[00:19] Tara Bansal: Welcome to her life, her practice, her way.

[00:23] A podcast for and about female financial advisors.

[00:28] I’m Tara Conti Bansal. I’ve been a financial planner and life coach for over 20 years,

[00:34] and I believe that when women thrive in this profession, we all win.

[00:39] This show is about sharing our journeys, our struggles, our breakthroughs, and the many ways we build a life and practice that feels true to us.

[00:50] And now I’m extending that mission. Beyond the podcast.

[00:54] I coach female advisors who want to grow a fulfilling practice and a beautiful life that they love.

[01:01] One filled with meaning, freedom, connection, and joy.

[01:06] Whether you’re just starting out, reinventing yourself, or dreaming of what’s next, you’re in the right place.

[01:13] Let’s build this together.

[01:16] Tara Bansal: Hello. Hello.

[01:17] I am so grateful and excited to be here with Angela Dorsey.

[01:24] I met Angela through Steph Bogan’s limitless program,

[01:31] and we think we were part of the same mastermind group. And our mastermind group is still in existence and still meets.

[01:42] Now.

[01:43] It’s a group of all women financial advisors,

[01:46] and it’s just been wonderful. So Angela and I have known each other for several years now,

[01:52] and I’ve got to see her and her practice grow and thrive.

[01:57] And I’m just excited to have you here,

[02:02] Angela. She has her own firm called Angela Dorsey Wealth Management,

[02:08] and she helps women plan for a wealthy, confident retirement. And I love that you focus on women.

[02:15] We usually start just with you telling your own story.

[02:21] So what got you to where you are now?

[02:27] Angela Dorsey: Well, thanks so much, Tara. First of all, I just want to thank you so much for inviting me on your podcast. I’m just so excited to have this opportunity to just share a little time with you and share my story with you and your audience.

[02:41] And yes, I mean,

[02:46] I could spend all day talking about this. I’m just financial planning and what I do is such a passion for me and what I started doing just as a young girl, I remember I used to read Money magazines, and I’ve always had an interest in financial planning.

[03:05] I mean, it was kind of weird, and I didn’t know what to do with it.

[03:09] And so I used that to kind of direct my passions. And so I found that as a little girl,

[03:18] you know, I was always reading Money magazine. And then I enjoyed making money. I had various entrepreneurial pursuits. I would host backyard fairs in my backyard, I would sell doll clothes and miniatures and things that I made.

[03:36] So I always kind of had that little, you know, know,

[03:40] entrepreneurial spirit.

[03:43] However,

[03:44] I took a more traditional path. I majored in computer science.

[03:49] Did that for a few years, realized I didn’t like it. Then I went back to business school.

[03:53] And then it was really interesting in business school. I felt that, you know, there’s something financial that I was supposed to do.

[04:01] But the only thing I saw were people who were like investment bankers.

[04:06] You know, that was really hot in the 90s, being an investment banker.

[04:11] Tara Bansal: It’s still pretty hot.

[04:12] Angela Dorsey: Oh, it’s still hot. Oh, it is. Okay, well, good.

[04:14] Tara Bansal: I feel like people who want to make money, they go into investment banking.

[04:18] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes. So that was really hot, but it did not call to me. So I went into hr.

[04:26] I got an MBA with a focus on human resources. And then after I graduated, I pursued a career in compensation as a compensation specialist. So I was a compensation specialist for over 20 years.

[04:41] And I really, really enjoyed,

[04:44] was very rewarding. And I helped managers and VPs figure out how much to pay their people, what their incentive structure should be and things like that. But I still just had this,

[04:55] this feeling that I was supposed to do something else.

[04:59] And that feeling would kind of come and go throughout my career.

[05:02] And so then I,

[05:04] I found this book called so youo Want to Become a Financial Planner by.

[05:10] Oh gosh, what’s her name? Nancy.

[05:13] Oh man, I can’t remember her last name. But it talked about various ways you can become a financial planner. And it opened my eyes to being a fee only financial planner where you’re not paid on commission and you don’t have quotas.

[05:29] When I worked at IBM, I was a sales rep and I hated it. Hated it.

[05:33] And I realized, okay, I’m not a salesperson. So when it came to my next move, I didn’t want to have anything to do with sales or quotas.

[05:41] And so in her book, in Nancy’s book, she talked about being a fee only planner where you really get paid like a CPA or an attorney.

[05:52] And I thought, wow, that’s what I wanted to do. But at the time, you know, I was still very much entrenched in my corporate career. So what I did was I started the whole financial planning journey while still working full time.

[06:08] And I had two small kids.

[06:09] You know, my husband and I, we had two small kids. And so it was, it was a challenge, but I just took it step by step. I tell you, it’s really amazing, the power of just taking baby steps and step by step it will get you where you want to go.

[06:23] Tara Bansal: What were some of the first steps that you took?

[06:26] Angela Dorsey: Yes, a great question. The first step was to enroll in the college for Financial planning and it’s a virtual program.

[06:34] And I would study at night,

[06:38] after I got home, I would study on the weekends.

[06:41] And then I would take the test.

[06:45] I would go to a testing center and take the tests for each course.

[06:50] And class by class, I would pass the coursework.

[06:54] And I think that took maybe a year,

[06:57] maybe a little over a year.

[07:00] And so then after that came the challenge of passing the board exam. Oh my gosh. The CFP board exam?

[07:09] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[07:09] Angela Dorsey: And so I studied for that and it was just so overwhelming. It was a very grueling two day exam. And to be completely transparent, the first time I took it,

[07:21] I didn’t pass.

[07:22] It was just so much. It was very mentally and physically exhausting.

[07:27] Tara Bansal: Did you do a review? A review course?

[07:29] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I did, I did do a review course. I believe it was Dalton at the time.

[07:34] I did Dalton.

[07:37] And after, after I took the test, I was like, okay, I know I did not pass that.

[07:42] You know, just mentally I wasn’t in the right headspace.

[07:45] And physically I just,

[07:47] it just wasn’t a day,

[07:49] you know, it just wasn’t happening for me that day.

[07:52] And so I, I said, you know what? I am going to take this exam until I pass it. If it, if I have to take it three times,

[07:59] I will do it. I think there’s a maximum number of times you can take it. But I was turning.

[08:04] Tara Bansal: I don’t think there is, actually.

[08:06] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I don’t know.

[08:09] I didn’t even look that up. I thought, you know what, I’m just going to take it again. So I just jumped back in and started studying and I knew the areas that I needed to brush up on.

[08:20] And I took it a second time and I passed.

[08:23] Tara Bansal: Yay.

[08:23] Angela Dorsey: I was so happy when I got that letter. I just cried. I couldn’t believe it. Oh my gosh. I felt like that barrier that was there, you know, passing the CFP board examination.

[08:32] And so then after that I joined this organization called the alliance for Comprehensive Planners, acp. And they’re still around today. It’s a great organization and they really helped me to start my practice.

[08:46] They helped me to guide me through all the paperwork,

[08:52] guide me through the coursework of how to be a financial planner,

[08:56] how to run the meetings,

[08:58] how to organize your business. It basically was a business in a box and.

[09:04] Tara Bansal: Never heard of that.

[09:05] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, acp.

[09:07] And they were very instrumental in helping me to start my practice. I’m no longer with that organization because I’ve kind of gone in different directions. But they were very helpful in helping me and so I got to the point where I was working my full time job and then starting my practice.

[09:27] And as you can imagine, that was a lot to handle.

[09:32] And so when I got six clients, I still remember when I got to six clients,

[09:36] I had the confidence. And then I started getting referrals from my little client base of six clients.

[09:43] I started getting referrals and I thought, you know, I think I could do this. I think I could do this. I took. I tell you, it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, Tara.

[09:52] Quitting my job.

[09:54] Quitting my job. And it was a good job too, with benefits and everything.

[09:58] Quitting my job. But I just felt like something was calling to me and I wasn’t very happy. You know, I felt like I was making good money.

[10:09] You know, I was working with great people, but I just felt unfulfilled. I felt like something else was calling to me.

[10:16] And so I still remember the day I walked up to my manager and said, do you have a few minutes? And I told her the secret life that I’ve been living,

[10:25] that I want to be a financial planner.

[10:28] And the meeting went really well. She said, you know what? I could totally see you doing that. And that made me feel really happy.

[10:34] And I just haven’t looked back.

[10:38] Tara Bansal: How many years ago was that?

[10:40] Angela Dorsey: Oh, that was February of 2014.

[10:44] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[10:44] Angela Dorsey: Yep. I still remember I left February 3rd of 2014.

[10:50] Tara Bansal: Down to the day.

[10:51] Angela Dorsey: Down to the day. I could tell you the minute, too. But, yeah, I still remember the moment I walked out that door and started a new life.

