Battling the Boys Club with Jennifer Craig

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We’re often told that finance is a “boys’ club.” But what if we could change that?

In this episode, Adri hosts Jennifer Craig, RICP® Regional Director at Prudential, to discuss her journey from starting as a financial advisor at 21 years old to where she is today, 12 years later. As someone determined to change the environment for female advisors, Jen explains the new model that she has developed that leverages women’s strengths.

Adri and Jennifer discuss: 

  • Jennifer’s experience as a 21-year-old woman starting as a financial advisor
  • The challenges female advisors face in succeeding in a male-dominated industry
  • The step-by-step process of Jennifer’s new model that breaks the “one-size-fits-all” mold. 
  • And more

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Jennifer Craig: 

About our Guest:

Jennifer Craig, RICP® is a Regional Director with the Greater New England Financial Group where she is committed to supporting women advisors in creating fulfilling advisory practices.  Prior to starting her career with Prudential in 2010, she was a student at the University of New Hampshire where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in business management.  When Jennifer became a financial advisor at 21, she experienced the challenges of being one of the few women in a male dominated industry which inspired her to empower other female advisors.  

Jennifer became a Regional Director in 2021 and was determined to change the environment for women in financial services.  She created a network of women advisors in her firm with the goal of accelerating the growth of their practices while making them feel valued both personally and professionally.

Jennifer now coaches women using an alternative business model designed around women’s strengths.  Her philosophy is to mentor and coach, not manage, and she works with every woman on her team to truly understand what motivates and inspires her.  She has been a featured speaker on several national panels where she has shared her passion and vision for women in financial services.

 

Why Great Success Starts with Breaking Rules with Deb LaFrancis

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As women in the financial industry, we have to break a few rules to succeed. Let’s face it, the financial industry has been dominated by male-driven practices and strategies for far too long… It is time to break that model and change the course of the industry to better adapt to the women and men working in it.

In this episode, Adri sits down with her previous boss, Deb LaFrancis, who now works for Adri at femXadvisor as a Coach and Strategist, as they get real about how the financial industry is evolving, and the changes that still need to happen for women to break out of the male-dominated molds and embrace their authentic selves.

Adri and Deb discuss:

  • Why Deb started breaking rules at a young age. 
  • Deb’s journey from a teacher to banker to Leadership Trainer for a major wire house but today she is living the dream. 
  • Deb’s role at femXadvisor and what she and Adri have established for women advisors
  • The rules you need to break to achieve your greatest potential. 
  • Deb was once Adri’s boss hear how the roles reversed!
  • And more

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

About Our Guest:

Deb LaFrancis has over 40 years in the financial industry with an emphasis on training and leadership development. Following the traditional “male” role models, she climbed the corporate management ladder. Over the years, she found her niche and fine-tuned her focus to personal and professional life coaching, helping others be successful in business while achieving life balance. As a coach for femXadvisor, she encourages women to do what comes naturally, find their voice, and work with their clients in rewarding and satisfying ways.

Make Failure Your Friend and Succeed Faster with Carrie Gallaway

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She has a highly successful independent firm and is skyrocketing her business…But it was the “failures” that propelled her success. When you make failure your friend, success comes faster.

The only voice you should truly listen to is the one coming from your heart because nobody knows you like you do. 

In this episode, Adri chats with Carrie Gallaway, Managing Partner at YorkBridge Wealth Partners, about how failing her first test in a job application process not only shifted her focus but changed how the rest of her life would play out… 

Adri and Carrie discuss: 

  • Why Carrie failed her job application test and how she handled it 
  • Taking the necessary steps out of her comfort zone 
  • Starting her own practice, YorkBridge Wealth Partners, and why she decided to focus on women 
  • How being a woman played a role in her uncovering her purpose as a financial advisor 
  • And so much more! 

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Carrie Gallaway:

About our Guest: 

Carrie Gallaway, CFP®, brings over twenty years of experience helping clients plan for secure financial lives. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, she works diligently to understand her clients’ life goals and circumstances. Carrie is passionate about empowering high achieving female business owners to understand the importance of investing and securing their own financial future.  Before co-founding YorkBridge Wealth Partners, LLC in 2016, Carrie was a Senior Vice President with Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms. Carrie began her career as a Registered Client Service Associate with DLJdirect.  

