Women Rocking Wall Street - A podcast dedicated to women in financial services

Latest Episodes:

092: Championing Cybersecurity with Rachel Wilson Jul 01, 2020

While cybersecurity is not a new concept, a spotlight has been placed on its importance given the ever-increasing sophistication of cybercriminals, COVID-19, and the new work-from-home evolution.

Our incredibly special guest is none other than the Head of Cybersecurity for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Rachel Wilson.

After her childhood love of all things cryptography, code making and code breaking, her dream of working for the National Security Agency (NSA) was realized, where she spent 15 years in various leadership roles and managed the NSA's counterterrorism operation and led global enterprise in detecting and disrupting terrorist plotting against the U.S. and its allies. Thereafter she entered the world of financial services and was later tapped by Morgan Stanley.

Rachel is extremely passionate about cybersecurity and this timely discussion helps us all understand where we are with cybersecurity and how we can protect ourselves. You don’t want to miss this.

091: New Thoughts about Negotiating with Mori Taheripour Jun 12, 2020

In this episode, I sat work with the fabulous Mori Taheripour. The powerhouse professor who teaches Negotiation and Dispute Resolution to undergraduate and graduate students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She’s also the author of Bring Yourself: How to Harness the Power of Connection to Negotiate Fearlessly.

From Public Health in the AIDS field to teaching at Wharton, Mori’s experiences have armed her with the skills to be a great negotiator. For her, negotiation starts with learning more about oneself. She believes that you need to better understand yourself, what you want, and know that you deserve what you’re asking for. Once you have a grasp on that, you’ll connect with others effortlessly.

To hear more on negotiations, what they mean, and how to approach them - listen in! Mori provides some powerful insight that we can all benefit from.

090: Conversation and Care with Dr. Joy Lere May 20, 2020

Our special guest is Dr. Joy Lere, a psychologist, consultant, speaker and writer whose practice focuses on the intersection of human behavior and finance. Specializing in money, mindset and meaning, her experience has shown that the primary issue driving demand for her services, directly or indirectly, relates to money. She helps patients become financially savvy, emotionally strong and confident.

In my jubilant conversation with Joy, she discussed how to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and how it all starts with self-care. Self-care is about making choices for yourself that gives you an opportunity to reflect, de-stress and regain control over your sleep, your calendar and personal space where you feel grounded. She also spoke of the recently common feeling of “important anxiety.” It’s a response that allows us to adapt to the world around us.

This conversation was exactly what I needed to center myself and hope it will do the same for you. Listen in!

089: Women, Movies, and Media with Madeline Di Nonno Apr 23, 2020

This guest is one for the ages. We sat down with The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, CEO, Madeline Di Nonno to discuss ways they’re encouraging television and other media to infuse intersectionality, diversity and inclusion in their content.

Founded in 2004 by Academy Award Winning Actor Geena Davis, the Institute is the only organization working collaboratively within the entertainment industry to engage, educate and influence the creation of gender-balanced onscreen portrayals, reducing harmful stereotypes and creating an abundance of unique female characters targeting children 11 and under. The nonprofit’s slogan is, If she can see it, she can be it.TM

I’ve been following Geena and her organization for quite some time. When I joined as a member to support the organization, I dreamed of having this episode’s guest on my podcast. What an interview!

088: Speak Up, Step Up, Make it Happen with Minda Harts and Christine Brown-Quinn Apr 10, 2020

This episode we have two wonderful guests, Minda Harts and Christine Brown-Quinn. Both discussing career advice!

Minda is the CEO of The Memo LLC, a career development platform for women of color. She’s also the best-selling author of, “The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know To Secure A Seat at the Table”. Minda says that success is not a solo sport, you have to build your squad. It all boils down to relationship building and how to articulate your value all while quantifying your worth.

Christine Brown-Quinn is a best-selling author of “Step Aside Superwoman” and “Unlock Your Career Success”. Christine believes she’s a better mother, partner, sister, and daughter because of her career. These are life skills that teach you how to progress a career and enjoy a personal life.

Tune in to hear career advice on steroids and how you can up-level you!

087: Ageless FinTech with Lisa Moyle Mar 27, 2020

Lisa Moyle is co-founder of VC Innovations where she’s committed to connecting established financial institutions with financial technology (FinTech) startups and technology providers. All the while keeping an eye towards making sure women are part of the equation. Her annual event, FinTech Talents, beings together this ecosystem of nearly 3,000 attendees to facilitate networking, establishing business relationships, and giving university students a look inside the industry.

Aside from creating memorable, unique and interactive experiences at these events, her goal is to make sure women are not only a part of this ecosystem, but they’re also part of the voices that help create the products to be consumed by and meet the needs of women, specifically, women baby boomers.

086: Speaking Out with Alex Chalekian Mar 12, 2020

Our special guest is Alex Chalekian, founder and CEO of Lake Avenue Financial and ally and believer in women. In his words, “it’s important for women to have a voice in this industry and to be able to do the things that they should be able to do!”

Alex started a universal dialogue around solving female harassment by notably speaking up against Ken Fisher who made controversial remarks at one particular fireside chat at the Tiburon CEO Summit. Since then, he penned a processes to report and address harassment and his selfless and important work continues today.

085: One Girl at a Time with Seema Hingorani Feb 27, 2020

This one is a dream guest! Seema Hingorani is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management focused on talent development, client relationships and diversity initiatives. She served as a member of the National Finance Committee of Secretary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign and is an active member of The Economic Club of New York and 100 Women in Finance. Seema’s also the Founder and Chair of Girls Who Invest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in portfolio management and leadership in the asset management industry.

Seema has a 30x30 mission. Her life’s work will be realized when women manage 30% of the world’s investable capital by 2030. How will we get there? By focusing on talent, training and tenacity.

Invest your time in learning more about Seema. It will be well worth it!

084: Clapping Back with Elijah Lawal Feb 13, 2020

This week’s guest is passionate about debunking stereotypes.

At a young age, Elijah wrote short stories about Nigerian myths and legends and sold them to his classmates for £1. Today, he’s a published author of, The Clapback, a definitive guide to addressing negative stereotypes about the black community. From swimming and fried chicken to privilege and allyship, he discusses his opinions and learnings from his in-depth research.

083: Changing the Language of Wealth with Chloe B. Mckenzie Jan 30, 2020

Chloe B. Mckenzie is an inspiration and one I absolutely feel privileged to interview.

She’s a brilliant and resilient woman who coined the term “wealth justice”. Her mission is to close the wealth gap for black women and create a curriculum that delivers messages about wealth and wealth accumulation. The most interesting part? Her target audience is students, starting in kindergarten! She has quite the story - from an abusive family to a liver failure – she’s unstoppable at only 27.

After you listen, do yourself a favor and pick up her book, The Activist Investor.

082: Financially Fierce with Veronica Dagher Jan 24, 2020

If you know me, you know how important financial independence is. As a woman, you have to be. Never depend on anyone...ever.

This week’s guest, Veronica Dagher, is an award-winning Senior Wealth Management and Personal Finance Reporter for The Wall Street Journal. When she lost her father, she quickly learned the importance of being a financially independent woman. “I don't want to be in this position where something happens to my spouse one day and I don’t know how to handle money. This is not going to be my future,” Veronica explains in regards to her mother not knowing how to write a check.

Today, Veronica’s built a career around teaching women how to be financially independent. She’s the true definition of a go-getter. As a writer, she learned to be curious and prepare. I mean, she’s talking to people like Gloria Steinem!

081: Power. Focus. Intention. Sep 19, 2019

Carla Harris is Vice Chairman, Managing Director, and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is also an inspiration, a role model and a disruptor in the Financial Services industry. In her experience, people’s perception of you is the co-pilot to your reality and success. Carla believes we all have the power to change how we’re perceived.

One of her first big professional mistakes: thinking she had to put her head down, get the work done and not ask any questions. She now knows that all mistakes are simply a matter of not knowing. Carla touches on what to do as a woman on a board, how to gain early exposure and experience, and the value of a network. Listen in!

080: Inclusion and Belonging Jul 12, 2019

Diversity and inclusion. To create a space in your business that ensures that diversity and inclusion are part of the solution. As the CEO of Bar the Door Consulting, Katee Van Horn does just that. She focuses on what businesses can do to change, improve, and create true cultures of inclusion. Katee gives her take on what exactly diversity, inclusion, and belonging mean. She believes there are various ways to establish diversity and inclusion within a company - whether that’s at your town hall meetings or in your presentations. Start with small, incremental changes. You can’t boil the ocean overnight. Katee provides many perspectives, analogies, and ways to think about diversity and inclusion. Listen in to hear her experiences, stories, thoughts, and some inspiration for creating a culture of diversity and inclusion!

079: Work and Meaning Jul 08, 2019

Andrée Simon is truly making a difference in the world. As CEO & President of FINCA Impact Finance (FIF), she leads a global network of microfinance banks and institutions. FIF’s network of community-based banks offer responsible and affordable loan and saving products to more than two million people across the world, empowering low income women and men to take control of their financial futures. Her two teenage kids are even committed to this mission…talk about an inspiration! Andree is a globetrotter who aims to conquer and save the world, one day at a time. With regular trips to Pakistan, Tanzania, Afghanistan and more, Andrée visits and oversees FINCA Impact Finance operations in 20 of the most difficult, yet most beautiful countries in the world. What a rockstar. Listen in to hear how she navigates being a fish out of water in most of those environments along with some wise advice.

078: Culture and Balance Jun 13, 2019

The Head of Fixed Income at BMO. Janelle Woodward is responsible for fixed income capabilities across BMO Global Asset Management's $250B platform. This position, this responsibility… it’s a rarity as a woman in today’s day. In fact, Janelle was raised in a home with the belief that women were supposed to stay at home. Now, she’s the first generation professional women in her family. After having her first son, she quickly realized there was more that drove her than just being a stay at home mother. Listen in to hear Janelle touch on the importance of a work/life balance and how her three children pushed her to become a better mother and harder worker. Seriously, how does she oversee billions of dollars in fixed income globally and raise three children? Did I mention she also has her CFA? You’re an inspiration to us all, Janelle.

077: The Lawyer Who Rocks May 29, 2019

The Lawyer Who Rocks! Seriously, though. Joleen Hughes rocks and is the CEO and Founder of Hughes Media Law Group, a law firm that provides in-house counsel services to clients who are innovators in business. Did Joleen dream of being a lawyer? Absolutely not. In fact, after her undergrad, she worked for a music management company where she managed the up and coming bands in Seattle. After realizing that a band is a business with dynamics and people that are “married” together, similar to a startup, she decided it was time for something new. That’s when one of her mentors convinced her to go to law school. One could say, the rest is history! Joleen has been rocking her way through the industry ever since. Her business evolved from creating a brand that’s relatable to people that need a lawyer and who appreciate having lawyers that truly care about them, work hard, and keep their best intentions in mind. Did I mention that Joleen also has her own podcast, The Lawyer Who Rocks? Go give her a listen. And give this episode a listen, too!

076: Seeds of Independence May 16, 2019

Becoming financially independent is no easy feat. And getting to a point in your career where you can advise those on being financially independent is truly an adventure. Listen in to hear how Alice Tang, the Vice President of BPG Wealth Management LLC, has endured through all. From cold-calling people non-stop to making a mere $2,000 in one year, Alice talks about what she went through to get to where she is today. Her dad once told her, “no matter what happens, it’s important to remember that you planted a seed that could one day be a plant”. Alice’s a strong believer in creating apprenticeships for newcomers to the financial industry so that they have a place to learn and grow with the right people and resources. Her mission is to help people become financially independent and retire with confidence. Give it a listen to hear more!

075: To Bee or Not to Bee May 08, 2019

The Queen Bee Syndrome. To some, this means Beyonce. To others, the leader of the group. Hear Dr. Melissa Briggs-Phillips hit on what it is and how it impacts women today. Melissa explains why she dislikes the word “syndrome” and her reasoning. She compares research with her own insights as a woman. With experience teaching a Psychology of Women class at the Ohio State University, Melissa’s well-versed on The Queen Bee Syndrome. She uses a theoretical lens that looks at research and facts all while using real-life experiences. And it makes sense! Melissa is the Owner and Founder of Next Generation Behavioral Health, a full-service clinical psychology practice and consulting firm. After completing her Ph.D., Melissa spent 15 years providing leadership on complex projects before opening her clinical practice and organizational speaking full-time. She’s a “ruthless optimist” that believes innovation happens at the intersection of divergent disciplines. Listen in to hear more about research, the Queen Bee Syndrome, and what the word feminism means to her.

074: In It For the Long Game Apr 25, 2019

This weeks guest is the CEO & co-founder of Long Game, a personal finance app that encourages users to save money while winning cash prizes. Users of Long Game can win from 10 cents to one million dollars. A million dollars?! In her interview, Lindsay Holden discusses her fascination and experience with behavioral economics and how it sparked the idea of Long Game. From a simple interaction to a full gamified experience, you can now level up, win Crypto and cash all through saving on the Long Game app. You can start winning prizes by simply connecting your bank in the application. With characters and animations, it truly makes the gaming experience enjoyable, magical, and pleasant. After two years, they already have hundreds of thousands of users whose average engagement is daily. Lindsay holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Colorado, Boulder. After school, she helped launch an early stage venture capital firm, Formation 8 where she got to learn the process and get exposure. After two years in venture capital, Lindsay quickly became inspired by entrepreneurs and wanted to try it out herself. Before Long Game, she co-founded the Applicant Auction, the primary auction for Top Level Domain names which held over $500M in auctions and over $1B in escrow before being acquired. Today, Lindsay’s focuses on the growth of Long Game, influencing those to save. Start saving and receiving rewards by downloading the Long Game app in the app store!

0:73 Money Girl’s, Money Moves Apr 18, 2019

Laura Adams is a nationally recognized personal finance expert. She’s the author of many books and audiobooks, including Money Girl’s Smart Moves to Grow Rich a fun, comprehensive guide to personal finance. This book is written in simple language to help readers digest and understand the terminology, tactics, and attitudes that create a foundation for smart financial decisions. From accounting and real estate to owning a floor covering business and a COO for a small company, Laura’s had an extremely diverse career. She never dreamed of becoming a personal finance writer. She’s always been fascinated by the management side of money as she was one of those teenagers that begged her parents for her own checking account at the age of 12 or 13. Eventually, she received an MBA from the University of Florida in Gainesville, becoming a student of finance through books, gurus, and advisers. This is when she became interested in writing and decided to write a blog about the various topics she had learned in her MBA program. Around this time, Laura fell in love with podcasts and took it upon herself to start her own show in 2007. Since then, Laura has podcasted every week. The following year, she was invited to join the Quick and Dirty Tips Network as the host of the Money Girl Podcast and blog. Laura’s latest book, Debt-Free Blueprint: How to Get Out of Debt and Build a Financial Life You Love, launched this year with detailed advice, strategies, helpful examples, and overlooked programs to eliminate debt and the stress that comes along with it. Laura focuses on financial confidence, being confident in your ability to use your knowledge and accomplish your goals.