[10:59] And yeah, it has just been such an amazing journey. I feel like every time I made a big leap, the universe has supported me and has brought me wonderful clients,

[11:11] has brought me wonderful resources and information people.

[11:15] And it’s just been such an amazing journey. I mean, I can’t imagine not doing this.

[11:21] I’m just rambling. I don’t know if this is.

[11:23] Tara Bansal: You’re doing a great job.

[11:25] Angela Dorsey: I have a couple of.

[11:26] Tara Bansal: How old were your kids when you made the jump?

[11:32] Angela Dorsey: My daughter, I guess. Let’s see, my son was maybe 14 and my daughter 10.

[11:43] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[11:44] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[11:45] And so the freedom and flexibility that it gave me really allowed me to be more present,

[11:51] especially for my daughter. She was, you know, in middle school, so I was able to go to field trips with her. She was in color guard. I was able to build all the color guard competitions and just really be more a part of her day to day life, which I really treasure.

[12:11] And I just love the freedom and flexibility of being able to design a life to fit your needs.

[12:22] Yeah.

[12:23] Tara Bansal: I think that’s part of why I’m passionate about women doing this. Because of that, you know, flexibility,

[12:31] that you can have this fulfilling career as a financial planner and still be with your family and do,

[12:42] you know, shape your time the way you want?

[12:46] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think I.

[12:50] Some days I wake up and I think to myself, I have the best job in the world. I really do.

[12:55] And I think for women, I’m surprised that there’s such a low percentage of women in financial planning because it’s such a rewarding career. You get to help people,

[13:06] you build relationships with people, and you have freedom and flexibility to shape your workday the way, you know, depending, you know, not everyone owns their own firm like I do,

[13:17] but I think in general it is still a pretty flexible role.

[13:22] Tara Bansal: What, why do you think what. Or do you have a theory for why women, why not more women go into this field?

[13:31] Angela Dorsey: I do. I have two thoughts come to mind. First,

[13:35] I feel like there’s not an awareness of what financial planning really is.

[13:44] They may think, oh, it’s just spreadsheets and numbers and trading. You have these screens up and you’re monitoring the market and you know, you’re like a stockbroker,

[13:54] which is not what we know. It’s not,

[13:57] it’s not. And very. You have to be an expert at math,

[14:01] you have to be an expert in technology,

[14:03] you have to.

[14:06] I don’t know, I think there’s just not an awareness of what,

[14:09] you know, what it’s really like. The day to day experience. Being a financial planner, number one. And then number two,

[14:16] unfortunately,

[14:18] I think there are still environments, there are still companies out there where their model is what I did not want. Where you have quotas,

[14:29] there’s a pressure to produce and if you don’t produce in the first year, you’re out of there, you’re fired.

[14:35] And I think some women get caught in that.

[14:39] And I’m so grateful that I wasn’t tempted to start my career at a larger brokerage firm like that because I may have just fell through the cracks and never really moved forward in this career.

[14:53] So I think that some women, you know, have that experience and they get discouraged and then they just quit and do something else.

[15:00] Tara Bansal: Yeah. So from the beginning you started your own firm?

[15:04] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes, I was a career changer and I started my own firm and I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, which is a good thing,

[15:15] because it’s a lot, you know, it’s a wonderful Career, It’s a wonderful business, but it is a lot and you have to surround yourself with,

[15:25] you know, a lot of resources and guidance.

[15:28] And you, you, you have to really, you do have to have the personality for it. I think you have to have a passion for financial planning or at least a passion for helping people.

[15:43] And,

[15:43] and so yeah, from day one, I started my own firm.

[15:47] Tara Bansal: Good for you. Yeah, I do feel like that’s courageous. And not many people go straight out on their own. Either they join another firm or they join one of the big brokerage.

[15:59] Like I joined another small firm, the fee only, but to get me when I got started.

[16:06] So what’s surprised you about this profession?

[16:11] Either good or bad.

[16:16] Angela Dorsey: Wow, let’s see. What surprise. I, I’m constantly being surprised,

[16:22] I’m constantly being surprised and I’m constantly learning. But I would say,

[16:27] I would say what,

[16:29] what surprises me and continues to surprise me is just how wonderful it is to work with,

[16:35] with clients.

[16:36] I feel like it’s a service where if you do it right,

[16:43] clients are so grateful because they see the impact on their finances and their family and their happiness.

[16:50] I mean I’m always just so touched when I get a card from a client or when they send me an email. Thank you so much. And you know, I just,

[17:03] I’m just constantly surprised by how much of an impact financial planning can make on individuals lives.

[17:14] And I didn’t know that.

[17:17] I thought that it would be more where I guess transactional.

[17:23] I thought when I first started I didn’t know how deeply you would get involved in the clients lives and,

[17:31] and.

[17:31] Tara Bansal: How deep a relationship you have with your clients.

[17:34] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. So that,

[17:36] that surprised me. And then another thing that continues to surprise me is that it’s constant learning.

[17:43] Constant learning. I.

[17:45] Every year there’s something new to learn and then even the things you did learn, they change.

[17:51] And so, you know, that’s why continuing education is so important because you know, things change. So I’m always, even if I’m like really, really sure about something, I still look it up because things change.

[18:03] Yeah,

[18:04] laws change,

[18:05] laws change,

[18:08] strategies change.

[18:11] Yeah, yeah. It’s a constant changing industry and I think it constantly challenges you to grow and to be better because you run into situations where you think,

[18:32] oh gosh,

[18:34] how could I have handled that better? Or how could that have gone better?

[18:37] And you realize, okay, I need to learn this, I need to do this. And so it’s like a constant self improvement project.

[18:45] Constant. You’re never done.

[18:48] You are never ever done.

[18:49] Like my website, I thought, okay, back in 2014, I thought, okay, great, I’ve got my website done. I’m done with that. Check the box. No, every year I’m changing that website.

[18:59] Tara Bansal: Updating it and updating it.

[19:01] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[19:04] Tara Bansal: What. What are some of your favorite parts of being a financial planner?

[19:11] Angela Dorsey: I just love when a client calls me and includes me in a discussion or a situation that’s happening with the family,

[19:22] and they do it on their own.

[19:25] I feel really honored that. Oh, gosh. And I tell them, well, please call me if something comes up that I need to know. And when they actually do it,

[19:34] I’m just so surprised and happy. So it helps me understand or feel confident that they see the value and they want my input and they want me to be involved.

[19:52] Not every client.

[19:53] Every client’s different.

[19:55] Some clients are more private, and they feel like, okay, we’ve got this, but we’ll let you know if something comes up.

[19:59] But for those clients, especially women,

[20:04] when they call, because they may not have someone, a partner to bounce things off of.

[20:11] And so when they call me, I just feel really flattered.

[20:15] Tara Bansal: Yeah. What. What do you hate the most? Or what do you dislike and not enjoy? Oh, being a financial planner.

[20:25] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh. Oh, that’s a good question. What do I dislike? It can be stressful.

[20:31] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[20:32] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. You know, I can’t deny it. This is a wonderful field, but it can be very. It can be stressful.

[20:40] Tara Bansal: And where does the stress come from for you?

[20:42] Angela Dorsey: Well,

[20:43] I think just this past past couple of months,

[20:48] you know, with the volatility,

[20:53] and I know, you know, as a planner that,

[20:56] you know, long term, the market adjusts and recovers and then it goes up.

[21:02] But to be there, be that rock, you know, for the clients,

[21:08] to assure them that we’re taking the right steps during this time, that things will get better,

[21:19] you know, just assuring them that everything will be okay.

[21:28] Sometimes that can be stressful,

[21:30] you know, depending on the situation.

[21:33] You know, that. So that. That part,

[21:35] you know, can be.

[21:38] And so that’s why it’s really important,

[21:40] you know, to have that balance, to have the self care to just take some time off to recharge the battery. Because it can be.

[21:48] It can be emotionally,

[21:50] it can wear on you because.

[21:52] Tara Bansal: Draining.

[21:52] Angela Dorsey: Draining because you’re. You’re working with clients and you.

[21:57] They’ve worked very hard for their money, their life savings,

[22:02] and they’re looking to you to say, angela, will I be okay?

[22:06] Angela, should we sell?

[22:08] You know, Angela, should we,

[22:11] you know,

[22:12] do this or do that? And so being that, you know,

[22:16] voice of Wisdom,

[22:17] you know, it’s great. But I tell you, sometimes, yeah, it could be.

[22:22] It can be stressful.

[22:23] Tara Bansal: Yeah. Because they’re bringing a lot of emotions to it. And you have to,

[22:28] as you said, take that on and be one, give the space, but two, give the reassurance and hopefully be the grounding, calming force.

[22:41] But you still have to take on that emotion.

[22:44] Angela Dorsey: Yes.

[22:44] Tara Bansal: A lot of emotions around money, right?

