Since our meeting over seven years ago, Denise and I have managed to run into one another, hear about one another and be referred to one another time and again. Just last fall, the two of us decided that our casual run-ins were no longer good enough. Instead, we decided, we’ll plan our meetings. In fact, we decided that the two of us would send the other one a periodic email between our meeting times that would include thought provoking, kick-in-the-butt ideas to get both of our engines revved up. It’s been great so far.Yeah, yeah … Denise is a seasoned financial planner, one of the best in the “biz,” but it’s her super energetic way and love of life that has a magnetic appeal to everyone she knows including her life-long love (her husband), her grown children, her clients and many of "us" out there in our community. She loves her family to her very core, is a music enthusiast and musician herself. She’s the adventurer most of us daydream about someday being.
It’s that crazy-cool nature coupled with her kick-in-the-butt mentality that is precisely why Denise is on my A-team.
DENISE WILCOX
Certified Financial Planner
Wilcox Advisors, Inc.
Q: How did you “arrive” where you are in life today?
A: I’d like to say that it was through a series of well executed plans and not happenstance. Actually it’s a combination of both. I was advising people on life-matters long before I became a financial planner. Money management is a very personal matter and it seemed a natural for me to combine compassion and science into a holistic approach to helping people make the most of what they have.
Q: Tell me about your business. Where do you derive your passion for helping people when it comes to financial planning?
A: My firm is a registered investment advisor and as such we have a fiduciary obligation to our clientele to act on their behalf first and not for our own benefit. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™ I am also bound by a code of ethics that I take very seriously. With these credos underlying our business model we provide financial planning and investment management for a professional fee and not a commission. Also, my continued passion comes from the relationships I have with my clients. It is one of mutual respect and caring, with a little humor thrown in for good mix!
Q: As a business person, what are you most challenged with day-to-day?
A: As an owner it’s always hard to delegate responsibility. The need to maintain quality control means I have a hard time stepping away and letting another prove they are equally as good! I’d like to think I’m learning. This is what I tell my business clients to do!
Q: What is more important, talent or drive?
A: That’s a hard one. I think you have to understand what drives you. Some are driven by money, others by recognition, and sometimes just by a need to prove oneself. I actually think with enough drive you could be successful but talent plays a role in knowing once you’ve arrived how to keep what you created.
Q: What one trait has helped you most in business?
A: My listening skills. I always begin my first meeting by asking prospective clients what the catalyst was for them seeking advice. From there I encourage them to share their dreams, challenges and greatest concerns. With listening comes understanding. Understanding results in recommendations that are in synch with their values, their aspirations and dreams. This is when the motivation for them to work hard towards their goals really comes to life.
Q: What is the hardest lesson you've learned and how did you learn it?
A: Every person, single or married, male or female, has to know their money situation and never completely turn it over to any one person. My father died of a massive coronary at home at the age of 47. Unfortunately, I found him along with my little sister. That moment my life changed forever. My mother was unable to function for a long time due to shock. My father had always managed the household budget and financial matters. My mother was completely in the dark. I truly believe that the experience set me in a direction of wanting to be in the service industry in some way that could prevent other’s left behind from having to deal with a financial mess in the midst of grieving.
Q: What is the one piece of advice you would offer other women in business?
A: Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith. Define what you want, surround yourself with only the best people, stay healthy in body and mind, and take a vacation.
More as to why Denise is on my A-team:
Planning financial futures becomes 'a pleasure'
A Crowd of Small Adventures
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