0:72 Moving the Industry, One Action at a Time Apr 12, 2019

A prolific doer and thinker who’s passionate about moving the needle for financial advisors. Michael is a Partner and Director of Wealth Management for Pinnacle Advisory Group, a private wealth management firm. He’s the co-founder of XY Planning Network which is dedicated to helping Gen X and Gen Y advisors serve their Gen X and Gen Y client peers with a fee-only monthly retainer financial planning model. It’s designed to be a turnkey financial planning platform where they champion financial planning for a younger demographic. XY Planning Network has grown rapidly, coming up on their five year anniversary with over 850 advisors. Michael is also the publisher of The Kitces Report & Nerd’s Eye View. He’s a partner at New Planning Recruiting and the Treasure of the Board of Directors of Washington Improv Theatre. Michael’s a public speaker on financial planning and practice management topics, as well as the host of the Financial Advisor Success podcast. Michael got into financial services when he was graduating college and a life insurance sales manager told him he should be a financial advisor because it required hard work and a high income. Despite his background in psychology, financial services are exactly where he landed. Michael has always been intrigued and involved in gender and racial diversity. In fact, at a recent conference, an individual walked up to Michael and a group of women and asked, “Is this the Kitces harem?”. In response, Michael published a blog post asking for the appropriate response to these types of situations. He received a gamut of responses. From those, his biggest takeaway is that just by getting those to pause and think about the situation, is far more victorious than trying to get the conversation out there. Bottom line, let’s continue to have these conversations.

071: Finance, Fashion and Feminism Apr 03, 2019

Although she’s a financial planner, she’s not your typical financial planner. Charlene never dreamed of working in this industry. In fact, she never imagined she’d land in the world of investments and long-term planning. Charlene considers herself an artist destined to a life of sales. Starting at age 16, she’s been in commission retail. In fact, she started her career as a sales manager at a lingerie boutique. This is where she discovered the powerful link between money and emotion, passion and vulnerability. From a real-estate agent to making a Fox News parody television show and selling home theatre equipment to selling cars, she’s done it all. Charlene has now been a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual for seven years. She’s a first-generation American whose Portuguese parents taught her about the value of hard work and planning at a young age. She graduated early from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Consumer and Social Psychology. Charlene’s bread and butter is that she works primarily with creatives and millennials. She aims to get individuals to dream bigger. She’s always pursued with the “I’m going to be better than you” mentality, despite gender or differences.

070: Debugging Meritocracy Mar 28, 2019

On this episode, we’re talking about research with Lori Mackenzie. Lori is the Executive Director of Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research as well as the Co-Founder of the new Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab. She advises diversity and inclusion efforts at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and teaches executive education. Her work has been published in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, BBC, and San Francisco Chronicle. In fact, she was one of the 100 women who was interviewed for the 2018 documentary bias. Lori holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Her main focus of work is at the Clayman Institute which was founded to produce research that motivates gender equality. In her interview, Lori touches on the Paradox of Meritocracy, which is how we as individual managers opened the doors to be more bias. The Paradox of Meritocracy has created the conversation about how to debug meritocracy and the way that bias will make the performance of men look better for the same level of performance, disadvantaging women and people of color. She emphasizes the importance of providing individuals with tools so that change will actually happen. She also touches on the coping strategy with good news. Research states that women who self monitor are more successful than even the most assertive men. This means being able to move fluidly between a warm and welcoming approach and a direct assertive approach. Lori recommends to stay curious and try to understand what would be effective and how we can create change. The best way to do that? Take a growth mindset approach in your everyday life.

069: It’s Not the End of the Road Mar 21, 2019

Episode 69: It’s Not the End of the Road

Guest: Rachel Carpenter

On this episode, we have the founder and CEO of Intrinio, Rachel Carpenter. Intrinio is a disruptive, self-serve financial data marketplace launched in 2015 for investors, entrepreneurs, developers, and students. Their data feeds power spreadsheets, quant models, fintech apps, website, and enterprise applications. Rachel’s responsibility includes strategy and positioning for Intrinio’s long-term growth. Rachel graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in Finance and Management. Rachel founded Intrinio with Joey French, another graduate from the University of Wisconsin when they sparked an idea for a valuation service industry app they wanted to create. Many iterations later, Intrinio was designed. When fundraising, Rachel emphasizes the importance of telling a compelling story, a compelling problem, and delivering a passionate message instead of just preparing your financial plan, pitch deck, and other materials. Rachel believes that those who invest, invest because of the person and their passion. Intrinio’s current goal is to get as much data on the platforms as possible because the more types of data, the more types of products they’re able to power. Aside from her love for data, Rachel spends her free time as a board member for Community Action Stops Abuse, a domestic violence organization in Florida. For her, giving back has always been important. In addition to this, she’s a member of the Forbes Finance Council and the Data Coalition Advocating for Open Structure Data. Rachel leads her team at Intrinio in an effort to make financial data affordable and accessible, all while giving back to women and the community. How about that for an inspiring woman?

068: Hustle and Hard Work Mar 13, 2019

Episode 68: Hustle and Hard Work

Guest: Winnie Sun

Women Rocking Wall Street is back and better than ever! Our first guest is a woman who’s done it all. A hustler who has reinvented herself time after time. Winnie Sun started her career in Hollywood, owning a television audience production company that brought in audiences for shows like “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, and “Wheel of Fortune”. This was her first successful business. Despite its success, Winnie’s Chinese immigrant parents didn’t delight in her chosen profession. Winnie decided to take night classes at UCLA, getting her certificate in financial planning. Shortly after, she received an offer from Smith Barney. That’s when everything changed. While cold calling at Smith Barney, Winnie sought out a more strategic way to solicit new business. She stayed after hours and made her cold calls while all her colleagues went home. She left voicemails, getting callbacks from individuals who actually wanted to talk to her. A few firms and years later, Winnie now leads a group of practitioners at her Sun Group, a financial advisory firm in Southern California. She writes for Forbes, is on CNBC’s advisory council, and is a mother and a heartfelt advisor. Winnie’s focused on reshaping the image of advisors and inspiring the next generation of investors and audiences.

067: Being A Modernist in Finance Sep 08, 2016

Episode 67: Being A Modernist in Finance Guest: Georgia Lee Hussey

With training in instillation sculpture and creative writing, Georgia Lee Hussey was focused on becoming a professional artist. However, after 12 years, Georgia decided it was time to try something new. At the time she was living in Portland, Oregon during the sub-prime mortgages phase and Georgia found herself with two mortgages: the first had a 7.5% interest rate and the second had 11.5% interest, and both were variable. She had never been taught about money or budgeting and found herself in a difficult, unstable position. Georgia began reading everything she could about financing and budgeting and found that she loved it. She became inspired to become a financial planner and went back to school to get her CFP.

By the time Georgia successfully passed her CFP exam, she already had some clients, which meant that she needed a home for her business. She looked to a brokerage firm to help and was extremely grateful for all the support that they provided. However, she felt out of place because it was very male-dominated and there was a general sense of inequality. She also quickly came to realize that the institutionalized structures of the industry weren’t going to support her vision. As a result, Georgia started Modernist Financial, which was built on a foundation of creativity and collaboration.

Today, Georgia is working with Jennifer Armbrust, with Armbrust & Co. to create a feminist business model. The basic core of the model is equity and inclusion, and flattening inequalities. Modernist Financial is built on values of inviting and including, investing in people, innovating and iterating, and doing good work well. Georgia is striving to create a sense of partnership and empowerment between her advisors and clients and ensuring her staff can support the innovative advice that they are providing to clients.

If you’d like to learn more about Georgia, visit modernistfinancial.com. Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

066: Slowing Down to Speed Things Up Aug 24, 2016

Episode 66: Slowing Down to Speed Things Up Guest: Laura Moore

Welcome back to the Women Rocking Wall Street Show! This week’s show is all about how slowing down can actually help you speed things up.

Laura Moore has a very interesting business story. Having moved to Australia from the UK several years ago, she fell into the health and wellness industry. Starting as a personal trainer she found that she loved it and therefore threw herself into her work. With several years under her belt, Laura started her own gym, which became her pride and joy. Eight months into the business, and just as it was starting to become profitable, Laura received a call that changed everything. Unfortunately her gym had caught fire and she was faced with a whole host of challenges. She was able to relocate her gym to another location but at that point she had come to the realization that it wasn’t working for her anymore. She also found some changes were happening with her body that put her on a new journey. Eventually she came to the realization that her mind was causing her health issues. This forced her to learn where the problems were stemming from and how to change her behaviour. Today, Laura is the founder of Uppy, a performance and health coaching program that aims to help professional and driven women to make changes in their life to achieve what they want.

When we're busy and on the go all the time, our body thinks that we’re in danger, and releases adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones release energy so that we can fight or run. The problem is, if we’re not actually running or fighting, these hormones don’t get used and are left cycling through our system, which results in the extra fat in our hips and belly (known as a cortisol belly). Unfortunately, this fat likes to attract more fat. There are other side effects, including erratic energy, causing extreme exhaustion and moments of high energy, especially at night. Our body can also stop anything that isn’t necessary to function, including digestion, which is what leads to bloating.

If these symptoms resonate with you, perhaps it's your body telling you to slow down. There are several things that Laura recommends that you can do to make subtle changes. The biggest thing is becoming aware again with your body and how it responds to different situations. Second, allow your brain to take a break, sometime in the day, so that your body knows that you're not in danger. You can do this by breathing deeply for several minutes. Third, determine what is important to you and identifying your real, deep level goals and values. Finally, she suggests setting boundaries that create more space for you to do the things that meet your goals and values.

If you would like to learn more about Laura and Uppy, visit Uppy.com.au. Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

065: Changing Your Filter Aug 11, 2016

Episode 65: Changing Your Filter Guest: Andrea Leda Wilborn

This week’s guest on the Women Rocking Wall Street Show is Andrea Leda Wilborn. She is a coach, intuitive and behind-the-scene’s worker in Portland, Oregon. Andrea began her journey through social work and counselling, and eventually moved to creative arts, consulting, and fitness. Today, she has taken her experiences in all fields and turned them into a business, helping entrepreneurs offer their gifts to the world in real and powerful ways.

One area of expertise for Andrea is Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), which refers to how one can speak to the brain and how we can use language to shift how we store data. There is no way that our brain can process all the information that we encounter on a daily bases. By using our central nervous system (5 senses), our brain reads our environment. We also use our stories and experiences to filter information, determining what we see and what we don't. Andrea works with clients to help ensure they have the right filters in place to help them focus on their goals and achievements.

Andrea’s hope is to get everyone to look in the mirror and realize that they are the only solution to any perceived problem that they can see outside of themselves. Through asking the right questions, she strives to shift limits and therefore changes the experience for each of her clients. This not only empowers others, but also creates accountability for achieving goals.

For anyone who is looking for a shift in their career, Andrea challenges you to ask yourself a powerful question – if I knew I could not fail. It puts fear and failure aside and provides you with access to information and data that is available inside you that was previously hidden by negative emotions. Also, she tells us all to stop pretending that something isn’t accessible.

If you would like to learn more about Andrea, be sure to check out her website, andrealeda.com. She also has a powerful weekend coming up in September called Awaken Your Practice, a 3-day immersion into the soul of your business.

Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

064: Finding Energy to Recharge Your Battery Jul 27, 2016

Episode 64: Finding Energy to Recharge Your Battery Guest: Debbie Pokornik

Welcome back to the Women Rocking Wall Street Show. This week’s show is all about reconnecting with our feminine energy and to empower ourselves to live a vibrant and powerful life.

My guest this week is Debbie Pokornik, a women of many talents. She is a mother, natural health nut, dedicated dog owner, award-winning author and a passionate social worker. Debbie is also the Chief Empowerment Officer for her company Empowering NRG, which helps proactive moms create the vibrant and powerful life that they crave by guiding them to stand in their own power while at home, work or at play.

Debbie’s began her career working for school districts and helping them create programs for kids, parents, teachers and the community, with the purpose of bringing out the best in everyone. Debbie left in 2010 to write her first book, Break Free of Parenting Pressures: Embrace Your Natural Guidance and from there she wrote another book, Standing in Your Power: A Guide for Living Your Life Fully Awake.

Today, Debbie focuses on helping moms learn to recharge their batteries, which is necessary to live a vibrant and powerful life. When talking about a balanced person, Debbie highlights two types of energy that exist in everyone - divine masculine and divine feminine energy. While most of us associate each with a specific gender, Debbie say to think of them as an operating system, both pieces are equally important to both genders. When society perceives the feminine energy as weak, it actually weakens society as a whole because according to Debbie, the feminine energy is what recharges our batteries.

The key to success is finding time to reconnect with your divine feminine energy. Even if you think that you don’t have the time, it’s identifying those pleasurable moments that we experience each day and really focusing on that moment. The more you focus on them, the easier it becomes to notice those little moments rather than focusing on the difficult times. Also, make the time to get out in nature, which is a great way to reconnect with your feminine energy.

If you would like to learn more about Debbie, be sure to check out her podcast, Vibrant, Powerful Moms. Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share it with others and write us a quick review on iTunes.

063: Battling Inequality Through Words Jul 14, 2016

Episode 63: Battling Inequality Through Words Guest: Kelly Shikany

Welcome back to the Women Rocking Wall Street Show! This week’s guest was spurred to contact me when she heard the Women Rocking Wall Street episode where I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathleen Burns Kingsbury about embracing being a female and not being afraid to ‘ski like a girl.’ As someone who has held different positions in the financial industry, Kelly Shikany is familiar with being the only female at the table and is now working to change public perceptions around women and finance.

Kelly’s first experience with gender inequality occurred while she was working at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Although she loved her job (in the late 80’s) it was not a female friendly workplace. Treated differently by colleagues as well as clients (some weren’t even interested in hearing a women’s voice), Kelly accepted both at the time because of the experience she was gaining. Kelly was aware what was going to happen and accepted it because she wanted the experience. However, today Kelly is glad to see that there has been substantial progress when it comes to women’s rights and has made it her mission to help mentor the next generation.

