women for hire magazine- spring 2006

8/14/2019 Women For Hire Magazine- Spring 2006

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The above advertisement is onethat should attract many women.Who wouldnt want the opportunityto reap large financial rewards fordoing something good for people?And who wouldnt want flexiblehours and the ability to work atleast some of the time from home?

The answer, at least according toindustry statistics, is women. Whatis it about a career in financial serv-ices that fails to attract women? Weknow that, on average, fewer than20% of career agents in the top lifeinsurance companies are women.

We also know that an even smallerpercentage of women reach the topsales tiers of these organizations.And yet, women are searching formeaningful, rewarding careers.They want flexible hours to achievebalance of family life and career

life. They want financial securityfor themselves and their families.

A career in financial servicesshould be a natural fit for women.Women are relationship buildersand problem solvers. We knowthat today successful careers infinancial services are built on asolid foundation of relationships.

We are no longer motivated bythe single transaction. We want tohelp our clients holistically addresstheir changing needs over thecourse of their lifetimes. But, in

order to best meet those changingneeds, you need to have a solidgrasp of increasingly complex con-cepts, and you need to be able tomotivate the client to act on the rec-ommendations you have made inshort, you have to be able to sell.

And, in selling, you have to riskrejection. For women, who haveworked so hard for acceptance asequals and who have worked sohard to prove their ability, rejectionis very hard to take.

Companies, however, are catchingon that women agents are vital totheir future success. One, womenknow how to talk to other women weve been doing it our entire lives.And, opportunities for future growthare heavily dependent upon beingable to tap into the various anddiverse segments of womensmarkets successfully.

Women as a group are terriblyunderinsured and in search of soundfinancial advice.Of course,womenas clients tell us that gender isnot an issue for them in choosing afinancial advisor (OppenheimerFunds Women and Investing survey, 5/9/02).

But, they also want an advisorwho will pay them the attentionthey deserve, who they can trust,who will respect them, who hasgreater experience than their own,and who understands the clientsdesire to maintain control. In otherwords, women want advice andoptions from their advisor, but theywant to make the final decisions.

These are qualities that women

agents possess and, accordingly,provide them a unique advantagein the womens marketplace.

Women agents are acutely awareof the many pressures on theirfemale clients time because theyare experiencing many of the samechallenges. This is not to say thatmale agents do not have the samechallenges many do. But womentruly understand what otherwomen are dealing with.

Having made the case that womenare great relationship builders

and have a natural affinity inwomens markets, what are thebarriers to their success as financialprofessionals?

The fact that they remain a dis-tinct minority among the ranks ofadvisors at a time when women areentering other professional careersin greater numbers tells us that wehave not done a great job of advo-cating this career to women.

The first barrier is the lack of womenrole models. When women look atthis career, they want to see otherwomen who have succeeded.

Women who love this career areable to balance it with family andother personal obligations, are ableto truly make a difference in theirclients lives, and are earning enoughto support themselves and theirfamilies in the lifestyle they want.

The lack of role models sends thesubliminal message that this maynot be a career women want. Thinkof it this way: How would you feelif you walked into a room and every-one there was vastly different fromyou? Perhaps they all spoke anotherlanguage that you did not speak orunderstand.Thats how many womenfeel walking into an agency wherethere are few, if any, role models.

Many agencies have no womenagents at all. In some agencies,the only employed women are thesupport staff. One truly is a lonelynumber.

Lets assume you currently have nowomen agents but want to recruit.

What do you do? If you provideyour female recruits with supportand education and you help themdevelop a market, you will be ableto increase your numbers of success-ful women agents. But, you haveto make a commitment to trulysupport them, coach them, offerpositive reinforcement, role-playclient planning meetings with themand help them to get comfortablewith closing a sale.

The one message I consistentlyhave heard from newer womenagents is that they want more

guidance on closing and theywant a mentor who will listen,coach, guide and challenge themto overcome obstacles.

In addition, they want to havecontact with other women agents.If there are none in your agency,then find others within your com-pany who would be willing toprovide an internal network.

And, encourage them to associatewith organizations designed toprovide them with ideas, encourage-

ment and support, such as Womenin Insurance and Financial Services(www.w-wifs.org). Encourage themto obtain their professional creden-tials, such as the CFP, CLU, ChFCand CLTC. Successfully obtainingthese credentials will not onlyincrease their base of knowledge,but also their confidence in theirown abilities.

