Lately I've been posting a lot about work. For those of you who find that boring, please accept my apologies. I really enjoy my work and I think that because I spend the vast majority of my time doing it, I naturally feel inclined to talk about it. This week I've been realizing that because I've been spending so much time at work or talking about work or thinking about work, I've let my interior life slip a little. As a sanguine it's my terrible tendency to be shallow, surfacy, if you will. I'm going to make a point to write more about things that are more meaningful.
Last week, I was in Alabama. It was the best! I flew to Birmingham on Saturday morning to witness the beginning of a beautiful marriage between two friends. Father Victor, one of my favorite priests (who currently serves in Auburn), celebrated the wedding Mass. One of my favorite lines from his very eloquent and relevant homily was when he said that the reason that God has allowed Ginny and Eric to come together as man and wife is because He knows that the two of them together would have the best possible chance of making it to Heaven. Love that.
It was also great to see old friends, and to be with my fellow Tigers to watch the amazing Hail Mary play that won the Auburn vs. Georgia game. On Sunday I went to Auburn and spent a few days there with my sweet former roommates Kathlene and Katie. I got to see all the people I wanted to see, and do all of the things I wanted to do, and it was just fantastic.
Kathlene is preparing to join a convent in Steubenville, Ohio, on December 8th. When she first told me, I was so excited for her. Essentially, it's like one of my dearest friends is getting engaged. That's sort of what it's like when you enter a convent. You are engaged to Jesus, preparing for a life long marriage to Him. It's a HUGE sacrifice. The whole week we talked about it a lot, but that didn't prepare me for how hard it was to say goodbye to her. I am so proud of her sacrifice, and I really can't believe how brave she is. For a while my roommates and I have thought she might have a religious vocation, but thinking about it and actually doing it are very different things. And she's doing it! She's the real deal! I'm so proud of her! She's going to be so holy! She's giving up the little things like her cell phone, her facebook, her car, her music, etc., and big things like her family and her friends. All for Jesus. Her order is contemplative, so they spend a lot of time in prayer. Praise God.
I've told a few of my friends about her and the first thing they all say is something about celibacy. As she and I were talking though, we sorta came to the conclusion that out of all the things she's giving up, that is one of the easier things. Can't miss something you've never had, right? I've had friends who have joined convents before, but not friends who I am this close with, so I didn't feel it as much.
Anyways, I'm going on and on about how I feel about the situation. Which is exactly what I was doing the whole week I was in Auburn, and especially when we said goodbye. I'm selfish. Really, really selfish.
The bottom line is, she's making an incredible sacrifice for Jesus, and I want to keep her from Him, all for myself. I had to stop myself several times from asking "are you SUREEEEE you want to do this?" When we were saying goodbye, it felt almost like one of my best friends was dying. But isn't that what Jesus calls us to do? She's dying to herself so that He can make her new and He can have her all to Himself. And let me tell you, He's getting a good one.
KG, if you're reading this, I love you, and I'm so proud of you, and you inspire me and I will miss you so much. God is so good for giving you to me for as long as He has, and I know that your FIAT will bring so much glory to Him.
St. Augustine, pray for us!
24 November 2013
23 November 2013
Investment Solutions, Day One
Today was my first official day of my new job. It was supposed to be on Monday but I took some time off to go to Alabama (more on that in my next post). All of my colleagues who got promoted with me started Monday so they are all a few days ahead of me, which means I have to work extra hard to make up for it. Sales is a numbers game.
So let me tell you how day one started. Last night, there was some bad weather in DFW so my flight in was delayed + my suitcase was lost! This morning around 7:30 I received a phone call saying that they found my bag and that it would be here between 8 and 12! This was extremely good news because all of my slacks were in my bag. I went back to sleep and hoped for the best. I was supposed to be at work at 10, so I figured that if my bag was here by 9:30 I could make it to work no problem. By 9:00 I started to get worried that it wasn't going to be there, so I called and confirmed that it would, in fact, be there closer to noon.