As a Financial Advisor at Lakeside Wealth Management, Kelly now has the pleasure of working with clients from across the United States. She spends her time building women’s confidence on their financial investments while battling the conception that women aren’t able to understand money. There have been many times where she has been sitting in a boardroom where complex concepts are being discussed and the presenter has said, “I’ll make it so easy that your mom will understand.” Whenever this happens, Kelly takes the time to speak to the presenter about not singling out women or using gender pronouns. It’s important to raise awareness so that the next generation has more confidence and doesn’t have to battle the gender issues.

For any women looking at getting into the financial industry, Kelly recommends joining the CFP mentorship program, known as WIN-to-WIN, which strives to build up female advisors. Also, don't be afraid to share your knowledge and network so that there can be more females in the industry. If you would like to learn more about the work being done for women within the CFP program, tune into the Women Rocking Wall Street episode with Eleanor Blayney. If you would like to learn more about Kelly, you can connect through Lakeside Wealth Management’s Facebook and Twitter account.

Thank you for listening. If you liked what you heard, please write us a quick review on iTunes and share this with others whom you think might find it interesting or valuable.

062: Financial Freedom Through Intention Jun 29, 2016

Episode 62: Financial Freedom Through Intention Guest: Julia Carlson

Welcome back to the Women Rocking Wall Street Show. This week’s episode is all about the power of intention and setting your mind to achieving your goals.

My guest this week is Julia Carlson, founder of Financial Freedom Wealth Management. She was one of the 40 Under 40 in InvestmentNews and won the 2015 Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors. In 2000, Julia started her company in Newport, Oregon and has now grown her business to include 4 locations. Fortunately for Julie, in 2008, Financial Freedom was endorsed as a local provider, which brought in 20 to 30 referrals per month.

Julia is an extremely entrepreneurial person and she has always been a go-getter. Here she was in her 20’s trying to build her business. Like all of us at that age, she had to work hard to prove herself and now she has the established confidence that is driving her dream big. Her drive comes from her passion for her work and attributes some of her success to the goals that she has set throughout the years. Rather than being reactive, Julie focuses on always being in a state of intention and strives to be proactive when it comes to problem solving.

Through education, Julia works to help women embrace their wealth. One such example is their Women Wealth and Wisdom seminar which encourages women to discuss the values that are put on money and how to take charge of their financial future. She also makes her own personal learning a priority so that she can better help her clients.

One final thing that Julia that she attributes to her success is visualizing what the end result looks like while meditating. A book that Julie recommends, which illustrates the power of the mind is You Are The Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

If you'd like to reach out to Julia, you can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for listening. If you liked what you heard, please write us a quick review on iTunes and share this with others whom you think might find it interesting or valuable.

061: Surviving the Overwired World Jun 15, 2016

Episode 61 – Surviving the Overwired World With Sheri Fitts

Happy summer! As you may know, with the summer season comes a lot of activities that fill up the calendar. I’m finding the same this year so as a result I’m going to be releasing an episode of Women Rocking Wall Street every other week. My intention is to kick off a new podcast, Deconstructing Digital, which is a companion piece to my new book, Deconstructing Digital: Simple Ways To Connect With Your Next-Generation Financial Clients.

This week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street is another interview where the microphone is turned around (metaphorically speaking) and I am the one being asked questions by Kristin Mountain, co-founder of Podcast SMARTER. This episode is all about surviving the overwired world.

There are so many dif fervent distractions that we can choose from that affect our decisions on how we should be spending our time. As a result, we tend to run into digital overload, all because we don't want to miss out on anything. This dilemma has created the term “life hacking” and there are several online tools that can create efficiencies in our personal and work life, making us more productive. One tool is focus@will, a program that plays music developed and edited to elicit alpha brains waves. Another similar online tool that allows you to pick which brain waves you want to elicit is called Brainwaves. Not only will it allow you to be focused and alert, but it has settings that encourage power naps, mediation and relaxation.

While there are many tools that can help you survive the overwired world, there are still some very basic things that you can do. Meditation can help reset your thoughts and help center you for your day. It doesn’t have to consist of sitting in a room quietly but could also be getting out into nature and going for a walk while taking deep breaths and taking a personal moment to unwind. If you are interested in getting more comfortable with meditating, there are two online tools that I use, Calm and HeadSpace.

The most important thing when surviving the overwired world is doing what is right for you. If you can identify what is holding you back or taking up most of your time, then you can find the tools that will help.

Thank you for listening. If you liked what you heard, please write us a quick review on iTunes and share this with others whom you think might find it interesting or valuable.

060: Your Brand, Your Business, Your Bottom Line Jun 01, 2016

Episode 60 – Your Brand, Your Business, Your Bottom Line With Sheri Fitts

This week’s episode is slightly different than what you may be used to. I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Fiduciary Talk Podcast with Ben Aiken, which was recorded live from the Insights 2016 Conference in San Diego. The topic of my presentation was titled Your Brand, Your Business, Your Bottom Line and really focused on creating a compelling, courageous brand.

With financial services in a PR tailspin, it’s extremely important that financial advisors maintain a strong brand. People have stories about their money, good or bad, and that includes financial services. The best way to combat their story is with a better one. Unfortunately, advisor brands are not powered by stories. At this conference I had the opportunity to guide attendees on create courageous brands, and to do this using feelings and stories to connect with their current and potential clients.

I encouraged everyone at the conference, as well as yourself, to sit down with a piece of paper and write “once upon a time.” Leading with this, tell me about your foundation story. Don’t make it about you but rather about the people you help. This is a great way to come up with a better story and will help strengthen your brand, your business and your bottom line.

Thanks you for listening. If you liked what you heard, please write us a quick review on iTunes and share this with others whom you think might find it interesting or valuable.

059: Influencing The Masses May 26, 2016

Episode 59: Influencing The Masses Guest: Teresa de Grosbois

Listen via iTunes Listen via Stitcher Radio

Teresa de Grosbois is a mass influencer, international speaker, author and leader the Evolutionary Business Council, an international organization of thought leaders. This is a collaborative entity of people who are committed to creating positive change in the world. As mentioned earlier, Teresa is an influencer, and teaches the skill of mass influencing to others. Many don't realize that influence is a skill that can be learned and that there are many different levels of influence.

Initially, Teresa worked in the Canadian oil and gas sector, which was male dominant. She was fortunate to have a lot of great mentors and was a change agent from the very beginning. Teresa was leading a lot of change initiatives in the industry and found it difficult until a mentor provided her with insight into influencing. He gave her an analogy of pushing a rope in the middle, and the ends would follow rather than trying to pull the rope at one end. By this, he meant that Teresa should find those who are change leaders and bring them on board, and eventually the others would follow. This is one of the key principles of mass influence – find the innovators and early adopters and the rest will follow.

There are several other key principles to influence that Teresa discusses in detail. One is that you can’t make yourself influential – if you want influence, you have to give others influence through endorsing, connecting and praising in an authentic way. One barrier that Teresa identifies that stops people from mass influence is internal dialogue. Your self-limiting beliefs can hold your back from achieving your dreams. Journaling about your inner dialogue can help you change how it’s limiting you and learn more about those messages that are holding you back.

Teresa recommends taking the 30 Day Influence Challenge. Find someone every day for the next 30 days and publicly praise or endorse them. For more information around Teresa’s book, Mass Influence, or to get in contact with her, visit her website. You can also check out her blog for more tips on gaining influence. Lastly, if you’d like to learn more around mass influence movements, visit the Evolutionary Business Council’s website.

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.

058: Financial Power May 18, 2016

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.

057: Women in Securities Law May 11, 2016

Episode 57: Women in Securities Law Guest: Linda Riefberg

My guest this week was recently acknowledged as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Securities Law. Linda Riefberg started out as a general commercial litigator in a large Wall Street firm where she was an associate working part time with two young children. When asked to increase her hours to full time, Linda decided it was time for a change. While job searching, she stumbled upon a position at the New York Stock Exchange and immediately loved the subject matter as well as the work environment. Collaboration and team work fit well with Linda, in addition to her ability to specialize in one particular business sector of the stock market.

After working in that position for 18 years, Linda decided to venture into private practice. She is now a member of the Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation department, where she represents clients in securities enforcement investigations.

Throughout Linda's career, she has seen that the business side of the financial industry is mainly men. In contrast to that, there are many women who have made their careers as regulators and attorneys on Wall Street. Linda believes that the collaborative environment that regulators work within is why there is a higher female presence.

Now that Linda is in private practice, she has been struck by the struggles that women face. For example, she has seen the small percentage of women in upper management. She also sees the misconception that women can’t be as aggressive as men or as good at developing business. Linda feels that women make great lawyers because they’re good communicators and are great at thinking analytically. She believes that women are good at counseling clients as well but that they aren’t as direct at taking credit for achievements, like bringing in business.

To achieve success in your work, Linda recommends maintaining a happy career, which sometimes means making changes. Also, she advises not to take things personally. Often, if you’re having a difficult time with someone, it’s their behavior that is causing the conflict. Lastly, Linda recommends focusing on your skill sets because your achievements come from the investment that you put into your own work.

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.

056: Thriving in Business May 04, 2016

Episode 56: Thriving in Business Guest: Martine Lellis

Happy May! I have been enjoying the outdoors recently since the weather has been so gorgeous and I hope you’ve had the opportunity to do the same.

My guest this week is Martine Lellis has a passion for learning. She grew up in a small town in South Carolina and was fortunate to gain admissions into Duke University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Upon graduation, Martine began working within the IT industry building systems for banks and insurance companies. While this was her first exposure to the financial industry, her real awakening came when she realized a gap in knowledge within general concepts around money that occur in primary as well as post-secondary schooling. When she looked at the gap in her knowledge and paired it with what drove her, she found a match in financial planning.

For the past 14 years, Martine has been Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney (SBSB) where she has worked her way up to Chief Operating Officer. Considering herself a life-long student, Martine has not only her MBA from Georgetown University, but she also has become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Financial Planning (CFP). Her passion for learning and knowledge seeking has led her to her career today. Her learning today comes from taking different projects, gaining knowledge through application and experience.

As someone who is the COO of a company that manages nearly $3 billion in client assets, Martine was initially surprised when she was asked if she wanted the position. Knowing her limits and skill sets, believing in herself and her ability to think critically about any situation, Martine had the self-confidence to take it on and be successful. She partnered with others in the company so that she could ask for assistance when she needed it. She feels that this is key to succeeding in any position. Martine surrounds herself with team members, mentors, and advisors who have different skills sets than her. They are not only there to help her solve problems but to also jolt her out of your current opinion, or tunnel vision, to see the potential in a situation.

Recently, Martine and several of her partners decided to purchase back the Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney from their bank parent and start a new endeavor as a private company once again. Through her relationships over the years, Martine has been able to bring together external resources to ensure a successful transition.

Martine in thriving in her role and has some great advice for anyone who may be feeling stagnant in their role. She recommends never saying no to various situations and to be open-minded about opportunities because everything is an open door to learning. If you are stuck in a position, look around and ask yourself how you can continue to learn and to grow. If you’re not happy with the way things are going, talk to others and gain some different insight.

If you’d like to reach out to Martine, you can do so through her company website. 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.

055: Business Is in Her Blood Apr 27, 2016

Episode 55: Business Is in Her Blood Guest: Miriam Diwan

Miriam Diwan’s family has always been in business or finance, so you could say it runs in her blood. She attended the University of Pennsylvania to obtain her undergraduate and found that she had varied interests. She graduated with a dual degree in liberal arts and finance. From there, she began investment banking and eventually moved into hedge funds. With her first position, at a private equity firm, she was one of the first three women that were hired in a 10-year history.

When her mother fell ill, Miriam ended up being the primary caregiver. Trying to manage her career and supporting her mom, she found that it was becoming too much for her to handle. Miriam made the decision to put her career on hold and eventually moved to L.A for her mother to receive the best medical care available. Through this process, Miriam and her mother had to move to several different states and experienced the difficulties in finding a neighbourhood that met all their needs.

After Miriam's mother went into remission, she began considering re-entering the workforce. The trouble was that the finance industry was fast moving and extremely difficult to get back into. So, deciding to try something new, Miriam began her own company in the field of technology. NowMoveMe aims to help adjustment periods when it comes to moving and also fosters community among local residents. Through the use of technology, Miriam is working to create a digital “welcome wagon” where users can find information about their neighborhood. NowMoveMe currently focuses on Santa Monica, but will soon be branching out to all of Los Angeles and then branching out from there.

The hardest part that Miriam found in starting a new company is the lack of resources. She’s had to think outside the box and willing to try something new every day. Miriam has found it really rewarding too because she is building something “brick by brick.” Advice that Miriam has for anyone working on a startup, make sure you set yourself up financially for the next two to three years because you may not earn anything within that period of time. Also, always try to operate like you’re bootstrapped, even if you have substantial funding (you never know how long something can take). Lastly, find a mentor; someone a few steps ahead of you in the startup path and can help you through some of the common roadblocks.

To connect with Miriam, you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook. 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.

054: Finessing Financial Education Apr 20, 2016

Episode 54: Finessing Financial EducationGuest: Liz Davidson

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this week’s guest in 2003 and have been an admirer ever since. Liz Davidson is the Founder and CEO of Financial Finesse, the leading provider of workplace financial wellness programs for companies as an employee benefit. Companies, through Financial Finesse, are able to provide their employees with free financial advice and help them get to where they want to be financially without the pressure of sales.

Liz began her career in financial services, specifically in investment banking, and eventually realized that her work life balance was not something that she could maintain. Wanting to embrace her entrepreneurial spirit, Liz began attending the University of Los Angeles to obtain her business degree. Her first venture after graduating was a hedge fund but in the process, she began to see that her investors didn’t have the basic fundamental understanding on how to appropriately invest their money. Seeing that her clients were setting themselves up for potentially dangerous losses, she realized that the rest of the population probably had the same gaps in their financial knowledge. Liz began doing workshops to provide unbiased financial advice and eventually started Financial Finesse in 1999.

Operating a business or working in a sales industry can be challenging and intimidating at times. Liz recommends looking at it from a holistic approach in that you’re supporting your clients with their strategic issues. Rather than selling something, your helping solves a problem. One additional piece of enlightened advice Liz provides to those looking at their financial health: who you marry may be the most important financial decision you ever make.