Developing their target marketearly on and critically assessingwhether that market is viable tothem is also key. If they have nonatural market and you have notarget market to offer them or helpdevelop then you will continue toexperience low retention rates foryour women recruits.

It sounds like a lot of work.Actually, its more of a commitmentto making it work, than work itself.And, it is a commitment worthmaking women agents will bekey revenue drivers for you. Theyhave a passionate commitment totheir clients, and that passionbegets client loyalty.

Loyal clients who have been moti-vated to implement successfulplans will be your best advocates.And, you will have succeeded indoing well by doing good. It doesntget any better than that!

Susan Sweetser is second vice president, womens markets,Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield,Mass. She can be reached at [email protected].

Women In Financial Services It Should Be An Ideal MatchBy Susan W. Sweetser

W a n ted : E n t re p re ne u rs

a nd se lf -s ta r te rs w hodesi re to r u n t hei r ow n b usi nesses a nd to ma k e adif f e re nce i n t he lives of t hei r c lie n ts. Be yo u r ow n boss. Lo ng ho u rs ( t ho ug hf lexi b le) to s ta r t. Possi bi li t yof wo r k i ng f rom home.Sma l l f i na ncia l rewa rdsi ni tia l ly as yo u g row yo u r

b usi ness. La rge f u t u rei ncome po te n tia l.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, January 16, 2004. Copyright 2004 by The National Underwriter Companyin the serial publication. All rights reserved. Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author. C: 72492

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We all know people who are complacent. They dont push themselves to learn and grow.They never offer to do more. Theyre content with getting away with whats expected.No more, no less.

Dont be one of them.

In my early twenties, I worked in public relations. First at ABC News, assisting with thepromotion of superstars like Barbara Walters, and then at NBC News, where I was theyoungest press manager handling publicity for Maria Shriver, Jane Pauley, Tim Russert,Stone Phillips and others.

I would call newspaper reporters throughout the country and TV producers at shows like Entertainment Tonight to ask if they wanted to interview Shriver about her celebrity spe-cials. Id pitch the media to cover the latest ratings coup for Russerts Sunday publicaffairs program, Meet the Press .

Inevitabl y, the answer was yes. Yes, we want to promote Marias work. Yes, we wantto praise Tims success.

I thought I was good at my job. Really, really good. I had great friends in the media andthe talent at NBC was pleased with the exceptional results of my work.

When I left NBC, I was hired as the Director of Communications at Nickelodeon, whereI was responsible for developing and executing the press strategy for the consumer prod-ucts division. Instead of TV anchors, I was now working with animated characters.

During my first couple of weeks in this new position, I figured the best way to wow mynew bosses would be to secure some high profile media coverage for a new line of back-to-school gear. I called several reporters hoping to land a big article. When I asked if theyd want to write about the licensed products, half the reporters said a big fat no. Theother half didnt even return my calls.

I panicked thinking I had lost my touch. My husband would see me near tears at nightfor fear that I had gotten in over my head. Clearly I had underestimated how easy it wasto sell superstars, and how much more challenging it would be to sell lesser known com-modities.

He quickly reminded me that I was making a very healthy salary, which meant throwingin the towel was totally out of the question.

Instead, I had to push myself to think more strategically about corporate communications.I couldnt get by on my basic knowledge; I had to step out of my comfort zone to devel-op new contacts and conceive of fresh ideas. I did all of that and more during my threeyears with the kids cable network. And it was a sometimes nerve-racking, but alwaysinvaluable, career advancement experience.

So I say to you, if your job has become too easy, if youre able to do it by rote, considermaking a change. Ask your boss to assign more challenging projects. Seek difficultassignments. Learn a new skill. Push yourself. Youll feel like a superstar if you tacklethe unknown.

Tory JohnsonFounder & CEOWomen For Hire

A C C E P T A N E W

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3 CORNER CUBICLE

5 IN THIS ISSUE

7 CONTRIBUTORS

9 GUTSIEST MOVES

11 BULLETIN BOARD

13 FREEBIES

48 FAIR WELL

FEATURE PROFILESGO GETTERS15 Culinary queen Donatella Arpaia17 Animal healer Lora Condon19 Sleeping beauty Jeena Hunget21 Money maker Nell Merlino25 Cleaning genie Tara Aronson27 Publishing pro Robyn Spizman

CONQUERORS29 Motivating mama Linda Armstrong Kelly31 Ultimate optimist Cindi Broaddus

DO GOODERS33 Museum maven Katherine Honey35 Global guardian Katherine Chon37 Artsy activists Edwina Meyers & Gail Velez

LEADING LADIES39 Winning woman Beverly Kearney41 Balanced boss Daria Myers43 Legacy ladies Jennifer Cook & Nancy Thomason

FOREVER FRIENDS45 Leadership scout Abigail Kies47 Supporting sisters Mae Jemison & Linda Lorelle

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{contributers}

Marcia G.YermanEmpowering women has always been one of my priorities, says Marcia G. Yerman, New

York City-based writer, artist, and curator. Forthis issue, she did the reporting for the profiles.

