The following is an interview with Angie Tejeda as part of a larger piece published by the Wichita Business Journal about women who lead.
How did you become involved in your profession?
I met a financial recruiter at a job fair. He stated that it is hard to become a financial advisor and nearly 50% of advisors fail the Series 7 test and/or cannot find the clients to stay in business. I took this as a challenge.
What has been your career path?
I started in 2000. My ultimate goal was to help people. My practice focuses on women. Women make up more than 50% of the U.S. population and 85% control the finances. Women are usually the caregivers and miss years in the workforce. Women need to save more money because they tend to live longer. They want a relationship first and have mastered the art of referrals. However, more than half of my clients are married and I do work with men too!
How has Covid-19 affected your work?
Honestly, it has saved me a lot of money, from no printing costs. I have an essential business and continued working. I feel communication is important and technology has made it easy. I started Zoom calls with clients. I ended the year with my best year ever.
Best advice for young women who want to be a part of the profession?
There is no greater time than right now to enter this field. Research shows that more than 40% of financial advisors will be retiring within the next decade. Women like to work with other women. There is so much opportunity in this field for women who have a desire to help people.
Who are your mentors and how have they influenced your career?
My mother, Linda Nicholson, was CEO of a credit union. She taught me to be independent, get educated and achieve anything. She was a strong female role model and helped me to get my practice started. And now I teach all young females to become financially successful. My motto: A man is NOT a financial plan.
Original article posted by the Wichita Business Journal.
The Women who Lead Award is given by the Wichita Business Journal. Recipients are chosen from a panel of judges selected by the WBJ Editor-in Chief. The panel reviews the nominee’s application and selects the recipient in each of the award categories. The criteria for this selection include career achievement, contribution to company, community involvement and leadership. Nominees should be in a senior leadership position. The individual making the nomination is anonymous. The rating is not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance; and the Financial Advisor has not paid a fee to participate.