As a result of her experience and insight, Liz wrote a book, What Your Financial Advisor Isn’t Telling You: The 10 Essential Truths You Need to Know About Your Money. Liz wanted to help the general population know what to look for in an advisor and know what questions they should be asking to secure their financial future. If you’re interested in learning more about Financial Finesse, visit their blog, where experts provide financial tips and advice. You can visit her book’s companion website.

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.

053: Winning in Sales Apr 13, 2016

Episode 53: Winning in SalesGuest: Carmela Elco

This week’s guest came to my attention from a recent list from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) identifying the top women advisors in the country for 401K or retirement savings. Carmela Elco is the Managing Director and Senior ERISA Consultant with Blue Prairie Group. Originally from a human resources background, Carmela graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and holds an M.A. in Human Resources Management from St. Francis University. Working with retirement plans and 401Ks, Carmela found that she really enjoyed it over other areas of human resources. She transitioned from working in a human resources capacity into a consultant position fairly holistically and has been providing great work for her clients ever since. Carmela is very collaborative and she has a passion for her work. That combined with her dedication to her clients and the industry has helped her stand out as one of the top female advisors of 2015.

Securing the sale of a 401K can take anywhere between one to two years, making the sales process extremely important. Carmela recommends establishing an advocate and build trust with that individual. This is especially important in those competitive situations. By communicating with your advocate, you can ask certain questions including what the committee’s overall concerns are, or what materials others may find beneficial. Also, Carmela recommends understanding the culture of the organization and how they approach their decision making and working with their partners. One way to do this is by reaching out to your network and finding those connections.

If you’re interested in learning more about the art of sales, be sure to read Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal by Oren Klaff. This book will walk you through every step of a pitch and provide you with strategies and tactics to engage and persuade your audience.

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.

052: Challenging the Gender Gap Apr 06, 2016

Episode 52: Challenging the Gender GapGuest: 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 info graphic 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.

051: Success through Hustling and Resiliency Mar 30, 2016

Episode 51: Success through Hustling and ResiliencyGuest: Jilliene Helman

Hello and happy spring! I am so excited to welcome my guest this week. She is a young entrepreneur who has been a game changer in the real estate and finance industries. At 28, she made the Forbes magazine 2015 list of 30 Under 30 Rising Stars of Enterprise Technology and has underwritten over $5 billion of real estate.

Jilliene Helmen, the former Vice President of Union Bank quit her job to start RealtyMogul.com in 2013. Her team’s mission is to simplify real estate investment through crowdfunding, allowing entrepreneurs and investors to get in the game. Sitting on the RealtyMogul.com board, Jilliene is responsible for the company’s strategic direction and operations. Today, her company is a leading online real estate capital marketplace with over 73,000 members and 65 employees.

Working in financial services as well as technology, Jilliene is no stranger to the male-dominated industries. Having grown up in an entrepreneurial and real estate savvy family, she found that she had a passion for both. After working in the banking circle for several years, Jilliene found it was stifling and decided as a result to become an entrepreneur. Knowing that her company needed investment to be successful, Jilliene went through the process of securing venture capital (VC). She had to work extremely hard, and hold plenty of meetings but as a result was successful in raising $45 million in capital across the company.

Jilliene attributes hustle and resilience as the keys to being a successful entrepreneur, especially in male-dominated industries. Even if she doesn’t know the path, she knows her destination and works towards that every day. Through hustling, Jilliene has built a strong network that she can reach out to and leverage to her company’s advantage.

An avid reader, Jilliene has found that she reads books based on the life stage of her company. If you’re starting a company, Jilliene recommends reading Topgrading: The Proven Hiring and Promoting Method that Turbocharges Company Performance by Bradford D. Smart and The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael Watkins. Several other books that she recommends include The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone, Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bilton, and Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel by Russell Moore.

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.

050: The Truth About Your Finances Mar 23, 2016

Episode 50: The Truth About Your FinancesGuest: Tammy Johnston

Tammy Johnston has broken the rules within the financial services by doing things differently. Rather than speaking in acronyms and industry jargon, she has created a new way of doing things to educate people about their finances.

While temping at Investor’s Group, Tammy was drawn into the financial side of things and that’s how her journey began. Over the past 9 years, she has worked in regional offices, for independent agents and has managed two different MGA’s. Eventually, she decided that she wanted to do more than just sales, so she started The Financial Guides. Her purpose is to provide accurate and unbiased information in a way that is easy for her clients to understand. In addition to working with clients, Tammy created several seminars including “Sandwich Safaris”, “Business Builder Nights”, and “Small Business Class”.

Not only does Tammy work to create comprehensive financial plans for her clients, she digs deep into their emotional well-being to determine the reason behind their financial decisions. See sees herself as a financial counsellor, to help move her clients forward and increase the success of her financial plans. She also lives by the rules that if her clients aren’t going to listen to her advice, then they are not the right clients for her.

If you’re interested in learning more about finances, Tammy has written several books, geared towards educating even the most novice person about how finances work, including children. You can also reach out to her through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or through email at tammyjohnston@thefinancialguides.com.

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.

049: How Caring Leads to Success Mar 16, 2016

Episode 49: How Caring Leads to SuccessGuest: Anne McCabe Triana

My guest this week truly cares about her clients and is an advocate for women in the financial industry. Anne McCabe Triana is a graduate of George Mason University and has been working in the financial industry since 2001. She has worked with organizations like American Express Financial Advisors and UBC and is an independent advisor (owning her own company). Her current venture, Curo Private Wealth is focused on caring and engaging with clients. Anne’s team strive to learn what the concerns are of their client and then move forward from there to create a trusting relationship.

Anne is also a huge advocate for women in the financial industry. She feels that women are great financial advisors because they can be innovative in finding clients and then are able to foster strong, nurturing relationships. There is also a lot of flexibility later in the profession so that women with families can manage their own time around their family’s needs.

One thing that Anne was told early on in her career was to learn to golf if she wanted to close deals. Very early on, she took golf lessons but at a certain point, she found herself being inauthentic. Even the way she was dressing felt wrong for her. If she could go back and change things, she wouldn’t try to be a “man”. Anne recommends embracing our female qualities because those are strengths as well.

For those starting in the profession, Anne recommends finding and becoming committed to a niche and know absolutely everything about it. Anne’s success came from networking, building relationships, referrals and servicing clients as much as possible.

Some great books were mentioned in this episode including The Consultant with Pink Hair by Carl Harrison, Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair Enns, From Fear to Fearlessness by Pema Chodron, Double Double by Cameron Herold, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and Mastery by Robert Greene. Also, be sure to check out my interview with Kathleen Burns, a woman who has been instrumental in growing the number of women with their CFP designation.

If you’d like to get in touch with Anne, you can do so through Twitter and Facebook. 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.

048: Powering Your Business Mar 10, 2016

Episode 48: Powering Your BusinessGuest: 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.

047: Navigating Social Mar 02, 2016

Episode 47: Navigating SocialGuest: Sheryl Brown

LinkedIn can be a challenging tool but is so valuable when it comes to networking, building connections and your personal brand. This week’s guest is a Sheryl Brown, a social media maven who is skillful in navigating the social media world. She is by trade an Insurance Advisor and has been in the industry for over 20 years. Today, she has a social media consulting business, not to mention she is in charge of the social media strategy for one of the largest private insurance brokerage office in the U.S. Sheryl has also started a social media non-profit, Social Samaritans. This international organization consists of social media professionals that focus on teaching their communities about social media and how to use it to their advantage.

Sheryl, although now she is a social media genius, admits that she became involved thanks to her kids. She was curious about what they were doing online all the time, and then one night her son explained to her how social media worked. From then on, she has been using it as a tool to connect with others.

Over the last few years, Sheryl has been able to create a strong personal brand using platforms that are free. Her brand, BIONICsocialite, has served her, the companies that she works for and her community. A key to Sheryl’s social media success is to regularly observe what the younger generation is doing. What are they saying and how are they manipulating it to their advantage? She recommends that anyone who is looking to get involved in social media to have a strategy. However, she also recommends that sometimes you follow your gut.

If you’d like to connect with Sheryl, she’s available on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and FourSquare. Sheryl also has a blog that is a wealth of information.

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.

046: Becoming the CEO of Your Life Feb 24, 2016

Episode 46: Becoming the CEO of Your Life.

Happy February. It’s beginning to get lighter here in Portland, Oregon and I am finally able to get out the door and walking again. The Daphne are beginning to bloom and it’s such a beautiful, hopeful sign of spring.

This week is another interview where the microphone is turned around (metaphorically speaking) and I am the one being asked questions by Kristin Mountain, co-founder of Podcast SMARTER. This episode is around career growth and planning and how you can become the CEO of your life.

I recall when I started thinking about this specifically, it was during the 2008 recession. A lot of people were coming to meet with me to network, in the hopes to get a job. I thought to myself that I didn’t want to be in a position to scramble to build my network when I needed it, but to build it when I didn’t need it at the moment.

When thinking about your career and where you are now versus where you want to be, you should ask yourself how big you can go. Begin thinking about what’s in your heart and how does that match up with your expertise and talents. Then determine where you want to be in 10 years. Not only should you be thinking of your career, but also what your day looks like and what do you want your surroundings to look like. The more you can put a vision to it, the more you can plan for it.

It takes time to get to where you want to go and sometimes we end up feeling stalled or under-appreciated. I always recommend volunteering your time, and skills, to an outside organization. This not only helps you experience new things, but you’re growing your skills, meeting new people and experiencing the appreciation that you may not be feeling at work.

Once you’ve determined where you want to go, the best thing to do is network. Getting involved in associations and creating a LinkedIn account are two simple ways to start getting yourself out there. By committing to attending a networking event one day a month, you can start building some great relationships. Then, once you have found some people that you connect with, help solidify that by following up with an email or phone call. If networking is out of your comfort zone, be sure to read The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know by Bob Beaudine and listen to these previous WRW episodes: Confidence is Contagious and How to Work a Room.

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

045: Don’t Tell Yourself No, Let Others Do It for You Feb 17, 2016

Episode 45: Don’t Tell Yourself No, Let Others Do It for YouGuest: Kim Shaw Elliott and Anne Elliot

This week’s episode of The Women Rocking Wall Street Show is special because we have a mother and daughter duo. Both women are in financial services, each with interesting personal stories. Kim Shaw Elliott began her career as a litigator and eventually decided to combine her knowledge of the law with a Master of Business Administration. She now serves as President and in-house ERISA Counsel of Independent Financial Partners (IFP) Plan Advisors, a division of financial partners located in Tampa, Florida. IFP Plan Advisors works with 150 specialists in the retirement plan arena and provide services to around 1700 retirement plans.

Anne Elliott graduated from the University of Missouri 4 years ago and she has been working with Edward Jones for over 6 years. Anne began her career at Edward Jones as an on-call Branch Office Administrator while still in school, thanks to advice from Kim. After training with an Advisor over spring break, Anne knew she wanted to gain more experience. She picked up the phone and began calling various Edward Jones branches to see if she could fill any openings. She was successful in her search and has been with Edward Jones ever since. Anne is currently in the Client Strategies Group and has been in that position for 6 months.

There were two things that helped Anne secure her first position with Edwards Jones – networking and rejection. Through the networking Kim had done in her career, Anne was able to connect with the right people. Once she had some experience, Anne wasn’t afraid of rejection when she picked up the phone and began calling. She had learned in graduate school not to tell yourself no but rather to let others do it for you. She knew that rejection promoted personal and professional growth, and while it was hard if she hadn’t taken the chance, she would not have started with Edwards Jones at such an early stage of her career.

Both Kim and Anne work in a male dominant industry. For example, while Kim was a litigator, she had an instance where a judge thought she was a secretary. Anne has seen the male dominance within the industry but she is also seeing it slowly changing. Her career advice is to always do what’s right for the client, and that should be at the base of every decision. Anne also recommends honing your networking skills, because this industry is all about relationships.

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.

044: Moving from Gender Diversity to Gender Balance Feb 10, 2016

Episode 44: Moving from Gender Diversity to Gender BalanceGuest: Avivah Wittenberg-Cox

Welcome back and thank you for joining me again for this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. I have really been looking forward to this chat, ever since I read my guest’s content in the Harvard Business Review.

Avivah Wittenberg-Cox is a prolific speaker and writer. As CEO of 20-first, Avivah works with top management teams from international companies to identify opportunities to create more balance within their organization, primarily around gender and culture. Having active, strategic debates with the executive team is a constant occurrence for Avivah. This helps the teams understand what the gender topic is and how best to lead a more “gender bilingual” organization.

If gender balance isn’t established within an organization from the start, it’s not usually going to happen naturally. It takes three things to create balance: leadership, culture shift, and systems that are supportive and adaptive to the 21st century. Changing the balance within an organization is fairly simple. Most companies become frustrated with their lack of success when trying to create gender balance. Therefore, the executive team is open to suggestions and advice on where and how to move forward – which is where 20-first comes in.

Avivah recommends we stop using the phrase ‘gender diversity’ because it frames the females as one diversity among many. By using the term ‘gender balance’, we’re helping create a movement that has been occurring throughout the 21st century. It's now gaining some strong momentum which will positively impact businesses and relationships.

To learn more about Avivah and to find resources on how to promote gender balance, visit 20-first.com.

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

043: What I've Learned From Podcasting Feb 04, 2016

Episode 43: What I've Learned From Podcasting

Hello again! I have been on a slight hiatus because I’ve been reflecting on 2015 and am looking at what I want for 2016. What I’ve found is that I want ShoeFitts, my marketing firm, to work with the right people and on the right projects. That means turning my business into a small batch, artisan marketing firm that does highly crafted work for my clients. Regarding Women Rocking Wall Street, I’ve been wondering how I can continue to give you high quality, relevant content that can provoke thoughts and motivate. So, in February and March, you’ll see several episodes where I’ll be the one interviewed. My goal for Women Rocking Wall Street is to have meaningful conversations with guests as well as you.

Having released podcast episodes for the past year, I’ve overcome the fear of the microphone, have had great conversations with amazing and talented guests, and I’ve run into challenges along the way. Kristin Mountain, co-founder of Podcast SMARTER wanted to pick my brain on what the last year has been like and what I’ve learned.

After identifying the vision for my podcast, even though I do a lot of public speaking, I found that I was initially intimidated by the microphone. Other challenges that I’ve found is consistency and finding the guests that I feel will spark that valuable conversation. While I’ve had challenges, I’ve also had a lot of successes. I’ve reflected on some of my favorite episodes, which include: Finding Your Inner Rockstar, Toughing it Out, Ski Like a Girl, The Evolution of Women in Finance, and the list goes on. Having a great team has helped keep Women Rocking Wall Street going.

