I recently blogged about how one of the things I am grateful for is the opportunity to help empower people through client-centric wealth management and help them take control of their financial lives.
Another thing I am always thankful for is the influence of mentors. I have sought the guidance and advice of mentors throughout my entire career, from the time I was a junior analyst at an investment bank to today, as CEO of my own wealth management firm. Everyone should have mentors because they will often have more vision for you than you have for yourself. They will push you to dream bigger, and help you organize your thoughts to turn those dreams into action. When I was thinking about founding LexION Capital, the chorus of “Don’t do it” was often echoed by people who love and care about me – it came from a legitimate place of concern for my career and the risks of being an entrepreneur. But it was my professional mentors, many of whom are seasoned entrepreneurs themselves, who encouraged me to go for it. One longtime mentor even helped me name the firm.
The positive influence of mentorship is something that I strive to bring full circle. It is one of the most important ways that anyone can give back. With the Thanksgiving season upon us, this is a perfect opportunity to consider ways in which we can pay forward the gifts of our own mentors to help support and inspire the next generation.
There are a lot of different ways to help, beyond mentoring someone one-on-one. For instance, one thing I focus on is creating more visibility for women in finance. We have far too few women in this field, and that is even more true when we look at the lack of women in leadership positions on Wall Street. It’s why I share my story and LexION Capital’s focus on empowering women through finance. I hope young girls and women of all ages see me and think, “If she could do it, I can do it.” In the future, I hope that I’m boring and commonplace – that there will be nothing remarkable about a female CEO in finance. As a firm, LexION Capital advocates for real change in the financial industry, part of which is creating a more inclusive, more representative Wall Street. We work to lead by example.
Who are your grateful for in your professional life? How do you pay it forward? Can you become a mentor to give back this Thanksgiving?