[22:46] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes, money. You know what, that’s probably another thing. If I can go back to your other question. That’s another thing that surprised me.

[22:53] How emotional money is, how emotional the topic of money and how,

[22:59] you know, our behaviors are tied to,

[23:04] you know, money, money personalities and,

[23:07] and how,

[23:10] you know, the. Just the. Just the whole emotional part I was not aware of. And then for couples, sometimes I’m a therapist too,

[23:19] you know,

[23:20] when one couple, one.

[23:21] One person wants to do this, the other wants to do that. And then I’m trying to, like, coordinate, you know, and then I want to do this.

[23:30] So sometimes it could be a little tricky. So again, it’s that continuous improvement project. Well, how do you navigate a conversation with a couple and they have differing values?

[23:44] You know, it’s, it’s really. It could be a challenge.

[23:48] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I agree. What are your biggest values and how do they show up in your work?

[23:56] Angela Dorsey: Yes,

[23:57] my biggest value is integrity.

[24:01] And I am just so transparent.

[24:06] And my motto is no surprises. I don’t want any surprises. So I always try to over communicate and have.

[24:16] Operate with integrity with everything that I do. That’s just who I am.

[24:21] And I treat people the way I would want to be treated.

[24:25] And I feel that that comes across and it also shapes who I bring on as a client. You know, I have a prospect process where we really get to know each other before we say, yes, we’re going to work together.

[24:41] Because I also want to get to know them, you know,

[24:44] and, you know, I only want to work with nice people.

[24:48] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[24:49] Angela Dorsey: Like myself. You know, I don’t like a lot of drama. I don’t like,

[24:54] you know, manipulation or there’s really no need for all that.

[24:58] Yes. So that’s, I would say integrity, honesty,

[25:02] and communication,

[25:04] you know, that’s.

[25:06] Those things are very, very important, I think, in daily life and especially in a financial planning relationship, because your clients, they have to trust you.

[25:15] They’re trusting you with their money and their family’s future. And so that trust has to be there. And trust isn’t something that you just give out. You have to earn it.

[25:27] And I found that to earn trust,

[25:30] I Do what I say I’m going to do.

[25:34] And I try to mend my surprise. Sometimes things do happen and I have to call a client. You know what?

[25:39] This is what happened and this is how I’m going to fix it.

[25:42] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[25:43] Angela Dorsey: So I think just having that motto really helps.

[25:48] Tara Bansal: Very nice.

[25:51] Are you willing to share your prospecting process? I’d love to hear what you do in order to make sure you’re a good fit before you move forward.

[26:01] Angela Dorsey: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. The first step is an introductory call.

[26:06] And that’s typically 20 to 30 minutes.

[26:09] And we talk at a very high level what it is that the person is looking for. And I do very little talking in that meeting.

[26:18] And I start the call off. The purpose of this call is really to determine if we’re a possible fit. And if not, I’m willing to refer you to someone else.

[26:27] So I let them know right off that I’m not desperate, I’m not going to pressure you. This is really just to see if we’re possibly a good fit.

[26:35] And then if after that call we are,

[26:38] then we move on to a second meeting. I call it our get acquainted meeting. And that’s typically a zoom meeting or an in person meeting where we talk more in depth about what it is they’re looking for.

[26:50] And then I talk more about the services that I provide.

[26:55] And I’m getting a sense for their personality,

[26:58] you know, and they’re getting a sense for my personality.

[27:01] And then after that meeting, I collect more documents and then I put together a financial plan summary, like a proposal of. Okay. Based on our conversation and based on the documents that they may have given me, they may have given me their investment statements, they may have given me their tax return.

[27:18] I do some analysis to see how I can add value.

[27:22] And I put a lot of work. I put a lot of work even before a client,

[27:26] you know, signs the papers and pays me a penny.

[27:30] And so I put together a proposal of what it is that we would cover together, what the fee would be.

[27:36] And I asked them and I presented. So this is our third meeting. I present this one page. Well, usually it’s two, two or three pages,

[27:44] document. And then I asked them to.

[27:48] No rush. You know, why don’t you sleep on it, think about it and then let me know.

[27:53] Know what you think, like in the next week,

[27:56] a couple of days or a week.

[27:57] And so during that process, they really got a sense for my personality, how I work, what we’ll work on. And then I,

[28:05] I’m. I’ve gotten a sense for Their personality,

[28:09] how prompt were they in providing me the information?

[28:13] How open were they? If they’re very secretive? Well, I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that. That’s a red flag because you have to. If you don’t trust me enough to give me your investment statement at this point, you know, we’re going to have a hard time because you’re going to have to trust me.

[28:29] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[28:30] Angela Dorsey: And so after that point, then after we’ve created a summary of what it is we would work on together and it resonates with them, then we.

[28:46] We sign up. By the time if someone has made it to the third step, there’s a 90% chance that they’re going to sign on.

[28:55] Tara Bansal: And you only do that third step if you want to work with them.

[28:58] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[28:59] Tara Bansal: Is that true?

[29:00] Angela Dorsey: Absolutely.

[29:01] Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve been doing this now since 2014.

[29:04] I can pretty much tell if someone is not a fit at the intro call. I’ve learned.

[29:09] I’ve learned to,

[29:12] you know, direct them to a better resource.

[29:15] If after 20, 30 minutes I just get a weird feeling that something’s not right here, or I may not be the right person, just technically, you know, I’m not an expert in everything and I may not be the right advisor for them.

[29:29] And as a fiduciary,

[29:31] I really must forward them on to someone, refer them to someone who’s a better advisor for them.

[29:40] Tara Bansal: Do you have a list of names or how.

[29:43] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I do. I have a list of names.

[29:47] And sometimes if someone contacts me and from their issue,

[29:53] I can just tell that they really just need an hour or two with an advisor just to point them in the right direction to get them going,

[30:03] and that’s their next best step. You don’t want someone to get overwhelmed. You know, you can easily tell them, oh, These are the 10 things you must do. If they just know what their next best step is, you’ve helped them immensely so many times.

[30:15] Many times, because I get a lot of people contacting me many times. I’ll just give them guidance in terms of, you know what?

[30:23] How about this?

[30:25] You know, if you do this, this is. This would be your next best step. And they just do that for free.

[30:29] Just point them in the right direction and then that can help them.

[30:35] Or maybe that first, I don’t do hourly appointments anymore,

[30:39] but maybe just sitting down for one, one or two hours with a family planner would get them on the right track.

[30:46] Especially when they’re young. You know, when they’re really young, one little Change can just put them on the right path for the rest of their life.

[30:54] Tara Bansal: Yeah. Can change the trajectory. And it’s those little things that can make a difference. I agree. How did you decide to focus on women with your practice?

[31:05] Angela Dorsey: Oh, yes.

[31:07] Okay, well, now, that’s an interesting question.

[31:10] When I first started my practice, I was the only financial planner for everyone. You know, I thought, wow, I am so special.

[31:18] The only financial planner for everyone.

[31:20] And so I was getting clients here and there.

[31:23] But then I found out,

[31:25] I, I, I, I felt that, you know, I really, really enjoy working with the women, you know,

[31:31] especially women who are around my age.

[31:34] You know, it’s just more fun. We can talk about finance, but then we can also talk about other things, you know, women things. And, you know, it just made it all more fun and relatable.

[31:43] You know, I felt like I could relate to their, their challenges of raising a family and having a career and doing this and doing that, and,

[31:52] and so,

[31:54] wow. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just focus on women?

[31:57] And then one day,

[31:59] I went to a Financial Planning association meeting in Los Angeles,

[32:05] and I met Kathy Curtis.

[32:08] Kathy Curtis.

[32:09] Tara Bansal: She is who I want to have on the show.

[32:10] Angela Dorsey: Oh, yes, I love Kathy Curtis.

[32:15] She has her firm in Oakland, and she also focuses on women. And I had been tracking her. I still remember I would be in my cubicle, my little cubicle there in Corporate American and reading about Kathy Curtis and saying, one day I’m going to be like Kathy Curtis.

[32:31] Tara Bansal: And here you are.

[32:32] Angela Dorsey: And so when I heard she was presenting at the FPA meeting, I was so excited. I mean, she was like a superstar. I’m like, oh, my gosh, it’s going to be Kathy Curtis.

[32:42] And so she spoke about her practice and how she has several niches targeting women.

[32:50] And so then afterwards,

[32:51] I still remember, I walked up to her and I said, oh, hi, Kathy. My name’s Angela Dorsey. I said, I have been following you for so long. You’re like a mentor to me.

[32:58] And she’s like, really? Because she was very humble.

[33:02] And I said, oh, gosh, you know, I would love to just focus on women.

[33:06] You know, that just seemed like such a rewarding niche to have, you know, not that women are a niche, but.