If you’re thinking of starting a podcast, my best advice is to sit at your computer, turn on the microphone and hit record. Also, offer yourself up to other podcasts. If you want to be on the Women Rocking Wall Street, email me with your idea.

Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street! If you liked this episode, be certain to subscribe and share it with others.

042: The Power Pose Dec 09, 2015

Episode 42: The Power Pose

It’s been a great first year of the Women Rocking Wall Street, and I’ve had the pleasure of following up with Tracy Bagli Hooper, who was my very first guest when I first launched WRW. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to episode two, Confidence is Contagious, Tracy is the creator of The Confidence Project, an organization dedicated to help others build confidence in their lives. As she likes to say, “the Confidence Project is an equal opportunity endeavor.” According to Tracy, confidence may have a genetic component, and even though some people may have a slight genetic advantage, it’s possible to build confidence through training our brain for a confidence mindset.

Have you ever heard of the Power Pose? It’s a technique for building confidence for a meeting, interview or any event where you want to build and demonstrate your best self. It changes the hormones in your brain and help you reduce Cortisol and increase Testosterone. It’ll not only affect how you feel, but how others feel about you. Studies indicated the people who were perceived as smarter and more competent are the ones who do the Power Pose. It’s free, takes 2 minutes a day! Watch the TED Talk with Amy Cuddy here.

Tracy sees a great value in momentum, and is sharing her services to as wide a range of people as possible. She learned that narrowing focus too quickly can adversely affect momentum. There is certainly a value in developing a niche and a focus, but be careful not to niche down too quickly. She also reminds us to be aware of the skills and talents we possess, we might be fluent in areas that others find completely baffling. The knowledge we take for granted might be the crucial knowledge that others need, and this gives us the opportunity to help others move forward too. Remember: What we know, others might not know.

There are some great books for growth and development that Tracy recommends, including: “The Confidence Code” by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman; “The Defining Decade” by Meg Jay; “Key Person of Influence” by Daniel Priestly; and “Playing Big” by Tara Moore. If you’d like to get in touch with Tracy and learn more about the The Confidence Project, visit her site at confidenceproject.com, or visit her on Facebook or send her a quick email.

If you liked this episode, be sure to share it with others and head over to iTunes and write a review. Also, thanks for listening!

041: Permission to Take Up Space Nov 25, 2015

Episode 41: Permission to Take Up Space

Now that it’s the time of year when we're stuck in crowded lines at the mall, we are very aware of the physical space that we take up. Our natural instinct is to make ourselves as small as possible. But our guest, Rachel Beohm has a lot to say about our body language and the way to inhabit the space around us to portray the authentic and strong people we are.

Curious by nature, and with an unquenchable thirst for learning (especially when it comes to nonverbal communication and the mind-body connection), Rachel loves researching topics for FORTE, brainstorming and making connections. Rachel is passionately interested in the connection between authenticity and how we inhabit our physical space.

Part of what makes our daily lives so hard is that our mental lives often don’t line up with the way we feel about the space around us. It’s time that we stop retreating from the world and take up the space we know is ours. When we give ourselves permission to fill the space around us, people pick up on that and read it as confidence.

Rachel provides sound, thoughtful advice for anybody who struggles with communicating boldly. The three things she says to keep in mind are voice (making sure we avoid up ward inflection especially when giving important information), breathing (focusing on breathing invites an audience in and makes you calmer), and being willing to take up the space that’s yours (your stance and body language speak volumes). Expanding the space you take up in your mind communicates the confidence that so many of us are searching for.

For more information on the work Rachel is doing visit nonverbalforte.com. Also be sure to sign up for their amazing newsletter, The F Word. And if nothing else make sure you read her insightful and practical article The Authenticity vs Confidence Conundrum. You won’t be disappointed.

If you liked this episode be sure to share it with those you think might find this valuable. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard. Lastly, thanks for listening!

040: Plan It! Do It! Love It! Nov 18, 2015

Episode 40: Plan It! Do It! Love It!

Brrr! Dare I say happy winter?

Now that the cold has come and the days are shorter, perhaps some of us are noticing that we’re not feeling as happy these days. Since we spend a lot of time at work, this probably seeps into our work life, especially with the Christmas holiday countdown on our minds. Perhaps you’ve even found that on Sunday, you’re dreading Monday and have come to the realization that you’ve fallen out of love with your job.

Fear not! My guest this week has a formula that will help you fall back in love with your work. Sherry Jordan has been coaching high-performance executives, small business owners, solo entrepreneurs, and teams for over 20 years to help them realize their goals and increase their results. She is an expert in the field of change and change management and specializes in working with individuals and organizations who are ready to embrace transition and experience a higher level of personal and professional satisfaction.

Sherry has released a new book, Plan It! Do It! Love It! where she outlines how to get back to the basics so that you can move from feeling overwhelmed to living your small business lifestyle. Sherry says that it’s as simple as getting back to the basics and getting in touch with your life priorities. Sherry also highlights five tips to successfully falling back in love with your job. These include: making a plan for the year; examine the role that you’re playing; establish healthy boundaries; surround yourself with positive people, and; remember that your attitude is everything. If you have a positive attitude, great things can happen. Episode eight of The "Women Rocking Wall Street" Show (Nothing Can Stop Her) highlights the power of attitude. Also, if you’re looking for a great read, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is the perfect example of how one’s attitude can push you through anything.

Sherry has some great resources so be sure to visit her website, SherryJordanCoach.com, and register for a free e-book that will help you with 10 top leadership tips. Also, she is giving away 25 free Plan It! Do It! Love It! books. To get one, all you have to do is go to planitdoitloveit.com and use the code WRW. Lastly, you can connect with Sherry on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or see some additional resources on her YouTube channel.

039: Getting Generational Nov 04, 2015

Episode 39: Getting Generational

Welcome back and happy November! This week’s episode of the Women Rocking Wall Street show is a little unique. Last year, I had the pleasure of speaking at an event about the differences within various generations and how to talk to each of them about money in an effective way.

Did you know that there are currently four generations that shape our workforce today? There is the Traditionalist (born 1925 – 1945), which in 2014 made up eight percent of the workforce. This generation is conservative in their actions, and they prefer their communication in the form of the written word (memos). Compare that to the Millennials (born 1981 – 2000), who were raised with technology, prefer to communicate through text messages, are used to having adult-like conversations and want a level playing field right out of college, rather than putting in the time (as the Traditionalists would typically prefer to see). In between those two are the Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964), who are the optimists and want to be involved in the decisions and the GenX (born 1965 – 1980), who are skeptical because they’ve seen quite a few people fall from power. Again, these two generations are a very interesting contrast.

Each generation has their way of communicating and their beliefs about money. However, one thing is similar across all generations – people’s relationship with money is personal. The conversation should be based around emotions and aspirations and not around fear, shame and doubt. The goal should be to build a plan and to build a personal relationship rather than a business relationship

“When you have a dream and a plan working together in the construction of a life chapter, you have a ‘mission,’ a circumscribed purpose that defines your use of time and space for the duration of this particular life chapter. People with a mission know where they want to go.”

Frederic M. Hudson

Mastering the Art of Self-Renewal

If people can understand the vision of their future where they can redefine what it means to work and give back to their communities and make a plan that talks about their life rather of their money, they may become a little more engaged around the conversation around their finances.

038: Launching Fearlessly Oct 28, 2015

Episode 38: Launching Fearlessly

Guest: Anne Samoilov

Happy Halloween! This week’s episode is a perfect fit to the Halloween theme around fear and the fun, excitement and joy that it can bring. This week’s guest, Anne Samoilov helps entrepreneurs, small business owners and consultants through the process of fearlessly launching a product or business, or another type of business launch. Anne says that it’s not about fear, it’s about that moment of committing to the decision to doing something new and taking that leap.

Coming up with an idea is the easy part of creating a new business or product but when you haven’t done it before, launching can be a scary and often daunting task. For Anne, she sees it as a production, with particular steps that need to happen for the business or product launch to be successful. The most important thing that anyone should do, according to Anne, is determine who “they” are and start the conversation. Find out who your target audience is and reach out. Do this before you launch your business and get their input (both the good and the difficult to hear). You can also search online and see what people are saying about a particular topic that relates to your business or product idea.

While launching a business or product can be intimidating, it is also an exciting time. Once off the ground, it allows you to control your schedule and provides flexibility to accommodate family situations. Don’t let the fear of launching a great idea hold you back because there are people like Anne, who are there to help you.

For more information about Anne Somoilov, you can visit her website at www.fearlesslaunching.com, or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

037: Giving Yourself Permission to Say “No” Oct 21, 2015

Episode 37: Giving Yourself Permission to Say “No”

Guest: Lane Kennedy

Welcome back! My guest this week has done it all. She is a woman who has many talents – especially when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Lane Kennedy has turned a startup into a million dollar business in less than 18 months, has built a lingerie company and has even worked for a non-profit company in Bangkok. She is a mom, fiction writer, podcaster, and business coach to women who are looking to start a business in the online market.

Lane is one busy woman and she has a lot of demands on her time. Throughout her experiences, she has had to learn to say “no,” which is difficult for many of us. The nagging guilt of letting someone down, or hurting their feelings tends to leave us stretched thin on time and feeling strained and sometimes even resentful. However, a lot of us keep finding ourselves in the same situation time and time again – we want to say “no” but we hear ourselves saying “yes.”

Many of us have a hard time setting boundaries and determining when it’s okay to say “yes” and when it’s okay to say “no.” The key is to ask yourself: is this going to serve my family or me? If you’re uncomfortable saying “no,” an alternative is “not right now,” or “no, but thanks for the opportunity.” However you choose to say it, the most important thing is that you start protecting your time and prioritizing.

For more information about Lane Kennedy, you can visit her website www.lanekennedy.com, or connect with her on Twitter. Also, be sure to check out her podcast The Game Changer.

If you’d like to connect with Lane, she’s on Twitter @lanekennedy. If you liked this episode be sure to share it with those you think might find this valuable. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard. Lastly, thanks for listening!

036: Rocking An Interview Oct 14, 2015

Episode 35: Rocking An Interview

Guest: Margot DeMore

Listen via iTunes

It’s officially fall and it is absolutely beautiful outside! I hope you’re enjoying the leaves, and all the pumpkin mania, as much as I am.

We’ve all been in a situation where we’ve had butterflies in our stomach when getting ready for an interview. The stress of preparing for the interview is only half the battle. This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Margot DeMore, founding partner of Broad Street Consulting Group, a search firm specializing in retained executive search and consulting services for the traditional and alternative investment community and insurance industry. Her whole career has been playing matchmaker between companies and potential team members.

Margo lives and breathes interviews, and has some great tips and tricks to make sure we rock them. According to her, many of us are great at researching and understanding the organization when preparing for an interview, but tend to fall short on how to share our story in a way that highlights our strengths and attributes.

Margot recommends writing down all the adjectives that describe your strengths and think about how it fits with the position and organization you’re interviewing with. Next, brainstorm stories that highlight each adjective. The last step is to practice, practice, practice! Tell you stories to you partner, colleagues or even the mirror.

There are plenty of things that you can do to increase your chances of a successful interview. Be sure to check out Margo’s CHEAT SHEET for more tips. For more information on Margot, visit broadstreetconsulting.com, or find her on LinkedIn.

This is a great episode for everyone so be sure to share it with your friends, colleagues, college graduates, and even high school students. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard. Lastly, thanks for listening!

035: Negotiating Salaries 101 Oct 07, 2015

Episode 35: Negotiating Salaries 101

Guest: Jim Hopkinson

Listen via iTunes

We’ve all felt like we’ve rocked an interview and then dreaded question comes up, and we freeze – “what is your current salary?” Or even worse, “what are your salary expectations for this position?” It’s common for us to hesitate in answering that awful question because on one hand we don’t want to throw out a number that is too high (and risk losing our chance at the position) and, on the other hand, we don’t want to lowball ourselves.

My guest this week is Jim Hopkinson, and he has come to our rescue! A speaker, writer, and teacher, he helps ambitious professionals overcome their fear of negotiating salary. Jim has helped a lot of people push past the discomfort of asking for what their worth, and his number one advice is research. Understanding what your worth is the key to being able to ask for more. One way to determine what the market value is for your position and experience is by visiting salary.com, payscale.com, and glassdoor.com. He also recommends talking to your internal network. Once you have all your research, you can put it into a report and provide it to the company looking to hire you or your current boss. The more research you do, the stronger your case.

This is only a teaser of the advice that Jim provides in this episode. One additional tip is if the company interviewing you asks what you’re making at your current job you should say, “Oh I’m sorry, my current employment contract doesn’t allow me to reveal that information. It’s private company information. What kind of range did you have in mind?”

If you want to learn more after this episode, visit salarytutor.com/fastclass for a 7-day free email class that will teach you how to negotiate your salary. If you liked this episode be sure to share it with those you think might find this valuable. Also, head over to iTunes and write a quick review if you liked what you heard. Lastly, thanks for listening!

034: Funding Research for Change Sep 30, 2015

WRW034: Funding Research for Change with Michelle Clayman

I can’t express how excited I am to share this week’s episode with you. My guest, Michelle Clayman is a CFA, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of New Amsterdam Partners LLC, an institutional money management firm in New York. She has been published in the Financial Analysis Journal, the Journal of Investing and NYSSA Financial Professionals’ Post. She is also a frequent commentator on Bloomberg and other financial media.

Having gone to an all girl's school, Michelle was encouraged to set her aspirations high. She attended Oxford University and eventually attended the business school at Stanford University. She began her financial career with the Bank of America in London and eventually found her way to Wall Street. Through her experience, she found that there was a gap between quantitative research and money investment. Being bold, she decided to start her own business, along with several other partners and New Amsterdam Partners LLC was born.

Michelle is not only a successful women and entrepreneur – she is a philanthropist. Having been involved since 1993 in what is now known as The Clayman Institute for Gender Institute, Michelle first sat on the National Advisory Panel and seeing that there was a lack in resources, she worked hard to move them from “bake sale” fundraising to more sustainable funding sources. Eventually, the opportunity opened up for an endowment fund, and Michelle felt that it was the perfect fit for her. Today, the Institute is doing great work, with research even being referenced in the book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Leadby Sheryl Sandberg.

If you’re interested in becoming involved in philanthropy, Michelle recommends thinking about causes that are important to you and then getting involved. Also, consider putting aside a certain amount of money for charitable giving. Whether it’s through volunteer hours or monetary donations, it’s about supporting those causes closest to you.

