Monday, August 11, 2008

Kerri Kimball, Financial Advisor


Kerri Kimball

Education: B.S. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

Job title and employer: FINANCIAL ADVISOR, ELEMENT FINANCIAL GROUP

What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?

My job is to help successful people to identify and achieve their financial goals. When I was 33, I had my first experience working with a financial advisor. I’d never expected to be single in my 30’s and hadn’t done anything to prepare myself for making my own financial decisions about buying a home, saving for retirement, or protecting my assets. Working with an advisor opened my eyes to the world of personal finance and I felt amazingly empowered. I had been working in advertising agencies for 12 years and was ready for a change and I was so moved by my experience that I decided to make this my new career. I could see that there are thousands of women out there like me who need advice but haven’t known that they could ask, or who they could trust to really listen to them. I’ve been in this field for 4 years now and I feel so lucky.

What do you like about your current career?

I love that I get to make a difference in the lives of my clients. When I can show them that they can afford that bigger home or that they can retire 5 years sooner than they thought, the look on their faces is priceless. It’s especially rewarding when I can help a client leave a legacy behind to family or charity. I also love that it’s my job to meet new people all the time. I’m out at social events 2 to 3 times a week getting to know people, building my network of resources, and growing my business.

If you were to start over again from college and still end up at the same job you’re currently at, what steps would you take differently?

I wouldn’t do anything differently. Each unique experience I’ve had – from reviewing expense reports to negotiating client contracts to taking a sabbatical to hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp – has taught me the skills I need to be successful.

What barriers have you overcome to get to your present position today, and what lessons have you learned from your mistakes?

When I left corporate America to start my financial advisory practice, I had to start over and learn a new industry from scratch. Buddhists have a distinction called “beginner’s mind” that I referred back to often: a state of mind that is free of preconceptions and expectations, full of curiosity and wonder. Early on, there were many times where my lack of experience was extremely frustrating and I had to take a deep breath and say to myself, “ok, this is interesting”. I didn’t get a lot of lucky breaks, but I was incredibly tenacious and would not give up. It’s important to keep going even if you get a No or you miss your target. After the last No there is always a Yes.

What’s the greatest career advice you have ever been given? What advice do you bestow on others?

Someone recently told me “Do what you love because you’ll spend a significant portion of your life doing it.” Do what you love, or at least what you like a lot, and remember that 90% of that is your attitude. Be grateful for all the terrific things that your job or business provides to you, whether it be creativity, financial security, travel, or just great people to work with every day. As women in today’s business environment, we are so fortunate to have relative equality with men. But we still have a long way to go before we reach full equality. Don’t ever sell yourself short or compromise your values. Seek out good mentors who are looking out for your best interests, and take time to be a mentor yourself.



1 comment:

sigsoog said...

Being a career women and house wife time managements is always importance on how can you become a good mother to my kids, very good house wife to my husband and to to manage my owned business successfully.

Women owned businesses