[33:12] Tara Bansal: Um, I think in a way they are like, you, you can narrow down more. But it’s definitely.

[33:18] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, it is. I thought of it as a niche. So it was a niche.

[33:21] And, and then she said, well, then just do it.

[33:24] And I said, really mean, just do it. She’s like, she said, yeah, you know, just,

[33:28] you know, with your website, if you’re, if you don’t want to just jump in, just take a. One little tab on your website, one page, and just say, for women only.

[33:36] And you know, just talk about, you know, the challenges that women have. We live longer,

[33:41] we tend to earn less, we’re more conservative investors, you know, all the things that we do as women, you know, just talk about that and say that you have financial planning for women.

[33:50] And I said, okay. And so I immediately went home and did that. You know, I’m just, I’m a doer, you know, so I immediately.

[33:55] Tara Bansal: Are a doer.

[33:55] Angela Dorsey: Yeah,

[33:57] yeah. So I immediately went home and put up that page. And I tell you, I’m kind of a geek too. Maybe it’s my computer science background. But then I looked at my Google Analytics and found that that one page was getting a lot of hits, you know.

[34:13] Yeah,

[34:14] it was getting a lot of hits.

[34:16] And so I think about a month later I said, you know what, I’m just gonna jump in.

[34:23] And I made that one page my homepage.

[34:26] Financial planning for Women. I still remember it showed like multi generational women. It showed a grandmother, a mother and a little girl.

[34:33] And they were at the beach. I love the beach. So I’ve got to have the beach in there somewhere.

[34:38] And I thought, oh, boy. And then the blue, you know, had a blue background. It was a very pretty website.

[34:44] And so I put it up and I just held my breath. And do you know that the first three prospects that contacted me after that were men?

[34:56] One was looking for a financial planner for his wife because he wanted his wife to be more engaged in the family’s finances.

[35:03] One was a.

[35:07] Oh, oh. One was a trustee,

[35:11] and he wanted his sister to be more involved, and one was for his mother.

[35:18] And I really didn’t expect that. I had to actually go back to my website to look at my website to make sure I actually did publish the right thing.

[35:25] It does say financial planning for women, right?

[35:28] Tara Bansal: That’s very funny.

[35:29] Angela Dorsey: But it was, it’s been great. And I’ve never looked back.

[35:31] Tara Bansal: When did you do that? How long ago?

[35:33] Angela Dorsey: That was probably maybe 20. Let’s see, I left at 2014, maybe 2015.

[35:42] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[35:42] Angela Dorsey: So very early, very early,

[35:44] very early. Because I was noticing what was really interesting,

[35:49] I was noticing that a lot of my prospects were women, either single women or married women who were managing the family’s finances.

[36:00] And so a lot of my clients are married and they’re the ones who manage the finances for the family. And so I just,

[36:12] like I say, leaned into that. You know,

[36:15] if that is who I am attracting, then let’s learn more about that group and what it is that they’re looking for,

[36:22] how I can better serve them.

[36:24] And it’s just been great. You know,

[36:27] I love that you just.

[36:28] Tara Bansal: Like, followed what felt most enjoyable and fun to you.

[36:33] Angela Dorsey: Yes. Well, that is what makes it rewarding, you know, to get back to the whole theme of your podcast, you know,

[36:40] her way. And I think there’s. There’s no right way, no wrong way. You have to do it your way in order for it to be authentic to you and rewarding.

[36:52] And I can honestly say that through all the twists and turns, I’ve always just come back to, you know, what’s right for me. There’s so many bright, shiny objects out there of things, you know, you can do as an advisor.

[37:06] And I felt like each time I went back to, well, what’s right for me, what feels right for me. And sometimes, you know, it’s right for the moment, but then that changes.

[37:17] But you can only make a decision on the information that you have at the time and be flexible.

[37:26] Tara Bansal: Very nice. What does your ideal practice look like? What do you imagine? Or what do you want your ideal practice to be?

[37:40] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh,

[37:43] that’s a tough one, because it seems like once you get there, then there’s another goal around the corner.

[37:51] But an ideal practice is to work with clients who really value not just investment management, but comprehensive financial planning. You know, they see the value.

[38:06] They include me in their financial life.

[38:11] Yeah, I am fortunate. I have a great team now. I have an associate financial advisor, Amy, and I have a client service manager, Michelle.

[38:23] And by having the two of them, it helps me to focus more on the things I want to do and give them things that they’re good at and that they want to do.

[38:35] So I feel like I’m finally at a point where I have more balance.

[38:40] I don’t feel I’m not in a state of overwhelm constantly.

[38:45] Tara Bansal: When would you say that changed?

[38:47] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh, maybe about a year ago.

[38:53] Tara Bansal: Well, that’s great, though. And I mean, I feel like that’s where we met at Limitless.

[38:58] And a big focus of Limitless is designing your practice to fit your life. Or have you, you know,

[39:07] not be overwhelmed and not be working all the time.

[39:12] Is there a certain amount of clients you want to have? Have you thought about that?

[39:19] Angela Dorsey: Not really. Not a certain amount. I think for me, again, it’s this feeling your way through.

[39:26] Like, right now, I Feel like I have.

[39:30] I have room,

[39:32] you know, especially now, I feel like I have room. So I feel like I can grow.

[39:35] I feel like I could take on more. Right. Fit clients.

[39:40] And I think it really depends. It depends on the client needs. It depends on,

[39:47] you know, so many things.

[39:48] So I really.

[39:52] I remember when I first started in 2014.

[39:56] Well, actually, I started my practice in 2012,

[39:59] and I worked two years, you know, overlapping, but overlapping. I remember I thought, wow, you know, if I could have 30, 30 clients, oh, man, that would be so great.

[40:09] Well, 30 came and went.

[40:11] And now I’m thinking, huh, you know, I could have a lot more than 30 and 30. You know,

[40:17] 30 especially. They come gradually. They don’t all come together at once.

[40:21] And so gradually, you know, each year a couple of more clients. Couple of more clients. So you gradually. Because onboarding a new client is very labor intensive.

[40:30] Tara Bansal: Yes.

[40:30] Angela Dorsey: And so when they come gradually, it really helps to manage the workflow.

[40:36] So,

[40:37] yeah, I’m not there yet where I can say I’m at capacity. There is room, especially now that I’ve hired an associate financial advisor.

[40:46] There’s room for more. Room for more.

[40:48] Tara Bansal: Good. And I love that you’re just going to feel your way.

[40:52] Angela Dorsey: I am, yeah. Yeah. It seems like the older I get, the more touchy feely I get.

[40:56] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I can relate to that, too.

[40:59] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. Because you learn that there’s no, you.

[41:02] Tara Bansal: Know, there’s black and white. There’s.

[41:04] Angela Dorsey: Yes, there isn’t.

[41:06] And,

[41:07] you know, and there’s so much we don’t know to say, okay, this is how it’s going to be. Then you get there and it’s like, well, not really. It’s something different.

[41:14] So, you know, I’ve stopped trying to predict that.

[41:17] Tara Bansal: Yeah. But some people have this vision in their mind of exactly how they want their practice to be. And I just wondered if you had that.

[41:27] Angela Dorsey: Well, I just know I want to be able to be present with clients,

[41:34] and I wanted to.

[41:37] I don’t want to have so many clients where I wouldn’t recognize them on the street.

[41:43] You know, I want to.

[41:45] I want to have the right number of clients where I feel like I give them the proper attention and serve.

[41:51] Tara Bansal: Them the way you want to serve them and feel good about that. Yeah.

[41:56] What,

[41:57] is there a certain number of hours you want to work a week or how many vacation you want in a year?

[42:06] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I.

[42:09] My husband and I were planning to go to France this. This fall,

[42:16] and so we’re taking three weeks off there.

[42:19] So that’s good.

[42:20] And then in the summer, we usually take time off.

[42:24] I would say I would love,

[42:27] like take like six weeks off.

[42:33] And then my Fridays, I like having my, my Fridays pretty light.

[42:37] I like my Fridays to just be a time of doing light cleanup,

[42:43] working on the business, maybe doing some follow up, but just really kind of having a time for reflection and planning and stepping back a bit.

[42:54] I really try hard not to have meetings on Mondays and Fridays. And even during Surge, I do surge. I do spring surge and fall surge. I pretty much follow the limitless playbook, which has been really helpful to me.

[43:11] So we have client meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

[43:14] On Mondays, it’s team day. You know, I meet with the team members and I do planning for the week. And then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, client meeting Friday. I call it follow up Friday.

[43:30] And if we’re not in search,

[43:32] then my Fridays are working on projects.

[43:36] Like right now we’re not in surge and we’re working on our workflows. We want to beef up our tax planning workflow.

[43:43] We’re,

[43:45] we’re doing webinars. We’re getting ready for our next webinar that’s going to be next week.

