To succeed as a woman in the workplace, it's important to have a clear sense of purpose and to know what drives you. The financial services industry is a field particularly primed for pursuing a career filled with purpose, as financial advisors are uniquely situated at the epicenter of helping clients make wise financial decisions around the most important aspects of their life. Throughout your career, you will support clients on their personal journeys, helping them reach their goals and leave a lasting positive impact on their communities. Where you work can also have a profound impact on your ability to fulfill your purpose. Make sure you align yourself with a company that has shared values with your own priorities.

As a woman in finance, you'll be running a business, and there will be trade-offs professionally and personally. There are likely some tasks that you do in your daily life that you don’t want to, nor do you need to manage directly. You shouldn’t put the burden of running your business and your household squarely on your shoulders alone. Consider focusing on a few things you want to prioritize and do really well, while finding ways to delegate the things that can be outsourced. In the workplace, that may be having a colleague fill out and submit certain paperwork. At home, delegating may come to life through having your partner run certain errands or leveraging task apps to save time, such as grocery shopping. With these responsibilities off your plate, you’ll have more time to focus on what matters most to you.

It's important to set boundaries between work and personal life to help ensure you’re maintaining healthy relationships. Communication with your family and colleagues about your availability is key. It’s okay to say you aren’t always available; in fact, it should be encouraged. Setting expectations as to when you will be available and online for work-related needs will provide your colleagues guidelines on when they should plan to engage with you. During this dedicated work time, it’s similarly important that your family recognize you aren’t available for non-emergent matters. There may be instances where you find creative activities that can check multiple boxes and blur the line between work and personal life. For example, volunteering within your community can provide valuable networking opportunities as well as meaningful family time. No matter how you choose to spend your time, remember that you’re in control of setting your own guardrails.

Rather than putting yourself in a box and focusing on one or two specific specialties, consider broadening your expertise by obtaining various designations and certifications. There are several benefits to doing this. Not only is it important for personal growth and credibility, but it also can help set you apart and open the door to reaching even more clients. If you’re just starting out in your career, the more you can secure the better, especially if you know your priorities will shift down the road due to other commitments like starting a family or taking care of an aging parent. Securing a variety of designations and certifications early on can allow for more flexibility throughout your career as your priorities change. If you’re further along in your career, obtaining a new designation or certification can be a great way to add variety to your work and build on your current expertise.

While I’ve seen positive change throughout my career, including more women becoming financial advisors or holding leadership roles within financial services organizations, it’s still very much a male-dominated industry. This reinforces the value in connecting with other women and having a safe place to talk about diverse topics, share any challenges you’re facing and identify helpful solutions. It’s also important to build a network of people that inspire you, so don’t be afraid to reach out to someone that you simply want to learn from. And remember, mentorship can come in all shapes and sizes and doesn’t have to be long-term to be impactful. Often, keeping things simple and organic can help ensure everyone involved gets value out of connecting.