This article, featuring Net Positive Consortium members Halbert Hargrove and Modera Wealth Management, originally appeared in Financial Advisor IQ. Click here to read the complete article.
Sometimes, creating opportunities requires enlisting support. Samantha Garcia, senior wealth advisor at Halbert Hargrove, recalled how some clients preferred hearing the same information from a male colleague.
“It was frustrating,” she said. “But I realized it wasn’t personal. It was about their perception.”
Rather than push back directly, she found subtle ways to shift the dynamic. She coached her male colleagues to reinforce her authority by redirecting the conversation back to her and saying things such as, “Samantha just said that — what are your thoughts?” That helped clients see her as the expert and deepened trust over time.
Mindy Neira, wealth manager and principal at Modera Wealth Management, sees a natural alignment between financial planning and women’s strengths. “This is a relationship business,” she said. “And we are really good at relationships.”