[43:50] And so, you know,

[43:52] we’re always busy doing some things, but I really like having more, more tying to just think. And it’s really amazing. I feel like when I’m not thinking, that’s when my best thoughts come.

[44:10] Tara Bansal: And so when does that happen? Like, what are you doing instead of doing something? Like, how, when do you do your best thinking?

[44:20] Angela Dorsey: Well, in the shower.

[44:23] Sometimes I’m in the shower and then a thought, oh, my gosh,

[44:27] you know, I need to do this. So then I’ll immediately write it down or, you know, put into my calendar.

[44:32] And then going for walks. My husband and I, we like to go for walks frequently.

[44:38] The walks are good,

[44:40] you know, just, just relaxing. I think it’s really great. Especially, you know, as I have more people working on the team. It’s, it’s good to refresh the brain so that I can think more clearly about things.

[44:56] Very nice.

[44:58] Tara Bansal: Where are you still growing and evolving?

[45:01] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh. That’s every.

[45:04] Every area. But one thing that we’ve started doing, which has been really fun,

[45:09] we’ve started doing webinars and we had our first webinar last month.

[45:14] And oh my gosh, I tell you, it was,

[45:18] it was rather frightening,

[45:20] to be honest.

[45:22] To be honest,

[45:23] I just had this,

[45:24] this vision because exactly a month before to the day, Zoom had a major outage that no Zoom meetings could occur on that Wednesday at 12 exactly a month before our webinar, Wednesday at 12, I thought, oh, no, what if there’s a zoom outage?

[45:43] Oh, no, what if all the zoom links don’t work? You know, I just.

[45:47] But it went fine. It was very smooth. No, no.

[45:51] Tara Bansal: Who did you invite?

[45:53] Angela Dorsey: Oh, we didn’t invite anyone. Amy and I, we did a webinar on the retirement blueprint, and we talked about challenges that women have, you know, retiring and what they can do about that.

[46:08] And it was really fun.

[46:10] It was really fun. So we’re doing another one. So in terms, to get back to your question, where do I feel like I’m growing? So now I’m learning about webinars.

[46:17] I’m becoming a zoom webinar expert now,

[46:22] which. It’s funny how one thing leads to another, because for a couple of years, I was doing videos on YouTube. So we do have a YouTube channel. I have, like, over 30 videos.

[46:31] So I feel like my experience doing the zoom, doing the Web,

[46:37] doing the YouTube videos, helped me feel more comfortable with the webinars.

[46:42] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[46:43] Angela Dorsey: Even though it’s a different platform,

[46:47] but just being on camera and being recorded, I feel like I’m way more comfortable with that. Although I still, to this day cannot look at myself on video.

[47:00] Yeah.

[47:00] Tara Bansal: That’s part of why I’m doing a podcast instead of video.

[47:04] Angela Dorsey: I can’t. I can’t do it. Oh, my gosh.

[47:07] Tara Bansal: But how did you get people to come to your webinars?

[47:12] Angela Dorsey: It’s really interesting.

[47:15] We got most of our attendees by sending out emails. Emails to our newsletter list.

[47:23] So we have a newsletter list that we’ve grown for the last couple of years. And so we sent it out mailchimp to our newsletter list, and I emailed all my clients,

[47:36] letting them know, hey, this is what we’re doing. And then if you know of anyone,

[47:40] family, friends who might be interested in the topic. And so we got a couple of attendees through that.

[47:45] And then I also went back and emailed all of my prospects that were kind of just hanging out there. You know, I asked them to join if they would like to.

[47:54] And surprisingly,

[47:56] yeah, we got, like, 30,

[47:58] which.

[47:59] Tara Bansal: Great.

[47:59] Angela Dorsey: My fear.

[48:00] Tara Bansal: That’s phenomenal. Yes. So many people sign up, and then you only have, like, one or two people actually share.

[48:07] Angela Dorsey: Oh, well, no, I meant 30 registered. Whether they show up or not, you know, I. I give them a replay. Yeah. But I would say showed. They say 50%, and exactly 50% actually showed up.

[48:19] And so the rest, I still feel.

[48:20] Tara Bansal: Like that’s good because I.

[48:21] Angela Dorsey: It was very good. Yeah,

[48:22] yeah, it was very good. And so another fear that I had was that no one would show up.

[48:28] So I was happy that some people actually showed up.

[48:31] Tara Bansal: Yeah, it definitely helps having faces and people there too.

[48:34] Angela Dorsey: Yes. Yes.

[48:37] Tara Bansal: What, what would you tell your younger self or someone just starting out in this business?

[48:43] Angela Dorsey: Oh,

[48:45] well, I tell you,

[48:47] I oftentimes think or wish that I had started earlier,

[48:55] but you know, things happen when they’re supposed to happen.

[48:58] I would say for anyone who’s interested to just do it because it’s a wonderful career.

[49:06] However, there’s a lot to learn and it’s some pretty serious stuff. And so I would surround yourself with like minded people. You know, find other women advisor groups to just really support to have that support.

[49:27] You know, you, you, even if you start your own firm, you can’t do it by yourself. You need people around you.

[49:34] So I would just recommend to surround yourself and to reach out.

[49:42] You know, I know when I first started I reached out to women advisors and men advisors, just asking if I could just have a little bit of their time just to learn what they do during the day.

[49:53] And I was so surprised how giving the financial planning community is. People are more than happy to help. And I feel like there’s more than enough clients for everyone.

[50:05] I know some advisors are more competitive than others, but in general,

[50:09] everyone’s very helpful. So, you know, if you see someone who’s doing something that intrigues you, send them an email. See if you could talk to them for 15 minutes,

[50:19] just reach out. I think all of us who have reached a point where we feel,

[50:23] you know,

[50:24] pretty successful, we’ve gotten there because many people have helped us and we want to return the favor and help others.

[50:32] So just encourage others to reach out and get that support that you need because you can’t do it yourself.

[50:38] Tara Bansal: Very good. What does success mean for you today?

[50:43] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh.

[50:45] Success to me means happiness and peace of mind.

[50:50] If I can go about my workday feeling happiness and peace of mind, then I am successful.

[50:58] Because on the flip side, I have met other advisors who have a business twice as large as mine and they,

[51:06] you know, they’re struggling with some things and I would not want to be in their shoes.

[51:13] So at the end of the day, we have to figure out what that looks like for us.

[51:17] You know, you can’t compare your aum.

[51:19] Yes. You can’t compare your aum to this person’s aum or how many people are on their staff. You know, you can’t do that. That’s the wrong measurement. You have to measure.

[51:31] How do you feel? Are you happy?

[51:33] Do you feel that you are on track? Do you feel peace of mind?

[51:38] And if you do, then you’re successful. And success is,

[51:43] you know, it’s progressive.

[51:44] It’s not like, okay, I’m successful here. You know, it’s like a progressive realization of, of your worthy goals. And so,

[51:53] you know, it’s a journey, it’s not a destination. And if you are enjoying the journey,

[51:58] then you are successful. And I am just loving this journey. It’s just been fantastic.

[52:02] Tara Bansal: I love it. Yeah.

[52:04] All right, we are pretty much out of time.

[52:07] Couple quick questions. Do you have a favorite book or podcast that you’ve read or recently listened to?

[52:16] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh.

[52:17] Tara Bansal: Recommend.

[52:18] Angela Dorsey: I love to read.

[52:20] So.

[52:20] Wow.

[52:21] It’s.

[52:23] Oh, man, I love. Gosh, there’s so many books.

[52:28] I love Essentialism.

[52:31] That’s a very good book.

[52:32] Gosh,

[52:34] I have so many books on my nightstand that I just love.

[52:38] I’d say that one because I think it’s at the core of what makes someone successful. You know, focusing your time,

[52:46] focusing your energy, focusing,

[52:48] being intentional.

[52:50] I think that that’s the foundation of wherever you want to go. You have to have those principles in place. I would say that book.

[52:56] Tara Bansal: Great.

[52:57] Angela Dorsey: And then a podcast, aside from yours, Gosh, there’s so many interesting podcasts.

[53:09] Tara Bansal: You don’t have a favorite one?

[53:11] Angela Dorsey: No, no one doesn’t pop up. Then that’s fine. I just wondered. Yeah, I’m more of a reader than a listener.

[53:19] Tara Bansal: Yeah. I didn’t know that about you.

[53:22] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I love to read. I’m very visual and so I love to read and I love the paper books. I’m not a Kindle person. I love the paper. I love going on Amazon and ordering a real book, you know, and then having it, you know, arrive.

[53:35] And I’m just so excited to,

[53:36] you.

[53:36] Tara Bansal: Know, have it and go through it and.

[53:38] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, yeah.

[53:40] Tara Bansal: What’s your best self care ritual?