So, I emailed in to work and took some sick hours until 12. Long story short, bag didn't show up till 1, but I went to work at 12 anyways and told the driver to just leave it on the porch, and my roommate would get it. And, like I mentioned, I had no slacks, and it was a whopping 40 degrees outside and sleeting. So I was bare legged, freezing, and late for my first day.
The first few hours I was at work were a mess. I was all over the place, trying to get my thoughts organized and talk to clients in an organized manner when I hadn't looked over any of my material in a whole week. No amount of training could have prepared me, I don't think. Our training was good, don't get me wrong, but this is the type of job that you can (mostly) only learn by experience. I had a meeting from 3-5 and when I got back to my desk afterwards, things started to get a little better. I was supposed to leave at 6:30, and right before that I helped a client with a 360k transfer of assets, so that was really encouraging. Then, my boss asked me if I wanted to stay late because one of my teammates wanted to leave early. I was tired and wanted to go home but I knew I needed the practice and I wanted to ride that 360k encouragement.
It was a great decision on my part. I got to know some of my teammates and work on some "best practices" with them. I also got another 270k transfer of assets and some smaller ones of 30k and 10k and 3k. Now in this job, 650k in one day is nothing to write home about, but for a first day, I'm pretty proud of myself. My official goal is 4.76 million a month but my stretch goal as set by our director is over 6 million a month. Either way, over 10% on the first day makes me a happy camper.
I forgot what it felt like to be on this side of the learning curve though. So far in my career, everything has just been building on what I already knew. Now, this job requires me to tear down some of the things I've learned and relearn them in a different way. It is a challenge, but I get so excited just thinking about how many opportunities I have to get better every day. One thing that is really cool about this job is that no one, even the people who have done it for years, can say that they've "mastered" it. There is always something new to learn, always a way to find more opportunities to help our clients.
Half of the day today I just kept thinking about how terrible I am at this job. And that's true. But there's only one way to go from rock bottom! I'll be back at it again tomorrow!
So let me tell you how day one started. Last night, there was some bad weather in DFW so my flight in was delayed + my suitcase was lost! This morning around 7:30 I received a phone call saying that they found my bag and that it would be here between 8 and 12! This was extremely good news because all of my slacks were in my bag. I went back to sleep and hoped for the best. I was supposed to be at work at 10, so I figured that if my bag was here by 9:30 I could make it to work no problem. By 9:00 I started to get worried that it wasn't going to be there, so I called and confirmed that it would, in fact, be there closer to noon.
So, I emailed in to work and took some sick hours until 12. Long story short, bag didn't show up till 1, but I went to work at 12 anyways and told the driver to just leave it on the porch, and my roommate would get it. And, like I mentioned, I had no slacks, and it was a whopping 40 degrees outside and sleeting. So I was bare legged, freezing, and late for my first day.
The first few hours I was at work were a mess. I was all over the place, trying to get my thoughts organized and talk to clients in an organized manner when I hadn't looked over any of my material in a whole week. No amount of training could have prepared me, I don't think. Our training was good, don't get me wrong, but this is the type of job that you can (mostly) only learn by experience. I had a meeting from 3-5 and when I got back to my desk afterwards, things started to get a little better. I was supposed to leave at 6:30, and right before that I helped a client with a 360k transfer of assets, so that was really encouraging. Then, my boss asked me if I wanted to stay late because one of my teammates wanted to leave early. I was tired and wanted to go home but I knew I needed the practice and I wanted to ride that 360k encouragement.
It was a great decision on my part. I got to know some of my teammates and work on some "best practices" with them. I also got another 270k transfer of assets and some smaller ones of 30k and 10k and 3k. Now in this job, 650k in one day is nothing to write home about, but for a first day, I'm pretty proud of myself. My official goal is 4.76 million a month but my stretch goal as set by our director is over 6 million a month. Either way, over 10% on the first day makes me a happy camper.
I forgot what it felt like to be on this side of the learning curve though. So far in my career, everything has just been building on what I already knew. Now, this job requires me to tear down some of the things I've learned and relearn them in a different way. It is a challenge, but I get so excited just thinking about how many opportunities I have to get better every day. One thing that is really cool about this job is that no one, even the people who have done it for years, can say that they've "mastered" it. There is always something new to learn, always a way to find more opportunities to help our clients.
