Brett Gilliland speaks to Elizabeth Connelly and Katie Martin, both strong female figures within Visionary Wealth Advisors. Elizabeth touches on her early experiences as the only woman in executive meetings, which was normal for her in the beginning portion of her career. She emphasized the importance of hard work and perseverance in a male-dominated industry. Elizabeth also talks about the support she received from other female professionals. 

Katie Martin shares her experiences as a young mother in the industry and her advice for women today pursuing a similar career. Katie shares her experiences in her position and how she aims to encourage women to take control of their financial futures. Both professionals have learned to balance a home and work life and found themselves successful. This episode is incredibly insightful for women and other professionals seeking a career in a male-dominated industry. 

 



https://youtu.be/fhG4ILGs1QU
Brett Gilliland: So we're live here ladies. So we are, uh, we'll let some people join here for a little bit and, uh, before we get started, um, but we're excited today to celebrate Women's History Month. Here at Visionary Wealth Advisors and I've got two, uh, distinguished guests. Katie Martin is with me, and also Elizabeth Connolly is with me.
So we're excited to, uh, spend some time today and get to know them and their careers and, uh, how blessed we are to get to work with them every day. So, again, I will wait just a little bit longer to make sure we are live in kicking. It's 11 o'clock and, um, also going over to YouTube to check that. Um, right now.
So, um, we are here. Okay. We're live on, at least on, on YouTube, so, so that's good. So we'll exit out of there and then, uh, go over here to LinkedIn and uh, make sure we are live there, which it looks like we are. So, uh, yes, we are live. So. Alright. Great stuff. Well, I wanna get started. So again, I have, uh, Katie Martin with me.
Katie Martin is a Chartered financial analyst, A C F P, certified Financial Planner. We have Elizabeth Connelly with us who is a JD, a certified trust specialist, and a certified IRA specialist with two distinguished careers, uh, that you all have. And we get the fortune of working with you two every single day here at Visionary.
So if you could, these are always big open questions I know, but I'd like to start with you, uh, Katie, if we can, and just share a little bit about your career story. And, uh, what's made you, the woman you are today? 
Katie Martin: Sure. So I started in a rotational program at an investment firm right outta college. And at the end of that time I moved into our investment research area.
So, um, I started as an associate analyst doing some, helping out, some equity analyst. And then in 2005 transitioned into a new area, which was our manager research area. So it was exciting to be the third person on that team and then help to play a role in growing that team from three to over 30, um, over the course of the next 10 to 15 years.
So it was, um, It was a great opportunity to take on increasing responsibility over time. Um, you know, eventually I be, uh, was responsible for leading a team of analysts and then also leading some cross-divisional projects at the firm. So I did that for about 17 years and then reached a point, um, in my career where I decided it was time to ch make a change and look, to pivot to a role that was more autonomous and flexible.
But most importantly was one where I had, um, wanted to feel like I was making more of a difference to, um, to an individual and working with individual clients. So that's how I found Visionary. And I've been a wealth management advisor at Visionary since October of 2019. 
Brett Gilliland: Awesome. Great. Well, thanks for sharing that story. And, uh, Elizabeth, how about you? 
Elizabeth Connelly: So a little, I'll go back a little farther than Katie did, uh, when I was little. I played like a lawyer. I sat at a, a dining room table and I would argue with my brother, and my brother would have this old stethoscope around his neck cuz he wanted to be a doctor and we're little bitty kids at that time.
Well, he is a doctor and I am a lawyer now, so we, it came full circle. But in my career, all during my life, when I went to college, I tried everything. You know, I, I, computer science, things in math, things in business. But I had an advisor, I had a female advisor at that time, an academic advisor, and she told me that I was gonna take the LSAT because I had shared with her at one point in time that I played like I was gonna be a lawyer. Well, somehow I, I passed that exam in a decent way and she said, well, now you're gonna apply to law school. So I applied to one law school, St. Louis University. I got in and I said to her, well, now what am I gonna do? Because I had accepted a job at Macy's in their management training program.
