[quote=AllREIT] [quote=kap39]I believe Suze Orman's point is that women don't THINK they can be good with money, when in reality they can be just as capable with money as men. [/quote]

Suze Orman is living proof that women have no business with money.

[/quote]

They have no business with women, either. At least without male supervision.

AllREIT and Bobby Hull,

I find it very funny how much of a fool you both look like.  Way to be professional.  FA, best of luck to you - I hope everything works out in the best way it can for you and you future family members.  There is a woman at Merrill Lynch that interviewed me the other day who makes $6 million in commissions a year.  Basically, she told me that when she had kids, she resorted to a seminar every month or two in the evening.  That way she could be home with her kids most of the time and her husband could watch them when she went to do the seminar.  When she met with prospects from those seminars, she tried to also do it in the evening.  She ended up getting a Nany when things got tough (2 days a week I believe she said) but still raised a family and a more successful book than any of the morons that are replying to your post trying to tell you things like "women have no business with money"

Josh

[quote=jcskimmer]

AllREIT and Bobby Hull,

I find it very funny how much of a fool you both look like.  Way to be professional.  FA, best of luck to you - I hope everything works out in the best way it can for you and you future family members.  There is a woman at Merrill Lynch that interviewed me the other day who makes $6 million in commissions a year.  Basically, she told me that when she had kids, she resorted to a seminar every month or two in the evening.  That way she could be home with her kids most of the time and her husband could watch them when she went to do the seminar.  When she met with prospects from those seminars, she tried to also do it in the evening.  She ended up getting a Nany when things got tough (2 days a week I believe she said) but still raised a family and a more successful book than any of the morons that are replying to your post trying to tell you things like "women have no business with money"

Josh

[/quote]

BS

I know a guy, who knew a gal, who heard about, who read about a guy, who read about a gal, who that talked with a guy, that talked with a gal, who did 2 measly seminars every month or two that earned 6 mill in comm.

BS

She didn't say she earned 6 million in commssion a year from doing seminars ... that is what she did during the years she had children.  Call Merrill and ask to talk to her yourself moron. 

[quote=Bamzor][quote=jcskimmer]

AllREIT and Bobby Hull,

I find it very funny how much of a fool you both look like.  Way to be professional.  FA, best of luck to you - I hope everything works out in the best way it can for you and you future family members.  There is a woman at Merrill Lynch that interviewed me the other day who makes $6 million in commissions a year.  Basically, she told me that when she had kids, she resorted to a seminar every month or two in the evening.  That way she could be home with her kids most of the time and her husband could watch them when she went to do the seminar.  When she met with prospects from those seminars, she tried to also do it in the evening.  She ended up getting a Nany when things got tough (2 days a week I believe she said) but still raised a family and a more successful book than any of the morons that are replying to your post trying to tell you things like "women have no business with money"

Josh

[/quote]

BS

I know a guy, who knew a gal, who heard about, who read about a guy, who read about a gal, who that talked with a guy, that talked with a gal, who did 2 measly seminars every month or two that earned 6 mill in comm.

BS

[/quote]

The kid got out of high school 3 years ago. He hasn't been around long enough to have any true stories to tell.

Funny Bobby that I have been out of high school for exactly 3 years and have more AUM already than you did after 2 years in the business.  I may not have been around the block but I know what I am doing, and an “interview” where I found this out - why would that matter how old I was?

PS - This woman is like 59 now ... its like she did this overnight :) I was just saying it as how she uphelp her book.

[quote=jcskimmer]Funny Bobby that I have been out of high school for exactly 3 years and have more AUM already than you did after 2 years in the business.  I may not have been around the block but I know what I am doing, and an "interview" where I found this out - why would that matter how old I was?[/quote]

Refresh my memory...how much in AUM did I have after two years?

trust me .. i know :0

THE POINT IS: I was trying to encourage someone with a story I had just heard, and the older over-critical morons on this site had to get all bent outa shape.  I am so impressed with your worthlessnes. 

GOOD LUCK FA!

[quote=jcskimmer]

trust me .. i know :0

THE POINT IS: I was trying to encourage someone with a story I had just heard, and the older over-critical morons on this site had to get all bent outa shape.  I am so impressed with your worthlessnes. 

GOOD LUCK FA!

[/quote]

Judging from the shape of your mouth, you've just let us know your role for the guy that you are working under.