Half of the day today I just kept thinking about how terrible I am at this job. And that's true. But there's only one way to go from rock bottom! I'll be back at it again tomorrow!
09 November 2013
Need an Escape Route
The past two weeks, I've been in training for my new job. I.AM.LOVING.IT.
I know for sure that I made a good decision for my career and for our clients. Even though it's a sales role where I'm responsible for over 4.76 million in new assets each month, the most important part of the role is making sure that my clients are set up for success in retirement. I love that I get to help people save and invest so that they can retire the way they want, and so that they can plan for financial obligations that may come up.
The first week I was in training, I made it to Mass twice during the week, which rarely happens. It was amazing. I just felt so much more freedom. It's crazy how we can become slaves to our own ideas of what's real.
This week I've been catching up with friends after work. I had dinner with one of my best friends from high school who was in town on Tuesday, on Wednesday I caught up with the people from my New Hire class at work, and on Friday I went to happy hour with everyone who got promoted with me. It's been busy and crazy and fun.
On Wednesday, I was meeting people after work at 6:00. I got off work early (around 4:45) so I had some time to kill. I figured I'd stop at the Church for a bit to pray, I knew Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament would be going on at the Church closest to the place I was meeting people. How convenient! I got there a little after 5:00 and went into the chapel to pray. I was just talking to Jesus about how I didn't know what was next or what He wanted me to do, where He wanted me to go, etc. and I felt like He was just telling me to be patient and wait. A few minutes into my prayer, I felt a tap on the shoulder and a lady was asking me to come and chat with her for a minute. I had met this lady once or twice, and had seen her around. She introduced herself to me and said, "I know you sing, and I know you praise the Lord. Will you please sing with us for the new LifeTeen Mass during Advent." I racked my brain for an excuse but could come up with nothing. Before I knew it I had a CD of the music and a book of the sheet music. I told her I'd see her next Wednesday for practice and went back to the chapel. As I knelt down I repeated the words of Blessed Mother Theresa: "Jesus, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few."
I was so mad! I was praying, "Jesus, are you serious!?! I came to see you for a quick prayer and I got roped into LifeTeen of all things, for the whole of Advent?!" I could not believe it. Not only are the songs ones that I cringe at when I hear in the Mass, but also I will be chained to one Church and Mass time for all of Advent. Now before you shake your head at me and call me a liturgical snob, hear me out. The Church I've been going to recently is just full of beauty: Latin Mass Parts, amazing homilies, a Communion Rail, and the most beautiful altar that makes me feel like I'm at the gates of Heaven. It is unreal. I was SO looking forward to hearing their Latin Schola during Advent. But apparently the Lord had different plans for me. Obviously, it was an answer to a prayer... I just haven't quite figured out how or why. Pray that I keep an open mind and that the Lord uses me for His Glory during Advent.
St. Cecelia, pray for us.
I know for sure that I made a good decision for my career and for our clients. Even though it's a sales role where I'm responsible for over 4.76 million in new assets each month, the most important part of the role is making sure that my clients are set up for success in retirement. I love that I get to help people save and invest so that they can retire the way they want, and so that they can plan for financial obligations that may come up.
The first week I was in training, I made it to Mass twice during the week, which rarely happens. It was amazing. I just felt so much more freedom. It's crazy how we can become slaves to our own ideas of what's real.
This week I've been catching up with friends after work. I had dinner with one of my best friends from high school who was in town on Tuesday, on Wednesday I caught up with the people from my New Hire class at work, and on Friday I went to happy hour with everyone who got promoted with me. It's been busy and crazy and fun.