If you liked this episode, be sure to share it with your friends and colleagues. Also, visit iTunes and write us a quick review. Finally, thanks for listening!

033: Inspiring Women to Be Women Sep 23, 2015

Episode 33: Inspiring Women to Be Women

Guest: Bri Seeley

Do you recall the power suits in the ‘80s? The shoulder pads, unfitted suit jackets – anything to hide the feminine figure. While the corporate dress code has improved and has slightly embraced the feminine figure, there is still plenty of room for change. This episode’s guest, Bri Seeley, is working to inspire women to be women by re-embracing their femininity and their feminine energy.

Working in the fashion industry, Bri found that women were not buying her clothing because her brand consisted of flowing, feminine pieces. Women would try on her pieces and would tell her that they couldn’t wear the clothing in the “real world.” Bri was shocked that these women were telling her that if they were to dress as women, they would be able to achieve success in business. As a result, she had an epiphany that it was a mindset that she could impact women on a deeper level. As a result, Bri is now a mentor, leader and author of the Inspirational Women Project Book.

Her mission is to inspire women to be women; to help them re-embrace femininity and their feminine energy to be successful in the world and to stop relying on the more masculine traits to get them to where we want to go. By not using our feminine energy, Bri says that we are not aligned with our true selves and our true gifts.

To learn more about Bri, her work and to read inspirational stories of other women, visit www.briseeley.com. 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!)

032: Proving Them Wrong Sep 16, 2015

WRW32: Proving Them Wrong with 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!)

031: Woman and the Nasdaq Aug 26, 2015

WRW031: Woman and the Nasdaq with Maureen Lowe

Just imagine the sense of achievement you would feel if you were asked to ring the Nasdaq bell. That’s what my guest this week had the opportunity to do. Maureen Lowe is the President and Founder of Financial Technologies Forum (FTF), a media company for Wall Street, which provides content, specifically for people and companies that drive the post-trading processing industry.

While she has grown a successful business, which has gained enough notice that she and her team were asked to ring the Nasdaq bell, Maureen still faces challenges because she is a woman on Wall Street. Over the years, she has developed a thick skin and has worked at building up her confidence around being a successful businesswoman within the financial industry.

Being a female entrepreneur on Wall Street is challenging, but Maureen has proven that it is possible. When asked what advice she would give to her 27-year-old self, Maureen says, “there will be tough times. You need to have failure and experience mistakes because that’s where you’re going to learn and grow.” She also recommends not to be afraid of failing, not to be so hard on yourself and to celebrate all the successes. Women can and are succeeding each and every day.

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!)

030: Planning to Be a CFP Aug 19, 2015

WRW030: Planning to Be a CFP with Eleanor Blayney

Intro

Hello there, and welcome back to Women Rocking Wall Street. A couple weeks ago, I spoke with Renee Amochaev about her fight for gender equality on Wall Street. And on this episode, I’m continuing the theme and encouraging women out there to research the opportunities that a career in financial planning can bring. Well, who better to speak about this topic than Eleanor Blayney, author of “Women’s Worth: Finding Your Financial Confidence.” In addition to being an author, Eleanor is a CFP and consumer advocate for the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

In 2013, the CFP Board launched Women’s Initiative (WIN). Under the leadership of Nancy Kistner, then chair of CFP Board’s board of directors, WIN conducted research about why there are so few women in financial planning—the number has remained flat at 23% for several years. Based on the research, the WIN Advisory Panel released a white paper called “Making More Room for Women In the Financial Planning Profession.” The research found that, compared with men, women are much less familiar with the financial planning profession and the requirements for CFP certification. And when it comes to financial advisors who do not have CFP certification, 39% of men said they would “definitely or probably” pursue it, compared with 23% of women.

Now I’m happy to introduce Eleanor, who can tell us more about the study and share how we can take action to boost those numbers!

Conclusion

Hope you enjoyed this episode, and I encourage all the CFPs out there to become WIN advocates and spread the word about attracting women to Wall Street. If you would like to become an Advocate, please visit this episode’s show notes for more information. Every action we take like this can help close the gender gap!

If you have a passion for helping others, I would encourage you to explore a career in financial planning. As Eleanor says, it’s not all numbers, sales and production—it’s a career that calls for creativity, relationship skills, communication and an interesting in helping people achieve their goals. Sounds pretty nice, right?

Thanks for listening, and please join me next week with guest Maureen Lowe. As always, please head to iTunes and leave a quick review. I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please also be sure to share this podcast with friends and family. The bigger the audience, the bigger the impact it can have on women’s careers.

Have a great week!

029: Investing in Gender Parity Aug 12, 2015

WRW 029: Investing in Gender Parity with 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.

028: Fighting for Change On Wall Street Aug 05, 2015

WRW 027: Fighting for Change On Wall Street with Renee Amochaev

Hello, and happy summer! This week, I’m thrilled to share the story of a woman who rocked Wall Street in a major, major way. You might remember the name Renee Amochaev from news headlines. Several years back, Amochaev and three other women brought a gender discrimination lawsuit against Smith Barney, which resulted in the brokerage firm paying a whopping $33 million settlement.

Renee was inspired to seek legal action for what she said were differences in the way she was treated compared with her male colleagues. Among other things, Renee said her office was smaller and she was required to go through broker training—despite being fully licensed—while her male counterparts didn’t have to. Eventually, Renee said she came to work one day to find that her entire book of business was inaccessible, and she was told to write essays to retain her accounts. Through conversations with a couple women at the office, Renee said she discovered she wasn’t alone in her experiences.

The lawsuit was a long and tiring road, but Renee knew she wouldn’t be able to look at herself in the mirror if she didn’t speak up. Renee’s husband encouraged her to arrive in cowboy boots for her first meeting with the lawyers. (I love this, by the way, because I often wear cowboy boots to speaking engagements.) “If you’re gonna kick up dust,” her husband said, “you better wear cowboy boots.”

And boy, did she kick up a lot of dust!

In the end, news outlets from CNBC to The New York Times covered the story, and countless women contacted Renee about their personal experiences. The lawsuit, Renee says, was so much bigger than just her. “This is about future generations of women and how much they are needed in the industry,” she says.

Not only do Renee and I both hope this episode inspires listeners to speak up about gender biases in the industry, but we also hope it serves as a calling for women to take hold of their financial futures.

In closing, I’d also like to give a shout-out to all the people fighting every day for more women in the industry, including Tim Smith from the 30 Percent Coalition (see July 8th’s episode). Tim has rallied for years to increase the number of women on boards, and he and so many others are greatly appreciated.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it and head to iTunes to post a quick review. And join me next week for a talk with Eve Ellis, who has a very interesting career history—from competitive tennis, to Web, to financial services. Have a great week!

027: Playing a Bigger Game Jul 29, 2015

WRW 027: Playing a Bigger Game with Sheri Fitts (and Michael Knouse)

Welcome back! I hope you’re having a great summer and enjoying the warm weather. I wanted to switch things up this week and provide you with some insight into who I am as a person, business owner, and woman rocking Wall Street.

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of being a guest on my dear friend Michael Knouse’s podcast, The Startup Sessions. Michael is a business coach, unconventional startup strategist and entrepreneur who not so long ago was selling software solutions to corporate clients. Knowing that he hand-selects his show guests based on their experience creating their own meaningful businesses, I was honored that he approached me to share my experience with ShoeFitts Marketing.

On this episode, Michael and I dig into some of the challenges that hold many women entrepreneurs back, including setting appropriate rates for services. Are you afraid to charge what you’re worth because you believe it will hurt your chances of successfully getting clients? If so, you’re not alone! Unfortunately, this misconception could be harming your business by undervaluing yourself and your services. It’s important to remember that what you’re providing is valuable, and your clients want to pay for quality! My advice to Michael’s listeners, and to you during this episode is simple – don’t overcomplicate it, just raise your rates.

If your entrepreneurial spirit is strong, but you’re struggling to propel your business forward, I hope this episode will provide insight into managing your numbers and helping your business play a bigger game.

For more information about Michael and The Startup Sessions, visit thestartupsessions.com, or find him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+.

And remember, if you like the episode, please be sure to share it with your colleagues, friends, and other connections. Let’s continue the Women Rocking Wall Street movement!

026: Realigning Your Voice Jul 15, 2015

WRW026: Realigning Your Voice with Hilary Blair

Happy summer, everyone! This week, I’m excited to invite a communication chiropractor to Women Rocking Wall Street. You’re probably thinking, “What the heck is a communication chiropractor?” Hilary Blair, CEO of ARTiculate: Real & Clear, helps clients align verbal and nonverbal communication with their messages. The result is a voice that connects the head, heart and spirit.

On this episode, Hilary walks us through vocal habits that can unintentionally send messages of insecurity, indecisiveness and all that other bad stuff. Maybe you’re using little girl voice to avoid being “too much,” or perhaps you’re trailing off at the end of sentences because you’re scared to push an idea. Or maybe you’ve reverted to the “surfer-dude voice,” known as vocal fry, because you don’t want to seem overly enthusiastic.

Whatever the case, a little practice and awareness can give your voice warmth and clarity. Strive for musicality with a nice blend of bass and treble. And be sure to use inflection, which guides listeners through a message, Hilary says.

I hope you enjoy this episode and it inspires you to try out a speaking organization such as Toastmasters. You don’t have to be an expert to join; in fact, it’s the perfect place to practice public speaking in a supportive environment.

For more information about Hilary’s company, visit articulateRC.com, or find her on LinkedIn. Also be sure to check out VASTA—the Voice and Speech Trainers Association—where Hilary is a member.

Listen in next time for guest Tim Smith, who’ll be discussing how the 30 Percent Coalition has encouraged more women on boards. Have a great week!

025: What’s Behind Your Investments? Jul 08, 2015

WRW 025 What’s Behind Your Investments? With Tim Smith

What an exciting episode! This week, I’m pleased to invite my second male guest to Women Rocking Wall Street. Tim Smith is co-chair of the investor committee for the 30 Percent Coalition, which may sound familiar to those who have been listening to the podcast for a while. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing several people from this coalition, which strives for women to hold 30% of board seats across public companies. (Check out the related podcast episodes: “Let’s Get to 30%” and “The Getting Along Paradigm”).

Tim is here today to share some ways the 30 Percent Coalition has rallied to increase the number of women on boards. He’ll also provide tips for how investors can ensure their votes are counted on issues such as board diversity, climate change and equal employment opportunity.

Last year, the 30 Percent Coalition wrote letters to 160-plus companies in the Russell 1000 list who had no women on their boards. The coalition sought to remind these companies that investors are concerned about a lack of diversity. Some companies that took no action actually received shareholder resolutions from various investors requesting that they take steps to diversify. Clearly this is an issue near and dear to investors, and companies must get on board about diversifying their boards.

Those who want to learn more about the story behind their funds can start by researching online or reading proxy statements, Tim suggests. I also want to mention the site unloadyour401k.com, which can show whether your 401(k) plan is invested in public gun companies.

So what happens if you don’t like what you find? If you’re part of a 401(k) and have no control over the investments in the plan, there are still ways to voice your opinion about certain funds. Tim suggests gathering a group of participants to write a letter to the company saying something like, “We understand that you don’t vote on board diversity, and we’re calling on you to change this.” It may feel like a helpless exercise, but Tim says companies are increasingly listening to their consumers.

For more information about having your voice heard, check out The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. You can also read more on the 30 Percent Coalition site, which includes a letter from the group.

024: Making Connections Jul 01, 2015

WRW024: Making Connections with Maureen Adolf

Welcome back, and I hope you’re feeling happy, healthy and inspired. On this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I’m thrilled to introduce Maureen Adolf, who’s an expert in government relations and pubic [CH1] policy. She’s also president of the Financial Women’s Association, a New York-based organization dedicated to accelerating women’s careers in the finance industry.

FWA recently conducted some very interesting research around the value of women’s internal networks at various firms. (Check out the full report here). Among the most compelling findings: 39% of respondents said they believe women’s internal networks could contribute to their reason for staying with their current firms. Internal networks have the power to make women feel like their firms are more invested in their wellbeing, which in turn fosters loyalty. On this episode, we’ll dive into the research and best practices for internal networking groups.

If you’ve been thinking about joining a group for women in finance, there’s no time like the present. (Here’s how you can apply for a membership with the Financial Women’s Association.) And as far as internal networks go, don’t be afraid to explore them—even if you aren’t a senior member of your company. Many times, internal networking groups are formed organically at the lower level, or through HR. And these groups are in demand: According to the report, 77% of respondents who work at firms without a WIN said they would join if their organization had one.

If you are a decision maker for an existing WIN, consider meeting during the workday to accommodate busy schedules and demands at home. Almost half of those surveyed (41%) said time was a reason for not participating.

Check out the full episode for more information about how to get involved, and for Maureen’s insights on the industry. And if you like the episode, please be sure to share with friends!

[CH1]It says on LinkedIn that she worked at Nelson Brown until May. Wasn’t sure if there is a new position to add

023: How to Work a Room Jun 10, 2015

Susan RoAne: How to Work a Room

For many of us, the mere thought of a networking event causes sweaty palms and a racing heart. Susan RoAne, author of How to Work a Room, joins us on this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street to share how we can float gracefully through a room and give a lasting first impression.

On this episode, Susan explains the distinction between networking and working a room—as you’ll discover, there are some big differences! Working a room involves socializing and making people feel welcome, while networking is about the follow-up.

So how exactly do you work a room? Put yourself in the shoes of the nervous person standing in the corner (because we’ve all been there, right?) Think about how to make others feel comfortable, whether it’s striking up a conversation with someone standing alone, or simply taking a step back to let someone into a conversation circle. As Susan says, if we can get past our own nerves and take on the responsibility of helping other people relax, it makes mingling much easier and more enjoyable.

On this episode, Susan also covers other tricky questions such as, “How do I join a conversation during an event?” and “How do I politely exit a conversation?” Hope you enjoy her tips! For more about Susan’s work, visit her website at http://www.susanroane.com/, email her at susan@susanroane.com, or give her a call at (415) 461-3915. Also, be sure to check out Susan’s other books including How to Create Your Own Luck, The Secrets of Savvy Networking, and Face to Face: How to Reclaim the Personal Touch in a Digital World. And Susan asks that we support independent bookstores when purchasing her books and others (shout-out to Powell’s Books in Portland!)

022: Go For No! May 27, 2015

Andrea Waltz : Go For No!

