Sarah Paulson, Owner and lead financial planner for Valkyrie Financial
Q: Looking back, what personal experiences or milestones have had the greatest influence on your professional success?
My first job was student-teaching elective summer school classes. For five summers, I taught classes on LEGO robotics and classes on computer animation to rooms of 9 to 14 year olds all together and all at different experience levels. This taught me how to read body language and quickly tell if a student was understanding what I was explaining. I learned how to teach concepts in multiple ways to get that lightbulb moment. The idea of ‘explain it to me like I’m in fifth grade’ That was literally my summers! Those skills are invaluable now when I’m discussing financial concepts with clients.
Q: What has been the most rewarding part of your professional journey so far?
Making clients feel comfortable and confident in their financial journey is so rewarding. It’s cliche, but being able to ease the stress money brings is great. Money touches every aspect of our lives.
Q: What is one cause or issue that you’re especially passionate about, and why?
I am very outspoken in my support for gender equality. When you say ‘financial advisor’ most people imagine an older white man. That’s because the industry has an average age of 56, is 79 percent Caucasian and about 70 percent male. I focus my practice on serving women because they deserve a financial advisor who doesn’t have to be reminded to ‘look her in the eyes’ and ‘listen when she speaks’ (real advice that is still being taught).
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
“Everyone is grateful to the person who breaks the ice to start the conversation.” I don’t remember where I heard this phrase, I just remember that it hit me like lightning. This advice completely changed the way I approach networking.
Q: How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I teach cardio kickboxing classes, enjoy playing bar trivia with friends, and love traveling the world.
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