On Wednesday, I was meeting people after work at 6:00. I got off work early (around 4:45) so I had some time to kill. I figured I'd stop at the Church for a bit to pray, I knew Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament would be going on at the Church closest to the place I was meeting people. How convenient! I got there a little after 5:00 and went into the chapel to pray. I was just talking to Jesus about how I didn't know what was next or what He wanted me to do, where He wanted me to go, etc. and I felt like He was just telling me to be patient and wait. A few minutes into my prayer, I felt a tap on the shoulder and a lady was asking me to come and chat with her for a minute. I had met this lady once or twice, and had seen her around. She introduced herself to me and said, "I know you sing, and I know you praise the Lord. Will you please sing with us for the new LifeTeen Mass during Advent." I racked my brain for an excuse but could come up with nothing. Before I knew it I had a CD of the music and a book of the sheet music. I told her I'd see her next Wednesday for practice and went back to the chapel. As I knelt down I repeated the words of Blessed Mother Theresa: "Jesus, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few."
I was so mad! I was praying, "Jesus, are you serious!?! I came to see you for a quick prayer and I got roped into LifeTeen of all things, for the whole of Advent?!" I could not believe it. Not only are the songs ones that I cringe at when I hear in the Mass, but also I will be chained to one Church and Mass time for all of Advent. Now before you shake your head at me and call me a liturgical snob, hear me out. The Church I've been going to recently is just full of beauty: Latin Mass Parts, amazing homilies, a Communion Rail, and the most beautiful altar that makes me feel like I'm at the gates of Heaven. It is unreal. I was SO looking forward to hearing their Latin Schola during Advent. But apparently the Lord had different plans for me. Obviously, it was an answer to a prayer... I just haven't quite figured out how or why. Pray that I keep an open mind and that the Lord uses me for His Glory during Advent.
St. Cecelia, pray for us.
07 November 2013
All the Difference
This poem has been in my thoughts lately. Enjoy.
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
26 October 2013
Miss Southlake "Scholarship Organization"
I'm about to soap box like a champ right now... so don't say I didn't warn you. Anyone who has ever been in or been a part of a pageant, just go ahead and stop reading now. See you next blog post, you're not going to like what I'm about to say.
Today I had themisfortune opportunity to volunteer at the local "Miss Southlake Scholarship Organization." I tried to approach the situation with an open mind. I worked the Silent Auction.
Background: I have never been to a pageant or known anyone who was in pageants, with the exception of a girl I knew in high school who was Miss Texas the year after I graduated. I'd seen "Toddlers in Tiaras" maybe twice and thought it to be obnoxious. Past this I have no experience with pageants except for having known the startling fact that the very first Miss America pageant was held the year after women in this country were given the right to vote... (Coincidence? Doubtful.) I've never even watched Miss America on television, I don't think.
The Miss America pageant, and all pageants which are a part of that program (Miss Texas, etc.) are Scholarship Organizations. Great, love that. Who doesn't need a scholarship? It was announced at the beginning that every girl who is in the pageant receives a scholarship. I think that's great.
I sat in the back at the silent auction table listening to the girls get introduced. They were each asked a question about something political, worth 5% of the overall score. Then on to the swimsuit competition (15%), the talent portion (35%), and then finally evening wear (45%). All of the girls were beautiful and very talented.
That being said, nothing inside of my heart can find a reason why there should be a swimsuit competition inside of a scholarship organization. As the girls were introduced in their bikini's, they walked around as the emcee talked about each girl's platform and what she hopes to do if she wins Miss Southlake. How in the world am I supposed to take anything they say seriously, when they're not only willing to walk around in that little clothing, but EAGER to do it!! I just cannot make those two things match up in my mind. Those girls work hard, they have good heads on their shoulders, they want good things for their futures and the world around them, they want to make a difference. I get all of that. I just can't understand why it requires a swimsuit competition. It degrades the pageant as a whole down to no more than a PCB Spring Break swimsuit competition, just more expensive to enter, and guess what! The scholarships that "each contestant will receive" is sometimes as little as FIFTY bucks.
I just can't wrap my brain around it. The neo-feminist in me just wants to scream: ladies, you're worth so much more than that! The financial adviser (yes, I passed my test!!!) in me wants to sit the parents down and show them how they could use the money they spend on dresses and hair and make up and interview coaches etc. to go towards college so that these girls don't have to be paraded around like objects. I know I complain a lot about my student loans, but I'd take them any day over being looked at the way that some of the men in the room were looking at those poor sweet girls.