Hello, and welcome back! How are things with you? I hope you’re well and enjoying some nice, warm weather, wherever you are. On this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I have the pleasure of chatting with Andrea Waltz, co-author of the best-selling book “Go For No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There.” Andrea wrote the book with Richard Fenton, and together they own Courage Crafters Inc.

Today she’ll teach us all about the Go For No concept, which is based around letting go of the fear of rejection. Whether you are going for a raise or trying to get a new client, you’ll never hear a yes unless you conquer the fear of hearing no. In fact, when you overcome this fear of no, the yeses that you do receive will likely be grander in scale. It may seem strange to intentionally increase your failure rate, but in reality, it’s a sign that you’re really putting yourself out there and taking chances!

I encourage all of you to try hearing no for even just a week. Once you’ve gotten used to the idea, work your way up to a 30-day challenge. As Andrea says, practicing Go For No can be as simple as asking the restaurant waiter if you can move to another table closer to the window. See how many nos you can collect!

Imagine what your professional and personal life would look like if you decided to take a chance each day and put yourself out there. Think about how it would feel to embrace rejection with open arms and recognize it as a sign that you’re on the verge of something courageous and bold.

Here’s a preview of the five levels of failure, which Andrea explains on this episode:

the ability to fail
the willingness to fail
the “wantingness” to fail
failing bigger and faster
failing exponentially

I hope you enjoy Andrea’s insights and they inspire you to face your fear of failure! To learn more about Go For No, visit Andrea and Richard’s website, or the book link on Amazon.

Tune in next week when I invite guest Maureen Adolf to the show.

Have a wonderful week!

021: Rocking a TED Talk May 21, 2015

Cathey Armillas: Rocking a TED Talk

On the latest episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I’ve invited expert marketing strategist Cathey Armillas to share the elements of a successful TED Talk. Cathey has created an audio coaching program, “How to Rock a TED Talk,” where she covers how to get invited to a Talk, as well as how to prepare and deliver it. The tactics Cathey presents can be applied not just to TED Talks, but also on a larger scale for corporate communications.

From having a universal theme to providing supporting evidence, Cathey talks us through how to be an effective presenter. Imagine you’re pitching an idea at work—rather than just focusing on convincing your own department, think about how the concept will benefit departments across the board. How do you get everyone behind your idea?

No matter where or what you’re presenting, it all goes back to the TED Talk format. It’s about finding a useful idea and supporting it with data, whether it’s for an ad campaign, a presentation to your team, or any idea at work. It’s about appealing to both logic and emotion.

And for those interested in being invited to a TED Talk, Cathey says to remember that everyone has a good idea; it’s about uncovering that idea by asking yourself questions like: “What was the most traumatizing experience in your life?”

“Who has been the biggest teacher in your life?” “When have you felt most at peace?”

I hope you enjoy this episode and it encourages you to find your next idea!

For more information about Cathey and her audio program, visit catheyarmillas.com and howtorockatedtalk.com. And check out her favorite TED Talk of all time with Ash Beckham, who discusses empathy and openness.

And be sure to check out Cathey’s own TED Talk about how helping others can bring happiness.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode with guest Andrea Waltz, co-author of the best-selling book “Go For No!”

Have a great week!

020: See Do Get May 19, 2015

Catherine Plano: See, Do, Get

Have you ever despised a boss and found yourself expending energy thinking about it? Well, Catherine Plano—this week’s guest on Women Rocking Wall Street—wants you to remember this: Whatever you focus on will grow. Catherine is an executive coach, life coach and founder of the I Am Woman Project, a program designed to help women realize their purpose, power and potential. On this week’s episode, she shares techniques for finding purpose, as well as tips for changing our mindset rather than our environment.

The “bad boss” case is a common one, in which Catherine advises clients to think of one good thing that can help them connect with their supervisors. If your boss is a mother like you, for example, you can focus on how kind she might act at home with her children. Even if you decide to find a new job, at least you’ve become more positive about the situation. Remember that change starts within. So often, people want to change their partners or their environment, but it just doesn’t work.

On this episode, Catherine also offers tips for finding purpose. Connecting with purpose can help you understand what you really should be doing, and help you discover your passion. To set your purpose, Catherine suggests asking yourself questions such as:

Why am I here?

What do I want to be?

What do I want to do?

What do I want to have?

Finding purpose is important for men and women alike, but women in particular tend to neglect finding their purpose because they are so focused on caring for friends and family. This selflessness can cause them to lose sight of who they are and want they want in life. “I think we are born mothers … even if we are not mothers,” she says. “We are born to help and nurture other people.”

I hope you enjoy this episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. To learn more about Catherine’s coaching business, the I Am Woman Project, or the magazine, visit Quantum Co-Creation, I Am Woman Project, I Am Woman magazine, and Catherine Plano.

Be sure to tune in next week when I invite Cathey Armillas to the show to discuss how to find your big idea. Have a great week!

018: Toughing it Out May 15, 2015

Toughing It Out with Alice Tang

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!

Registered Representative/Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Signator Investors, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, 138 River Road, Suite 310, Andover, MA 01810, 978-689-9303, a Registered Investment Advisor. BPG Wealth Management powered by Business Planning Group is independent of Signator Investors, Inc. 103-20150518-233718

019: Just Breathe May 06, 2015

Jill and Michael Knouse: Just Breathe

We’ve all experienced workplace stress. No one knows this better than Jill Knouse, who left her job in financial services in 2005 to focus on nourishing her mind and body. Although Jill was making great money at her corporate job, it came at the cost of sacrificing her health. Her office hours were long and tiring. She felt withdrawn from her community. Simply put, she was depleted. So she bought a bungalow in Portland and left San Francisco to refuel and refresh. Today, she’s the owner of Jill Knouse Yoga, where she helps others find Zen. She even teaches onsite corporate yoga classes.

Jill's husband, Michael Knouse, found himself in a similar situation. He worked in tech for about 14 years before also branching out on his own. His reality check came when he was told to relay a message to a bank—a message he disagreed with. When he confronted his sales manager, he was told in so many words, “As long as we’re writing your check, you’ll do the things we ask.” That’s when Michael began to think about what type of work environment would bring him the most satisfaction. He recalled his days at startups and realized he thrived most in an independent environment. Today, Michael is the founder of The Startup Sessions, where he works with burnt-out employees and emerging entrepreneurs to help them craft a meaningful business, and bring structure to their ideas.

Michael and Jill have created a partnership not only personally, but professionally; together, they collaborate on projects such as Jill Knouse Yoga's Elevate Your Yoga Business, a 6-Week Program For Designing Your Dream Yoga Business. The upcoming session begins June 3. Michael says the goal is to help teachers switch their mindset from fixed to growth, and to think like entrepreneurs. (For more about fixed vs. growth mindset, see Episode 14: Keeping An Open Mind).

My hope is that this episode inspires you not only to take care of your body and mind, but also contemplate what career path would bring you the most happiness. I want to stress this to all of our listeners: Making time in your day to reflect and take care of yourself is so critical. Remember that rest equals success. Looking back, Jill says she wishes she would have gotten into yoga while working in corporate to help manage her work stress. Corporate clients often tell Jill that yoga has added happiness and clarity to their lives. They are less reactive through the day, and their energy is steadier. The ability to stop and just breathe is critical for creating space—and perhaps in that space, you’ll have room to discover your true passions!

To hear this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, head to www.womenrockingwallstreet.com/19. To check out Michael’s podcast at The Startup Sessions, visit http://www.thestartupsessions.com/episodes/.

Join us next week with guest Stay tuned for next week’s episode with guest Catherine Plano, executive coach and founder of the I Am Woman project. Thanks for listening!

Thanks for listening!

017: Finding Your Authentic Voice Apr 15, 2015

Anita Stryker: Finding Your Authentic Voice

Welcome back! This week’s guest, Anita Stryker, is here to tell us all about the “authentic voice” and how it can benefit us in the workplace. Anita got into the voice-training business by first learning about her own vocal patterns. With help from Linda Brice, founder of the Transformational Voice method, Anita recognized vocal tension that was ultimately connected to fear and shame. Through breathing and posture techniques, Anita was able to reshape her vocal tone. Today, she helps others do the same through personal development workshops and speech coaching.

So what does it mean to have an authentic voice? “It’s about starting with breath, and then turning that breath into resonance,” Anita explains.

The authentic voice refers to aligning vocals with posture and diaphragmatic breathing. Much how a singer fine-tunes her voice for song, it’s equally important to sharpen the speaking voice. When the voice and breath are aligned, the result is a smoother, less choppy sound. It’s a voice that exudes confidence and authority. In the business world, women can benefit from finding their authentic voices in three major ways:

1) Making their messages more succinct through thoughtful pauses;

2) Identifying patterns of tension in others people’s voices, which can help improve relationships with clients and colleagues; and,

3) Linking communication to both the mind and body, creating a more powerful voice.

The second point is particularly important for financial advisors. Conversations about money inevitably create tension. If advisors could sense this stress through their clients’ voices and address their concerns, the client/advisor relationship could become that much more powerful.

[For tips about how to create more commanding body language, check out the Women Rocking Wall Street episode, “Confidence Is Contagious.”]

For more information about Anita’s training and workshops, visit her website at Anitastryker.com. Anita will also be teaching a course called Ignite Your Voice from April 17-19, alongside Audrey Steele and Amy Terepka.

016: The ‘Getting Along’ Paradigm Apr 08, 2015

Dr. Solange Charas: The "Getting Along" Paradigm

Getting ahead or getting along at work—which approach is best? Well, according to Dr. Solange Charas, getting along in turn creates a successful team-oriented environment where companies are, in fact, getting ahead. Solange is the CEO of Charas Consulting, providing advisory services to boards and C-suite executives. She’s also a member of the Thirty Percent Coalition (see podcast: Let’s Get to 30%

According to Solange, women by nature focus on getting along at work, whereas men tend to place importance on getting ahead. But in the long run, cultures that promote teamwork rather than individual gains are going to win. “We shouldn’t be asking women to change who they are to fit into organizations,” Solange says. “That’s a losing strategy.” Rather, companies should change to adopt this getting along mentality.

Millennials, in particular, see value in this type of cordial team culture. Solange has found in talking with this generation that both millennial men and women prefer working at small companies to avoid the distinct hierarchy at large corporations. If organizations don’t adopt this culture of teamwork, Solange says, they may face serious recruitment issues.

Women have a different working style than men, and corporate America traditionally is geared toward a man’s leadership style and accountability. This is why Solange believes change is needed at a systematic level. The female working style should be embraced and used to drive a culture of teamwork.

If you work in a culture of “me, me, me,” there are ways to turn things around. To begin, you can change what’s valued and rewarded in your company. It may be impossible to transform the overall company culture, but you can at least start in your group. In a nice way, call out the bullies who are showing “power” behavior and not working well with the team.

On an individual level, Solange says it’s important for women to ask each other for help. Women, she says, are generally afraid of asking for a hand because they are so used to helping others.

For more information about Solange’s work, visit her website at

http://www.charasconsulting.com/index.html.

Join us next week with guest Anita Stryker, who will tell us all about how to get the “authentic voice.”

015: Let's Get to 30% Mar 30, 2015

Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane: Let's Get to 30%

Welcome back! On this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I’ve invited Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane to speak about the Thirty Percent Coalition. I first heard about Charlotte in an article and was so excited to learn more about this organization, which was formed to encourage gender diversity in boardrooms.

The Thirty Percent Coalition has several committees, including Institutional Investor, Corporate Leaders and Public Sector Initiatives. The Institutional Investor committee is the most active and has sent letters—signed by state treasurers and institutional investors—to major public companies that do not have women on their boards. The impact of these letters has been profound, with about 20% of these companies adding women to their boards.

Meanwhile, the Corporate Leaders committee encourages CEOs and board chairs to also add more women to their boards, and the Public Sector Initiatives works with government and public officials to aid the efforts of gender diversity. Such great stuff!

014: Keeping An Open Mind Mar 18, 2015

Ana Melikian: Keeping an Open Mind

You can imagine my excitement when a fellow podcaster agreed to be this week’s guest on Women Rocking Wall Street! Ana Melikian is the brains behind Mindset Zone, a podcast designed to help us all cultivate a “growth” mindset that fosters learning and new possibilities. The concept of fixed vs. growth mindset comes from psychologist Carol Dweck. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she explains why people succeed or fail based on a closed or open frame of mind. Ana says it’s particularly important for entrepreneurs to keep a growth mindset. For instance, some business owners may say to themselves, “I’m not good at sales. I just wasn’t born with that skill.” But having this fixed, limited way of thinking can be detrimental to a business. Even if you aren’t selling products, you’re still selling your services as a business owner. So don’t sell yourself short!

Our beliefs can determine who we are and what we achieve, so remember never to limit them! If you assume you won’t be good at something, then you’re closing the door to a possible opportunity in your career and life. Let’s say you tell yourself you’re bad at art, even though you’ve never really tried to draw. How do you know you’re bad? You may not become a famous artist, but you could pick up a new skill or hobby with a little effort and expand your mindset. Viewing it as “I was born with this skill/I wasn’t born with this skill” doesn’t foster growth. Rather, changing your mindset to “I have a choice” can help you find unexpected opportunities. To quote Viktor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

To get in touch with Ana and learn more about her podcast, visit Mindset.zone.

Join me next week with guest Amy Glynn, president of Pension Resource Institute. Have a great week!

013: Be Bold Not Bitchy Mar 13, 2015

Erin Donley: Be Bold Not Bitchy

The words we tell ourselves and tell others are truly powerful. Erin Donley is here on this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street to tell us how to use our words wisely. It’s important to examine our words, Erin says, and to act with compassion through them. In a world of instant communication through email, phone and social media, people don’t often think about what they’re saying before hitting send. But learning the art of communication examination can elevate you as a leader in the business world and show that you’re a communication role model. Rather than acting on emotion and impulse and being construed as impolite, it’s important to think about our message before sending or speaking. Erin suggests asking ourselves questions such as, “Is there a selfish need in this email?” “Am I being impatient?” “What do I secretly hope will happen if I send this email?”

When we’re emotionally tethered, “communication blind spots” occur. And this can sabotage what we’ve worked so hard to create in the workplace. Remember the saying, “You can’t read the label from the inside of the bottle.” It’s hard to see ourselves objectively, which is why it takes practice to communicate effectively. After all, email tones can be distorted through unexpressed expectations and stereotypes of both the sender and receiver. Communicating with thoughtfulness and creativity is sure to make you stand out from the crowd—all it takes is a little confidence and practice!

