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Navigating Success: Sydney’s Voyage on the Financial ConNEXTion Educational Cruise

“The journey is just as important as the destination. The connections you make, the knowledge you gain, and the experiences you collect will shape your career in ways you never expect.” – Sydney Bridg

Meet the Future Faces of Financial Advising

Meet the future faces of Financial Advising! The Women’s Leadership Alliance highlights the characteristics and qualities that make a successful advisor and shines light on the many opportunitie

Two groups for women financial advisors unite forces

Two groups for women financial advisors unite forces By   Tobias Salinger October 23, 2024   Two organizations supporting the advancement of women in the financial advisor profession are uniting

HER PATH: Jill thrives in her dual role as a Financial Advisor and Practice Business Manager

HER PATH: Kathleen Miller, Inspirational advisor, author and pioneer

HER PATH, Cydney’s Journey, Part Two: She’s on her way!

HER PATH: Christine Mills is passionate about empowering others

Follow Cydney’s journey as she begins HER PATH as a new financial advisory

Top Wealth Management Advisor Shares Her Heart with the WLA

Starting a New Chapter: Fara Grim

REAL-WORLD EDUCATION: WLA’s partnership with University of North Florida provides curated internship experiences 

Kaylee Smith, UNF grad, WLA intern alum, and future CFP “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” -Benjamin Franklin That’s certainly true for Kaylee Smith; she studied investm

HER PATH: Casey’s bold step of making a mid-career change to become a financial advisor

HER PATH: Ellenore reentered the workforce and found balance and success as a financial advisor

Two Sisters, Two Different Paths to Becoming Financial Advisors

WLA Executive Director, Stephanie Gularte sat down with Liza McDevitt and Grace Loveland, sisters who started off on very different career paths. But two years ago, the women came together to venture

HER PATH: “We can’t give up.” Crystal found her path through inspiring mentors.

“We can’t give up.” That’s the message from Crystal Alford-Cooper, Vice President at Law & Associates.

Financial planning found me: Melissa had a liberal arts education.

Sometimes you are lasered focused on a vision for your future. And sometimes you fall into the perfect career by chance.

’I wonder what I’ll do next’: Traci’s mid-career change was the best decision she ever made.

Pivoting has been called, “a change in strategy without a change in vision.”

’I put the pieces together’: Katherine found work/life balance as a financial advisor.

They say that if you choose to do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.

Practical Advice to Build a Proactive Practice via the WLA Mentorship Program

I had just hired an assistant and was really disorganized with my business. I didn’t have a project management system, and really the business was very reactive instead of proactive. I was missi

WLA Mentorship Helps Advisor Get Over “Imposter Syndrome”

Financial Advisor Jill Griffith, AAMS® explains why the WLA Leadership Program made a difference in her career.

New Executive Director Brings Passion & Possibilities to the WLA

Women’s Leadership Alliance is proud to welcome Stephanie Gularte as our new Executive Director. Stephanie brings over 20 years of leadership experience, working with both start-ups and established no

Changing the Conversation in 2021: Our Year in Review

Margaret Starner and Kimberlee Bouska step in front of the camera to share with you some important updates on the WLA’s college sponsorships, the leadership program, and the Sally Law initiative.

3 Tips to Get Your Foot in the Door: Advice from a Recent Grad and Top Financial Advisors

Ask Rebecca Wolman how she landed her first job at a wealth management firm right out of college and you’ll get a story of intuition and persistence. When she graduated from Virginia Tech in the sprin

Report Finds CFP® Certification More Valuable than Ever to Female Advisors

In the post-COVID world, with more women outliving the men in their lives and women bearing the brunt of COVID unemployment, financial literacy and planning is more relevant than ever. It is important

How the Leadership Program Helped a Mentee Thrive through the Pandemic

The pandemic, and everything else 2020 threw at us, wasn’t going to hold Katherine Robinson back from realizing her dreams. In a backyard ceremony with all her guests watching on Zoom, she got married

2020 WLA Annual Donor Report

Dear Friends and Colleagues 2020 – hmmm…. where do we start?   Undeniably, it was a year like no other. Our plans were cancelled. Our lives were changed. And despite all of the obstacles thrown in our

What’s Your Mental Picture of a Financial Advisor?

