For many business owners, the thought of spreadsheets, budgets, balancing the books and tax preparation is daunting, at best. Sarah Hebert Fulton is not among them. This 2015 St. Joseph’s Academy graduate actually sees art in accounting.
“I’ve always seen it as sort of a creative outlet,” Sarah, the owner of Fulton Bookkeeping and Accounting Services, said. “It brings me satisfaction to organize and balance books. It’s like finally finishing a big puzzle when your monthly reconciliations are done. I sometimes paint and create abstract art. Accounting is kind of like that. It’s ‘turning chaos into beauty,’ which is something one of my mentors told me a while back and it always stuck with me.”
Sarah graduated from Louisiana State University in 2019 with a degree in accounting. She immediately went to work as an auditor with Postlethwaite & Netterville, then moved into corporate accounting. Although she loved the work, something was missing. “I didn’t feel that I was making enough of a difference in my community, as that has always been my goal,” Sarah said. “I wanted to use accounting to help other business owners, so I decided to take the jump and start my own practice.”
Sarah established her business in March of 2022. Her initial focus was working with small business owners, but in the 15 months since she hung out her shingle, she has realized that working with women-owned businesses was a big part of her passion. “I currently work with photographers, wedding planners, florists and many others,” she said. “I offer monthly bookkeeping, quarterly bookkeeping and other services that any business owners may need. I really value human interactions and knowing that I’m helping to make a difference in someone’s life.”
Sarah’s mission is to ensure that business owners feel confident in their finances, while also helping to relieve the stress that bookkeeping can cause. “Accounting is my passion, and to be able to use it to help people means the world to me,” she said.
Even as a child, Sarah dreamed of a profession dedicated to helping others. For a time, she thought about entering the counseling field, but after learning about accounting in high school, she knew it was the perfect way to combine her love of keeping balance, organization and helping others in one job.
At SJA, Sarah sang in the choir. She was an alto and loved singing that voice part “because even though it may not be as prominent as soprano, the music just wouldn’t be the same without it. That’s how I think about accounting/bookkeeping. It’s in the background, but the business runs smoothly only if your books are in order.”
Sarah is married to Andrew Fulton, a St. Michael the Archangel High School graduate she met during their junior year of high school. They live in Baton Rouge with their dog and two cats. She is one of four siblings: Her brothers, Cameron and Colin Hebert, graduated from Catholic High School, and her sister, Catherine Hebert, is a 2020 Academy graduate.
When not hard at work, Sarah enjoys reading, driving around town on sunny days, working out, gardening, cooking with Andrew and exploring local restaurants. All the while, she is committed to making a difference in the lives of business owners.
“My goal is to continue growing Fulton Bookkeeping so I can hopefully have an impact on small/medium businesses locally and around the country,” she said. “I’m so proud of how far I’ve come, not only professionally but personally, and I am so excited to see what lies ahead with Fulton Bookkeeping.”
Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director