Alright, I'm still getting too worked up and I'm sure I've offended someone, so I'm going to get off my soap box. I tried to be open-minded, and now I am even more convicted. And my heart hurts for these girls.
Jesus is a real man. Thanks be to God for that.
Our Lady, Queen of Modesty and Peace, pray for us.
Today I had the
Background: I have never been to a pageant or known anyone who was in pageants, with the exception of a girl I knew in high school who was Miss Texas the year after I graduated. I'd seen "Toddlers in Tiaras" maybe twice and thought it to be obnoxious. Past this I have no experience with pageants except for having known the startling fact that the very first Miss America pageant was held the year after women in this country were given the right to vote... (Coincidence? Doubtful.) I've never even watched Miss America on television, I don't think.
The Miss America pageant, and all pageants which are a part of that program (Miss Texas, etc.) are Scholarship Organizations. Great, love that. Who doesn't need a scholarship? It was announced at the beginning that every girl who is in the pageant receives a scholarship. I think that's great.
I sat in the back at the silent auction table listening to the girls get introduced. They were each asked a question about something political, worth 5% of the overall score. Then on to the swimsuit competition (15%), the talent portion (35%), and then finally evening wear (45%). All of the girls were beautiful and very talented.
That being said, nothing inside of my heart can find a reason why there should be a swimsuit competition inside of a scholarship organization. As the girls were introduced in their bikini's, they walked around as the emcee talked about each girl's platform and what she hopes to do if she wins Miss Southlake. How in the world am I supposed to take anything they say seriously, when they're not only willing to walk around in that little clothing, but EAGER to do it!! I just cannot make those two things match up in my mind. Those girls work hard, they have good heads on their shoulders, they want good things for their futures and the world around them, they want to make a difference. I get all of that. I just can't understand why it requires a swimsuit competition. It degrades the pageant as a whole down to no more than a PCB Spring Break swimsuit competition, just more expensive to enter, and guess what! The scholarships that "each contestant will receive" is sometimes as little as FIFTY bucks.
I just can't wrap my brain around it. The neo-feminist in me just wants to scream: ladies, you're worth so much more than that! The financial adviser (yes, I passed my test!!!) in me wants to sit the parents down and show them how they could use the money they spend on dresses and hair and make up and interview coaches etc. to go towards college so that these girls don't have to be paraded around like objects. I know I complain a lot about my student loans, but I'd take them any day over being looked at the way that some of the men in the room were looking at those poor sweet girls.
Alright, I'm still getting too worked up and I'm sure I've offended someone, so I'm going to get off my soap box. I tried to be open-minded, and now I am even more convicted. And my heart hurts for these girls.
Jesus is a real man. Thanks be to God for that.
Our Lady, Queen of Modesty and Peace, pray for us.
16 October 2013
Nashville
Last weekend I went to Nashville and to Cumberland Gap (TN/KY/VA) to see some sweet friends tie the knot.
The wedding was so much fun and it was great to catch up with some favorites.
Nashville in the fall was the best! I just love it so much! I got to meet new friends, pray a lot, and play good music. All my favorite things!
I've been there many times, but for some reason I have Nashville built up to be so glamourous and romantic in my head. I'm not sure why. But even after spending time there last weekend, my perception hasn't changed. I'll probably be moving out of Texas within the next 2 years, and Nashville is definitely on the list of possibilities.
The Lord did a lot in my heart that weekend. Sometimes its hard to believe that He always has good plans for us, especially when we don't feel like we're getting what we want. It's especially difficult when I think I know what He wants for me, but it's not happening now and I don't always know what to do to get to that point. So I have to make decisions based on what I do know for sure, and that is that He wants me to be holy. So I'll do what I can to be holy and to be His.
I feel really encouraged to be bold in my prayer lately. God is glorified when we ask big things of Him. He is the God of all creation, of course He can answer my tiny prayer (even if it seems huge to me). If He chooses not to, I am humbled by the awareness that He knows, better than I do, what is best for me. If I had faith the size of a mustard seed, I would tell the mountain to hurl itself in the sea, right?! If the Lord provides for the birds of the air, how much more for each of us?!
