Her Story
About Daniela
Daniela Sierra serves as a financial advisor and account manager, operating independently through the brokerage Lightway. Her career began in banking, where her interest in personal finances grew, leading her to manage an office in New Jersey before transitioning to financial advising to gain greater freedom and the ability to help clients more directly. She focuses her practice on educators, an underserved group, educating them about options such as 403B plans. Daniela graduated from Rutgers University with studies in psychology and business administration. She maintains life insurance licenses across Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and New York, works with over 30 carriers, and holds membership in FINRA. She attributes her success to persistence and a willingness to keep trying even when faced with rejection. Transparency and empathy guide her professional and personal values, and she advises aspiring professionals, particularly young women, to overcome imposter syndrome by persisting and faking it until they make it.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Daniela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I always keep trying, and persistent is something that defines a pretty good portion of success. If somebody tells me no, I'm like, why not?
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If you never try, you will never know. Just try it. The worst thing that can happen is that it doesn't work, and then you just take another route.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
There is something called imposter syndrome. Sometimes we think that the fact that we don't have experience, or that because we're women, and this is a pretty much male field, we think that we're not capable. Even though if it's at the beginning, there's a saying that you have to fake it until you make it. If you're persistent enough, you'll make it happen.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges: A lot of people give up. Especially because it comes to mentorship, or they think they don't have the right circle. But if they keep trying and surround by people who know more than them, they can always succeed.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Transparency and empathy. Transparency especially when it comes to business because you always want to make sure that you're clear and you have all the knowledge as possible when you're making a deal. Empathy, we always have to be empathic with people.
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