A reflective essay on the unexpected lessons learned during college and beyond, exploring how personal experiences, relationships, and career growth shaped the author's journey from campus to Wall Street success.
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I made a technical error affecting millions, and instead of blaming tech, I called the client, owned my mistake, and we became fast friends. Integrity opens doors.
Beth McCrink · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Beth
Beth McCrink serves as the CEO and Owner of THINKCRINKLLC, bringing more than 30 years of experience across Wall Street, banking, financial technology, investment management, business analysis, Silicon Valley, and technology-driven solutions. She began her career in financial services in 1994 with PaineWebber, where she contributed to significant onboarding initiatives, including the integration of Kidder Peabody and the firms single largest financial advisor asset acquisition. Throughout her career, Beth advanced into increasingly complex business and technology roles, developing sophisticated systems and serving as a lead business analyst on the Unified Managed Accounts (UMA) initiative, the Holy Grail of bankings’ fintech, that contributed to the modernization of investment and banking practices. Her expertise encompasses financial technology, portfolio management, data analysis, business process improvement, software solutions, modern day technological solutions, and client success.
As CEO and Owner of THINKCRINKLLC, Beth is now channeling her extensive industry experience into technology-inspired solutions designed to simplify complex challenges and encourage innovation. She also develops and delivers educational seminars covering artificial intelligence, Wall Street, banking, financial technology, and Silicon Valley, while expanding her work through writing seminars, business ventures, and global educational initiatives. Her professional accomplishments include roles in servicing Fortune 500 companies, financial technology, compliance solutions, and advisory platforms, as well as helping organizations transition from traditional paper-based processes to digital and cloud-based environments. She and her colleagues defined and designed the Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) business, allowing independent financial advisors to work along your local highway - a modern day 21st Century solution as this style of investing did not exist last century. Between RIA, and the patented technology she contributed to, her financial footprint will remain long after she does. She is also the author of THINK: A 9/11 New Yorker’s Memoir & Manifesto, a work that explores resilience, transformation, rebuilding, and hope through the lens of her personal and professional journey.
Beth holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Old Dominion University and is a Six Sigma Yellow Belt certified professional. She attributes her success to kindness, integrity, perseverance, and a commitment to creating meaningful connections and positive change. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is passionate about education, storytelling, innovation, and community engagement. She is an avid lover of water, animals, travel, and the environment. Through THINKCRINKLLC, her educational programs, and her unique writing techniques, Beth seeks to challenge conventional thinking, inspire curiosity, and empower others to embrace innovation while moving forward with purpose, compassion, understanding, and resilience.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Beth
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to one simple principle: be kind. Throughout my career, I have found that kindness, respect, and genuine consideration for others can open doors, build lasting relationships, and create opportunities in ways that credentials alone cannot. While education and prestigious qualifications can certainly help you get into certain rooms, I believe that how you treat people ultimately determines the value and impact of your journey. For me, success is not simply about accomplishments or titles; it is about maintaining integrity, treating others with compassion, and leaving people better for having crossed paths with me. Just be kind, and trust that everything else will work itself out.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Every problem has a solution. In order to solve it, you must understand 100% of the problem because 100% of the solution depends on it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Listen & Learn. Do not worry about titles. Do not worry about promotions. Do not worry about VIP projects. Instead, focus on learning the skill set before you. Focus on nurturing the relationships around you. Learn from your projects and learn from the people because both of them will intertwine throughout your career
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest opportunities in my field is the continued evolution of technology and the ability to apply innovative solutions to complex challenges. My experience leading the design of a Unified Managed Account platform, developing systems & data methodologies while managing Fortune 500 relationships has taught me the importance of understanding the root cause of a problem before attempting to solve it. My Six Sigma training and experience with the System Development Life Cycle have strengthened this approach, helping me evaluate processes strategically and identify opportunities for meaningful improvement. I also believe there is an important opportunity to expand conversations around mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding it. Through my involvement with NAMI, I have become passionate about fostering greater awareness, understanding, and compassion while encouraging more thoughtful and effective approaches to mental health and well-being.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in both my professional and personal life are integrity, equality, kindness, knowledge, and resilience. I believe strongly in creating environments where people are valued fairly and have equal opportunities to succeed, which is why issues such as the Equal Pay Day gender pay gap are especially meaningful to me. My experience working for a Certified B Corporation reinforced my belief in the importance of responsible business practices and equitable compensation with a focus on Socially Responsible Investing. Throughout my career in fintech, including my work on the Unified Managed Accounts Portfolio, I have also seen firsthand how technology can transform industries and society, and I believe it is especially important for all to understand financial technology and its broader impact. Personally, the experiences and losses I have faced throughout my life have strengthened my resilience and deepened my appreciation for meaningful relationships, compassion, and the importance of moving forward with purpose.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Beth
College was my parents most expensive bar tab!
Lessons Beyond the Classroom: How College and Career Shaped My Journey of Growth and Innovation
What College Taught Me—And What It Didn't
Like most things in life, college was nothing more than an adventure for me. I looked forward to new people, new ZIP codes, and keg parties with people I had yet to meet. The idea of learning at the young age of 18, when our youthful minds have so many distractions, was not on my radar. Not even remotely.
I learned three things in college. They were learned at two different colleges and one college bar, and they are as follows:
- The science of the brain when under duress — Catawba College
- Rats run faster when on caffeine — Old Dominion University
- The shrew was the first animal with a true placenta — Club 4400 Bar, Norfolk, VA
Perhaps my educational journey was not stellar, but the experience, degree, and relationships were what I truly wanted to achieve.
Learning and hard work would commence for me in my career. With my Taurean “never quit” attitude, I hit the ground running when I entered Wall Street at 25. Two years later, I would become one of the country's leading industry experts on the most lucrative landscape design change to hit Wall Street in its history.
We were at one percent penetration across the globe, and that was the low point of my career.
The footprint of the innovations I built to support this 21st-century digital world, with its invisible technology, will live on longer than I will.
So, enjoy your college experience.
Make new friends. Go to that party. Study hard. Go to those classes. And keep a well-balanced college career.
All of the above have the potential to stay with you for a lifetime.
College may not look the way you imagined it would. You may not remember every class, every assignment, or every lecture. But you will remember the people you met, the experiences you had, the things you learned about yourself, and the moments that shaped who you became.
Make the most of all of it.
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