Jesus is the Savior. My idea of how my life should be, my thoughts and hopes and dreams for the future? They don't mean anything without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If I have Him, and nothing else, I have everything.
In other news, lately I have been studying hard for the Series 66. I take it on October 25th so that I can start my new job on October 28th! Also, I've made a list of new hobbies that I want to take up. The list includes learning to quilt, play golf, and play piano. I had my first piano lesson this week, and it was so fun! I already know how to read music and which keys are where so I get to skip the first few months of very elementary piano. I'm learning finger placement and scales. It's not as intuitive as I'd thought, and I love the challenge.
I'm about to make some changes in my life, I think. Like learning to play the piano, none of the changes will be done over night, but everything worth doing is worth working for. Bring it on, life!
Mary, Queen of the Future, pray for me!
The wedding was so much fun and it was great to catch up with some favorites.
Nashville in the fall was the best! I just love it so much! I got to meet new friends, pray a lot, and play good music. All my favorite things!
I've been there many times, but for some reason I have Nashville built up to be so glamourous and romantic in my head. I'm not sure why. But even after spending time there last weekend, my perception hasn't changed. I'll probably be moving out of Texas within the next 2 years, and Nashville is definitely on the list of possibilities.
The Lord did a lot in my heart that weekend. Sometimes its hard to believe that He always has good plans for us, especially when we don't feel like we're getting what we want. It's especially difficult when I think I know what He wants for me, but it's not happening now and I don't always know what to do to get to that point. So I have to make decisions based on what I do know for sure, and that is that He wants me to be holy. So I'll do what I can to be holy and to be His.
I feel really encouraged to be bold in my prayer lately. God is glorified when we ask big things of Him. He is the God of all creation, of course He can answer my tiny prayer (even if it seems huge to me). If He chooses not to, I am humbled by the awareness that He knows, better than I do, what is best for me. If I had faith the size of a mustard seed, I would tell the mountain to hurl itself in the sea, right?! If the Lord provides for the birds of the air, how much more for each of us?!
Jesus is the Savior. My idea of how my life should be, my thoughts and hopes and dreams for the future? They don't mean anything without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If I have Him, and nothing else, I have everything.
In other news, lately I have been studying hard for the Series 66. I take it on October 25th so that I can start my new job on October 28th! Also, I've made a list of new hobbies that I want to take up. The list includes learning to quilt, play golf, and play piano. I had my first piano lesson this week, and it was so fun! I already know how to read music and which keys are where so I get to skip the first few months of very elementary piano. I'm learning finger placement and scales. It's not as intuitive as I'd thought, and I love the challenge.
I'm about to make some changes in my life, I think. Like learning to play the piano, none of the changes will be done over night, but everything worth doing is worth working for. Bring it on, life!
Mary, Queen of the Future, pray for me!
02 October 2013
100th Post
Today is a very important day. This is my 100th blog post!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about professionalism and what it means to be a business woman, and let me tell you: I don't think I'm cut out for it.
Background story:
My manager at work is one of the best people. I've known him for less than six months but his leadership style and passion for what he does make it an absolute joy to be on his team. I have encountered this feeling towards a boss just one other time in my (short) post-college life in the beautiful and talented Katie O'Donnell. (And let's be real, she's amazing, I love her.. I don't exactly "love" my manager, but you get the point.) (I digress.)
John (my manager) has been coaching me and getting me ready for my next career move. From the time I passed my licensing tests and became a stock broker, I've had my eyes fixed on going into our investment and guidance team. John was on this team a few years ago and his passion for the role has definitely rubbed off on me. As a member of this investment and guidance team, I would be responsible for giving investment guidance to our clients and helping them choose the investments that are going to make their portfolios work for them most effectively, while minimizing risk. It is a sales role, so in addition, I would be responsible for bringing over 4.76 million dollars of new money per month into the firm. (It sounds high but the numbers are pretty realistic.) John has allowed me to take as much leadership on our team as I can handle and he gives me great feedback every week in our 1:1 meetings. He's the kind of guy who could tell you that you were the ugliest human he'd ever seen, but he'd say it in a way that you not only agree with him, but also think it's a brilliant thought. (But of course he'd never say anything like that.) He's constantly asking why we do the things we do and how we can get better, which I like to think is something he and I have in common.
Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago:
John and another manager, Chuck, pulled me into a room and invited me to be a part of our "High Opportunity" team. Basically as a member of that (invitation only) team, I would be doing the same job I do now (read: no more $) but I would be encouraged to do some more digging into our client's accounts, backgrounds, etc. to see if they have outside assets, and if they'd be interested in consolidating to one place.
I struggled with the decision for a few reasons. First off, it's a great opportunity to be a part of an invitation only team. On the other hand, it'd mean more responsibility for the same amount of money. Second, it'd mean leaving John's team (and the teammates I've grown to love) and moving to a new manager on a new team (and you know how I feel about change). Third, I had heard through the grapevine that our investment/guidance team would be hiring soon, and it'd be weird to make two transitions in such a short time frame.
Ultimately, that week I decided to go to the H.O. team because I thought that if the investment team did hire soon, it'd look bad for me to have turned down an invitation to a team that is geared to prepare people for a sales role. I was in training last week and I started the new team Monday of this week.
Meanwhile, the very next week the investment/guidance team DID post a job opening for 10-15 spots. Ahh! Stressful! John stopped by my desk just 3 days after I agreed to go to H.O. and told me to have my resume ready and polished, and sure enough, that Thursday they posted. Interviews were last week, decisions were made Monday.
Over 40 people applied, most of whom were much more tenured than I. Since I was in training last week, I was able to talk with a bunch of people right after their interviews. It was almost unanimous that when asked "how'd it go," people said, "good, I guess, I don't think I got it." This made me extremely nervous because all of these reps had been on H.O. teams for months and here I was, brand spankin new.
I say all of this to say:
I had my interview on Wednesday. I was pretty stressed just with training and leaving John's team and everything, and I literally cried the entire way to work on Wednesday. I think the idea of competing with all of these people for a few spots just really stressed me out. I can't really even describe it except to say that I just really felt like being in the middle of the hustle and bustle, the rat race if you will, was not where I am meant to be. I know this is ridiculous, but I was crying about the idea that if I got the position, it meant that someone else didn't. I wanted to take a break from climbing that corporate ladder and just enjoy the view for a minute. There's something so masculine about competing for a job and it just really overwhelmed me. When I'm at work, I do my best not because I want to be better than everyone else, but because that's what our clients deserve. My leadership on my team and my desire to be better are a direct result of that, not the other way around.
Regardless, I am thankful for my time on John's team. He inspired me to be better and to always put our clients best interests first, he encouraged me to make my job my own, and he gave me the resources I needed to be successful. Everyone who knows him says that they're really good friends with him, and most people either say that they and he (grammar? ah!) are alike (wishful thinking) or that they try to emulate him. I hope that, if I'm ever in a position where I'm managing people, I can be as inspiring as he is.
Also, it's hard to be a woman in this industry. I'm not a "go-getter," I'm not competitive. I want to succeed but I don't want to step on other people's toes to get there. I'm a team player, looking out for "number one" is just a waste of time. Take care of those around you, they'll take care of you, you know? Men can sometimes be so callous and cold.
But alas, the reason that today is a very important day is because today is the day that I got my first promotion. First big kid job: Success. Second big kid job: let's see what you got!
Lately I've been thinking a lot about professionalism and what it means to be a business woman, and let me tell you: I don't think I'm cut out for it.
Background story:
My manager at work is one of the best people. I've known him for less than six months but his leadership style and passion for what he does make it an absolute joy to be on his team. I have encountered this feeling towards a boss just one other time in my (short) post-college life in the beautiful and talented Katie O'Donnell. (And let's be real, she's amazing, I love her.. I don't exactly "love" my manager, but you get the point.) (I digress.)
