Success Is Contagious – Catch Some Today!

By Candace Bahr, CEA, CDFA and Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP®, CDS

Attention, ladies! Don’t let yesterday’s negative perceptions dim your financial hopes. In case you haven’t heard, financial stars are on the rise for today’s woman.

Almost half of Americans with assets greater than $500,000 are women, and women control more than half of the private wealth in America. Women hold almost 50% of all corporate management positions with an increasing number moving into top jobs and serving on corporate boards.

In the past ten years, women have started their own companies at twice the national average rate.  These women-owned businesses generate annual sales near $2.5 trillion and employ more than 19 million people. Numbers like these tell us that women have the power to make their dreams come true.

How can you tap into the stream of energy, enthusiasm and enterprise that today’s women are generating? Take a look at some of the qualities that make a woman successful in the world of business and finance and choose a successful woman to be your role model.

Today’s mid-career women are the healthiest, wealthiest, most educated, and most active generation in history. Their characteristics include a talent for connection and cooperation, for networking and establishing mutually beneficial relationships. They know the value of win-win situations, good communication, and the benefits of respect and understanding in the workplace. Successful women place emphasis on researching and reviewing information for careful decision-making.

A successful woman never underestimates the value of a positive attitude. She looks forward to the future and expects life to be rewarding and enjoyable. She has goals and stays focused, and she never stops learning. The successful woman welcomes the help of others and can generally cite one or more special mentors who gave generously of their time and knowledge at a crucial stage in her professional development.

Hard work and commitment to high standards are part of the success tool kit, too. Success attracts success and the opportunity to give back is a special reward for all that hard work. Success is meant to be shared.

Loving what you do is certainly another attribute of the successful woman. Faith and confidence in the value of your work leads not only to personal success but also to a passionate interest in sharing your success with others.

Our concern for improving women’s level of financial knowledge led us first to establish the Women’s Institute for Financial Education (WIFE.org) and later the Money Clubs.  The first step is believing in yourself!

At WIFE we welcome your comments. Please feel free to contact us.