[53:45] Angela Dorsey: Um,

[53:48] let’s see. My best self care ritual on Sunday mornings, I.

[53:56] I sit and I reflect on my life and I just enjoy the peace. There’s something about Sunday mornings. There’s just such a peacefulness and silence that I feel and I just use that time to.

[54:13] To be grateful for what I have and also to see what areas of my life that I want to improve. And that’s not just business, but relationship, health,

[54:27] all those areas.

[54:28] So it’s a time of reflection for me. And then I also go to the spa once a month. I do that. That’s really fun too. Yeah.

[54:37] Tara Bansal: When you. Your Sunday morning, is it a certain time period, do you journal or write anything, or is it just thinking?

[54:47] Angela Dorsey: Yes, I do journal.

[54:49] I’m a big. I love to journal.

[54:52] And I would say it depends. Sometimes I have a lot to write,

[54:59] but sometimes it’s just a quick little note. Just a quick little something comes to mind. Just a little quote comes to mind, and I just jot it down.

[55:07] But other times, it’s something. You know what? I really need to focus on something here, and it could be a couple of hours that I work on that, but I feel like my Sundays, that’s a time where I step back or my life and really just look at the big picture and see,

[55:21] you know, how. How I’m feeling again. That feeling thing. How. How I’m feeling about things, or if.

[55:27] Tara Bansal: I love that you do it so regularly and it’s part of your schedule.

[55:32] Angela Dorsey: Yeah,

[55:33] Yeah. I think you. You have to.

[55:36] And I find that the more I tune into it, the more I get out of it.

[55:43] You know, it’s like,

[55:45] if you pay attention to it, you realize that there’s, like, this guidance there.

[55:50] Tara Bansal: There’s more information there. If you pay attention to it.

[55:53] Angela Dorsey: If you pay attention to it.

[55:55] Tara Bansal: Very nice. All right, last thing. One thing that brings you joy right now.

[56:01] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh.

[56:03] Brings me joy.

[56:07] My husband and I, we have two adult children,

[56:11] and when they text me, when they call me, that just makes me really happy because I know they really didn’t have to. They don’t. They don’t live with us anymore.

[56:19] They’re living their own independent adult life. You launched,

[56:22] they launched.

[56:24] They have launched, and they’re both very successful. And so when they reach out just with any little something,

[56:31] it just helps me to know they’re still thinking of me, and it just makes me feel good.

[56:38] Tara Bansal: Very nice. I have loved this. I know I. I know I can talk to you forever based on experience,

[56:45] but thank you for taking the time.

[56:47] There are so many gems in here of wisdom that.

[56:51] Angela Dorsey: Oh, well, thank you, Tara, for inviting me. You know, I just enjoyed our conversation,

[56:59] and,

[57:00] you know, I just really appreciate you thinking of me to be a guest on your podcast. So I really enjoyed this. Thank you.

[57:07] Tara Bansal: You’re welcome. Just thrilled to have you.

[57:11] Tara Bansal: I loved this conversation with Angela, and I hope you did, too.

[57:15] The big takeaway that really stayed with me, especially the more I sat with it,

[57:20] was how consistently she listened to herself.

[57:24] From the image of a young Angela sitting on her bed, flipping through Money magazine to the quiet knowing that kept resurfacing through her corporate career to the courageous leap she made into financial planning.

[57:37] Angela’s story is a powerful reminder that our clearest direction often comes from within.

[57:44] That quiet inner voice may feel scary to follow,

[57:48] but more often than not, it’s right.

[57:51] What inspires me most is how intentionally she’s built her life and her practice one thoughtful, strategic step after at a time.

[58:01] Even now, with a thriving firm and a team she loves, she continues to make space for reflection.

[58:08] Every Sunday morning she checks in with herself,

[58:11] asking what feels aligned, what doesn’t, and where she wants to go next.

[58:16] That kind of self honoring practice is such a beautiful example of growth,

[58:22] integrity and conscious leadership.

[58:25] Angela doesn’t just do for the sake of doing,

[58:29] she takes action that’s rooted in clarity, presence and purpose.

[58:34] And that’s what stood out to me the most.

[58:37] None of our journeys are ever really finished.

[58:40] We’re all evolving,

[58:41] learning and becoming.

[58:43] But when we stay true to who we are and what we want,

[58:47] we find our way.

[58:48] That theme of just listening to yourself,

[58:52] being your authentic self, and creating your vision,

[58:56] your version of success runs through this podcast and Angela brought it to life so naturally and powerfully.

[59:05] Thank you for listening and I hope you’ll join me again next time.

[59:10] Thank you for listening to her life, her practice, her way.

[59:14] A podcast for and about Female Financial advisors.

[59:19] I truly hope you found something valuable and encouraging in today’s episode. If you did, I’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

[59:31] It helps other phenomenal women in our field find this space.

[59:36] And if you know another advisor who would benefit from these conversations or from the kind of support I offer through coaching,

[59:44] please send this episode to her.

[59:47] If you’re curious about working with me as your coach or interested in being on the podcast, I’d love to hear from you.

[59:54] You can find more details and reach out to me on the contact page of my website,

[01:00:00] herlifeherpracticeherway.com no spaces, no underlines, just the words straight in a row.

[01:00:10] Until next time, Keep building a life and practice you truly love.

Angela’s Firm – Dorsey Wealth Management: https://dorseywealth.com/

Angela’s Newsletter: https://dorseywealth.com/newsletter

Angela’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClcv4jfZfZy2Eb1671tPwQ

Book Angela Recommended: Essentialism by Greg McKeown – https://gregmckeown.com/books/essentialism/

Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) – https://www.acplanners.org/home

Steph Bogan’s Limitless Adviser Coaching – https://limitlessfa.life/

Angela Dorsey, CFP®, MBA

Angela Dorsey, Founder of Dorsey Wealth Management, is a fee-only financial planner specializing in Wealth Management and Retirement Planning for Women and Couples.

Angela has a certificate in Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning, an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and a B.S. in Computer Science from Loyola Marymount University.

Angela is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Registered Investment Advisor. She is a member of NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors), the Los Angeles Chapter of the Financial Planning Association and the South Bay Estate Planning Council.

Angela created Dorsey Wealth Management because she had a lifelong passion for financial planning. She enjoyed helping others better understand and organize their finances, then put a plan in place to achieve financial goals.

While helping her friends, who were smart and successful professional women, she noticed many didn’t have the knowledge and confidence to manage their personal finances well. As a result she found that many of them felt embarrassed and ashamed about their finances, while promising themselves to get their finances in order “someday”.  From this experience, she saw the need for financial planning for Women.

After more than 20 years in Corporate America, she followed her dream of starting her own financial planning firm. Her clients are primarily single and married women who want to better manage their finances or take the lead in managing their household’s finances. They sought her help because they wanted someone they can trust and who listened carefully, offered unbiased information, advice and guidance.

As a fee-only financial planner, she does not receive commissions to recommend any stock, bond or mutual fund. She only recommends what is best for her clients based on their life goals, risk tolerance, personal and financial situation.

Comprehensive financial planning is a process, not an event. It focuses on client’s goals, then integrates all areas of their financial life, recognizes how their beliefs and attitudes impact financial decisions and makes adjustments as circumstances change.

Angela lives in Torrance California with her husband and enjoys spending a peaceful day at the beach or surrounded by nature. She is a self-proclaimed Foodie and is a regular supporter of Best Friends and spcaLA.

Angela’s website: https://dorseywealth.com/

Angela’s Newsletter: https://dorseywealth.com/newsletter

Angela’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClcv4jfZfZy2Eb1671tPwQ

[00:19] Tara Bansal: Welcome to her life, her practice, her way.

[00:23] A podcast for and about female financial advisors.

[00:28] I’m Tara Conti Bansal. I’ve been a financial planner and life coach for over 20 years,

[00:34] and I believe that when women thrive in this profession, we all win.

[00:39] This show is about sharing our journeys, our struggles, our breakthroughs, and the many ways we build a life and practice that feels true to us.

[00:50] And now I’m extending that mission. Beyond the podcast.

[00:54] I coach female advisors who want to grow a fulfilling practice and a beautiful life that they love.

[01:01] One filled with meaning, freedom, connection, and joy.

[01:06] Whether you’re just starting out, reinventing yourself, or dreaming of what’s next, you’re in the right place.

[01:13] Let’s build this together.

[01:16] Tara Bansal: Hello. Hello.

[01:17] I am so grateful and excited to be here with Angela Dorsey.

[01:24] I met Angela through Steph Bogan’s limitless program,

[01:31] and we think we were part of the same mastermind group. And our mastermind group is still in existence and still meets.

[01:42] Now.

[01:43] It’s a group of all women financial advisors,

[01:46] and it’s just been wonderful. So Angela and I have known each other for several years now,

[01:52] and I’ve got to see her and her practice grow and thrive.

