2024 Wrapped: The Best Advice of the Year for Female Financial Advisors

Welcome back to WomenShare, a celebration of women in financial services, and welcome to 2025.

WomenShare was launched in the Fall of 2023, so 2024 was our first full year as a podcast. During this year, WomenShare has transitioned from a focus on marketing best practices to celebrating the multifaceted experiences of women in the financial sector. This shift has led to richer conversations and a remarkable 284% growth in listenership, along with a 413% rise in streams in 2024.

In this episode, we're looking back on some of our favorite moments from 2024, featuring amazing guests Julie Ragatz, Shannon Schlotter, Terri Kallsen, and Atricia Roberts.

Key Takeaways:

1. Diversity in Financial Planning

Atricia Roberts' reflections brought attention to the slow progress in diversity, emphasizing the need for significant industry changes. Despite being in the industry for over 20 years, she often remains the only Black female advisor at conferences. She highlighted the critical importance of organizations like the Certified Financial Planning Board promoting diversity and fostering a more inclusive environment.

2. Mentorship and Career Development

Atricia shared her powerful personal journey back into the financial industry with the mentorship of Bernie Wolfe. This mentorship not only rekindled her career in investment management but also built her confidence, helping her embrace authenticity and self-assurance. This underscores the significant impact that mentorship can have on one's career path and personal growth.

3. Challenges in the Wealth Management Industry

Julie Ragatz from Carson Group highlighted the ongoing challenges women face in the wealth management industry, including "forced entrepreneurship." This trend, wherein women start their own businesses due to dissatisfaction with corporate environments, speaks volumes about the need for more inclusive and adaptable corporate structures. Notably, this trend is both empowering and a reflection of accessibility issues, as not all have the resources to start their own ventures.

4. Experimentation and Self-Care during Transitions

Shannon Schottler discussed the importance of embracing experimentation and self-care, especially during life transitions. Her personal anecdote about her daughter learning to bake underscores the beauty of imperfections and learning from 'messiness.' The idea of treating life changes as experiments, as discussed by Joanna, supports personal growth and adaptability, which is essential for professional and personal development.

5. Impact of "WomenShare" and Future Directions

We reflected on the positive impact of the podcast in 2024, celebrating its growth and the richness of discussions facilitated by diverse guests. We expressed gratitude and optimism about the increasing alignment towards diversity and inclusivity in the financial industry. The call for community support and potential sponsors signals the show's commitment to continuing its mission, driven by community engagement and support.