In this episode of Beyond the Ledger, I sit down with Schuyler Floyd — a CPA who built his foundation over eight years in public accounting’s middle market before earning his seat at the table at LensLock, where he helps drive financial strategy in the fast-evolving public safety tech space.
Schuyler is candid about the career detour that taught him the most: stepping away from audit into a role that wasn’t right for him, then going back — a move he calls the best decision he ever made. From there he made the leap from public accounting into industry, trading the “pods and little teams” of a firm for a 40-person company where everyone is pulling in the same direction.
We get into what it’s really like to run finance at a growing hardware-and-software company selling body and dash cameras to police departments, how COVID reshaped his career and the way accountants learn, and why — in a world where any fact is a click away — being a “walking encyclopedia” matters far less than the skills you build.
🎧 Whether you’re weighing public vs. industry, navigating a career detour, or trying to grow into a strategic finance role, you’ll walk away with grounded, real-world advice.
🎯 Key Quote:
“Going back into audit was the best decision I ever made.”
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Welcome
01:24 – What You Won’t Find on His LinkedIn
01:37 – The Value of Middle-Market Public Accounting
02:56 – The Career Detour That Didn’t Work Out
03:46 – Why Going Back to Audit Was the Best Decision
05:01 – Making the Jump From Public to Industry
05:15 – Why “One Team” Beats the Big-Firm Grind
05:49 – What LensLock Does in Public Safety Tech
06:14 – The Hardware + Software Behind the Business
07:03 – Why Finance Is Tied to Sales
07:58 – How COVID Reshaped His Career
08:54 – Learning by Watching Your Manager
09:20 – Adapting to a Remote Environment
10:13 – Flexibility & the Post-COVID Workplace
11:52 – What Accounting Programs Should Teach Next
13:59 – Balancing Career and Being a Working Parent
19:03 – Skills Over Being a “Walking Encyclopedia”
19:54 – Why He’s Staying at LensLock
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Connect with us:
Schuylar Floyd on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/schuyler-floyd-16a16212b/
LensLock LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lenslock
LensLock Website:
https://www.lenslock.com/
Troy Ashby on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyashby/
Troy Knows Talent Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/troyknowstalent/
Troy Knows Talent Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/troyknowstalent/
