WomenShare

"Don't judge a book by its cover. Treat every relationship with an open mind."

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. This is a very special episode of the podcast, as it is our first to feature a duo! Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by Kathy Fish and her daughter, Kerry Jackson, of Fish and Associates, a financial planning firm focused on serving women and the LGBTQ+ community.

As a financial professional in the South, Kathy recognized how underserved the LGBTQ+ community was and wanted to create a space where these individuals would feel accepted. Fish and Associates, a boutique firm in Memphis, Tennessee, has now revolutionized financial planning for women and the LGBTQ+ community. 

From challenging traditional financial norms to promoting the importance of women's financial independence, our conversation with Kathy and Kerry shows just a sliver of their inspiring stories. They offer career advice, emphasizing the importance of starting where you are and not being held back by past failures, the passed-down saying, "the harder you work, the luckier you get," and the yoga teacher's mantra, "everything is already okay," to find hope and light in difficult situations.

Kathy and Kerry also shed light on the rebranding process of their firm, emphasizing the importance of involving personal stories and values in branding and marketing.

Key takeaways:

1. Start Where You Are: Kerry Jackson's career advice to not be held back by past failures and to start planning for your future from your current position.

2. Empowerment Through Work and Mindset: Kathy Fish's advice, including her father's saying "the harder you work, the luckier you get" and the yoga teacher's mantra "everything is already okay," for finding hope and light in difficult situations.

3. Focusing on Women's Financial Independence: Kathy Fish's dedication to working with women clients and promoting financial independence, advocating for the importance of understanding people's attitudes towards money.

4. "A Man is Not a Plan" is Still Relevant: The continued relevance of this theme, appealing to women who make their own money, emphasizing financial independence, and the importance of involving women in financial decision-making within relationships.

5. The Power of Rebranding and Targeted Messaging: The impact of Fish and Associates' intentional rebranding and tailored messaging, attracting more female clients while aligning with the firm's values and goals.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. On this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by Lisa Gilbert, Senior Vice President and Account Executive at ActiFi, to share her story and mission for empowering financial advisors.

Lisa’s entrance into the financial industry was unexpected, after beginning her career in the skateboard industry. She found her passion for helping advisors after her first position working for an advisor and then working for an independent broker-dealer and RIA. Now in fintech, Lisa uses two decades of experience to help empower financial institutions and their advisors. Having been labeled a disruptor early in her career, Lisa shares her mindset of thinking several steps ahead, often challenging the status quo, and asking critical questions that others may not consider. 

During the conversation, Lisa shares the lessons she has learned that have made her a better leader, including embracing collaboration, listening more than you speak, delegating tasks based on team members' strengths, and aligning work with your personal values. 

Perhaps the greatest lesson she has learned is the profound impact of trust and authenticity in leadership, and her practical strategies for fostering transparent and genuine connections, underscoring their pivotal role in driving advisor engagement, retention, and growth within the industry will help you become a more effective leader.

Lisa provides a wealth of knowledge and inspiration and her story serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to excel in the financial services industry. Listen to our conversation as we continue to empower, inspire, and uplift each other by embracing and championing a culture of trust and authenticity in our professional journeys.

Key takeaways:

1. The value of involving team members in running a business and the benefits of delegating tasks they enjoy. Lisa emphasizes the power of collaboration and engagement in fostering a successful and harmonious work environment.

2. The significance of regularly monitoring key business metrics and financials, allocating time each week to analyze data, and holding regular meetings to review and share data with the team.

3. Lisa's personal career advice, including being punctual, offering solutions instead of problems, taking ownership of one's career, and living in alignment with personal values for better performance.

4. The need for assertive and impactful communication, the pressures for women to speak up, and Lisa's tactics for advising institutions working with advisors seeking growth in the financial services industry.

5. The importance of leadership skills, transparency, authenticity, and evolving leadership styles, particularly for women in the industry. Lisa's emphasis on the significance of active listening and asking challenging questions to lead by example and drive productive discussions.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. On this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by Stacey Bartelson, a financial advisor with Edward Jones who has made a significant impact in the world of business ownership.

