There are a lot of reasons I am extremely proud of what The AGC has become in our first three years. I don’t know if I can narrow it down to just one thing that I am most proud of–there’s a lot to choose from: the upcoming book, More Than Money (pre-order it!!), the Kitces podcast appearances by community members, the advisor lists made by members, new firms launched, our pre-Future Proof in-person event, or the Mentorship program with Michigan State (soon to be rolled out in other colleges) are just a few that come to mind.
I will say the formation of our One Step Forward group would be high on the list though.
Many organizations have a diversity and inclusion committee/group that really doesn’t do much but exists for show. When we started discussing as a community how we could not only make The AGC more inviting and inclusive but also our profession, we decided to form an open and voluntary group called One Step Forward…the goal of the group is to move our community and profession one step forward (and then another and another).
During one of our meetings, the topic of attracting talent and retaining great advisors came up. Stephanie McCullough explained how she almost didn’t enter the profession because of what she knew about being a financial advisor, which was limited to what she saw from her father’s career. She didn’t know what she didn’t know and almost missed out on the tremendous career she has had and impacting the lives of her clients. She shared how her experience was that of many of the women she knew in the profession and that if advisors, in particular women, knew about the different business models, client relationships, and even roles within a financial planning firm the profession might see more women come and stay with us.
And just like that, an idea was born.
On November 30th at 1:00 EST, Stephanie and I will lead an open conversation for women already in or are interested in the financial planning profession to discuss the different ways to be a financial advisor. We’ll be discussing different business models, fee structures, client relationships, and career paths, along with other ways to work in the profession outside of being a financial advisor–the profession needs great people to fill para-planning, trading, operations, marketing, and other important and impactful roles within a planning firm. Beyond ways to work in the profession we’ll also discuss the importance of networking, mentorship, and other tips for building a long lasting career.
Yes, this AGC Presents is only for the women in or looking to join the profession–I’m sure that will upset some dude who wouldn’t even attend the event and that’s fine. I’m done trying to make everyone happy…I’m just focused on doing what’s right or needed. We had a lengthy discussion about whether or not we should host for just women or for everyone and we decided we wanted to create a safe space for women to come, learn, and ask questions. It might be hard for some to believe but many women are more comfortable in a women-only setting, so we decided that was what we were going to offer this time.
This will be the first of our “The AGC Presents” series (don’t worry fellas we’ll open it up to everyone in the future) which will consist of free conversations featuring AGC members sharing their expertise with advisors outside of the community. There is so much wisdom within the community and we want to make sure we give back and one way to do this is by sharing experience, best practices, and wisdom with advisors and future advisors to help make their journey a little smoother and faster than ours.
I’d be lying if I didn’t hope these sessions lead to attracting great new members to the community and bringing awareness to The AGC, but there will be very little talk about the community and the hour will be spent helping attendees learn more about the profession. I believe The AGC can be career changing for the right financial advisor and it’s my responsibility to let as many people know about it as possible but I promise this will not be a sales pitch!
If you’re a woman in the profession, thinking about joining, or know someone who would benefit from joining us please register to join us or forward this post to them.
If you’re just hearing about The AGC you can learn more here.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this blog should be considered advice, or recommendations. If you have questions pertaining to your individual situation you should consult your financial advisor. For all of the disclaimers, please see my disclaimers page.
