The Female Insight Zone

Jocelyn D. Wright serves as both The American College State Farm Chair for Women and Financial Services and Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies. In these roles, she functions as the Center’s director and chief ambassador in leveraging research and education to create broad awareness of the challenges and opportunities as they pertain to women in financial services.

In addition, Wright is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Ascension Group where she serves as a financial advisor, partnering with clients to design a personalized strategy to help them reach their financial goals. Wright has 20-plus years of experience in the field, and she holds the Certified Financial Planner designation.

Passionate about educating the community, Wright enjoys speaking at conferences and conducting seminars on economic empowerment, debt reduction and investing. InvestmentNews Magazine recently recognized her as one of the 20 Women to Watch in 2016. On this episode of the podcast, Wright discusses her work to change the face of the financial services industry via outreach programs and scholarship initiatives that will attract young women and African Americans to the profession.

Key Interview Takeaways

Financial planners must recognize the unique needs of women and market their services differently to female clients. Wright is responsible for the course FA 204: Marketing Financial Services to Women, which provides students with data regarding areas that are uniquely important to women.

Everyone should have a clear understanding of where they are financially. Even in 2017, we raise our daughters differently from our sons, and some women continue to be intimidated by money matters. Wright stresses the importance of knowing your net worth as well as what you owe in order to understand how to operate on a day-to-day basis.

Education and awareness are key components of building diversity in the financial services sector. Wright is currently working to “forcefully change the face of the industry” by exposing African American students to opportunities in financial services with the moonshot goal of doubling the number of African American advisors in the next decade.

Diversity in the financial services sector functions both to strengthen the industry itself as well as help close the wealth gap in our country. Wright contends that an industry workforce including women and minorities will have a positive impact on individuals, families and communities as heretofore underserved groups gain financial literacy.

Connect with Jocelyn Wright

theamericancollege.edu

womenscenter.theamericancollege.edu

twitter.com/jocelyndwright

Resources

ellevest.com

rockthestreetwallstreet.com

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Lynn Dictor, better known as her on-air persona, Moira, is Orlando’s favorite Jewish mother on the wildly popular radio show ‘The Philips Phile.’  She has one of the most well-known voices in radio.

On this episode of the podcast, she explores the current assault on the media, offers advice to professional women, and discusses her work to promote tolerance.

Key Interview Takeaways

There is no such thing as alternative fact. Moira is offended by the assault on legitimate news organizations in the current political climate, and she is alarmed by the blurred lines between editorializing and true reporting, which requires an objective approach.

Don’t sell yourself short. Moira encourages young women to recognize their value and present that to the people who are in a position to deliver a raise, a better shift, a more prestigious time slot, etc.

The best way to tackle prejudice is by getting accustomed to different types of people. Moira’s greatest career success to date is helping others take steps toward embracing diversity through ‘The Philips Phile.’

 Connect with Moira

twitter.com/moira104

facebook.com/ThePhilipsPhile

 Resources

Listen to The Philips Phile

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Amanda Boleyn is the host of She Did It Her Way, a podcast where she features savvy female entrepreneurs from across the globe to learn their behaviors, mindsets and business models. The podcast has received much recognition, being named one of Forbes’ 12 Best Podcasts for Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneur.com’s Top 24 Exceptional Women-Hosted Podcasts for Entrepreneurs in 2017.

Boleyn is an entrepreneur herself, consulting with large organizations to implement sales, leadership development and employee engagement trainings. She has worked with more than 10,000 individuals in multiple industries, including telecom, health care, tech and banking. Boleyn believes that real return on investment is rooted in the development of people within organizations.

Boleyn began her career in the corporate world, working in retail management and human resources at Fortune 500 companies before taking the leap to start her own consulting business. Today on the podcast, she shares the life-changing mindset that has allowed her measure success based on what she has learned in the process of running her own firm. Boleyn also reveals her best tips for sustaining your financial health and building profit into your business!

Key Interview Takeaways

“Whatever you do, never, ever, ever, ever ring that bell.” There is a vulnerability that comes with entrepreneurship, and the inner critic that plagues many women may tempt them to tap out. Boleyn encourages female business owners to persevere and develop the mental stamina to keep going – even when the going is tough.

