Michelle DiBenedetto

I would say I have two answers to that. My parents - I have to give them a lot of credit. They have always held me to a high standard, and they've always told me that I can do whatever I want. And I know that sounds so cliche, but it really is true. And I believe them, and I have believed that myself. I look at how many people there are in the world, and how much opportunity there is, and although it's not always easy, if you persevere and you tell yourself you could do it, and you just wake up and do it every day, you have to believe it, and then it will just happen. So I would say, my parents, but then believing what they say, and just doing it every day, not giving up, accepting sometimes that you are gonna hit some walls, and you might fail, but you're gonna survive, so just keep going.

I would give so much advice. Statistically speaking, there are not a lot of women in finance, and we're doing a much better job, but I would say have perseverance, and stick with it. It's challenging, but in a really great, rewarding way. And know that you can get so much out of it, and take your knowledge in the industry and share it with people that you know, because they don't teach a lot of this stuff in school, growing up. General knowledge of finance is really, I think, something that we lack as a nation to just provide education for. So I would also just tell women that are getting in the industry, like, help your friends and family. Talk about everything you learn and everything you continue to learn in this industry, because it's something that's so prevalent and so needed, and it really does help. And I could go on and on and talk about the reasons why, but that's kind of the advice that I would give if someone were thinking to go into this.

The term moral compass comes to mind. I hold myself to a really high standard of just really morals in general. I try to act in the best way that I can, not just for clients, but in my personal life, too. I consciously am aware of everything I do, say, how it's going to impact the people around me, so I would say having a really high standard of moral compass is something I really value, and hold myself accountable for. I think karma is good and bad, and that's a really big reason why I just try to be the best human I can be, even when it's challenging sometimes. But I think it is, I think it means a lot, and it is rewarding, so it's a win-win.