[01:57] And I’m just excited to have you here,

[02:02] Angela. She has her own firm called Angela Dorsey Wealth Management,

[02:08] and she helps women plan for a wealthy, confident retirement. And I love that you focus on women.

[02:15] We usually start just with you telling your own story.

[02:21] So what got you to where you are now?

[02:27] Angela Dorsey: Well, thanks so much, Tara. First of all, I just want to thank you so much for inviting me on your podcast. I’m just so excited to have this opportunity to just share a little time with you and share my story with you and your audience.

[02:41] And yes, I mean,

[02:46] I could spend all day talking about this. I’m just financial planning and what I do is such a passion for me and what I started doing just as a young girl, I remember I used to read Money magazines, and I’ve always had an interest in financial planning.

[03:05] I mean, it was kind of weird, and I didn’t know what to do with it.

[03:09] And so I used that to kind of direct my passions. And so I found that as a little girl,

[03:18] you know, I was always reading Money magazine. And then I enjoyed making money. I had various entrepreneurial pursuits. I would host backyard fairs in my backyard, I would sell doll clothes and miniatures and things that I made.

[03:36] So I always kind of had that little, you know, know,

[03:40] entrepreneurial spirit.

[03:43] However,

[03:44] I took a more traditional path. I majored in computer science.

[03:49] Did that for a few years, realized I didn’t like it. Then I went back to business school.

[03:53] And then it was really interesting in business school. I felt that, you know, there’s something financial that I was supposed to do.

[04:01] But the only thing I saw were people who were like investment bankers.

[04:06] You know, that was really hot in the 90s, being an investment banker.

[04:11] Tara Bansal: It’s still pretty hot.

[04:12] Angela Dorsey: Oh, it’s still hot. Oh, it is. Okay, well, good.

[04:14] Tara Bansal: I feel like people who want to make money, they go into investment banking.

[04:18] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes. So that was really hot, but it did not call to me. So I went into hr.

[04:26] I got an MBA with a focus on human resources. And then after I graduated, I pursued a career in compensation as a compensation specialist. So I was a compensation specialist for over 20 years.

[04:41] And I really, really enjoyed,

[04:44] was very rewarding. And I helped managers and VPs figure out how much to pay their people, what their incentive structure should be and things like that. But I still just had this,

[04:55] this feeling that I was supposed to do something else.

[04:59] And that feeling would kind of come and go throughout my career.

[05:02] And so then I,

[05:04] I found this book called so youo Want to Become a Financial Planner by.

[05:10] Oh gosh, what’s her name? Nancy.

[05:13] Oh man, I can’t remember her last name. But it talked about various ways you can become a financial planner. And it opened my eyes to being a fee only financial planner where you’re not paid on commission and you don’t have quotas.

[05:29] When I worked at IBM, I was a sales rep and I hated it. Hated it.

[05:33] And I realized, okay, I’m not a salesperson. So when it came to my next move, I didn’t want to have anything to do with sales or quotas.

[05:41] And so in her book, in Nancy’s book, she talked about being a fee only planner where you really get paid like a CPA or an attorney.

[05:52] And I thought, wow, that’s what I wanted to do. But at the time, you know, I was still very much entrenched in my corporate career. So what I did was I started the whole financial planning journey while still working full time.

[06:08] And I had two small kids.

[06:09] You know, my husband and I, we had two small kids. And so it was, it was a challenge, but I just took it step by step. I tell you, it’s really amazing, the power of just taking baby steps and step by step it will get you where you want to go.

[06:23] Tara Bansal: What were some of the first steps that you took?

[06:26] Angela Dorsey: Yes, a great question. The first step was to enroll in the college for Financial planning and it’s a virtual program.

[06:34] And I would study at night,

[06:38] after I got home, I would study on the weekends.

[06:41] And then I would take the test.

[06:45] I would go to a testing center and take the tests for each course.

[06:50] And class by class, I would pass the coursework.

[06:54] And I think that took maybe a year,

[06:57] maybe a little over a year.

[07:00] And so then after that came the challenge of passing the board exam. Oh my gosh. The CFP board exam?

[07:09] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[07:09] Angela Dorsey: And so I studied for that and it was just so overwhelming. It was a very grueling two day exam. And to be completely transparent, the first time I took it,

[07:21] I didn’t pass.

[07:22] It was just so much. It was very mentally and physically exhausting.

[07:27] Tara Bansal: Did you do a review? A review course?

[07:29] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I did, I did do a review course. I believe it was Dalton at the time.

[07:34] I did Dalton.

[07:37] And after, after I took the test, I was like, okay, I know I did not pass that.

[07:42] You know, just mentally I wasn’t in the right headspace.

[07:45] And physically I just,

[07:47] it just wasn’t a day,

[07:49] you know, it just wasn’t happening for me that day.

[07:52] And so I, I said, you know what? I am going to take this exam until I pass it. If it, if I have to take it three times,

[07:59] I will do it. I think there’s a maximum number of times you can take it. But I was turning.

[08:04] Tara Bansal: I don’t think there is, actually.

[08:06] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I don’t know.

[08:09] I didn’t even look that up. I thought, you know what, I’m just going to take it again. So I just jumped back in and started studying and I knew the areas that I needed to brush up on.

[08:20] And I took it a second time and I passed.

[08:23] Tara Bansal: Yay.

[08:23] Angela Dorsey: I was so happy when I got that letter. I just cried. I couldn’t believe it. Oh my gosh. I felt like that barrier that was there, you know, passing the CFP board examination.

[08:32] And so then after that I joined this organization called the alliance for Comprehensive Planners, acp. And they’re still around today. It’s a great organization and they really helped me to start my practice.

[08:46] They helped me to guide me through all the paperwork,

[08:52] guide me through the coursework of how to be a financial planner,

[08:56] how to run the meetings,

[08:58] how to organize your business. It basically was a business in a box and.

[09:04] Tara Bansal: Never heard of that.

[09:05] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, acp.

[09:07] And they were very instrumental in helping me to start my practice. I’m no longer with that organization because I’ve kind of gone in different directions. But they were very helpful in helping me and so I got to the point where I was working my full time job and then starting my practice.

[09:27] And as you can imagine, that was a lot to handle.

[09:32] And so when I got six clients, I still remember when I got to six clients,

[09:36] I had the confidence. And then I started getting referrals from my little client base of six clients.

[09:43] I started getting referrals and I thought, you know, I think I could do this. I think I could do this. I took. I tell you, it was the scariest thing I’ve ever done, Tara.

[09:52] Quitting my job.

[09:54] Quitting my job. And it was a good job too, with benefits and everything.

[09:58] Quitting my job. But I just felt like something was calling to me and I wasn’t very happy. You know, I felt like I was making good money.

[10:09] You know, I was working with great people, but I just felt unfulfilled. I felt like something else was calling to me.

[10:16] And so I still remember the day I walked up to my manager and said, do you have a few minutes? And I told her the secret life that I’ve been living,

[10:25] that I want to be a financial planner.

[10:28] And the meeting went really well. She said, you know what? I could totally see you doing that. And that made me feel really happy.

[10:34] And I just haven’t looked back.

[10:38] Tara Bansal: How many years ago was that?

[10:40] Angela Dorsey: Oh, that was February of 2014.

[10:44] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[10:44] Angela Dorsey: Yep. I still remember I left February 3rd of 2014.

[10:50] Tara Bansal: Down to the day.

[10:51] Angela Dorsey: Down to the day. I could tell you the minute, too. But, yeah, I still remember the moment I walked out that door and started a new life.

[10:59] And yeah, it has just been such an amazing journey. I feel like every time I made a big leap, the universe has supported me and has brought me wonderful clients,

[11:11] has brought me wonderful resources and information people.

[11:15] And it’s just been such an amazing journey. I mean, I can’t imagine not doing this.

[11:21] I’m just rambling. I don’t know if this is.

[11:23] Tara Bansal: You’re doing a great job.

[11:25] Angela Dorsey: I have a couple of.

[11:26] Tara Bansal: How old were your kids when you made the jump?

[11:32] Angela Dorsey: My daughter, I guess. Let’s see, my son was maybe 14 and my daughter 10.

[11:43] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[11:44] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[11:45] And so the freedom and flexibility that it gave me really allowed me to be more present,

[11:51] especially for my daughter. She was, you know, in middle school, so I was able to go to field trips with her. She was in color guard. I was able to build all the color guard competitions and just really be more a part of her day to day life, which I really treasure.

[12:11] And I just love the freedom and flexibility of being able to design a life to fit your needs.

[12:22] Yeah.

[12:23] Tara Bansal: I think that’s part of why I’m passionate about women doing this. Because of that, you know, flexibility,

[12:31] that you can have this fulfilling career as a financial planner and still be with your family and do,

[12:42] you know, shape your time the way you want?