Attach success to the process rather than the outcome. Yes, burgeoning entrepreneurs will face challenges and make mistakes, but you can choose to apply what you learned (rather than dwelling on the failures) and move forward.

You can’t learn unless you put yourself out there. Boleyn cites the small number of female students who enter the University of Iowa’s pitch competition to illustrate the necessity of a shift in mindset. Don’t take yourself out of the game because you may not win; instead consider what you can learn from the process.

Build profit into your business. Though your income may fluctuate, it is possible to create consistency by assigning percentages of your income (rather than amounts) to things like owner’s pay and profit.

 Connect with Amanda Boleyn

She Did It Her Way Podcast

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

 Resources

Admiral McRaven’s Commencement Address

Amanda’s Course

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

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You’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t take no for an answer,” but what if you heard the word “no” 50 times from 50 different venture capitalists? Would you have the inner drive to keep moving forward? Today’s guest puts a new spin on perseverance with her story of how grit and grace led to her eventual success – and a Harvard Business School case study!

Eloise Bune is the founder and CEO of Handwriting.io. Since founding the technology startup in 2011, she has guided the development of Handwriting.io’s groundbreaking handwriting replication software. Under her leadership, the company has established partnerships with major players in the print space, including Hallmark, Xerox and 1-800-Flowers, and secured its Series A funding to continue her vision to enrich a digital world with personal messages. Bune has also played a leading role in the launch of Handwriting.io’s new app, ScribbleChat, which functions to personalize text messages via “handwritten” text, emojis and animation.

Bune is also committed to educating aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners. As such, she is active in several leadership organizations like Springboard Enterprises, Golden Seeds, Million Dollar Women and WeCN. Today she coaches you to learn from every “no” and seek out mentors who can help you secure a “yes.”

Key Interview Takeaways

Be coachable. Bune presented to 50 venture capitalists and heard “no” 50 times. She had the strength to persist because she learned from their feedback, applied that information and kept moving to the next level.

Find your Janet. Bune attributes her perseverance to mentor Janet Kraus, CEO of peach, inc. The presence of a sounding board who could help Bune supply a next step inspired her to continue moving forward.

Create a list of ten people who can help you. Reach out and invite those ten individuals out for coffee by picking up the phone to leave a voicemail or to make an appointment with an assistant. Bune has discovered that people want to help, and if they can’t, they will put you in touch with someone who can.

Don’t entertain the monsters in your head. Women tend to listen to the destructive voices that make us feel unworthy and fear we might be wasting someone’s time. But we must look past that apprehension and ask for help to reap the rewards.

Only 4% of venture capital goes to women. Venture capitalists are looking for a great idea in a big market, pitched by a confident entrepreneur with a team in place to execute a fully developed strategy, while angel investors are more likely to take a risk on someone who doesn’t necessarily have all of the answers.

Connect with Eloise Bune

handwriting.io

getscribblechat.com

 Resources

Harvard Business School Case Study: What Do Angels Want?

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The YWCA has had a long legacy for providing social services to a number of different communities. Learn more about its journey of transformation from a 140-year-old social service agency to a twenty-first century social enterprise in today’s interview with Dorri McWhorter, the current CEO of YWCA Chicago and one of the top women innovators listed in Chicago’s #TheBlueNetwork.

Dorri tells the story of how her experience in a number of corporate positions gave her the perspective to find new solutions for the YWCA’s transformation. She also talks about the YWCA, and how it has remained true to its vision while being able to find its own foothold in modern society. She touches as well on her thoughts about having more women tapped for the boardrooms of many other companies and organizations today.

While remaining true to its vision, the YWCA has enjoyed a welcome transition in modern society. Learn from Dorri, as she talks about the YWCA’s initiatives and how you too can be empowered to engage people and be involved with your community today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The importance of exposure to different situations in providing new solutions to any organization or company.

• How YWCA Chicago has been able to raise awareness on their vision of eliminating racism and empowering women.

