We’re thrilled to welcome the ever-empowering Cathy Curtis, CFP® Founder & President of Curtis Financial Planning to In The Suite. One of the industry’s most notable female advisors, Cathy has been named to the coveted Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisors for three years running and is a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council, an achievement unto itself.
Cathy always knew a career in financial planning would light her up. And after a successful career in the consumer packaged goods industry, Cathy experienced first-hand many of the same challenges women face as the sole earner and decision-maker of her financial affairs. These feelings would set the stage for Cathy’s second act–to become a Certified Financial Planner™and help women, all women thrive.
She does it at all Curtis Financial Planning, an independent, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor located in Oakland, California that specializes in the finances of independent women.
This brand-building, IG fashionista, social media superstar was one of the first financial advisors to embrace the concepts of branding and social media and weave them into her website and online identity. She even enrolled in a branding course outside the industry, after joining numerous women’s groups in the Bay area when she first started her business.
“…those platforms give small businesses a huge voice that you couldn’t get anywhere,” said Cathy.
At the time it was bold and innovative with a capital “I”. And for Cathy, social media helped attract women to her practice like a magnet.
Much like a compass helps navigate those on their journey, Cathy knows instinctively what is feeding her own soul. She has a guiding passion to help single, widowed and divorced women achieve financial success and live life how they envision for themselves.
Whether it’s through working with women 1-on-1 at Curtis Financial Planning or teaching a personal finance course to women embarking on their careers, Cathy’s focus is to help women of all ages make smart moves with money. Her latest understudy? That would be Cathy’s niece.
Armed with the power of knowledge, she also aims to demystify many of the financial planning topics that specifically impact women through many initiatives, the first being her own podcast called Financial Finesse, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcast, and in video format on YouTube.
Cathy also has used coaching and most recently, her own mastermind groups to share experiences. Furthermore, she’s joined The AGC™ a private community for financial advisors to stay on the cutting edge of tech and best practices.
On the subject of podcasting and living an authentic life, Cathy’s words reverberated loudly In The Suite as I could personally feel the harmony in her words.
“I have to tell you, you have to find what’s right for you, what feeds your soul,” said Cathy.
Don’t miss Cathy’s tips throughout the episode if you’re searching to build a more authentic brand, break into a career that isn’t mainstream, or looking to learn more about your personal finances.
- Do What Lights You Up. Use authenticity to light yourself up! Cathy reminds us “you have to find what’s right for you–what feeds your soul.” For some of us, that means a second career or a new hobby, such as cooking, travel, and clubs.
- Learn About Your Money. Cathy encourages everyone to educate themselves on their personal finances. Whether by listening to her podcast, Financial Finesse, taking a personal finance course, or even asking a friend or relative, women need to understand something about their money.
- Make a Bold Move Towards Diversity! Cathy encourages both women and men to take steps towards diversity. She suggests joining groups, like The AGC™, and starting diversity initiatives that can help the industry achieve better representation in terms of gender and ethnicity.
Show Notes:
Today’s episode of In The Suite with Cathy Curtis, CFP® is all about feeding your soul by sharing your authentic self. Cathy Curtis, CFP® is the Founder & President of Curtis Financial Planning, an independent, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor located in Oakland, California that specializes in the finances of independent women.
In this podcast episode, Cathy shares how she learned to market herself on social media to realize her dream job of launching a second career in financial services. One of the industry’s most notable female advisors, Cathy has been named to the coveted Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisors for three years running and is a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council, an achievement unto itself.
“I have to tell you, you have to find what’s right for you, what feeds your soul,” said Cathy.
Armed with the power of knowledge, she also aims to demystify many of the financial planning topics that specifically impact women through many initiatives, the first being her own podcast called Financial Finesse, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcast, and in video format on YouTube.
Join the conversation to hear about:
- A warm welcome to Cathy (05:10)
- Branding, spaghetti sauce, timing, and luck (08:20)
- How Cathy dove headfirst into social media (10:35)
- Rebranding and dealing with imposter syndrome (12:45)
- Working one-on-one with women on their finances (16:40)
- How Cathy got into the world of podcasting (22:30)
- Why peer coaching can uplevel you (28:20)
- What a mastermind is and Cathy’s journey to joining them (31:20)
- Being authentic on social media (42:05)
- Finding your audience (48:30)
- Accessing the right people to ask questions to (51:00)
- Diversity in the financial services industry (54:45)
Referenced Materials
- Cathy Curtis CFP® – LinkedIn
- Cathy Curtis CFP® – YouTube
- Cathy Curtis CFP® – Instagram
- Curtis Financial Planning- Website
- Financial Finesse Podcast With Cathy Curtis, CFP®
- Investopedia 100 Top Financial Advisor 2020
- CNBC Advisor Council – Cathy Curtis
- Khan Academy – Website
- Limitless Adviser – Stephanie Bogan
- Christine Benz – Morningstar
- Justin Castelli, CFP® The Advisor of Tomorrow Podcast
- Experiments in Advisor Marketing Taylor Schulte, CFP®
- The AGC™ Website
- Commonwealth Club of California
- The Person You Mean To Be: How Good People Fight Bias, Dolly Chugh on Amazon
