Do you know the #1 question I get asked by fellow professionals?

“Why did you transition from a successful investment sales career to leadership?”

The answer is simple: it took me longer than my peers to start my career in investment sales. Even after ranking in the top 10% of Financial Planners nationwide, my career goal to become an Investment Advisor was met with repeated “NO’s”, the most common ones were:

❌ “You’re young; if you have another baby as an Investment Advisor, it might be challenging.” (Is it 1956?!)
❌ “This is a high-pressure commission sales role, and with young kids, it’s too risky.” (I was already thriving in commission sales!)
❌ “This role isn’t family-friendly due to long hours.” (As if other jobs don’t require long hours? Talk to my realtor Lanna McGlade!)
❌ “You’re too sweet and nice. This is a cut throat business!” (Catch more flies with honey am I right? 😉)
❌ “You don’t have a business degree or experience in finance.” (But I have always been in the PEOPLE business!)
❌ “You’ll start as a sales assistant and need to prove you’re fit for our team.” (I was bringing in $25 million in net new assets annually, plus John and Joe didn’t have to start as assistants.)

Frustrated by the constant “NO’s,” I left my sales job and accepted a role in corporate HR as Senior DEI Advisor to tackle systemic barriers in the Wealth Management industry from within. In just three years, I’ve proudly witnessed significant senior leadership and workforce engagement progress. There are so many champions at BMO who share my vision for equal opportunity.

I discovered that many strategic initiatives aimed at increasing diverse representation, while well-intentioned, were actually exclusionary – and over time has created this “them vs us” environment. The ones that have actually created impact were designed to dismantle legacy industry barriers for ALL wealth professionals, ensuring long-term, sustainable growth in our workforce – organically leading to increased representation of aspiring professionals from all backgrounds. DEI should be woven into every aspect of our business operations.

I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with leaders and wealth professionals to carefully examine our entire business ecosystem. Together, we’re identifying legacy barriers that hinder our efforts to foster a genuinely inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone.

Basically, we are committed to eliminating the reasons behind the “NOs” we’ve encountered throughout our careers, transforming them into opportunities for innovation, enhanced performance and accelerated growth.

What are some of the worst “NO’s” you’ve been given in your career? Send me an email or post a comment below!