My Career Path to Becoming a Financial Advisor

This is a recreation of a quick sketch I made for a group of high school students visiting our office on Career Day a couple weeks ago. With only 15 minutes to explain the career path for Certified Financial Planners™, I gave them the “technical” advice on which colleges to consider, the required exams, and other essential steps. But I also wanted to take a moment to share how unique each person’s career journey can be and that there truly is no “right’ path. 

Just for fun, I thought I’d walk you through my own career path, just like I did with those high school students. (Don’t worry—I’m not leaving my day job to become an artist 😉)  

Welcome to my financial planning career story! 

I met my now-husband, Will, early in college, and we got engaged shortly before graduation, which made things a bit complicated as we prepared for life after Cedarville University.  

Neither of us were local to the Dayton area, so finding jobs in the same town was a priority—but where? We ultimately chose Dayton, and from there, I started applying to any professional-sounding job that seemed to value my degrees in finance and business management. I had little vision on what type of job I wanted, so it was a huge blessing to land a role as a Client Service Associate at a great financial planning firm in Dayton, OH.  

Within a year or so of working there, I had this lightbulb moment where I realized… I could actually be one of these advisors!  That’s when I decided to study for the Series 65 exam, not necessarily because I was ready to step into an advisor role yet, but almost as a way to test myself—was I “smart enough”? And, as it turned out, I was; I passed on my first try. 

Then came the “Zzzz’s” period in my career. For the next couple of years, I remained in my role as a client service associate, handling tasks like opening accounts and taking notes in all my clients’ meetings—and honestly doing a great job.  

I wondered about advising still, but I needed a little more “proof” that I could do it. So, I registered for CFP® (Certified Financial Planner™️) classes through Bryant University. Just as I finished my courses, Will had a job change, and we moved to Findlay. We bought our first house, I joined Hixon Zuercher Capital Management as an Associate Wealth Advisor, and I began studying in earnest for the CFP exam, which  totally stretched me (hence the “head explode” emoji in the drawing). I studied so so much – and I passed! That was the final assurance I needed to realize I had a long-term future as an advisor.  

But there was still a lingering thought in the back of my head… I wondered if I could be effective.  

Around this time, Adam Zuercher, a partner at the firm (now retired), encouraged me to launch my platform, The Everyday Advisor. Over the years, I experimented with different formats—videos, webinars, and primarily blogs like this one. Then, COVID-19 hit, marking the most challenging time in my career as an advisor, and likely for many others in the industry as well. I often think back to an article I wrote during that time, COVID-19: How to Exercise Control During These Crazy Times. 

I was pregnant with my first child, the S&P 500 plunged 20% at record-breaking speeds, the market halted four times in just 10 days, and the economy came to a standstill. I still get goosebumps remembering those days. I spent countless hours calling over 150 clients, talking through their concerns and offering the best reassurance I could. It was after that intense period that I earned my first promotion to Wealth Advisor. 

I had my baby, and while in the hospital, I received news that I was recognized by Investopedia as one of their Top 100 Financial Advisors of 2020. This recognition affirmed that I not only could be effective—I was. It was at this point that I really began to see momentum in my career. The market went up, then it went down, I became Senior Wealth Advisor, welcomed my second child, and now, the market is rising again. 

As I reflect on this phase of my career, I would describe it as a sort of plateau. After spending my first decade in finance navigating multiple bear markets, I’m just fine with that. 

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the top professionals in the industry. They have abundantly shared their knowledge, skills, and wisdom with me.  

Every advisor’s career story will look very different. Our lived experiences shape us into more effective advisors – often more than textbooks ever could (and I’ve read many). All of my college jobs, whether as a swimming pool cleaner, camp counselor, cafeteria worker, ropes course instructor, or finance teaching assistant – have all contributed to my story as well. I am hopeful for the years to come. 

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Know a friend or student who might want to talk about advising as a career path? Tell them to contact me – I would be honored to help them find their way.