• What women can do to find opportunities for career advancement and boardroom positions.

Tweetables:

• We’ve really raised the visibility of the YWCA and the work that we do, so people are aware that these things are happening… right in their backyard.

• It’s about what you do in your day-to-day work, but it’s also about extending that network and keeping that professional circle well-populated so you can have access to opportunities.

Big Takeaways:

• It is a good idea to be exposed to a number of different situations, as they may give you the perspective to find solutions and growth in a number of different areas in the future.

• Among the first steps to take in helping a community, raising awareness about a key issue is very important. In today’s modern society, there are a number of ways to make people aware of problems that may just be happening in their backyard.

• Career advancement, even appointments to the board of directors, rely not only on the work you do, but also on the network you have. Being involved in communities and organizations will help expand your network and make you open to many opportunities.

Related Links & References:

• Dorri’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dorrimcwhorter

• YWCA Chicago website: www.ywcachicago.org/

• #NotThatComplicated: www.ywcachicago.org/notthatcomplicated/

• YShop.org: yshop.org

• National Association of Corporate Directors’ website: nacdonline.org

• The Mayor’s Commission for a Safer Chicago: www.cityofchicago.org/saferchicago

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While the world has seen many women stake their claims as leaders, there is still a gap between genders in terms of leadership. In today’s episode, Janet Salazar, human potential activist and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, talks about a solution to bridge the gap and create real change. She discusses her innovative dialogue series, Conversations with Men™, a pioneering and groundbreaking executive forum with the mission of engaging men in leadership roles to accelerate women’s leadership at the top, and achieving gender equality.

Janet relates her own experiences with taking on responsibility and management, and how that helped her gain her position in the UN and establish Impact Leadership 21, a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable leadership worldwide. She also discusses her thoughts on leadership, and the importance of having men be champions for women leaders.

While the world still has some distance before achieving a better balance between genders in terms of leadership, Janet’s initiatives are paving the way for a future for the best and brightest leaders, whether male or female.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Just how big the gap is between men and women in leadership roles.

• How Impact Leadership 21 has been empowering men and women for sustainable leadership.

• What the Conversations With Men forum has been doing to bring awareness about this disparity.

• Why Janet wishes to someday do away with the term “women’s leadership”.

Tweetables:

• I believe that the changes that need to happen have to come from conscious decision from leadership.

• At the end of the day, it really boils down to humanity and being human. There is no gender.

Big Takeaways:

• Many organizations, such as the United Nations, have been working to empower both men and women for leadership positions. Notably, the leaders of the private sector are highly influential in this scenario, and making them aware of their influence is a key step to bridging this gap.

• Women leadership is not just about salary increases or positions. It is about realizing the economic impact that women bring to the table as well, and involving them to be part of it.

• Having conversations with male champions of female empowerment is a powerful tool that can help advance gender equality in leadership.

Related Links & References:

• Janet’s official website: www.janetcsalazar.com

• Janet’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janetcsalazar

• Janet’s Twitter handle: twitter.com/janetcsalazar1

• Impact Leadership 21: www.impactleadership21.com

• Conversations With Men: www.impactleadership21.com/conversations-with-men.html

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Life can be a juggling act, and many women find themselves overwhelmed by the task of keeping those balls in the air. How do you make forward progress when you are just trying to make it through the day without dropping one?

Wendi Kelly is an author, artist and transformation coach who teaches clients to blast through the negative thoughts, patterns and habits that are preventing them from creating the life they envision. She helps other writers and small business owners build a mindset of self-efficacy and develop the discipline necessary to take one small step each day as they work toward the life of their dreams.

Kelly has co-authored five novels with her writing partner, Deborah Dorchak, including the Bonds of Blood and Spirit series: Loyalties, Uncivi

l Wars, Reclamations and Legacies. The first book in their second saga, Tau’s Pride: Storms, is also available.

When Kelly isn’t writing or coaching clients, she is leading workshops and delivering keynotes for groups who want to learn how to live a creative, inspired life. Listen as she explores the reasons why so many women get stuck and shares her approach to ‘stepping over the fear.’