Throughout the episode, Stacey shares her journey in building her practice and her passion for helping individuals, families, and especially women business owners. We dive into her strategies for growth and the importance of collaboration and sharing ideas to achieve success. Stacey also emphasizes the vital role that trust and genuineness play in building and retaining clients. 

Not only has Stacey built a thriving practice, but she has also created a supportive community for women through her women's mastermind group. In our conversation, we explore why women supporting and lifting each other up is crucial in both business and leadership. She also shares her insights on growing her business, the importance of collaboration and mentorship, and her passion for empowering women entrepreneurs.

Stacey discusses her ambitious goals of reaching a billion-dollar level and highlights the importance of continually innovating and thinking outside the box. 

Listen to this conversation to be inspired to believe in yourself, take risks, and follow your intuition, even if it seems to defy logic.

Key takeaways:

1. Collaboration and sharing ideas: Stacey shares her belief that success is not achieved in isolation. By collaborating with others and sharing ideas, we can all grow together. As Stacey continues growing her practice, she is constantly seeking opportunities to connect with other professionals in the financial industry. Together, we can make a bigger impact.

2. Support women in business: Women have incredible potential and unique perspectives. Stacey, as well as the WomenShare team, is passionate about helping women create businesses and providing them with the coaching and support they need to thrive. Through her women's mastermind group, Stacey aims to create a community where we can uplift and empower each other to achieve our goals.

3. Embrace your intuition and take risks: Women often second-guess themselves or feel the need to know everything before pursuing new endeavors. However, sometimes our intuition guides us in the right direction, even when it may not seem logical at the time. Embrace your intuition and take calculated risks. Trust yourself, be curious, and seek guidance from mentors along the way.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. On this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by Sara Lohse, president of Favorite Daughter Media and one-half of the production team behind WomenShare.

Sara is a former financial marketing professional who left a successful role in the industry in order to build a company that felt more authentic. Now, she uses her marketing expertise and specialized knowledge of podcasting to help businesses grow and generate leads through thought leadership, podcasting, and podcast guesting.

In this episode, Leah and Joanna share how they worked with Sara and her business partner, Larry Roberts, to develop the WomenShare podcast and Sara shares her insights and expertise on how podcasting can be used in finance to build trust and connections with potential clients.

Sara also highlights the importance of using our “outside voices” and being loud and passionate about topics we care about. She emphasizes the significance of women's voices in the financial services industry and encourages them to stand up for what they believe in, especially if they're the only woman in the room. 

Key takeaways:

1. Branded podcasts and podcast guesting: Two strategies, one goal - Growing your business through podcasts can be achieved by either launching your own branded podcast or being a guest on other podcasts. Branded podcasts help establish thought leadership and connect with listeners, while podcast guesting allows professionals to share their value and insights on different platforms.

1. Building trust and credibility: Trust plays a crucial role in the financial services industry, and podcasts are an excellent strategy for building trust with your audience. By sharing authentic stories, experiences, and insights through podcasting, listeners can connect with you on a deeper level, enhancing your credibility and establishing a strong foundation of trust.

1. Passion and authenticity matter: Sara emphasizes the importance of using your "outside voice" and being loud and passionate about the topics you care about. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, embracing your authentic self and standing up for what you believe in early in your career is vital. Sara also recommends "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon as an insightful resource for aspiring thought leaders.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. In this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by Lena Nebel, CFP®, Chief Operating Officer of BFG Financial Advisors.

BFG Financial Advisors stands out in the industry with 66% of its leaders being women, along with 45% of its CFP®s. 

In this episode, Lena shares her excitement about empowering families through financial planning. We learned how she works with different generations, helping them with wealth transfer, legacy planning, and so much more.

Lena also highlights the progress being made in the industry, thanks to movements like #MeToo. Companies are becoming more inclusive, developing diversity plans, and providing education for underrepresented demographics. We also dive into the importance of mentorship, self-care, and prioritizing our own needs in the business world. Lena's dedication to promoting financial literacy among high schoolers and supporting the growth of young women in finance is truly inspiring.

