Podcasts

Financial Power

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Episode 58: Financial Power
Guest: Rosemary Frank

I have been looking forward to speaking with this week’s guest of the Women Rocking Wall Street Show. Rosemary Frank, Financial Advisor, had a 30-year career in the corporate sector. She was always deeply immersed in financial issues and eventually decided that she wanted to transition to a personal approach, specifically personal finance. When she began transitioning, she realized that she had a lot to learn. She studied and worked her way up to where she is today.

Throughout her entire career, Rosemary found that it was a lonely road, mainly because she was a woman.  As a result, when she started her practice, she spent a lot of time listening, sympathizing and educating her clients, rather than just telling them what she thought they should do. As a result, she has a successful practice that has a majority of female clients. Also, through her processing of listening, she was led into the specialization of divorce finances.

When she started her divorce work, she was finding clients who would come to her fearing their financial future. Rosemary would then have to contact the attorney and explain how she was helping in the process, especially with settlement options. This is definitely not an easy part of Rosemary’s job because traditionally they run the show. However, more and more attorneys are becoming more educated on the financial processes that are crucial during the divorce process.

It seems that Rosemary tripped into her niche but now owns it and uses it to her advantage. She received specialized training to handle divorce situations and was eventually the only person in the country to have three certifications. Not only was she the most educated person in the country, but she also wrote a course, Avoid The Potential Pitfalls of Divorce Cases, which  was approved for continuing legal education in her state. This changed the dynamic between her and attorneys because they were paying her to learn more about finances and divorce proceedings.

Rosemary has some great advice for her female clients. She implores you to be knowledgeable about their household finances – don’t give up your financial power to someone else. Also, keep your retirement in mind. Determine what the challenges are and meet them head on. If that means changing one’s lifestyle, it’s within your power to do so.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street! If you liked this episode, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

Challenging the Gender Gap

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Episode 52: Challenging the Gender Gap
Guest: Emily Viner

I am so excited that it’s April and winter is finally past us. I hope that you’re enjoying the weather and being outdoors as much as I am.

My guest this week has been making a difference in gender balance in the financial industry and sales, and she is calling on others to help. Emily Viner, Vice President of Agency Management & Leadership at The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has found her passion and is hoping to help other women find theirs too.

After graduating  with a degree in Marketing and Economics, Emily spent some time applying for marketing positions. During one interview she was asked to do a typing test. Concerned that she would be seen more as a secretary, she knew that there was more purpose in her life and turned down the job. Eventually, she came across an ad for sales in finance. Not knowing what that meant, she went and spoke with people at the company. After learning more, she became fascinated, especially by the fact that she could help others while making a comfortable living.

Knowing that women make great advisors and that women tend to buy from other women, the Guardian conducted research on why there was such a gender gap in the financial industry. After surveying several thousand women, they found that it was the sales portion of the industry that wasn’t appealing. They also found that women spent most of their time being competent and less time being confident, which has also been validated through brain science. This results in women not being comfortable with taking risks.

If this sounds like you, Emily recommends being authentic but to also learn how to say “yes” even when you don’t know how. The pressure to always be perfect and to avoid risks is holding you back. Also, we all need to get better at helping other women gain more confidence and to pull each other up.

Emily took her research and presented it to the industry through a conference with over 26,000 attendees. After her presentation, Emily challenged the industry to form a coalition to help encourage change towards gender imbalance. Over 400 people came together to look at several pieces that needed to change, and to encourage the sales aspect of the industry. During a 90 minute session, there was a huge response, which included companies from 8 different countries. At the end of the conference, 150 people signed up to take part in the coalition, with a goal to make an impact by March of 2017.

I’ve provided the executive summary and infographic to provide more context to what was discussed today. To find out more or to get involved, reach out to Emily at EViner@glic.com.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of the Women Rocking Wall Street show! If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

 

Powering Your Business

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Episode 48: Powering Your Business
Guest: Jessica Ballin

Jessica Ballin has always been interested in finances. Even back in high school, she started as a bank teller and eventually was accepted into the Carlson School of Management, through the University of Minnesota. When she got there and was asked what she wanted to do, she chose finance, because of her previous experience. When she did her internship, she had the opportunity to learn a lot more about 401Ks. She became hooked and has been doing that ever since. In 2006, Jessica decided to try something on her own and started her own business, 401(k) Plan Professionals. She has worked hard to be where she is and has recently made the NAPA’s Top Women Advisors.

Being a female in the industry, she quickly noticed that it was male-dominated. She found that by really knowing her stuff, she was able to be competitive in the market.  Jessica was able to gain respect by talking, listening and showcasing her knowledge rather than just trying to sell, sell, sell. She really focused on teaching her clients and found that she approached worked. Jessica admits that it doesn’t work all the time but it has worked for the most part. Over the last few years, she has refined her process of rehearsing, taking notes and being prepared.