Key Interview Takeaways

In writing fiction, you must know the ending – yet be flexible in how you get there. Kelly and her co-writer always know the purpose of the chapter they are working on, but they are often surprised by the what happens along the way.

There is no such thing as writer’s block. In writing and in life, fears, expectations, judgements and comparisons can stop you from moving forward. The secret is to focus on your work and the message.

One reason many women get stuck is because they feel that in order to be ‘good enough,’ they must be ‘better than.’ Kelly advises choosing one of the most important balls you are juggling, and moving it forward … just a little bit.

You will never stop being afraid. You just have to step over the fear and keep going.

Say it out loud. When you share your fear, you learn that you’re not alone.

Transformation is about figuring out how to take that one small step each day – and doing it with consistency. We get more powerful when we act with integrity, aligning our behavior with the things we said we would do.

 Connect with Wendi Kelly

bluesunstudio-inc.com

Wendi’s Amazon Page

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Conventional wisdom tells us that change is necessary, and we must work toward acceptance. But change can also be terrifying, and our instinct is to resist. Today’s guest found a way to not only accept sentinel change in her industry, but to adapt and capitalize on that change to build a business helping others navigate the new lay – and law – of the land.

Cindy Heine founded SyncStream Solutions in 2013 to combat mounting confusion among employers about how to navigate and comply with emerging Affordable Care Act regulations. SyncStream builds intuitive software that helps employers understand and fulfill their obligations under healthcare reform policy. Based in Baton Rouge, the company seeks to be a thought leader, educator and innovator for clients.

Heine got her start in the healthcare industry as a hospital chaplain before working her way up to middle management and finally executive roles in the faith-based healthcare system. She had been on the board of her father’s employee benefits consulting firm since its inception in 1998, and succeeded him as President in 2009. When the ACA went into effect, Heine led her team in learning as much as they could about the new law. One employee developed a software curriculum, and SyncStream was born – first as the marketing arm for the product, later purchasing a controlling interest in the company. Without the benefit of outside venture capital, SyncStream has grown to 30 employees and 10,000 customers.

Listen in as Heine shares her journey in the family business, honoring her father’s legacy while making the firm her own. She also offers a unique perspective on the current political debate around health care.

Key Interview Takeaways

View change as an opportunity. When the ACA came along, Heine dove in and developed SyncStream Solutions in response to the changing landscape of the healthcare system.

Work as a team to assure a smooth succession. When Heine took over for her father as President of the employee benefits consulting business he founded, some difficult conversations took place. Together they were able to plan and implement a smooth transition, and her father still functions as a ‘recliner consultant’ for the firm.

Generosity and kindness are not the same as weakness. Heine’s father taught her that it’s better to have a small piece of a larger pie, as opposed to the whole pie. Working with people you love who have the same kind of energy but complementary skills is good business sense. ‘You can always get more pie.’

Control what you can control. The current political climate around the ACA is turbulent; however, it remains the law of the land. Continue to comply by doing your best to report what you know, and remember that any further reform would be subject to the Administrative Procedures Act process.

 Connect with Cindy Heine

Sync-Stream.com

cindyh@sync-stream.com

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Though the world of finance continues to be dominated by men, today’s guest argues that the strengths required for success in the field of financial advisory are competencies normally associated with women, specifically empathy and communication.  Rita Cheng is the CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, an investment advisory firm that delivers comprehensive financial planning and wealth management solutions to families, entrepreneurs, and executives. As a trusted partner and educational resource, Blue Ocean provides corporations and institutions with portfolio construction, investment due diligence, and risk management consulting.

While studying Asian Language & Literature as well as Finance at the University of Maryland, College Park, Cheng was awarded the prestigious Monbukagakusho Scholarship which allowed her to study abroad at Keio University in Tokyo and eventually land a position with Towa Securities, where she leveraged her language and accounting skills to become both Analyst and Editor, translating Towa’s newsletter from Japanese to English for overseas investors in the US and Europe.

