Drawn to the industry by the desire to build a business and do meaningful work for clients, I started as a financial professional in the late 1990s. I was in a training class of 32 people who all started at the same time. I was the only female — and only one of three people in our class who survived and moved on to have a career in financial services.

As I progressed in my career, joining Principal® in 2013 as a field leader with responsibilities to recruit, develop, and retrain financial advisors, two things became clear to me: 1) The industry has a challenge attracting and retaining women, and 2) I wanted to do something about it.

Like most insurance sales representatives, I’ve dreamed of selling disability insurance my whole life!

OK, you caught me. That’s not exactly true. I was born in the “Insurance Capital of the World” — Hartford, Connecticut — before spending my childhood in Phoenix, Arizona. But the truth is, growing up, I would have never pictured myself in a “sales” position. I pictured “sales” as cold calling, pushy car salesmen, or the person at the mall kiosk who rubs lotion on you as you walk by. Not for me.

Recently, the world lost Barbara Walters, a journalism pioneer in a male-dominated industry. Like you, she took many risks in her profession, and they paid off immensely. Walters became the first female co-anchor of a network evening news program, a talk show household name, and recipient of many awards, including an Emmy.

As I considered Walters' life, I could not help but think of all the female trailblazers I have worked with over the years who are taking a cue from Barbara Walters and smashing their industries’ glass ceilings.

We are almost one-third of the way into the second quarter, and this year has already proven challenging. First, most of us have dropped the ball on our New Year's resolutions. In fact, the statistics tell us that 23 percent of people quit their resolutions in the first week, and only 36 percent make it past the first month. Unfortunately, that means many of our clients are probably facing headwinds in reaching the financial goals they were so eager to achieve at the turn of 2023.

Then there’s the economic market again proving to be erratic and unpredictable. We are living in uncertain times, and unfortunately, many more unknowns are on the horizon.

“Surround yourself with people who would mention you in a room full of opportunities.” It’s a quote we’ve seen often, and I can’t think of a better one to kick off my first blog of 2023 as I revisit and expand on the ABCs of Sponsorship concepts of Amplifying, Boosting, and Connecting, adding a “D” component, Defending.

Amplifying in the context of sponsorship involves being aware of and talking up the accomplishments of a protégée with others to create, or to increase, others’ positive impressions of them. This can be impactful whether or not the individual is already in the room. The amplification of another’s voice and/or idea lends power and impact to how, and whether, that individual is heard and recognized for their contributions.

We emphasize Situational Social Security in the National Social Security Advisor Certificate (NSSA®) education program, as all your clients are unique. Your clients may be single, married with wide age differences, married with narrow age differences, divorced, surviving spouses, eligible to file a Restricted Application, public employees, etc.

Advisors (you) must understand the issues and questions that relate to every unique client. You are your clients' trusted advisor and must understand Social Security.

It’s October! This is for many tax return preparers a second filing season, given the large percentage of taxpayers who file extensions in April. IRS reports approximately 10 percent of all filers request a six-month extension until October, and most of those tax returns tend to be the most complex. This is not surprising, considering most taxpayers who are W-2 wage earners would tend to file their tax returns early, especially if a refund is expected.

My last post, in April, focused on timely filing and payment. It bears repeating that the penalty for late filing is substantially more punitive than the penalty for not paying on time. For this reason, even if full payment is not possible, it makes good financial sense to file by the due date, whether in April or extended to October, and pay as much as possible if there is a balance due. Effective October 1, 2022, the interest rate for noncorporate taxpayers increased to 6 percent, compounded daily (federal short-term rate plus 3 percent). It doesn’t take a calculator to see that unpaid tax balances can increase in a hurry.

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“Dorice, how can we handle challenging situations, and challenging people?” Who does not want to know the answer to this question -- NO ONE.

That was a question I was asked as I led a group of 14 leaders from Hewlett-Packard. More than 900 participants from HP chose to engage in the very first Positive Intelligence training cohort the company offered in the summer of 2022. What a gift HP provided its employees: the gift of mental fitness! A time dedicated to self-development and fostering awareness to improve what is known as “soft skills,” regarding them -- rightly so -- as necessary for the success of individuals, their satisfaction with their work and ultimately the advancement of the company’s goals. I was one of five coaches selected by the Positive Intelligence company to facilitate the leaders’ conversations.

Divorce can be an emotionally debilitating for a woman. As she struggles with such a major change in her life, it may soon become clear that her financial future is yet another realm of this transition. While she realizes that the choices, she makes may be life altering for herself and her family, she also may be confronted by the reality that she is unprepared to understand or deal with the complexities of her financial situation and how it will impact, perhaps even determine, her future.

I understand that women facing divorce are at a crossroads of their lives. They’re afraid, confused and are often plagued by self-doubt knowing that they are not prepared to make smart, definitive decisions. Imagining their life as it unfolds means they need guidance and support based on experience and compassion. I know exactly how they feel because I am one of the millions of women who have gone through a divorce.

Every time Betty Lee does something fearless, she gets a knot in her throat. She knows there’s risk. But she also knows life isn’t forever — that it’s better to do something you love, being somewhere you can make a difference.

We've all heard the phrase, "perception is reality." Nowhere does this hold more true than for some people's perceptions of aging, what it means to grow "old" and how older age affects them. This is true even for some adults who buy into their own ageism. With the invention of the Internet and the rise of social media, perceptions or "myths" about aging are more stubbornly persistent than factual knowledge based in reality.

The aging process is not a linear, downhill path. There are many positive aspects of aging! Evidence-based scientific research has proven time after time that hard work, effort, determination, and some genetics along with maintaining good physical and mental health and adopting or continuing healthy habits and lifestyle choices you can flourish into old age. Grandma Moses didn't start painting until she was 78. Below are five common misperceptions about aging. It's time to set the record straight!

Job description:

• Must be willing to work in a state of ambiguity at all times.
• We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal skills, a great communicator with clear goals and objectives. This person must have stellar organization skills and is willing to dedicate 6-12 hours per month to the job at minimum.
• We are looking for a candidate who is a self-starter, who is charismatic and someone who can help boost morale during difficult times.
• This leader need not have any previous leadership experience.
• The ideal candidate will possess excellent problem-solving skills, work within a lean operating budget while maximizing all available volunteer resources.
• They must strategize at all times and cannot be afraid to delegate tasks with a mindset and understanding that these tasks may not get done.
• They should be willing to work beyond the 6-12 per month commitment to cover any unmet needs or collectively pivot the plan of action, with the group's approval, to suit the broader goals of the organization.

Did we mention that this is not a paid position and your term may expire at any time? Wonder why we are not attracting more people to leadership roles?

Originally Published in The Brief, April 2022

Think about the businesses you’re loyal to. It’s likely because they cater to you. They offer things that make it easier for you.