Progress has been made in empowering women and achieving balance in the industry, but there is still work to be done. Listen to this episode for a much-needed dose of optimism for the next generation.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace Diversity: BFG Financial Advisors has a diverse range of advisors. From 24-year-olds to those in their fifties, each brings a wealth of experience and relatability to our clients. This inclusivity allows the firm to connect with and empower families across different generations.
2. Financial Education Matters: Financial literacy is a cornerstone of financial planning. Lena focuses on educating and empowering her clients, especially young women, to take control of their financial well-being. Seeing the enthusiasm and curiosity of high school girls about investing and financial concepts gives her so much hope for the future.
3. Mentorship is Key: Finding mentors and allies is crucial in any career. Lena was fortunate to have a female Chief Operating Officer as her mentor, who provided her with invaluable guidance and support. It's important to surround yourself with a strong support system and to seek out female mentors who can help open doors and empower you to reach your goals.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. In this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by a very special guest, Yelena Melamed. 

Yelena is the Head of Product for Catchlight, an AI tool designed to help financial advisors find and filter prospects and increase their conversions. She focuses on helping advisors leverage data and technology to grow their practices, and brings with her more than two decades of experience in financial services. 

In this episode, we explore how technology is transforming the financial services industry with three key themes that AI brings to the table: efficiency, personalized marketing, and predictive analytics.

If you are a financial advisor looking to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your growth strategies, this episode is a must-listen. Yelena's expertise and experience in the field will provide you with valuable insights and inspiration to take your practice to new heights.

Key Takeaways:

1. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the financial services industry, including how financial advisors grow their practices. AI can help advisors leverage data to focus on the best fit opportunities for their business and personalize their marketing and engagement efforts.

2. Efficiency is a key theme in AI adoption for financial advisors. AI can analyze big data and historical data to predict the type of prospects that advisors have been successful with, the most productive sources of leads, and where to focus their time and efforts for the best opportunities.

3. Personalized marketing and engagement are essential for financial advisors. By leveraging data and AI, advisors can create highly personalized campaigns and engagement cadences to target their ideal customers with tailored messages, leading to more meaningful interactions.

4. AI technology, like Catchlight, can provide insights on the types of clients that resonate with advisors. This two-way street allows advisors to understand if their target niche aligns with the clients they are attracting and adjust their strategy accordingly.

5. While data and AI are important tools, having a strategy and understanding your target market is crucial for success. Advisors should assess their past successes, their reasons for getting into the business, and define their best fit segments to send a targeted message and rally around those prospects.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. In this episode of the podcast, Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by our first-ever guest, Kristen LeClair. 

Kristen is the co-founder of the 994 Group, a financial planning firm in Austin, TX. She found success in corporate roles in the financial industry at a young age, but more recently found herself starting from scratch as she decided to launch her own practice as a financial advisor. 

During her conversation with us, Kristen emphasized the importance of prioritizing personal growth and reevaluating one's identity throughout different stages of life. She openly shares her experience navigating the emotional challenges that came with her career transition.

As a financial advisor, Kristen knows firsthand the impact she has on her clients and their families and the sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes with it, helping her redefine her own demeanor and passion for her work.

Kristen's journey serves as a testament to the power of personal growth and resilience. Her inspiring story will undoubtedly resonate with many of our listeners who may be navigating their own career transitions, contemplating motherhood, or seeking to align their work with their values.

Key takeaways: 

1. The importance of financial independence and taking control of one's financial future, especially for individuals who grew up in financially challenging situations.
2. The emotional impact and challenges of transitioning from a successful corporate career to starting one's own business, including the need to redefine one's identity and establish new networks.
3. The profound impact that financial advisors can have on their clients' lives, especially during times of difficulty, and the value of building trust and strong relationships with clients.
4. The significance of considering the timing of having children in relation to one's career, and the benefits of having children earlier in one's career for some individuals.
5. The importance of maintaining one's values and not compromising them in one's career, as well as the empowerment that comes from having financial knowledge and understanding.

