I entered wealth management because I love finance and helping people with their finances, but also because this career is a great fit for my lifestyle. I joined Stephens because of its supportive culture as a family business, and because the Private Client Group is committed to the best interest of clients. Here, the clients really do come first. It’s rare to find a company that so thoroughly aligns with your passion and priorities.
All of that is very important to me, because before I was in wealth management and working at Stephens, I was a mother of four children. I married my high school sweetheart from Helena, Arkansas. After graduating from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, I attained my Certified Public Accountant designation. My husband became a farmer. While we were living in Stuttgart, Arkansas, both of us decided to switch careers.
Putting it mildly, this was a big change for our family – occurring when our kids were still quite young. My husband enrolled in school to begin the process of transitioning from farming to becoming a tax attorney. Meanwhile, at the suggestion of our own financial consultant at the time, I decided to pursue wealth management. He recognized my technical background and enjoyment of connecting with people. So this new path, although somewhat daunting, appealed to me on a deep level.
In 1998, I began my wealth management career at a company that had good basic training but required me to manage my own office almost by myself. That amount of administrative work limited my time working with clients. Eventually I realized the value of working at a firm with highly responsive back-office staff, investment specialists, and senior management. A manager at Stephens reached out to me and showed me how PCG has a solutions-oriented environment, without any pressure to sell certain products or services.
Since coming to Stephens in 2002, my business has grown exponentially. Over the years I’ve completed the firm’s advanced wealth management program, Stephens University at Wake Forest University; brought on many new clients; provided solutions to empower those clients to achieve their financial goals; and along the way built a better life for my family. In addition, it is meaningful to me that two of my children and a nephew of mine all work at Stephens. They saw my enthusiasm for the firm and making a real difference in the lives of clients.
My nephew Mac Etoch works in Public Finance. My daughter Elizabeth works in Fixed Income. And my son Collins completed the Stephens three-year analyst program then became my junior partner here at PCG. He has been interested in my job since the age of 15, and ultimately joined the firm in 2018. Working with Collins every day to help our clients, and seeing him grow in this career, is a truly rewarding experience. I love that Stephens, which is a family business, enables us to have a family business. And that’s My Stephens Story.
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