Carrie is a Lehigh University and lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. In 2018, Carrie wrote the book Your Money, Your Life: A Women’s Guide to Building Wealth for a Secure Financial Future and Ideal Retirement.  She enjoys volunteering at her children’s school and spending time outdoors with her family, skiing, and hiking in her spare time.

 

Risk it All to Become Unstoppable with Jammie Serrano

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Jammie was presented with an incredible opportunity but she walked away…she was totally qualified but assumed they wouldn’t hire a woman and told them so and that’s what got their attention. She spoke her truth and it changed everything.

We all have the capacity to inspire other women to succeed…But when you finally have a friend who shows you the actions you need to take to live out your passion you become unstoppable.

In this episode, Adri sits down with Jammie Serrano, Vice President of Advisor Development with Advisors Excel, to discuss Jammie’s journey as a female financial advisor, and why she won’t stop until every woman has reached her true potential.

Adri and Jammie discuss: 

  • The Power in Speaking your truth and stepping up
  • Why you don’t want to back away simply because it’s uncomfortable
  • What would happen if more women spoke up? 
  • “The office environment is totally manly and does nothing for women.” 
  • “Your process is NOT conducive to building relationships with women.” 
  • “As a female advisor, it’s not the money that drives me.” 
  • And more! 

These are the truths we need to speak and Jammie did it. This is how you kick-ass in business. 

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Jammie Serrano: 

About our Guest: Jammie Serrano entered the financial services industry 22 years ago with Security Benefit.  Although it was a male dominated industry it did not stop her from moving her way up and using her unique talents to thrive in an industry that needs more women. 

She took the knowledge she gained into the independent advisory sector and obtained her insurance license, Series 6, 26, 63 and holds her Series 65 today.  Along with meeting with her clients she also helped a dear friend build an independent firm through seminars, radio, TV, direct mail, client events and more.   

The rapid growth of that firm caught the attention of Advisors Excel, the largest independent marketing organization in the nation.  She joined Advisors Excel in 2013 and is now Vice President of Advisor Development. 

Using her industry experience from Security Benefit, Jones Advisory Group and Advisors Excel she was able to write a book, “Stop Guessing Towards Your Goals” and share her knowledge with others in the financial services industry. 

She has been recognized within her community as a leader and a successful businesswomen and coach. She studies leadership constantly, to help her great advisors become amazing CEOs of their business. 

When she isn’t busy traveling, coaching advisors and leading her team, she is a wife and mom of three beautiful children, Aspen (22), Oscar (12), and Olivia (10).  They keep her busy with sports teams and volunteering at the school.  



Finding Your Authentic Self While Working With Old School Attitudes (and Bullies) with Margaret Marapao

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Female advisors must uncover their unique approach to doing business in the financial industry, even when it’s different. The next challenge is to maintain the courage to stay true to yourself even when you feel as if you are drowning in testosterone. Women must embrace their unique strengths to achieve the success they deserve. 

In this episode, Adri sits down with Margaret Marapao, CFP® Certified Financial Planner™, of Integrity Wealth Advisors, about her journey in the financial industry. She shares the wisdom gained from 10 years in a male-dominated trading company, that many women in the industry need to hear.

Adri and Margaret discuss: 

  • How Margaret got the nickname “The Big Ticket” when she first started her financial career 
  • The different roles men and women have played in shaping her financial career
  • How Margaret found her true calling working with women in the financial industry 
  • Why ditching the numbers allowed her to carve her path as a female advisor
  • What it takes to build strong client relationships as a female advisor 
  • And more

Connect with Margaret Marapao: 

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

About our Guest: Margaret earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC). In addition, she received her Personal Financial Planning certification from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She also earned her securities licenses and Insurance Agent Licenses in CA, WA, and she is a Certified Financial Planner and registered advisor representative at Integrity Wealth Advisors Inc.

At the age of 23, Margaret began her career in the financial industry as a trader for an investment management firm. She then moved to Client Services as a department supervisor and finally found her passion as a financial advisor, where her focus is to build deeper relationships with her clients and assist them with any unique challenges they face, and help them feel more confident that their plan and investments are aligned with their priorities and values.

