In the Suite Podcast Ep 7: Leaning Into Diversity and Impact in the Workplace with Mary Beth Storjohann, CFP® – CMO at Abacus Wealth Partners

Today In the Suite welcomes Mary Beth Storjohann, CFP® Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at Abacus Wealth Partners. Mary Beth is an enterprising author, speaker, and financial coach who has made more than a living, but a beautiful life, out of her passion for educating and empowering women around money.

This money mindset wasn’t something Mary Beth was born with. Growing up, Mary Beth’s Italian family worked hard and spoke, in her words, LOUDLY about money.

Despite their work ethic, as Mary Beth states, “there was just never enough…it was very paycheck to paycheck. I had a job by the time I was 15, so I knew early on the stress that money could cause. I saw it, I was exposed to it, I felt it.”

In college, Mary Beth landed a role at a financial planning organization and it was there she learned that you could control money instead of it controlling you. She’s been pushing forth the industry ever since. Starting off as one of the only females in her industry, Mary Beth has now gone on to champion diversity at Abacus Wealth Partners, leading to nearly 50-50 parity across all areas of the business!

Mary Beth is also the Founder of Workable Wealth, a platform that provides financial education and empowerment to those in their 30s – 50s. This commitment to women of all ages and millennials and Gen Xers is both personal and professional.

In our discussion, Mary Beth shares how Abacus approaches diversity, including tapping those within their network but also having an eye for talent. As she shares, it’s not just about what a resume states but about being open-minded and considering cultural and personality attributes as you make hiring decisions.

At a time when we are all thinking about what it means to bring diversity into our companies, Mary Beth offers tangible ways for organizations to be consciously diverse, noting how companies have to be prepared to bring in diverse hires. As she advises, your culture must be welcoming or else that person won’t be set up for success.

The sage advice Mary Beth offers flows out effortlessly and abundantly. In this episode, we also discussed what those considering starting their own financial planning businesses should be considering, how businesses can be consciously diverse, whether a CFP® is worth it, and so much more. However, my favorite gem from Mary Beth just may be the reminder that “nobody will look out for you like you will look out for you.”

Mary Beth reminds us that there is intentionality needed in our financial decisions and beyond. Take a listen to the episode and take the below three steps inspired by Mary Beth Storjohann.

1. Mary Beth offers the timeless advice that “nobody will look out for you like you will look out for you.” Considering this statement, write out the three steps you can take over the next month to ensure you’re best looking out for your growth and success at work.
2. What role can you play within your organization to champion diversity? Think about this holistically, considering everything from educating yourself and the culture you’re responsible for setting to client work and leadership conversations.
3. Take a look through Abacus’s Covid-19 response. Read through the material for at least 10 minutes and take one action today for yourself and for someone else. Email me to tell me how you’re paying it forward! I’d love to hear.

Show Notes