1. If you want any credibility at all in this business from men AND from the women in the industry do NOT use Susie Orman as a role model or use her name as some sort of person to aspire to.  She is an idiot and makes a joke of everything we do.

2. You can't have it all.  The fact is that when you try to have a high intensity career as this (man or woman) your personal life and your family life is going to suffer.  Either that, or you settle for being less than a stellar financial advisor in production.  Your choice.  But you can't have both.  

3. As a woman, you are kidding yourself if you think that you are going to be a great "Mommy" ala Donna Reed, when you farm out a good portion of your children's lives to day care, nannies or in the care of other family members.  Other people are going to be there when your child takes his/her first steps, says their first words. Other people will be shaping your child's perceptions of the world by the discipline they impose on your child and by the games they play with your child.  If you can live with this, then no problem.  But don't be fooling yourself about it.

4. Don't whine!!!   You are no more special to the Branch Manager than any other FA because you have children or have a different set of plumbing than the rest of the "guys".  In fact, get used to being a second class citizen in the eyes of the good ole boys and in the eyes of some your older male and female prospects.  That is how they were raised. Get used to it and get over it by being better than expected.

5. Don't network much with other women FAs either.  All that does is set up a group bitch session and makes you look like weak whiny women to the men.  This is a solitary type of job.  Teamwork might exist between a few close working partners in an independent or partnership setting because you are all working for the same thing.  In most cases your enemy and competitor is sitting right next to you.

It isn't all as negative as I have portrayed.   If you can survive the first 3 to 5 years (men and women) then you can have the best job in the world. You can work in the manner that you like and how it fits your personal lifestyle.

It’s about you and your clients, not the office.  Focus on your business not the environment of your company.

Do you really think that networking with other female FA's is not a good idea? I can understand that within the same market they're your competition and not your friend, but it seems like networks such as these could be very beneficial, especially as an opportunity for the younger women just beginning their careers to learn from the successful established women.  Shouldn't we be able to help each other out?

[quote=kap39]

Do you really think that networking with other female FA's is not a good idea? I can understand that within the same market they're your competition and not your friend, but it seems like networks such as these could be very beneficial, especially as an opportunity for the younger women just beginning their careers to learn from the successful established women.  Shouldn't we be able to help each other out?

[/quote]

You already have one it is called Zonta. www.zonta.org

[quote=kap39]Do you really think that networking with other female FA’s
is not a good idea? I can understand that within the same market
they’re your competition and not your friend, but it seems like
networks such as these could be very beneficial, especially as an
opportunity for the younger women just beginning their careers
to learn from the successful established women.  Shouldn’t we
be able to help each other out?[/quote]



Lol,

3) Is there anything financial you can sell the female broker's in the office?

You should network with anyone who will help you advance your career and who has good ideas to share and who is willing to help you out.  You should be able to learn from established men in the industry just as well as from established women.

I am against women only network groups.  They tend to turn into feel whiny clubby sorority type groups that really don't give much career help ( at least in my experience ) and tend to high center on how "mean" all the guys are.  If you find a woman mentor, great!!  But to set up a group of women to network about our "special" circumstances just reinforces the stereotypes that the men in the industry have about women in the industry.   To set us up as "special" is just too Corky for me.

I guess I don't understand this feminism stuff.   

[quote=babbling looney]

1. If you want any credibility at all in this business from men AND from the women in the industry do NOT use Susie Orman as a role model or use her name as some sort of person to aspire to.  She is an idiot and makes a joke of everything we do.

2. You can't have it all.  The fact is that when you try to have a high intensity career as this (man or woman) your personal life and your family life is going to suffer.  Either that, or you settle for being less than a stellar financial advisor in production.  Your choice.  But you can't have both.  

3. As a woman, you are kidding yourself if you think that you are going to be a great "Mommy" ala Donna Reed, when you farm out a good portion of your children's lives to day care, nannies or in the care of other family members.  Other people are going to be there when your child takes his/her first steps, says their first words. Other people will be shaping your child's perceptions of the world by the discipline they impose on your child and by the games they play with your child.  If you can live with this, then no problem.  But don't be fooling yourself about it.

4. Don't whine!!!   You are no more special to the Branch Manager than any other FA because you have children or have a different set of plumbing than the rest of the "guys".  In fact, get used to being a second class citizen in the eyes of the good ole boys and in the eyes of some your older male and female prospects.  That is how they were raised. Get used to it and get over it by being better than expected.