Um, I was getting ready to graduate college, and she said, well, you're gonna go tell them you're not taking that job. And you're going to law school. So I went to law school and it, it was fun. When I was there, I, I always wanted to be a litigator and in my young mind, I worked in a firm, I'd got to try a wrongful death case, and the life of a litigator is up and down and up and down.
And so at that time I thought, well, I would like to be married and have a family someday, and it wouldn't fit, right? Mm-hmm. That's what my young mind. So I specialized. I went over and I interviewed for a job in the banking field, and there started my career. I was so lucky, unbeknownst to me because I walked into an environment where I handled both institutional and personal money, and most advisors specialize in one area or the other.
So I actually grew up in my field doing both. And I am forever grateful for that. And over the years I had various opportunities that I took advantage of and found my way for client purposes into the arena that I'm now in. So the independent, uh, registered advisor, um, and it has been wonderful and it's the exact right place for clients.
Brett Gilliland: I mean, you do an amazing job of it. So, uh, that, uh, it's a big deal. So I, I, I'm a big fan of these defining moments, right? I think we all have defining moments in our careers, in our lives. Um, I think back to, you know, my first year in the business was 2001. I started late oh one, but 2002, great year, 2003.
Terrible year. Right? Like surprised to even let me stay on as a financial advisor. I just didn't do much. Right. As a, as a advisor. I'm curious for you two, Katie, we'll start with you on any pivotal moments or defining moments for you. In your career and to help you take action to where you're at today.
Katie Martin: Yeah. So I put some thought into that after we had our initial conversation to prepare for that. And you shared your, you know, very specific example of what kind of got you to where you are. And so I tried to think if there were any points in my career that I would define as that one pivotal moment. And I.
I don't know that there is anything quite that specific. And what I would say is it's really more of a culmination of things for me. So I guess I'm somebody who's kind of always thrived on that external validation. So when I was in school that meant, you know, seeing if you can get good grades. And then when I was in my corporate role, that meant kind of moving up to that next role in my firm.
Yeah. And so, um, you know, when I finally got to the point where I was in my existing role and looking to what would be next and realized that I wasn't so sure that that was something that was right for me at the time. It really forced me to go back and think a little bit harder about, okay, what is that next step?
And so I, I kind of point to that as what it was that got me to kind of make that change that I needed to make at that time. Yeah. 
Brett Gilliland: Were you, were you always a good student? Like was it easy for your parents? If you look back, you could have that discussion when you're in high school. Cause and the reason I ask, I joke, this isn't about, you know, kids and stuff, this podcast, but you know, we've got four boys, you've got two girls, you were a girl, you are a girl.
My, my, my wife, obviously. She talks about the difference of what it was like when she was doing schoolwork and these boys. Right. So do you see a difference there? 
Katie Martin: Yeah. I mean, I, I was fortunate that school always came easily to me, so it was easy for me to get good grades, and that was something that was important to me.
Now, if you try to put me on a softball field or a volleyball court, then the story would be a lot different. So, um, and, and yeah, when I look at my, when I look at my own kids, You definitely see kind of the difference. It's always, I mean, we gotta have a whole separate conversation on how different kids that are raised in the same environment from the same parents.
Brett Gilliland: It's crazy. 
Katie Martin: Parents can be, but um, so yeah, so I think being good in school was fortunately something that was kind of easy to me. 
Brett Gilliland: Good. Uh, Elizabeth, what about you? What was some of those defining moments in, in your career? 
Elizabeth Connelly: You know, I've thought about this a lot and so my career started at a time where there were hardly any executive level females.
And so my path was very different than nowadays, and I would say there's not any one moment factually, not in a complaining way, any female. I, I was never at a table where there was another executive female. I would be in, in boardrooms and wherever I was, and everyone was a man. And so in my world, You didn't have a, a pivotal moment, you had to survive.
Katie Martin: Mm-hmm. 
Elizabeth Connelly: Is what I'm saying. You had to survive. And so I made up my mind early on what I wanted to do and what I wanted to achieve,

Ver todos los episodios