 When she started college, Kayla Walter “had no idea what a financial planner or financial advisor was.” Sure, friends and family knew that Kayla was majoring in Finance, but when she said, “I want to

Celebrating 2020’s Successes

It’s so easy to dwell on the challenges of 2020. There have been a lot! But there have also been many successes.

In a Male-Dominated Industry, Women Vow to Change the 16% Statistic

 It’s a sobering fact: just 16% of financial advisors are women. The good news is the Women’s Leadership Alliance is working diligently to boost that stat. “We’re not going to give up on this,” vows W

WLA ROLE MODELS, WOMEN OF “DISTINCTION”

The WLA is proud – but not surprised – to announce that two of our Vice Presidents were recently named “Women of Distinction” at the 26th Raymond James Women’s Symposium.

“WORKING MOMS” ROCK. (BUT WE REPEAT OURSELVES.)

Whether they’re caring for kids or clients, working mothers are crushing it in 2020

Diversity & Inclusion Awards

They smashed the glass ceiling, back when financial advising was almost exclusively a white man’s business. Now, industry pioneers Margaret Starner and Lynne Wright are being recognized for their lead

A “PANDEMIC” OF POSITIVE CHANGE.

Change isn’t easy. But it is the one constant in life. Recently, WLA President Kalita Blessing attended the virtual JP Morgan Women’s Leadership Day, designed to foster diversity and inclusivity in fi

Need a Mentor? These Female Financial Advisors Agree

In 2000, Dr. Pamela Grey of Jacksonville, Florida launched her financial advisory firm. Then, she explains, “A couple of years ago, when I had reached a point in the maturity of my practice, I just fe

7 Tips for College Women Considering a Career in Financial Advising

Crystal Alford-Cooper, CFP®, CFA®, CRC® offers four pieces of advice for anyone considering a career in financial advising: “Number one: it has to be something you want to do, that you feel you have a

A Mentor Can Make all the Difference in Financial Planning

Mentors aren’t just for newbies. Ashley Warne, CFP® had been working as an advisor for more than six years when she was paired with Pamela Grey.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Kathleen Miller

WLA Board Member Kathleen Miller talks about navigating clients’ changing priorities… from saving and spending, to travel and charitable giving.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Danielle Page

“I just want to see your face!” In the world of social distancing, WLA Board Member Danielle Page encourages her team to get on the Zoom call even if their hair isn’t done.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A Conversation with Mary Carter

Peek inside WLA Board Member Mary Carter’s toolbox.. her real one… and see what tools she’s using to handle the COVID-19 crisis.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Tracy Vaughn

Board member Tracy Vaughn learned a valuable life lesson about facing life’s challenges and how to use the momentum to propel you to success. She had to compete with her much more athletic daughter to

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Sherri Stephens

Having confidence doesn’t mean you know all the answers. At trying times like these, experienced financial advisor Sherri Stephens wants other women to remember that, “It’s okay not to know all the an

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Judith McGee

RVs are "having a moment." Drive-in movies are "having a moment." It's even been said that our ovens are "having a moment" thanks to COVID-19.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Kimberlee Bouska

It’s one thing to work from home during a pandemic. It’s another thing entirely to be working from home while shepherding your kids through e-learning. Just ask Kimberlee Bouska.

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Kalita Blessing

How are you taking care of yourself right now?

“You Are Not Alone” Series: A conversation with Margaret Starner

For financial advisors, especially if you’re new to the industry, the COVID-19 waters feel very uncharted. It doesn't have to be that way.

Everything you wanted to know about hosting Zoom meetings (but were afraid to ask)

Missed our Live Zoom Event? The beauty of Zoom is that we recorded the webinar and you can watch it on demand!

COVID-19 Survival Kit: Part 2 Plan for Success

Supermarket shelves picked clean of toilet paper. Times Square looking like a ghost town. Healthcare workers in hazmat suits. Millions of Americans in makeshift masks. These will be some of the enduri

COVID-19 Survival Kit: Part 1 Crisis Leadership

Leading a remote team? That’s tough enough. Leading a remote team during a global pandemic while juggling other responsibilities? That’s like changing a flat tire on a car speeding down the highway at

2019 Donor Report

Dear Friends and Colleagues, 2019 saw the continued advancement of the Women’s Leadership Alliance’s (WLA) mission to attract, develop and engage the most promising women leaders in order to grow and

United We Stand

  The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted virtually every aspect of daily life. For financial advisors, there’s the added stressor of stock market volatility, which can rattle even the resolve of

Women’s Leadership Alliance Launches New Website, MyAdvisorPath.com

Step-by-step insights and resources for women seeking careers in the financial advisory profession  JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL –  The Women’s Leadership Alliance (WLA) introduces a valuable new online too

Leading the Charge

Recently, Mary and Tracy, both WLA founders and board members, joined forces for an innovative shadowing program they hope other firms will emulate.