5. Don't network much with other women FAs either.  All that does is set up a group bitch session and makes you look like weak whiny women to the men.  This is a solitary type of job.  Teamwork might exist between a few close working partners in an independent or partnership setting because you are all working for the same thing.  In most cases your enemy and competitor is sitting right next to you.

It isn't all as negative as I have portrayed.   If you can survive the first 3 to 5 years (men and women) then you can have the best job in the world. You can work in the manner that you like and how it fits your personal lifestyle.

[/quote]

You just got a major uptick on the list of people that I admire.

When I first started I tried to network with other female advisors and found out quickly that I was thought of as the enemy–the person out to take their business.  And while I haven’t found extraordinary help from male brokers either, they’re more up front with their feelings.  (Women tend to be outwardly pleasant but secretly feeling you out).

I joined many women’s groups at the beginning (because there are ever so many of them).  But I’ve found them to be entirely less productive than any other group or networking setup. 

I’ve found that my hardest thing, as a newbie, is trying to simultaneously build my business the “right” way, while also meeting weekly goals.  All of my accounts are over 200K so far.  I have above the required AUM to date.  My problem is that the trainee “program” requires that you bring in a certain amounts weekly.  And if I haven’t made new numbers recently, everyone wonders what the heck I’ve been doing.

I’ve built accounts by networking in the community.  I get to know people, qualify them in conversation and earn their trust before they even come into my office.  The problem:  this is a more lengthy process than cold calling and bringing in every 50K and above account. 

I know from experienced people and literature that having less accounts with higher AUM is way better–but is it wiser to bite the bullet as a newbie and bring in everything I can, if it means less time out there working on larger accounts (that may or may not bring over their assets)?  

Joining groups and getting involved in the community is taking time out now to build on long-term goals–is this a smart move in the first year of production?

[quote=FA2477]I really really appreciate the responses thus far.  I have to admit that I wasn't expecting such sincerity.  I stopped reading this forum months ago because it was mostly a place for cheap shots and drivel. 

And thanks especially to maybeeee for answering even the questions I wanted to ask and didn't.

I'm in a "sink or swim" office where there's no help at all (not even a kind word).  If this forum is again a place to go to for real questions, I think that is awesome. 

 
[/quote]

me too.  no love here. 

thanks for your kind words.

[quote=joedabrkr] [quote=babbling looney]

Joe's idea of being in a small firm or partner with someone who will allow you to scale back is a good one.  Being at a wire or other bigger firm, you will be held to production numbers that may not be easy to meet and still allow you time to be off with your family.  

This is a man's world in this industry, so don't expect special treatment because you are female or have children. The best thing to do is to speak to the Branch Manager or owner of the firm and get a feel for just how much leeway you would be allowed.
 

[/quote]

Thanks Babs!  I know this-there are plenty of indys out there(including myself) who would be happy to work out an arrangement with a working mom to cover their book and help them out, in return for the same when they are on vacation or out meeting clients.  We have better margins and more flexibility than the wirehouse guys.

I will also second the point made by an earlier poster that one advantage of continuing to work is that by the time your kids are COGNIZANT of being dropped off at daycare they are used to the routine.  Just make sure you have them in a loving and safe environment.  Too, understand that it is the QUALITY of the time you spend with those kids, not the QUANTITY.  When you are with them, be THERE and interact and play and talk with them.  I know plenty of people who have more time with their kids than I do, but far less QUALITY.

Work your butt off now and build your book, your credibility within the firm and your contacts within the industry(thus giving you options if your BOM isn't flexible).  And-when the time comes-be ready to stand up for yourself and your rights.  In many ways, when it comes to that point you have an ADVANTAGE as a woman.  Being a committed father in a two career family can be no picnic in this industry, I promise.  There was more than on instance at my prior (wirehouse) firm where I went head to head with my sales manager(ironically a single mom, I think she felt she had something to prove) over her efforts to pressure me to go to after hours meetings run by wholesalers.  More than once it came down to me looking her in the eye and saying "Hey look, I'm making my numbers, this meeting is NOT essential nor required, and I have a family responsibility.  Now, do you really want to go there?"

Good luck, and I'm glad we could help.
[/quote]

Now that is the old Joe that I know and love.