To speak with Erin and learn more about effective communication, check out her online communication training course: “How Should I handle this?” which explores communication roadblocks. Erin also offers in-person trainings. For more information, check out her website at erindonley.com.

Stay tuned next week for my chat with Ana Melikian, Book Yourself Solid Elite Certified Coach, who specializes in helping self-employed professionals with online marketing.

012: Time to Get In the Game Feb 25, 2015

Pat Roche: Get In the Game

Pat Roche is never one to shy away from a challenge. In college, she took on four internships—back when internships weren’t even a thing. By age 24, she founded her own company, Business Boomers, which helps business professionals find success through marketing, promotions and events. And eventually she found a very interesting niche—Golf For Business Bootcamps. These training courses cover everything from learning golf etiquette, to volunteering at golf events, to making connections on the course. Pat has found a unique career helping people feel comfortable around a sport that affords opportunities to not only make business connections, but also raise money for charity.

From a birdie to a bogie, Pat makes it her mission to teach the fundamentals of golf. Like etiquette at a dinner party, the game of golf requires certain manners that can help golfers not only enjoy the game for the sportsmanship, but also for the potential business connections they can make on the links. As Pat says, it’s about learning to be comfortable in the country club and on the course. It’s also about setting a foundation of credibility on the course that can get people interested in the game and also help them in the business world. Remember that it’s never too late to learn something new. Reinvent yourself!

For more information about Pat’s services, contact her by email at pat@thebusinessboomer.com, phone at (973) 809-4445, Facebook under “Business Boomers”, or on her website at thebusinessboomer.com.

Join us next week on Women Rocking Wall Street when communication expert Erin Donley shares with us how women can communicate with boldness and thoughtfulness.

Also coming up March 9 is the Women in Pensions Network (WiPN) Networking Event in San Francisco, where I’ll be presenting “Surviving in a Wired World.” Check back soon for a registration link!

011: Ski Like a Girl Feb 18, 2015

Kathleen Burns Kingsbury Ski Like a Girl

With a background in wealth psychology, it’s no surprise Kathleen Burns Kingsbury has amazing career insight to share with us on this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. Kathleen is the founder of KBK Wealth Connection, which empowers financial advisors and teaches them to communicate effectively with clients. On this episode, Kathleen will chat with us about the relationship she’s noticed between sports—specifically, skiing—and her career, and how understanding this link can help you (even if you don’t ski!) Kathleen has learned many lessons from this male-dominated sport that translate to her job. She’s proud to “ski like a girl”—as the saying goes—by embracing her femininity while competing with men and having fun. Here, she tells us about how she used her experience on the trail to excel as an entrepreneur, from tackling fear to accepting falls.

When skiing a steep trail, it may feel uncomfortable to lean forward, but leaning back will actually cause you to crash. Likewise, resist the instinct to take a back seat in your career—pushing forward, even when it feels scary and uncomfortable, is the best tool for success. And if you fall, oh well! Erring too much on the side of caution may cause you to miss a chance that can change your career. As Kathleen’s skiing buddies tell her, “If you don’t fall at least once, you aren’t pushing yourself.” Men are conditioned to fall, get bruised and pick themselves back up. Why shouldn’t women embrace the same kind of fearlessness?

For more of Kathleen’s insights and to connect with her, visit her website, Twitter, and LinkedIn. And for more information about financial therapy and events related to it, check out financialtherapyassociation.org.

Join us next week when I speak with Pat Roche. Talk soon!

010: Nail Your Niche Feb 11, 2015

Constance Freedman: Nail Your Niche

What can you bring to the table that’s unique and valuable, both professionally and personally? On this week’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, Constance Freedman shares how she found her uniqueness, and I hope it inspires you to find your niche as well. Constance has quite an interesting story, beginning her career as a real estate agent during college, where she studied information systems and technology. After graduating, she spent seven years at two different technology companies, garnering lots of great opportunities during the .com boom. Little did she know, both her technology and real estate expertise would converge to create the perfect career path for her. Today, she is the managing director of Second Century Ventures, initially capitalized by the National Association of Realtors. “It was an opportunity for me to pull all of my background together,” Constance says. Second Century Ventures began by investing in tech companies that were pushing innovation in real estate and its related industries. In 2013, she launched Reach Growth Accelerator, providing companies tools for success like education, mentorship and insight. And in 2014, she was recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as one of the 40 Under 40.

Constance’s story begs the question—how can you leverage your experience to carve your own unique career path? As Constance tells us, it involves a mix of having intention and an open mind. In addition to using past experiences to move forward, always keep an eye on new opportunities and try new things that help push the limits. “The intentional aspect is to always look for the next challenge that may create opportunity,” she says. I encourage all of you to keep one eye on your past experiences and the other eye on future opportunity.

Stay tuned next week for my talk with wealth psychology expert and author Kathleen Burns Kingsbury, whose company mission is to teach financial services professionals how to communicate better with clients.

009: Say What You Mean Feb 04, 2015

Say What You Mean

Did you know the average employee spends about 28 percent of the workweek managing their inbox? Writing and reading emails takes a lot of time! Think of all the hours you’d save and the ways your business relationships would improve if everyone said what they needed—quickly and clearly. That’s why I’ve invited Susan Weiner to chat with us in this week’s podcast about the link between effective email communication and business success. Susan is a prolific editorial contributor who’s built a successful career through writing and editing articles and commentary for investment and wealth management firms. She also has a fabulous Investment Writing Blog and even wrote a book about financial blogging. (Sign up for her newsletter to receive her free e-book, “Investment Writing Top Tips.”) On this week’s episode, Susan walks us through some great tips for improving our emails, from targeted subject lines to summary sentences. As Susan says, a great email subject line is like an airport landing strip—without one, you have to survey the entire area to find a spot to land.

By appealing to the reader’s interest and quickly summarizing the action needed, communication and efficiency will improve. Not only does this save everyone time, but it also creates a more positive work environment. When we all understand each other, business runs smoother.

Be sure to tune in next week, when I invite Constance Freedman, managing director of Second Century Ventures, to speak with us about nailing your niche.

008: Navigating Negotiation Jan 28, 2015

Jackie Harder: Navigating Negotiation

The new year offers a chance for renewal and improvement, making it the perfect time to sharpen your negotiation skills. Many companies are gearing up for their annual reviews, so it’s important to prepare now for getting the salary you deserve. On this week’s episode, I’ve invited Jackie Harder, founder of Key Dynamics Coaching & Consulting, to offer some great tips for helping women successfully navigate negotiations in the workplace. The first step, Jackie says, is realizing you don’t need to be afraid to ask for what you want.

Negotiating doesn’t have to be scary; all you need is confidence and practice. If you believe you deserve a pay raise and do the legwork preparing your case, your chances of getting what you want are considerably higher. And even if the answer is no, remember that every moment is a chance to learn. Maybe hearing “no” compels you to move on to another job opportunity, or perhaps it gives you a deeper understanding of what you can improve. Companies are willing to pay extra for quality work and a quality personality—so don’t ever sell yourself short!

To speak with Jackie, email Jackie@key-dynamics.com or call (305) 451-9295. You can also sign up for her free webinar on Feb. 18 to help prepare for the big negotiation conversation!

Stay tuned next week for guest Susan Weiner, a writer-editor who will share her best communication tips with us. (You’ll also find out how to get a free copy of her e-book.)

007: Nothing Can Stop Her! Jan 21, 2015

Michelle Duval: From Fatal Diagnosis to Renowned Coaching Business

On today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I have the pleasure of chatting with Michelle Duval, founder of Equlibrio International. Michelle is a woman who has found success in a variety of roles including coach, speaker, writer and survivor. Inspired by her self-treatment of two autoimmune diseases that doctors diagnosed as fatal in 2003, Michelle travels around the world speaking about her discoveries in integral healing. Through collaboration with a colleague, she was able to identify actions that worsened her symptoms and within five years was miraculously declared cured.

Michelle has applied the same wisdom she learned about her health to success in business and leadership. She specializes in studying the motivations and attitudes of entrepreneurs and has found several interesting differences between men and women in the workplace. Among the most notable is that women are generally more patient than men and seek more external motivation, or approval from others. Unfortunately, these tendencies can lead to inaction and ultimately lost opportunities in their careers. On this episode, Michelle will share lots of tasty tidbits about changing our brains’ thought patterns to build pathways to workplace success.

I hope you’ll enjoy hearing Michelle’s story and tips for success. Let me know what you think of today’s episode in the comments section below.

006: You Gotta Love it! Jan 14, 2015

WRW006: Loreen Gilbert: Her Unwavering Love for the Finance Industry, Even During a Recession

This week I’m happy to welcome Loreen Gilbert, president of WealthWise Financial Services, on Women Rocking Wall Street to share her experience in the finance industry. Over the years, Loreen has seen the highs and lows of the market, but even the 2008 recession reinforced her love of the business. Success comes down to personal fortitude, Loreen says. Finance is a difficult business, and you have to love it to stay in it.

To run a successful business, Loreen wears hats as both an advisor and business owner. It’s paramount that her clients always feel comfortable and have the resources they need to accomplish their goals. As a business owner, she also spends time each week focusing on her company’s growth. She’s a firm believer in visualizing goals, planning and tracking them. What are your business goals, and how do you track them? Share your insights in the comments below!

005: Listening Is an Art … That Can Be Learned! Jan 07, 2015

These days, we’re all glued to our smartphones. Whether at the grocery store, a concert or work event, the online world sometimes captivates our attention more than the real world, and this can have serious effects. On today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, I have the honor of speaking with Allison Clarke, an advocate for tuning into our surroundings and listening to others. As president of the Oregon Chapter of the National Speakers Association and founder of Allison Clarke Consulting, she’s a true listening maven and motivator.

Before starting her consulting firm, which offers leadership and presentation training among other coaching areas, Allison spent 16 years in leadership training at Dale Carnegie. As she tells us today, mastering the art of listening can have a significant impact on your career. I hope you enjoy today’s segment! If you have comments or suggestions, please share them below.

004: The Evolution of Women in Finance Dec 31, 2014

WRW004: Ellen Lander: The Evolution of Women in Finance

Today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street features Ellen Lander, principal of Renaissance Benefit Advisors Group. As a 401(k) geek myself, I’m thrilled to talk with a woman who’s a true leader in the industry—she’s been named among Planadviser magazine’s Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers of the Year and was even one of the top five finalists for the 2014 award. Ellen has worked on both the provider and advisor side of the industry, beginning her career in an actuarial consulting firm. Today, she’s principal at a firm that advises over $1.5 billion in retirement plan assets.

Working in finance since “before the dinosaurs,” as Ellen puts it, she’s seen the industry evolve in many ways, especially when it comes to hiring women. Although our industry has come a long way since Ellen began her career, there’s still much to be done. Did you know women still only account for about 30 percent of financial advisors? You, too, can be a leader in helping the industry see women’s potential, just as Ellen has!

I hope you’ll find some useful insights in today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street. Feel free to leave comments below!

003: Boldness Creates Opportunities Dec 24, 2014

Jania Stout: How She Found Entrepreneurial Success … Even in a Recession!

Today I’m excited to introduce you to Jania Stout, managing director of Fiduciary Plan Advisors at HighTower. Jania’s been in the retirement plan business for 20 years, beginning on the provider side. Eventually, she made the move to the advisory sector, as she felt a natural calling to be on the same side of the table with clients, helping them achieve financial security.

Although going out on her own to work in the advisory business was scary—especially during the 2008 financial crisis—Jania said it was the best decision to grow professionally. And her hard work in the industry hasn’t gone unnoticed—last year, Jania won NAPA’s 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award. In a world where women make up only 19 percent of senior level positions in financial services and 2 percent of CEO roles, Jania is a true inspiration for women wanting to pursue their passion and succeed at it!

I hope today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street inspires you to take chances in your career and follow your true passions. What does your dream job look like? Let me know in the comments section below!

002: Changing Perspective Dec 17, 2014

Today I’m excited to share some wisdom from Farnoosh Brock, founder of Prolific Living. Farnoosh’s “Act 2” of her career, as she calls it, is a far cry from the industry where she began. Farnoosh started in electrical engineering school and over the years held roles in project management, sales operations and executive communications, always looking for the ultimate job fulfillment. But after 11 years of feeling uninspired, Farnoosh took the leap and started her own company.

Through Prolific Living, she now empowers others to do the same, whether becoming entrepreneurs or taking leadership roles in their current jobs. If you want to leave a legacy, as Farnoosh says, it’s critical to find a job that speaks to your passion and core values. On this episode of Women Rocking Wall Street, Farnoosh shares some of her best tips for tapping into your true calling and rising to leadership roles.

I hope today’s podcast inspires you! Please share all your comments and suggestions below. And for more of Farnoosh’s valuable tips, check out her Crack the Code to Get Promoted program, as well as her free course!

001: Confidence is Contagious Dec 10, 2014

Confidence isn’t in our DNA—it’s something we learn. Talk about a great piece of advice from Tracy Hooper, founder of The Confidence Project, who’s here on today’s episode to teach us all about exuding more assuredness. Tracy’s background is interesting to say the least, with experience in TV reporting, voice-over work and hotel management. All the skills she learned from these jobs were critical to The Confidence Project, she says.

Today she’s offering us some of her best tips for being more confident and, in turn, positively affecting our professional and personal lives. This is especially important for women, as there seems to be a considerable gender gap when it comes to confidence. Even things as seemingly small as improving our posture and body language can have a big effect on our confidence and ultimately on our workplace success. As Tracy says, there’s a reason Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk about power poses is the second most-watched TED talk segment of all time, with 20 million viewers.

If you enjoyed today’s episode of Women Rocking Wall Street or have suggestions for future topics, please let me know in comments below! I’d love to hear from you.

000: Finding Your Inner Rockstar Dec 08, 2014

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Women Rocking Wall Street! I’m excited to bring this podcast to all women working in finance, or those who are thinking about joining the ranks. Did you know women only represent about 30% of jobs in financial services? We need more women. We need you. My hope through this podcast is to help women find their inner rock stars so they can feel confident about pursuing a job in a male-dominated field. This isn’t about putting men down to elevate ourselves or blaming anyone for the gender disparity in finance—it’s about empowering women and helping them pave the way for success.

In each weekly episode, I’ll be interviewing some “kick aspiration” women who will share their experience and provide lots of good tips for surviving and thriving in the financial industry. As I launch this podcast, I’m reminded of a lovely quote from Jack Canfield: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” Let’s get to the other side and see how much we can achieve!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the episodes, as well as requests for speakers and topics. Feel free to leave any comments below. Enjoy!