Having the opportunity to interview suchremarkabl e individua ls was special. Yerman,

whose work focuses on womens issues and thearts, hosted and produced the television series

Women in Art , and organized the exhibitionsDomestic Affairs and Visions of Life. Her per-

sonal essays are included in When I Look in the Mirror: Voices Connected through the Bonds of Sisterhood . Learn more at marciagyerman.com.

DONT SHY AWAY FROM

Asking for more direction if you dont understand whatsrequested of you. Try saying, In order to complete this assign-ment accurately, Id appreciate further clarification about yourexpectations.

Attending industry events alone. While theres often safety innumbers, the comfort causes some people to miss out on the

valuable networki ng available at work functions . You wind upstanding in a corner talking about everyone, instead of talking tothem. Go it alone and dont leave until youve introduced your-self to at least three people.

Accepting complimen ts about your work. Women often dismisskudos aimed at them because they dont want to appear conceitedWhile its ok to be humble and to share credit with others, dontdownplay your achievements and dont allow others to diminishyour contributions.

Louis Joseph Comeau IVLouis Joseph Comeau IV is a Brooklyn-based,Pratt Institute-educated illustrator. He hascontributed original work to several issuesof this magazine. His regularly updated, fullyillustrated blog can be viewed atloujoe.blogspot.com.

Allyson LubowCover photographer Allyson Lubow is a portraand fashion photographer who lives in BrooklyNew York. She has shot for magazines such asBust, Mass Appeal, and German P.M., and herwork as been exhibited extensively in galleriesin New York and Kansas City. She is currentlyworking on a book of teenage portraits duringa pivotal time in their lives. Learn more atalubow.com.

Lindsay WeitzLindsay Weitz has been designing for Women

For Hire for six years. She works as an artdirector at a boutique ad agency in Soho and

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No doubt about it, I made my gutsiest move nine years ago when I transferred with Dell fromMexico City to global headquarters in Austin, Texas. I knew little about the demands of corporateAmerica and could not foresee the impact on my career and family.

Despite a few difficulties, I never have regretted the decision.

Professionally, Ive had unique experiences and have assumed greater responsibility within Dell, acompany that opened a whole new world for me. Personally, although my husband and I areMexican, we are now raising two wonderful children who are 100 percent Texan.

VIVIAN KOBEH, SENIOR MANAGER,DIVERSITY, ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE COMMUNICATIONS / DELL INC.

The gutsiest move of my career was to create a job that did not exist. I needed an outlet for my cre-ative skill and the stability of the corporate environment. At the time, I worked in the CompetitionDepartment of the company and there was a curiously cool graphic station in our area. I found outthat the company paid graphic artists to come in when needed to develop presentations. I contacteda graphics instructor and asked about the cost of onsite training.

Guess which was most cost effective? That's right: to train me and have me become the new presen-tation guru. Three months later I was a key player of the newly formed Marketing Department.

ANGELA G. DANIELS, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, WOMEN'S MARKETS / NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

The gutsiest move I ever made was taking my brand new college degree and moving to Chicago toaccept a job as a management trainee with a rental car company I had never heard of.

Fortunately, that company was Enterprise and I was offered amazing opportunities to learnnot justabout renting cars, but about customer service, marketing and leadership. It was certainly a risk atthe time, as Enterprise was a much smaller and less well-known company, but it was a risk I had totake, and 14 years later, Im so glad I did!

MARIE ARTIM, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT,RECRUITING / ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR

In 2000, when I served as Regional Personnel Manager, I found that a number of the concernsshared by women managers were the same ones I struggled with early in my career: stress manage-ment, conflict resolution, work/life balance.

I pulled several of these managers together for a Women in Leadership development seminar. Ididn't ask for permission to pull managers out of their stores, to pay for their travel and accommoda-tions, or to create my first true 'open forum' sharing and learning seminar. The format allowedwomen to share their experiences and encouraged those who had been there to nod their heads andspeak up about solutions theyd found.

