Month: February 2020

Transparency with Diana B.: A Top Advisor’s Immigration Story

Transparency with Diana B.: A Top Advisor’s Immigration Story

As a young girl growing up in Egypt, Laila Pence was very well off; her family lived in a seven-bedroom mansion in Suez. But all of that was taken away in almost an instant, when the Israeli army bombed her village during the Six-Day War. Struggling to survive, her family decided to emigrate to the U.S., but only Laila and her mother were able to go at first. The transition would not be easy; Laila grappled with drastically different weather, not knowing the language and making friends in a foreign land.

In this episode of Transparency, WealthManagement.com Managing Editor Diana Britton, is joined by Laila Pence, president of Pence Wealth Management in Newport Beach, Calif., who shares her life journey, how she overcame adversity and how her struggles shaped who she is today. Her family lost everything in terms of wealth, and as an immigrant, a woman and English-as-a-second-language speaker, she felt she had three strikes against her. But she is, perhaps, the poster child of the American Dream. Now, she manages an advisory firm with over $1.5 billion in client assets. She achieved it by working hard, focusing on her passion, and not listening to the biases out there.   

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The story of Laila’s childhood and experience as an immigrant in New York.
  • How Laila was able to overcome adversity and rise above.
  • Who supported Laila in her journey to becoming a financial advisor.
  • Laila’s struggles being a woman and having a child in this industry and how she overcame those.
  • Her advice for other folks struggling to adapt to a new country.
  • And more.

 Tune in now to hear how Laila used her perseverance and grit to become a top financial advisor in the U.S.

 Resources:   WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Pence Wealth Management

Transparency With Diana B.: Focus on Outcomes, Not Income

Transparency With Diana B.: Focus on Outcomes, Not Income

Growing up in Monmouth County the child of two schoolteachers, Conor Delaney struggled being one of the poorest kids in school, dumpster diving for toys and going through several foreclosures on his family’s homes. But the months following his high school graduation were, perhaps, the worst. His father died suddenly; his aunt, heartbroken by her brother’s death, killed herself; and his mother’s health was deteriorating. On top of that, he was living out of his car as he entered his freshman year in college.

He could’ve easily given himself over to an alcohol addiction, which ran deep in his family. Instead, he took a positive approach to life, and channeled his struggles into building a book of business and creating a company aimed at helping those who need financial advice the most—middle class Americans.

In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, WealthManagement.com’s managing editor, is joined by Conor Delaney, founder of The Good Life Companies, an independent advisory firm with about 200 advisors. Conor draws on his own personal experiences, but also discusses the tendencies and issues that he’s observed among the advisors he oversees.

“What are we chasing, and is it the right thing and if it’s not, how can we channel that into doing something better?” he asks.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The story of Conor’s childhood and the hardships he would overcome
  • How he chose to use his addictive tendencies in a positive way 
  • How his experiences shaped him as a financial advisor and community leader
  • The negative tendencies of successful financial advisors
  • The importance of taking care of yourself first, before clients
  • How to shift your mindset to focus on outcomes, not income
  • And more.

 Tune in now to hear how Conor found the strength to change the pattern and choose to create a positive outcome.

Resources:   WealthManagement.com | Diana Britton | Contact Diana | Good Life Companies | Conor Delaney Email