Welcome to WomenShare: A Marketing Guide for Women in Financial Services. In this episode of the podcast, hosts Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are dispelling the most common marketing myths we’ve heard throughout our careers and offering strategies to help you find new opportunities for yourself or your business. 

If you believe that marketing is a waste of time and budget, an all-or-nothing effort, or that one strategy is your silver bullet, this episode is for you because we’re proving all of these myths wrong. There are so many ways you can build your marketing plan and budget to fit your goals and find your audience. 

We’re going to talk about how to measure your marketing based on your goals, setting those goals in a way that is SMART, and using data to drive your decisions. 

Whether you're a financial advisor or part of a corporate team, this episode will inspire you with new ideas for your own marketing strategies. Stay tuned for valuable insights from our collective experience of supporting thousands of financial advisors. Let's empower women in finance and make a positive impact on their businesses and careers. 

Key takeaways

1. Marketing is not a waste of time and resources. Despite the smaller marketing budgets in the financial services industry, building a solid marketing foundation is essential for consistent growth.
2. Having a strong marketing foundation includes knowing your brand, messaging, and target audience. Without this foundation, flashy marketing strategies may fail to yield sustainable results.
3. Different marketing approaches are needed depending on the source of leads. Referrals require a different playbook than prospects from traditional marketing or advertising means. Understanding this distinction and adapting your approach accordingly is crucial.
4. Personalization is key in marketing. Just as financial advice becomes personalized for clients, the marketing experience should be personalized for prospects. By stepping into their shoes and addressing their specific needs and gaps, you increase the chances of closing the sale.
5. It's not necessary to be present on every marketing platform or use every strategy. Being effective doesn't require being everywhere all at once. Instead, focus on a few strategies that align with your budget and target audience, and use them consistently for better results.

Welcome to WomenShare: a marketing guide for women in financial services. In this inaugural episode of the podcast, hosts Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter want to bring you into the background of this show: why we’re launching it, who it’s for, and what we hope you, as a listener, will be able to take away from each episode. 

In this episode, you’ll hear about our personal journeys in the financial services world, including our similar transitions from the corporate financial world to launching each of our marketing consultancies. We discuss the ups and downs of our careers, the challenges of merging practices with corporate branding, and the importance of teaching women to fish in this industry.

But it's not just about our stories. We are committed to providing actionable insights and takeaways for you. Today, we’re focusing on the pragmatic side of marketing and encouraging you to make the most of each episode by implementing the lessons learned into your own careers.

Stay tuned as WomenShare introduces guests from different areas of the industry and covers a variety of topics related to marketing and growth. We are here to celebrate, inspire, and empower women in the financial services industry. So, join us on this exciting journey, subscribe to WomenShare, and let's start changing the narrative together.

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of creating your own definition of success in the financial services industry. We share our own definitions of what success means to us, highlighting the need for individuals to define their own path rather than conform to traditional expectations.
2. The power of sharing authentic experiences and lessons learned: In order to help others navigate the industry, it’s important to be open and transparent about the challenges faced and the lessons learned along the way. This sharing of experiences can create a support network and provide valuable insights for others in similar situations.
3. Take action in marketing: Being knowledgeable and educated is important, but taking action is even more crucial. Start implementing marketing strategies rather than just learning about them, as hands-on experience is the best way to become a better marketer.
4. The significance of women's influence in the industry: WomenShare aims to increase women's influence in the financial services industry. We believe that by amplifying the voices and perspectives of women, positive outcomes will be achieved for both clients and professionals in the field.
5. Embracing imperfection and the importance of feedback: We all know the struggle of perfectionism and the fear of putting work out there. Embrace imperfections and be open to feedback, as this allows for growth and improvement.

Welcome to WomenShare, where successful women in financial services share their stories and best practices with a mission to help other women grow their businesses and careers. We’re your hosts, Leah Alter and Joanna Ehresman, and on this podcast, top financial advisors and corporate leaders–who happen to be women–give their best advice and actionable takeaways on marketing, growth, and making an impact in the financial services industry.