Jessica has a very busy life. Between owning her business and raising three boys, she has found that taking care of herself was crucial in maintaining a great balance. She has made the decision to put her family first and to encourage work-life balance within her business. She also has a great team that are able to pick up her workload if there is something that Jessica needs to handle at home.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of the Women Rocking Wall Street show! If you liked this episode, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

Proving Them Wrong

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Episode 32: Proving Them Wrong
Guest: Jeanne Fisher

Hello again! I hope you’re having a great week and feeling happy and inspired. This week’s guest is truly a woman who is rocking Wall Street. Jeanne Fisher is a Certified Financial Planner with ARGI Financial Group and an ambassador for the CFP Board. A true believer in education, Jeanne has her CFP, a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. She is also one of the first female Certified Financial Planners in Bowling Green, K.Y.

Upon graduating, Jeanne found herself applying for positions in the financial industry as a 22-year-old female. Instead of receiving job offers, she was told to sell cell phones and apply for the job again in 5 years. In one interview, she was offered a secretarial position, even considering all her credentials. While Jeanne faced one negative response after another, her internal mantra of “I’ll prove you wrong” motivated her to continue. Needless to say, she proved them all wrong.

For the women just starting their careers in finance, Jeanne says that it’s going to be harder than you ever thought it was going to be, but it’s worth it. She recommends that you find a mentor or senior advisor who can help you create a client base as well will help you grow as an advisor. If you can find that person, then you’ll be set. Remember too, you can prove everyone wrong if you set your mind to your goals. Dedication, passion, and perseverance make success taste even sweeter.

Thanks for listening to this episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. Be sure to share this podcast with your friends and colleagues. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard. Increased reviews help increase the visibility of this podcast, which means more listeners (more listeners, more impact!)

Investing in Gender Parity

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Episode 29: Investing in Gender Parity
Guest: Eve Ellis

Welcome back! I hope you’re still enjoying some nice, warm weather – wherever you may be. I am excited for this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street because I have the pleasure of speaking with Eve Ellis, Financial Advisor with The Matterhorn Group at Morgan Stanley.

Competitive by nature, Eve started her career as a professional tennis player. Having served her well on the court, she now uses her competitive drive to help her clients prepare for their individual financial goals. In addition to supporting men, women and nonprofits, Eve is also the portfolio manager for The Parity Portfolio, a capital investment strategy that only buys into companies that has a minimum of three women on their boards.

According to Eve, gender parity on S&P 500 company boards are minimal and the progress is slow. Over the past two and a half years, the number has only increased by 2.3%. Although Eve is working to change that, she is also benefiting her clients. Research indicates that corporate boards that have three or more women have a 46% higher return on equity, 60% higher return on invested capital and 80% higher return on sales.

If you’re a woman struggling to make your way in your industry, Eve recommends that you speak up with authority and remind yourself that men should just “move over.” We have a responsibility to bring along other women, be supportive and educate others about this issue. Together, we can create gender parity.

If you’re a longtime listener of Women Rocking Wall Street, you’ve heard me mention the 30 Percent Coalition (of which Eve is a member of). If you’re new to the podcast, you can learn more about this initiative by listening to these past related podcast episodes: “What’s Behind Your Investments,” “Let’s Get to 30%,” and “The Getting Along Paradigm”. To learn more about Eve, you can find her on LinkedIn.

Be sure to share this podcast with your friends and colleagues. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard today. Increased reviews help move the podcast to an even more visible place in the iTunes world. (More visible, more listeners. More listeners, more difference!)

Toughing it Out

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Episode 18: Toughing it Out

Guest: Alice Tang, BPG Wealth Management

I’m pleased to welcome my friend Alice Tang to this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. Alice started her career as a financial advisor after moving to Portland in 1994, and today, she’s vice president of BPG Wealth Management LLC. Alice’s mission is to help people become financially independent and retire with confidence. As she tells us, getting to this point in her career was no easy feat. She describes her first year in the business as cold-calling people and setting up meetings nonstop. She was exhausted and made only $2,000 in year one, but was determined to press on. Alice’s dad ran a successful business himself and once told her that no matter what happens, it’s important to remember that she planted a seed that could one day become a plant. And in time, a plant most certainly did grow for Alice.

Building a successful practice is challenging and takes time. Alice had to tough it out for years to see results; this is why in her own practice, she’s a believer in essentially creating apprenticeships where recent graduates or newbies to the finance industry can have a place to grow and be surrounded by the right people and resources. She also makes sure to pay a reasonable salary to those just starting their careers. Both Alice and her business partner came from a similar background—enduring years of difficulty before seeing results—so they both keep this in mind when hiring. People need to pay their bills, she says. We can’t make it impossible to break into the industry. After all, there are many benefits to grooming newcomers. For one, younger people can bring new ideas to the table, Alice says. And two, when an advisor retires, the firm has a strong replacement for the client. Sounds like a win-win situation!

Join me next week with guests Jill and Michael Knouse. Yep! We’re going to have a man on the show!!  Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street!

 

 

 

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