Today we’d like to introduce you to Sainte Billings.
Hi Sainte, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ll make this a little more personal for whoever plans to read this.
Like many people, my story might seem familiar at first glance: high school, college, choosing a challenging yet “safe” major, landing what most would call a dream job, and eventually reaching that moment where you think, I made it. A pretty normal trajectory—until I pause and reflect and realize I am only one generation removed from complete illiteracy.
I can’t even say I’m my grandmother’s wildest dream, because I don’t think she could have imagined a life like the one I’ve been blessed to live. My mother, who once begged someone to pretend to be her parent just so she could be enrolled in school, is my true hero. She dared to dream beyond her circumstances. Life responded to that longing, and she became an entrepreneur in Haiti with a singular mission: to give her children the best education she could afford.
When Haiti became increasingly unstable, we moved to the United States. I still remember my mother turning to me on that flight and saying, “Make me proud in this place.” That moment has never left me and I hope she never stops being proud of me.
I pursued every opportunity placed in my path. I was blessed with exceptional mentors and eventually recruited by three of the Big Four accounting firms. I spent nearly a decade at one of them, rising to the role of Tax Manager and advising high-net-worth individuals and businesses on complex tax matters. From the outside, it looked like success; and in many ways, it was.
But in 2024, I felt a clear calling to serve a very specific group of people: entrepreneurs and professionals who had outgrown basic tax preparation but still weren’t receiving the strategic attention, care, and priority they deserved within traditional or mid-sized firms. People doing well financially, yet still feeling uncertain, reactive, or unsupported behind the scenes.
That calling led me to found Ampliara, where I now help high-earning entrepreneurs and professionals align their finances with their values, goals, and long-term vision. My work goes beyond complianc; I focus on clarity, alignment, and intentional wealth-building. Everything I do today is rooted in that generational journey, my mother’s sacrifice, and a deep belief that financial clarity can change not just individual lives, but entire family legacies.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. While my path may look linear on paper, the internal journey has been anything but.
One of the biggest challenges has been navigating spaces where I was often the youngest person in the room, one of very few women, and frequently the only Black woman. There were moments when I felt the pressure to overperform, overprepare, and overexplain just to be seen as credible, especially in high-stakes corporate environments. Learning how to advocate for myself while still staying true to my values took time and intentional growth.
Another major struggle came with the decision to leave a well-defined, respected career path. Walking away from the security and prestige of a Big Four firm required faith, humility, and a willingness to start again in many ways. Building Ampliara meant learning how to shift from being the expert behind the scenes to becoming the face of a brand, a leader, and a decision-maker responsible not just for clients, but for vision, culture, and impact.
There were also practical challenges, educating the right audience, setting boundaries around who I could best serve, and resisting the urge to say yes to everything out of fear or momentum. I had to learn that growth isn’t just about expansion; it’s about alignment.
Every challenge has sharpened my clarity. Those experiences are the reason I now prioritize judgment-free planning, proactive strategy, and long-term sustainability in my work. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been deeply formative and I wouldn’t change it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ampliara PLLC?
Ampliara is a financial consulting practice serving entrepreneurs and professionals who have outgrown basic tax preparation and need a more strategic, integrated approach to their finances. We specialize in proactive tax planning, compliance, and financial alignment for high earners who want clarity, control, and intentional growth.
What we’re best known for is helping clients identify and implement sophisticated tax strategies that often result in $30,000–$100,000 in annual tax savings, while remaining fully compliant. We don’t focus on shortcuts or aggressive tactics; instead, we design thoughtful, forward-looking strategies that support both business performance and long-term wealth building.
What sets Ampliara apart is how deeply we integrate the personal and the professional. We look at the full picture: income structure, entity setup, payroll, investments, and long-term goals. Rather than reacting at tax time, we work with clients year-round to ensure their financial decisions are aligned and optimized before the year ends.
Our approach is grounded in my Triple-A Method™: Assess. Align. Amplify. We assess where clients are today, align their financial and tax strategies with their values and vision, and then amplify their ability to grow, give, invest, and live with intention. This framework allows our clients to operate from a place of confidence instead of uncertainty.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the level of trust and transformation we’ve built. Our clients don’t just see lower tax bills—they gain clarity, structure, and peace of mind around their financial lives. For readers, I want them to know that Ampliara exists to help high earners stop leaving money and opportunity on the table and start using their finances as a tool for freedom, impact, and legacy.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
It’s less a single memory and more a season of my life. I absolutely loved the school I attended in Haiti, Collège Saint-Louis de Bourdon. It instilled in me a deep sense of pride, identity, and excellence at a very young age.
From the moment you walked through those doors, you were taught that you represented excellence—and that your standards should be high, not just for others, but for yourself. That message resonated deeply with me. It may not sound “fun” in the traditional sense, but it spoke to who I was and who I was becoming. I think it was exactly the environment the right kind of child needed.
That’s also where I discovered the joy of sisterhood, forming friendships with other girls that nurtured confidence, discipline, and character. Those years helped shape how I move through the world today: with intention, self-respect, and a commitment to excellence.
I wouldn’t trade my days at that school for anything in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ampliara.io/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ampliara/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saintebillings
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetrailblazerscommunity
- Other: https://myamplifiedyear.com/
Image Credits
Photos by Gasen
