More than an industry peer, this week’s guest is part inspiration, part industry-shaker, and, I’m convinced, part unicorn. In this week’s episode of In the Suite, I am excited to share my conversation with Dani Fava, Director of Product Strategy & Development at TD Ameritrade Institutional. Dani is a spirited woman in FinTech who, through her work at TD and beyond, pushes the industry to be more confident, more courageous, and, certainly, more innovative.
At TD Ameritrade Institutional, Dani oversees the development of advanced investment management and technology tools designed to help independent registered investment advisors compete and thrive in a world of accelerating change.
Dani wasn’t just handed this coveted role. By leveraging her experience, engaging with her mentors, and believing in herself and her creative ideas – Dani pitched the job of her dreams. And got it!
This sort of boldness is something Dani tells us we’re all capable of tapping into. When thinking about your career, Dani recommends we create a future resume, in which you contemplate what you want to be doing and consider where you can add the most value. Dani also teaches us that the antidote for creative fear is curiosity. Instead of striving to be the smartest person in the room, she reminds us to connect and ask questions. And the more we do that, the more we’ll tap into innovation, which, as she says, begets more innovation.
In her role at TD Ameritrade, Dani is also responsible for implementing voice-first capabilities, which will employ conversational AI that can communicate with advisors. Dani’s passion for AI is contagious! As she shares, AI enables us to make predictions in a way similar to that of a human, allowing us to start solving complex problems that wouldn’t make sense for standard rules or algorithms. The impact of AI will be seen in the financial planning industry and beyond.
For instance, with Coronavirus you can theoretically feed AI the data about who’s gotten the virus, along with their symptoms. AI can then turnaround commonalities among those who had the virus before and teach us whether the next person who contracts it will likely get symptoms or which ones!
The desire to future-proof the world is visible in everything Dani touches – from her engaging Twitter pages (personal and as an ambassador at TD) to her wardrobe to bringing AI to work – Dani’s innovative spirit knows no bounds! It’s clear that Dani has managed her career and life with a superhuman quality. Take a listen to the episode and take the below three steps to help you tap into your own inner unicorn.
- Create a Future Forward Resume: In the next week, dedicate at least one hour to future resume building. In the role of your dreams, what do you want to be doing? What could you be doing that adds the most value to an organization? Then, using that as the goal post, create a plan to help you get there. Who are the people you need to meet? What skills do you need to gain? What parts of your personality do you need to bring forth?
- AI Homework: If you’re new to AI, I encourage you to spend 15 minutes looking into the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Then, research and think through how AI affects your industry. Is there a way your company can start to integrate these technologies? Is there a way you can learn more about what’s already being done? Get curious!
- A Corporate Engine of Creativity: Dani teaches us that you don’t have to start your own business to push innovation. If you’re working in a corporation, what steps can you take to lean more into innovation in your day-to-day job? Write down 5 ways and then circle the top that you’re most excited about and get to work!
Show Notes
Today In the Suite welcomes Dani Fava, Director of Product Strategy & Development at TD Ameritrade Institutional. Dani is a spirited woman in FinTech who, through her work at TD and beyond, pushes those in the industry to be more confident, more courageous, and, certainly, more innovative.
At TD Ameritrade Institutional, Dani oversees the development of advanced investment management and technology tools designed to help independent registered investment advisors compete and thrive in a world of accelerating change. But Dani’s desire to future-proof the world is visible in everything she touches – from her engaging Twitter pages to her wardrobe to bringing AI to work – Dani’s innovative spirit knows no bounds.
In this episode, Dani shares how she created an engine of creativity within a corporate environment; walks us through how AI is affecting FinTech, Healthcare and every industry in between; and shares how we can push innovation no matter what room we’re in.
Join the conversation to hear more about:
- Dani’s path to lead innovation at Ameritrade (12:44)
- Dani’s advice for pitching the role of your dreams to your employer (19:39)
- The benefits of creating a future-looking resume (21:20)
- The best work that Dani created as Director of Innovation (26:42)
- The easy way Dani describes AI and what we should all know about AI (31:37)
- An easy, Coronavirus example of AI at work (35:10)
- The tech product recommendation we all need to know about (40:50)
- When creativity strikes Dani (42:53)
- Dani’s valuable advice to find creative confidence (44:2o)
- Why Dani has chosen to pursue a CFP (47:00)
- The one thing we should all be finding time to do, even during the Pandemic (51:19)
- What Dani needs to tap into her superhero strength (58:30)
Referenced Materials
