially to study chemical engineering but pivoted to accounting and graduated with a degree in business in 2015. Since then, she has worked at a number of accounting firms and earned a master’s degree in accounting from Edgewood University before launching Novii in 2023. She is treasurer of the nonprofit coworking space StartingBlock Madison, a member of the board of the Madison Reading Project, and an advisory committee member for WWBIC.
01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?
The foundation of my leadership is stewardship: making decisions based on what will protect the company, serve our clients, and help our people grow, not simply what feels easiest in the moment. As Novii has grown, that has required me to change how I lead. I have had to transition parts of my leadership role to other managers, give team members ownership of their responsibilities, and trust them to make decisions without waiting for my approval. Letting go of control has not always been comfortable, but a company cannot become sustainable if everything continues to depend on its founder.
Stewardship has also meant making painful decisions, including letting go of people I genuinely cared about when the company’s financial position could no longer support every role. Those decisions were never made casually or without emotion, but sometimes protecting the organization requires choosing what is necessary for its long-term stability. When things feel shaky, I return to the question: What decision gives Novii and its people the strongest opportunity to keep moving forward?
02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?
I come from Venezuela and from a family that taught me the value of sacrifice, education, perseverance, and creating opportunities even when the path is uncertain. Before becoming a CPA and eventually founding Novii, I studied chemical engineering and built my career in public accounting. Each chapter required me to step into unfamiliar territory and trust that hard work, curiosity, and determination would help me find my way.
When leadership becomes overwhelming, I hear the voices of my mom and my aunt. They are a significant part of why I continue doing this work. Their sacrifices remind me that the opportunities I have today were built by people who believed in me long before I could see the full vision for myself. Remembering where I come from keeps challenges in perspective and reminds me that I am building something larger than my own success.
03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?
The advice I continue returning to is simple: I’ll figure it out. It does not mean I already have every answer or that I should pretend to. It means I trust myself to remain curious, ask for help, learn what I need to learn, and keep moving forward even when the next step is unclear.
Novii is still an early-stage firm, and the truth is that we are actively figuring many things out. We are refining our systems, learning how to lead at a larger scale, and adjusting as the needs of our clients and team evolve. “I’ll figure it out” gives me permission to be a work in progress while still taking responsibility for finding a way forward.
04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?
A scripture that reflects both my personal journey and the vision behind Novii is Isaiah 43:19: “See, I am doing a new thing.” It reminds me that growth often begins before we can fully see where it is leading us. Leadership requires faith in what is being built, especially during seasons when the results have not yet caught up with the vision.
The color green has always represented Novii to me because it symbolizes growth, renewal, and a new vision for what an accounting firm can be. This verse reminds me not to become so attached to what worked in the past that I miss the new opportunities unfolding in front of us. Sometimes growth requires releasing an old version of the business, or of yourself, to make room for what comes next.
05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?
I have had to rebuild relationships with clients after expectations were missed, communication became unclear, or trust was strained. I started Novii because I genuinely enjoy interacting with people and helping business owners understand their finances. Because those relationships matter deeply to me, it can be difficult when a client is disappointed or when something does not go as planned.
Rebuilding trust taught me that strong relationships are not created by never making mistakes. They are created by being willing to listen, take responsibility, communicate honestly, and follow through consistently afterward. Things that last are not necessarily the things that never break; they are the things people care enough to repair with greater clarity and intention.
06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?
The question I try to ask before making an important decision is: How will this affect others, and what value will it add? A decision may benefit the company financially or make operations more efficient, but leaders also need to consider how it will affect their team, their clients, and the wider community around the organization.
That question forces me to look beyond the immediate result. Something built to last must create value for more than the person leading it. When decisions consistently strengthen the people around the organization, not only its founder, the organization has a much better chance of continuing after that leader is gone.
07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?
I am preparing our managers and the broader Novii team to carry the work forward. My goal is that, if I stepped away for six months, the team would not simply maintain the firm, they would continue solving problems, supporting clients, and making thoughtful decisions without needing me to step into every difficult situation.
That includes preparing them for moments when a client is frustrated, disagrees with our approach, or feels that something has gone wrong. I want the team to have the judgment and confidence to listen, take ownership, find a solution, and protect the relationship. I am working toward this by delegating real responsibility, allowing others to lead conversations, and treating mistakes as opportunities to strengthen their decision-making rather than reasons to take control back.
08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?
When leadership feels heavy, I return to my faith. Reading the Bible and taking time to pray help me quiet the noise, regain perspective, and remember that I do not have to carry every challenge through my own strength. Faith reminds me to approach leadership with patience, humility, and trust, especially when I cannot immediately see the answer.
I also return to my vision board. Looking at where I started, where I am today, and where I hope to go helps me reconnect with the purpose behind the work. It keeps me grounded in my goals while reminding me that the challenges of one difficult day are only a small part of a much larger journey.
09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?
My legacy is a firm that no longer needs me. I want Novii CPA to outlast my name, presence, and personality, a self-sustaining culture where excellence is supported by strong people and systems rather than my constant oversight. I hope it continues creating opportunities for Latino and underrepresented professionals to become leaders in industries such as biotechnology, manufacturing, and technology. I also want our clients to do more than receive reports; I want them to truly understand and own their numbers because we taught them how.
The real measure of success would be hearing someone say decades from now, “Novii CPA changed how we think about financial partnership,” without mentioning my name at all. That would mean the firm continued serving, developing people, and combining technology with a genuine human connection long after I stepped away. The legacy is not about me, it is about what we built that continues empowering others.
10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?
Every morning, before checking my email or looking at a spreadsheet, I pray. It is not usually a long or formal prayer, just a quiet moment when I ask for clarity, patience, and the wisdom to serve our clients and team well. Afterward, I look at the vision board across from my desk. It is a living collection of goals, reminders, photos, and ideas that changes as Novii reaches milestones or moves in a new direction.
That short ritual has become a source of grounding. It reminds me that Novii is not about billable hours or growth for its own sake; it is about the people and businesses we serve and the team I have the privilege of leading. On difficult days, those few minutes bring me back to why I started and help ensure that my decisions remain intentional rather than reactive.
11What's a moment in your life where the music playing in the background ended up meaning more than you expected, a song that showed up right when you needed it, or made an ordinary moment stick with you?
The song “Simplemente” by Franco De Vita takes me back to one of the hardest seasons of my professional life. Two long-term clients left within the same month, and despite reviewing the numbers repeatedly and trying to find another solution, I eventually had to let two employees go because the firm’s cash flow could no longer support every position. That evening, I drove home in silence and sat in my garage unable to move. My phone connected to the car, the song began playing, and I finally allowed myself to feel the full weight of the decisions I had made.
The song did not solve the financial problem or reverse what had happened, but it gave me permission to stop hiding behind spreadsheets and feel the grief of that moment. Today, it reminds me that leadership is not about getting every decision right or avoiding every painful outcome. It is about making difficult choices, learning from them, owning their impact, and still finding the courage to show up the next morning for the people who remain.
12What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?
My mom used to ask me a simple question at dinner: “¿Qué aprendiste hoy que no sabías ayer?”, “What did you learn today that you did not know yesterday?” We were not a family with a lot of money, and my mom often came home tired after working long hours. Still, she asked that question because she wanted me to understand that curiosity and education were things no one could take away from me.
I hope that tradition continues within my family and becomes part of Novii’s culture. It teaches humility, reflection, and the discipline of recognizing that we are never finished growing. Whether it is asked around a family dinner table, in a team meeting, or on a Zoom call, that question reminds people that every day contains something worth learning, and that our stories are still being written.