Her Story
About Keishara
Keishara Colby is a wealth management professional with over nine years of experience in client service and financial services. She currently serves as a Senior Registered Client Service Associate at Morgan Stanley, following more than five years as a Senior Registered Wealth Management Client Associate at Merrill Lynch. Her earlier experience at Keene State College combined research, political science, event planning, and academic support. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and English from Keene State College, with minors in Economics and German.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Keishara
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You don't get what you don't ask for. Whether that's a raise, a promotion or anything like that. The worst thing they're gonna do is say no.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
This industry is very complex and there's a lot to learn. You spend the first 3 years learning 70% of the business and the other 30% the next 60 years. Learn as much as you can from peers but don't beat yourself up for not knowing everything. It's okay to say 'I don't know, but I can find out.' Remember you're human and mistakes happen as long as you're learning from them.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Aging population leading to more estate work and increased fraud. Fraudsters using AI to copy voices, hack accounts, send fraudulent emails and calls pretending to be banks or advisors. Need to be extra diligent and sensitive with older clients. Scams include grandparent schemes and sophisticated email hacks monitoring attorney communications.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being kind and honest. If you mess up, fall on the sword, apologize, explain and fix it. Better to hit it head-on than cover it up. Remember that when someone is yelling, you don't know how the rest of their day went, so stay kind and understanding.
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