Cheng returned to the US to further her education and start a family, and she soon discovered the discipline of personal finance. She spent 14 years as a Financial Advisor for Ameriprise Financial Services before transitioning to her role at Blue Ocean. She is a CFP professional, a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, a Retirement Income Certified Professional, and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. Cheng is committed to educating the public about the benefits of ethical financial planning through her roles as a Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Ambassador and Women’s Initiative Advocate. Today she shares the secrets to getting your financial life in order, her take on why women have a different approach to investing, and the need for women in the growing financial industry.

Key Interview Takeaways

“So many people spend their health to gain wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” This A. J. Reb Materi quote is Cheng’s matra, and in her role as a financial planner she seeks to have a positive impact on individuals, families and society. She is committed to helping each client achieve a reasonable amount of wealth and enabling them to enjoy that wealth in good health, with their community of friends, family and loved ones.

Don’t be intimidated or overwhelmed by the prospect of getting your financial life in order. Begin by determining your net worth, cashflow, and credit score, as well as exploring your priorities.

The financial planner’s office must be a judgement-free zone. Cheng sends new clients a questionnaire to facilitate an initial dialogue, but she makes it clear that there will be no shaming and doesn’t charge for the first hour. Her goal is to make the first experience a positive one, even if the client decides not to work with her.

While women and men both want to build wealth and reach their financial goals, women employ a different approach. Women tend to be more relational and risk-aware, thinking several steps ahead, thus the conversation a financial planner initiates with a female client should explore the impact each decision has on other aspects of her financial life.

The financial industry is an excellent fit for women. Cheng initially thought of the business world as cold and cut-throat, but she learned that psychology and the ability to communicate with clients were the most important skills in financial advisory. “The need for empathy and the ability to connect with one another is never going away.”

 Connect with Rita Cheng

blueoceanglobalwealth.com

Email mcheng@blueoceanglobalwealth.com

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Ever heard about Forensic Accounting?

If not, then you’ll in for a treat as our special guest, Elizabeth Dean shares how her passion for mathematics led her to a rather new kind of service in the financial world.

As the vice-president and founding member of TM Financial Forensics LLC, Elizabeth tells her journey from doing a traditional accounting role into consulting.

Along the way, she discovers key issues that impact not just her but all women who are looking to further their career in male dominated fields: law, technology and finance.

With more than 20 years in financial services, Elizabeth shares her personal definition of success. She talks about how success changes as she move forward from being in college to the professional field. Plus, we’ll learn about HiPower and what value it delivers especially to women who want to advance their careers.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How she got started in a field that’s dominated by men.

• Reasons why there’s quite a shortage of women scaling up to higher position in traditional industries like law, financial services, engineering and accounting.

• Instances in her career where being a woman restricted her from doing what she has to do.

• The value of being in an organization like HiPower.

• The challenges that she had to overcome during her career in forensic accounting.

• The risks involved in creating a business that is fairly new to the market and wasn’t recognized by most companies.

Tweetables:

• The assumption that women can’t be effective at their jobs once they have a family is naïve.

• If you need something, you should ask. Don’t toil in silence.

• I feel in retrospect that everybody, even in a very large organization, has an impact. Everything you do is beneficial to the company.

Big Takeaways:

• Organization should create a cultural environment that encourages women to develop a long-term career goal. Such encouragement could be in a form of a more flexible policies.

• If you want to advance your goals – whether professionally or personally – you have to learn how to ask. Toiling in silence isn’t a smart thing to do.

• Create an environment that supports diversity – whether it’s between genders or races.

• Even challenges can open a window of opportunity to grow your business or your career. Don’t close your door to the possibility of building on the challenges you had to go through.

Related Links & References:

• TM Financial Forensics LLC official website : www.tmfin.com

• Elizabeth’s LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-dean

• Elizabeth on HiPower.org: www.hipower.org

• ELLEVATE official website: www.ellevatenetwork.com

• Book: Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business by Pamela Ryckman

• Book: The Ask: How to Ask for Support for Your Nonprofit Cause, Creative Project, or Business Venture by Laura Fredrick

• Book: The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life by Maribeth Kuzmeski

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