John (my manager) has been coaching me and getting me ready for my next career move. From the time I passed my licensing tests and became a stock broker, I've had my eyes fixed on going into our investment and guidance team. John was on this team a few years ago and his passion for the role has definitely rubbed off on me. As a member of this investment and guidance team, I would be responsible for giving investment guidance to our clients and helping them choose the investments that are going to make their portfolios work for them most effectively, while minimizing risk. It is a sales role, so in addition, I would be responsible for bringing over 4.76 million dollars of new money per month into the firm. (It sounds high but the numbers are pretty realistic.) John has allowed me to take as much leadership on our team as I can handle and he gives me great feedback every week in our 1:1 meetings. He's the kind of guy who could tell you that you were the ugliest human he'd ever seen, but he'd say it in a way that you not only agree with him, but also think it's a brilliant thought. (But of course he'd never say anything like that.) He's constantly asking why we do the things we do and how we can get better, which I like to think is something he and I have in common.
Fast forward to about 3 weeks ago:
John and another manager, Chuck, pulled me into a room and invited me to be a part of our "High Opportunity" team. Basically as a member of that (invitation only) team, I would be doing the same job I do now (read: no more $) but I would be encouraged to do some more digging into our client's accounts, backgrounds, etc. to see if they have outside assets, and if they'd be interested in consolidating to one place.
I struggled with the decision for a few reasons. First off, it's a great opportunity to be a part of an invitation only team. On the other hand, it'd mean more responsibility for the same amount of money. Second, it'd mean leaving John's team (and the teammates I've grown to love) and moving to a new manager on a new team (and you know how I feel about change). Third, I had heard through the grapevine that our investment/guidance team would be hiring soon, and it'd be weird to make two transitions in such a short time frame.
Ultimately, that week I decided to go to the H.O. team because I thought that if the investment team did hire soon, it'd look bad for me to have turned down an invitation to a team that is geared to prepare people for a sales role. I was in training last week and I started the new team Monday of this week.
Meanwhile, the very next week the investment/guidance team DID post a job opening for 10-15 spots. Ahh! Stressful! John stopped by my desk just 3 days after I agreed to go to H.O. and told me to have my resume ready and polished, and sure enough, that Thursday they posted. Interviews were last week, decisions were made Monday.
Over 40 people applied, most of whom were much more tenured than I. Since I was in training last week, I was able to talk with a bunch of people right after their interviews. It was almost unanimous that when asked "how'd it go," people said, "good, I guess, I don't think I got it." This made me extremely nervous because all of these reps had been on H.O. teams for months and here I was, brand spankin new.
I say all of this to say:
I had my interview on Wednesday. I was pretty stressed just with training and leaving John's team and everything, and I literally cried the entire way to work on Wednesday. I think the idea of competing with all of these people for a few spots just really stressed me out. I can't really even describe it except to say that I just really felt like being in the middle of the hustle and bustle, the rat race if you will, was not where I am meant to be. I know this is ridiculous, but I was crying about the idea that if I got the position, it meant that someone else didn't. I wanted to take a break from climbing that corporate ladder and just enjoy the view for a minute. There's something so masculine about competing for a job and it just really overwhelmed me. When I'm at work, I do my best not because I want to be better than everyone else, but because that's what our clients deserve. My leadership on my team and my desire to be better are a direct result of that, not the other way around.
Regardless, I am thankful for my time on John's team. He inspired me to be better and to always put our clients best interests first, he encouraged me to make my job my own, and he gave me the resources I needed to be successful. Everyone who knows him says that they're really good friends with him, and most people either say that they and he (grammar? ah!) are alike (wishful thinking) or that they try to emulate him. I hope that, if I'm ever in a position where I'm managing people, I can be as inspiring as he is.
Also, it's hard to be a woman in this industry. I'm not a "go-getter," I'm not competitive. I want to succeed but I don't want to step on other people's toes to get there. I'm a team player, looking out for "number one" is just a waste of time. Take care of those around you, they'll take care of you, you know? Men can sometimes be so callous and cold.
But alas, the reason that today is a very important day is because today is the day that I got my first promotion. First big kid job: Success. Second big kid job: let's see what you got!
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