Sisterhood on Wall Street isn’t something talked about often. Sisterhood in finances is not as natural as sisterhood in raising families or a sisterhood in your personal community. But I’ve been fortunate to be a part of a tight community in my career on Wall Street, something I hold very dear to me: a Brotherhood.
As a woman working in the world of stocks and bonds, I was a lone wolf at the beginning of my career. Being the Alpha Female in a pack of Alpha Males has had its challenges for sure, but mostly it has given me opportunities beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. It would be fair to say that for most of my career, I’ve been the only women in a room full of men. Just last month, I was invited to a golf event for local financial planners, and I was the only women among 25 golfers! Yep, even in the year 2022.
It wasn’t easy, I fought my way in, but now looking back on my career I see it made me strong and compassionate for those that don’t “fit in”. Today, I am well regarded in my field due to my knowledge and abilities…nothing to do with my gender. I am never discounted or talked down too. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I am lifted up and supported as I continue to evolve and grow in my field. Isn’t that what us women think of when we say “sisterhood”? Us lifting each other up? Sharing the burden and standing back to make space for each other’s victories? What happens when a sisterhood isn’t made up of women? What is it called when you are the only women being supported by a professional community of men? Am I the little sister in a brotherhood? Am I “one of the guys” knowing I’ll never be? Does it really matter? No. It really doesn’t.
Today, I volunteer my time to help bring financial literacy to women all over the world as I continue to evolve in my career. I encourage women to further their own education and not be dependent on the men in their lives by learning the language of investing and taking ownership of investing knowledge. I champion young female and female identifying individuals to grow in the profession, knowing the more diversity we have in the field the more people can be helped. I am creating a sisterhood on Wall Street, and I know there are others out there like me. It’s a slow process, but this isn’t for me. It’s for the generations after me who are not comfortable being the only girl in a brotherhood. Or the only guy in a sisterhood. Let’s make is a peoplehood and all just help each other.
Kimberly Enders CFP® CWS® CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Enders Wealth Management
37800 Van Dyke Ave, Suite 125
Sterling Heights MI 48312
www.enderswm.com
Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker-dealer and a Registered Investment Adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. All investing involves risk, involving the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.