Date: August 1, 2022

In Episode #28 of Mindset Mastery, “Rising Stars: Three Fiduciary Planners Speak Up on Career Paths, Role Models and Mentorship,” host Marie Swift, CEO of Impact Communications, speaks with three women who have made fiduciary financial planning and investment management their profession. She is joined by Anabel Diaz, CFP®, MSFP, of Natural Bridges Financial Advisors; Cassandra Kirby, CFP®, EA, of Braun-Bostich & Associates; and Dani Parris-Exline, CFP®, AFC®, of Peace of Mind Financial Planning. Cassie joined her firm 21 years ago and is now a senior advisor and partner. Dani, formerly an HR professional with 20+ years of experience, worked within large companies focused on healthcare, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace before joining her firm two years ago, where she is now a financial planner and partner. Anabel has been with her firm about six years and has worked her way into a client-facing, leadership position.

In a nutshell: Each of these women joined an existing financial planning / wealth management firm to help founders build out the team, round out the succession plan, create capacity, and better serve the firm’s growing clientele. Leadership skills have been honed. Cross-mentoring methods are in place. Business models have been refined. They share all this and more in this episode, giving us an “inside look” at how career paths are being forged for others as the financial planning profession increasingly takes a DEIB stance. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are four concepts that work together to boost team dynamics, productivity, and innovation within an organization. With DEIB at the core of a company’s mission, team member have equal opportunities to feel valued and do their best work.

Learn more about these fiduciary financial planners and their firms here: www.Braun-Bostich.com, www.NaturalBridgesFA.com, and www.PeaceOfMindFinancialPlanning.com.

Anabel Diaz, CFP®, MSFP
Anabel is a Santa Cruz County native and is driven by a desire to give back to her community. Prior to joining Natural Bridges Financial Advisors, Anabel served as a program manager for a local non-profit that helps children with cancer and life-threatening illnesses and was presented with the Cesar Chavez award from the City of Watsonville in recognition of her community service. Anabel enjoys spending her free time reading and horse riding.

Cassandra Kirby, CFP®, EA
Cassandra Kirby’s journey with Braun-Bostich & Associates began while completing her bachelor’s degree in business administration at California University of Pennsylvania in 2001. While learning every facet of the business over the past 20+ years, Cassie became a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) in 2009 and an Enrolled Agent (EA) in 2014. Cassie believes that financial planning and helping each client define and achieve their goals is truly understanding who they are as individuals and what (and who) is most important to them. It’s forming and maintaining these relationships that she enjoys most about the business. Cassie is married with two amazing children and enjoys being in the sunshine, running, trying new restaurants, and catching up with family and friends as often as possible.

Dani Parris-Exline, CFP®, AFC®
Dani Parris-Exline is a long-time personal finance nerd pivoting from a 20-year career in Human Resources focused on coaching, compensation, benefits, and data analysis into Financial Services. She has also been a tax preparer. She provides financial advisory services for clients of this firm, as well as financial counseling and coaching through her firm, Wanderlust Financial Coaching. Dani has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and a Masters of Business Administration from Webster University. When she’s not working or playing with her own finances, she’s traveling with her husband, helping run the world’s largest mead competition, or reading.