Linette Dobbins, CFP®: Success Runs in the Family

“In a male-dominated business, McGee Wealth Management is very different,” Linette explains. “We are all female advisors.”

Katherine’s Path to Financial Planning

Although she grew up around the family business, Katherine’s first love involved equines, not equities: “I was nine when I started riding horses. That’s all I wanted to do. My parents put me in gymnas

Crystal’s Path to Financial Planning

There is a natural sisterhood in financial services, Crystal says – and she’s living proof.

Kayla’s Path to Financial Planning

As a finance major in college, Kayla had no idea what a financial planner was – or what they did. After learning more about the field, she was “all in,”

Annie’s Path to Financial Planning

Attorney-Turned-Advisor   Annie graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, then earned her JD degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. After practicin

Sarah’s Path to Financial Advising

When Sarah Broglie, CFP® sat through her first accounting classes in college, she started to question her career path. She had the love of math necessary to succeed as an accountant, but something was

WLA Mentorship Program Profile

East Meets West (Coast) Ashley Warne & Dr. Pamela Grey Statistically, women outlive men, and they control 51% of personal wealth in the United States. Sounds like we live in a women’s world, right

WLA Leadership Program Update – January 2019

“Dream small,” said no one ever.              We all want to thrive in our professional lives, but how do we get there? Like the best friend who pushes you to step outside your comfort zone, or the co

My Path to Financial Planning

“I like to say that financial planning found me, and I’m so appreciative of that opportunity,” ~Melissa Joy, Pearl Planning

My Mid-Career Change to Financial Advising

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Some of us just “know” from an early age. Others take a more circuitous route. For Traci Richmond, motherhood – and having a mother who was a role model – ins

Looking for a Shortcut to Growing Talent Within your Firm?

Mark Smith is a supporter of the Women’s Leadership Alliance. But that’s not surprising – he’s the son of an inspiring woman.  “Everything I have I owe to my Mom,” he says. “She worked so hard to give

Laura Webb on Mentorship & Making Connections

Giving back comes naturally to Laura Webb, a Certified Financial Planner® from Asheville, NC. She already serves on the board of the Friends of the Smokies – a non-profit that works to preserve and pr

WLA Leadership Program Profile

Meet Kate Starkey & Traci Richmond Mentors. Like sherpas who expertly lead hikers to the top of Mount Everest, they’re the wise, trusted guides we all need to succeed in business– and in life. Fac

Jodi Perry Becomes First Female President of ICD at Raymond James

Deftly scaling the ranks of Raymond James, Jodi Perry is now overseeing enough people to fill a large cruise ship (4,551at last count). Her new helm: Raymond James Independent Contractors Division whe

Conversation Starter: Group of Women Want to Share Their Success

 “Lonely.” That’s the word Kate Starkey uses to describe how it feels to be a woman in the financial advising industry. Though she’s taking over a business established by her father and mother and wa

WLA Leadership Program Update

The WLA chose as our first program offering a carefully crafted, small group mentoring pilot designed around providing formal training for mentors as well as focusing on helping mentees achieve their

Remembering WLA Vice President and Pioneer Sally Law

Time and again, the well-dressed, successful women gathered at the Kennedy Center on Saturday, May 19th repeated the word “pioneer.” Those with the CFP® credentials trailing their names and the profit

Women’s Leadership Alliance, Inc. 2017 Donor Report

The WLA is celebrating our first anniversary as a 501c3 nonprofit organization! This past year has been a busy one for us – we hired an Executive Director and expanded our board to 10 members, includi

A Successful start to the WLA’s first initiative

As our first initiative, the Women’s Leadership Alliance chose to pilot a program where we deliver comprehensive training and ongoing support to a group of Raymond James women advisors who expressed i