We grew the number of seminars for the region each year and measured outcomes. You can't imag-ine the thrill I felt when we expanded this to the entire company.

MICHELLE WHITEHEAD, DIRECTOR,PROFESSIONAL RECRUIT MENT AND CAMPUS RELATIONS / WAL-MART STORES, INC.

GUTSY GALS

WERE BIG ON ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO BE GUTSY IN THEIR CAREERS.THIS MEANS STEPPING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES TO TAKE RISKSAND SEEK CHALLENGES. WE ASKED FOUR GUTSY GALS IN DIFFERENTINDUSTRIES TO SHARE THEIR COURAGEOUS MOVES.

{gutsiest moves}

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click on "Careers."

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What IMAGE do you see of yourself?

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GET SMARTwith ABCsGood Morning AmericaTune-in from 7 to 9am weekdays to themorning show thats devoted to yourcareer success. Women For Hire CEOTory Johnson is GMAs WorkplaceContributor, where she regularly sharesthe smartest advice for getting ahead andinsights to navigating the biggest issuesfacing working women.

{bulletin board}

GET CONNECTEDwith the Women For Hire NetworkNone of us can do it all on our own. We need a support system thatincludes professional women who shares our struggles and successes.Join the all-new Women For Hire Network to benefit from connectionwith other members. You can also submit your career-related questio ns toAsk Tory & Team to receive personalized feedback from our CEO andher crack staff of pros within 24 hours. Youll be invited to dial in tomonthly conference calls hosted by various special guests, includingauthors and industry experts. Visit womenforhire.com for details and toregister today.

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Since networking is an ideal way to

ahead, be a pal and tell another gal aWomen For Hire today.

Dont expect a big raise or bonus if you dowhats expected of you.For that you get aweekly paycheck. If you want more, youvegot to do more, going above and beyond thebasics of your job.

Tory Johnson onGood Morning America

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ON TRACK TO BE A PARTNER AT ASMALL LAW FIRM IN NEW YORK CITY,DONATELLA ARPAIA QUIT PRACTIC-ING AFTER EIGHT MONTHS WHENSHE REALIZED HER TRUE CALLING

WAS IN THE ENVIRONMENT DIRECTLYUNDER HER APARTMENT.

Arpaia lived over her brothers restaurant,and one night she realized that the foodservice business was what suited her best.

Now at just 33, she owns three restau-rants in New York City, including david-

burke + donatella, flourishing in an indus-try with a high rate of failure in a city fullof cutthroat competition. The risky depar-ture from a career as a lawyer to restaura-teur turned out to be the best move shecould have madeand her patrons are thebetter for it.

I grew up in a foodie environment,says Arpaia, who has mastered the art of combining her business savvy with a pas-sion for all-things food. Im dynamicand the restaurant world has lots of aspectspublic relations, creativity, pres-

entation, business, and more. She focus-es on these front-of-the-house duties,while partnering with the hottest chefs,who handle the kitchen.

Raised on Long Island by parents whocame to the United States from Italy withnothing, Arpaia was nudged in the direc-tion of law by a restaurateur father whostressed education and independence.

There was just one problem for Arpaia,who showed a natural aptitude for law bypassing the bar exam the first time shetook it: I absolutely hated it,she says.

Arpaia had first-hand knowledge of thedemands and the risks of the restaurantbusiness from watching her father andbrother, but that didnt deter her fromrenting a space and putting a law careerbehind her. She secured a loan, which sherepaid within seven months, and negotiat-ed a favorable lease, while earning a rep-utation for her hospitality, style, andvision.

Whether it is entertaining politicos likeNew York Mayor Michael Bloomberg or

hip hop stars like Mary J. Blige, Arpaiafocuses on making each guest feel wel-come, which is why Zagats crowned hea hostess with the mostest.

She has also expanded well beyond therestaurants to books and the Internet, wia television show also in the works.Arpaia provides seasonal tips and recipeon the website for Spiegel Catalogs,where she works as an entertainment cosultant. On her own site,donatellastyle.com, she offers specialtyproducts including, tomato sauce, almoncookies, and olive oil.

Arpaia also mentors and empowers herfemale employees. I try to inspire thewomen in my organization and promotefrom within. Im big on loyalty.

Perhaps even greater than her culinarytalents is the example Arpaia sets forother career women. She wasnt afraidto follow her inner voice, and, by givingup one path and starting over in anothershes found the essential ingredients toexceptional personal and professionalsuccess.

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women for hire magazine- spring 2006

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