She loves spending time with family and friends. She also volunteers in the community. She is the vice-chair and board member for a local school and has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Financial Planning Foundation, and USC Day of Service.

Hear Her Roar: Time To Stop Wallowing And Start Doing with Sheryl Hickerson-Brown and Matt Halloran

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2022 is the year women take charge. No more wallowing in statistics, it’s time to change the industry. As women together our voices are being  heard. The movement has started. 

Learn why women advisors are shifting from a mindset of scarcity to abundance,  from being territorial to collaborative, from competing to supporting and motivating each other. This is the path to success and a better world, men take note! 

In this episode, Adri talks with Sheryl Hickerson-Brown, Founder and Chief Engagement Officer for Females and Finance, and Matt Halloran, Podcasting Expert, and Co-Founder of ProudMouth, all make a personal commitment that is destined to change the industry. 

Learn what you can do as firms, leaders, advisors, support staff in order to have a huge impact on the women’s market. 

Adri, Sheryl, and Matt discuss: 

  • The financial industry is doing the minimum to support women
  • Why women will rule the financial industry
  • Why now is the time to take BIG steps to make BIG advances
  • What men MUST learn from women
  • And more! 

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Sheryl Hickerson-Brown: 

Connect with Matt Halloran:

About Sheryl Hickerson-Brown: Sheryl Hickerson, CEO of Females and Finance, has proudly worked in the financial services profession for 32 years. She is an international speaker, an award-winning diversity advocate in the financial services community, and an award-winning financial services marketer.

About Matt Halloran: Matt got started in the financial services industry 20 years ago as a certified life and business coach. As he became immersed in his client’s biggest needs, he built his knowledge and expertise as a financial branding and social media expert.  More recently, Matt has added podcasting to that list.

Matt’s first book, “The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors,” available on Amazon, was a big hit. He’s been leading the social wave in financial services for years – teaching top advisors how to be human in an oftentimes inhuman industry. His second book, “99 Best Ideas”, was an Amazon bestseller filled with marketing ideas.

Matt has served in the Navy, is a trained therapist, been a radio host, and worked as a financial professional in his list of accomplishments. Matt’s breadth of hands-on experience positions him superbly to help financial professionals build the marketing side of their practices.  

Embracing the Opportunity of Flexibility with Lynn Daly

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After being diagnosed with a life-threatening autoimmune disorder at the age of 13, Lynn Daly discovered the importance of embracing flexibility. 

As a female financial advisor, Lynn quickly learned that flexibility is essential to be more effective in your life and workplace.

In this episode, Adri talks to Lynn Daly, CLTC®, CDFA®, founder and owner of Daly & Associates at Focus Financial, about her experience as a female advisor in the financial industry and how her experience with a sudden illness shaped her path. 

Adri and Lynn discuss: 

  • Why Lynn shifted her career path from social work to financial advising 
  • Lynn’s experience with a sudden illness and how it directed her priorities in life 
  • Lynn’s current role at Focus Financial and her decision to focus on women
  • Why female financial advisors need to embrace flexibility in the industry 
  • And more

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Lynn Daly: 

About our Guest:  With a passion for helping high net worth women, Lynn R. Daly has provided financial services since 1991. It is this intrinsic desire to serve her clients’ needs that has led to her successes and longevity in this profession, and it continues to motivate her every day. By using a holistic approach to financial planning, her client’s financial goals and concerns are addressed as a component of the health and welfare of the whole person. Approaching everything with the “big picture” in mind allows her clients to retain the proper perspective, always focusing on the client’s long-term goals and future.

As an independent fee-based financial advisor, Lynn enjoys the ability to represent her female clients first and foremost, rather than any company or product. She feels that this independence is vital in providing balanced and sound financial advice. One of her key skills as a financial planner is her ability to discuss complex financial issues with clients in a plain and down-to-earth manner. Her organizational skills further enhance this ability to help her female clients understand and address their financial situation.

Making Life Lessons Out of Life’s Challenges with Sheryl Hickerson

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Trial and tribulations can either be a part of what sets you back in life or what fuels the fire to start your journey to success.

In this episode, Adri talks to Sheryl Hickerson, Founder, and CEO of Females and Finance, about what it takes to be fearless. Women advisors, you’ll get how the journey to find yourself can quickly put things in perspective and change everything!

Adri and Sheryl discuss: 

  • Why Sheryl decided to start her own financial company dedicated to helping women 
  • What it feels like to be the only woman in a meeting 
  • The hashtag that started it all 
  • Sheryl’s MAN “Male Ally Network”
  • How personal development helped Sheryl on her path more than business development 
  • And more

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Sheryl Hickerson: 

About our Guest: 

Sheryl Hickerson, CEO of Females and Finance, has proudly worked in the financial services profession for 32 years. She is an international speaker, an award-winning diversity advocate in the financial services community, and an award-winning financial services marketer.

 

Finding Success in Being Unapologetically Yourself With Matt Halloran

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When we talk about what female advisors are experiencing in the financial industry today, we typically hear about it from women who are experiencing it firsthand. 

But today, we’re exploring the male perspective of female advisors from someone with over 20 years of industry experience.

In this episode, Adri sits down with Matt Halloran, the co-founder of ProudMouth and a podcasting expert, about his views on what needs to happen in the financial world to better embrace female financial advisors by leveraging their natural strengths as women.  

Adri and Matt discuss: 

  • The current industry divide between women and male advisors
  • The importance of being unapologetically yourself 
  • Why the financial industry is resisting the necessary changes to incorporate women advisors
  • What prevents women from going rogue from their firm and becoming independent 
  • Why being the “best-kept secret” can prevent you from achieving your true potential 
  • And more

Resources:

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Matt Halloran: 

About our Guest: Matt got started in the financial services industry 20 years ago as a certified life and business coach. As he became immersed in his client’s biggest needs, he built his knowledge and expertise as a financial branding and social media expert.  More recently, Matt has added podcasting to that list.

Matt’s first book, “The Social Media Handbook for Financial Advisors,” available on Amazon, was a big hit. He’s been leading the social wave in financial services for years – teaching top advisors how to be human in an oftentimes inhuman industry. His second book, “99 Best Ideas”, was an Amazon bestseller filled with marketing ideas.

Matt has served in the Navy, is a trained therapist, been a radio host, and worked as a financial professional in his list of accomplishments. Matt’s breadth of hands-on experience positions him superbly to help financial professionals build the marketing side of their practices.  

Breaking the Male-Dominated Mold with Arielle Bittoni CFA, CFP®

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For women working in the financial industry, it can be hard to distinguish your path. It’s often a challenge to stand out, especially when you’re one of only a few women in what seems like a world of men…

But it doesn’t have to be like that anymore–

In this episode, Adri sits down with Arielle Bittoni CFA, CFP® to talk about Arielle’s past, present, and a sneak peek at the future of her life in the financial industry. We talk about how 

Arielle’s love of numbers grew while studying at Berkeley, her past work in institutional trading and the sales industry, as well as her transition from the role of sales into a financial advisor with a company Arielle, didn’t fit into that, gave her the push to go independent and co-manage her own company –  Refresh Investments. 

Adri and Arielle discuss: 

  • Arielle’s motivation in the financial industry to push her to the path of success she is on today 
  • Her experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry 
  • Why Arielle reached out to Adri for coaching and how the program enlightened Arielle on her path 
  • The blend between numbers, analytics, and relationships as a financial advisor 
  • How Arielle’s client focus shifted towards women and families 
  • And more

Connect with Adri Miller-Heckman:

Connect with Arielle Bittoni: 

About our Guest:  Most of Arielle Bittoni CFA, CFP® clients are dynamic women who are doing it all, they’re constantly challenged with balancing career, family, and life leaving little time for anything else. When financial issues arise, it threatens that delicate balance, increasing their frustration and stress. Instead of looking for a quick answer, they’d rather discuss their issues, and brainstorm ideas and solutions that give them a clear direction they can achieve with confidence.

Arielle creates a collaborative environment where her clients can comfortably engage and discuss solutions that make the most sense to them. By helping to organize and plan out their future, her team can reduce stress and anxiety giving them back some of the precious time that they know is so valuable.