[12:46] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think I.

[12:50] Some days I wake up and I think to myself, I have the best job in the world. I really do.

[12:55] And I think for women, I’m surprised that there’s such a low percentage of women in financial planning because it’s such a rewarding career. You get to help people,

[13:06] you build relationships with people, and you have freedom and flexibility to shape your workday the way, you know, depending, you know, not everyone owns their own firm like I do,

[13:17] but I think in general it is still a pretty flexible role.

[13:22] Tara Bansal: What, why do you think what. Or do you have a theory for why women, why not more women go into this field?

[13:31] Angela Dorsey: I do. I have two thoughts come to mind. First,

[13:35] I feel like there’s not an awareness of what financial planning really is.

[13:44] They may think, oh, it’s just spreadsheets and numbers and trading. You have these screens up and you’re monitoring the market and you know, you’re like a stockbroker,

[13:54] which is not what we know. It’s not,

[13:57] it’s not. And very. You have to be an expert at math,

[14:01] you have to be an expert in technology,

[14:03] you have to.

[14:06] I don’t know, I think there’s just not an awareness of what,

[14:09] you know, what it’s really like. The day to day experience. Being a financial planner, number one. And then number two,

[14:16] unfortunately,

[14:18] I think there are still environments, there are still companies out there where their model is what I did not want. Where you have quotas,

[14:29] there’s a pressure to produce and if you don’t produce in the first year, you’re out of there, you’re fired.

[14:35] And I think some women get caught in that.

[14:39] And I’m so grateful that I wasn’t tempted to start my career at a larger brokerage firm like that because I may have just fell through the cracks and never really moved forward in this career.

[14:53] So I think that some women, you know, have that experience and they get discouraged and then they just quit and do something else.

[15:00] Tara Bansal: Yeah. So from the beginning you started your own firm?

[15:04] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes, I was a career changer and I started my own firm and I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, which is a good thing,

[15:15] because it’s a lot, you know, it’s a wonderful Career, It’s a wonderful business, but it is a lot and you have to surround yourself with,

[15:25] you know, a lot of resources and guidance.

[15:28] And you, you, you have to really, you do have to have the personality for it. I think you have to have a passion for financial planning or at least a passion for helping people.

[15:43] And,

[15:43] and so yeah, from day one, I started my own firm.

[15:47] Tara Bansal: Good for you. Yeah, I do feel like that’s courageous. And not many people go straight out on their own. Either they join another firm or they join one of the big brokerage.

[15:59] Like I joined another small firm, the fee only, but to get me when I got started.

[16:06] So what’s surprised you about this profession?

[16:11] Either good or bad.

[16:16] Angela Dorsey: Wow, let’s see. What surprise. I, I’m constantly being surprised,

[16:22] I’m constantly being surprised and I’m constantly learning. But I would say,

[16:27] I would say what,

[16:29] what surprises me and continues to surprise me is just how wonderful it is to work with,

[16:35] with clients.

[16:36] I feel like it’s a service where if you do it right,

[16:43] clients are so grateful because they see the impact on their finances and their family and their happiness.

[16:50] I mean I’m always just so touched when I get a card from a client or when they send me an email. Thank you so much. And you know, I just,

[17:03] I’m just constantly surprised by how much of an impact financial planning can make on individuals lives.

[17:14] And I didn’t know that.

[17:17] I thought that it would be more where I guess transactional.

[17:23] I thought when I first started I didn’t know how deeply you would get involved in the clients lives and,

[17:31] and.

[17:31] Tara Bansal: How deep a relationship you have with your clients.

[17:34] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. So that,

[17:36] that surprised me. And then another thing that continues to surprise me is that it’s constant learning.

[17:43] Constant learning. I.

[17:45] Every year there’s something new to learn and then even the things you did learn, they change.

[17:51] And so, you know, that’s why continuing education is so important because you know, things change. So I’m always, even if I’m like really, really sure about something, I still look it up because things change.

[18:03] Yeah,

[18:04] laws change,

[18:05] laws change,

[18:08] strategies change.

[18:11] Yeah, yeah. It’s a constant changing industry and I think it constantly challenges you to grow and to be better because you run into situations where you think,

[18:32] oh gosh,

[18:34] how could I have handled that better? Or how could that have gone better?

[18:37] And you realize, okay, I need to learn this, I need to do this. And so it’s like a constant self improvement project.

[18:45] Constant. You’re never done.

[18:48] You are never ever done.

[18:49] Like my website, I thought, okay, back in 2014, I thought, okay, great, I’ve got my website done. I’m done with that. Check the box. No, every year I’m changing that website.

[18:59] Tara Bansal: Updating it and updating it.

[19:01] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[19:04] Tara Bansal: What. What are some of your favorite parts of being a financial planner?

[19:11] Angela Dorsey: I just love when a client calls me and includes me in a discussion or a situation that’s happening with the family,

[19:22] and they do it on their own.

[19:25] I feel really honored that. Oh, gosh. And I tell them, well, please call me if something comes up that I need to know. And when they actually do it,

[19:34] I’m just so surprised and happy. So it helps me understand or feel confident that they see the value and they want my input and they want me to be involved.

[19:52] Not every client.

[19:53] Every client’s different.

[19:55] Some clients are more private, and they feel like, okay, we’ve got this, but we’ll let you know if something comes up.

[19:59] But for those clients, especially women,

[20:04] when they call, because they may not have someone, a partner to bounce things off of.

[20:11] And so when they call me, I just feel really flattered.

[20:15] Tara Bansal: Yeah. What. What do you hate the most? Or what do you dislike and not enjoy? Oh, being a financial planner.

[20:25] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh. Oh, that’s a good question. What do I dislike? It can be stressful.

[20:31] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[20:32] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. You know, I can’t deny it. This is a wonderful field, but it can be very. It can be stressful.

[20:40] Tara Bansal: And where does the stress come from for you?

[20:42] Angela Dorsey: Well,

[20:43] I think just this past past couple of months,

[20:48] you know, with the volatility,

[20:53] and I know, you know, as a planner that,

[20:56] you know, long term, the market adjusts and recovers and then it goes up.

[21:02] But to be there, be that rock, you know, for the clients,

[21:08] to assure them that we’re taking the right steps during this time, that things will get better,

[21:19] you know, just assuring them that everything will be okay.

[21:28] Sometimes that can be stressful,

[21:30] you know, depending on the situation.

[21:33] You know, that. So that. That part,

[21:35] you know, can be.

[21:38] And so that’s why it’s really important,

[21:40] you know, to have that balance, to have the self care to just take some time off to recharge the battery. Because it can be.

[21:48] It can be emotionally,

[21:50] it can wear on you because.

[21:52] Tara Bansal: Draining.

[21:52] Angela Dorsey: Draining because you’re. You’re working with clients and you.

[21:57] They’ve worked very hard for their money, their life savings,

[22:02] and they’re looking to you to say, angela, will I be okay?

[22:06] Angela, should we sell?

[22:08] You know, Angela, should we,

[22:11] you know,

[22:12] do this or do that? And so being that, you know,

[22:16] voice of Wisdom,

[22:17] you know, it’s great. But I tell you, sometimes, yeah, it could be.

[22:22] It can be stressful.

[22:23] Tara Bansal: Yeah. Because they’re bringing a lot of emotions to it. And you have to,

[22:28] as you said, take that on and be one, give the space, but two, give the reassurance and hopefully be the grounding, calming force.

[22:41] But you still have to take on that emotion.

[22:44] Angela Dorsey: Yes.

[22:44] Tara Bansal: A lot of emotions around money, right?

[22:46] Angela Dorsey: Yes, yes, money. You know what, that’s probably another thing. If I can go back to your other question. That’s another thing that surprised me.

[22:53] How emotional money is, how emotional the topic of money and how,

[22:59] you know, our behaviors are tied to,

[23:04] you know, money, money personalities and,

[23:07] and how,

[23:10] you know, the. Just the. Just the whole emotional part I was not aware of. And then for couples, sometimes I’m a therapist too,

[23:19] you know,

[23:20] when one couple, one.

[23:21] One person wants to do this, the other wants to do that. And then I’m trying to, like, coordinate, you know, and then I want to do this.

[23:30] So sometimes it could be a little tricky. So again, it’s that continuous improvement project. Well, how do you navigate a conversation with a couple and they have differing values?

[23:44] You know, it’s, it’s really. It could be a challenge.

[23:48] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I agree. What are your biggest values and how do they show up in your work?

[23:56] Angela Dorsey: Yes,

[23:57] my biggest value is integrity.

[24:01] And I am just so transparent.

[24:06] And my motto is no surprises. I don’t want any surprises. So I always try to over communicate and have.

[24:16] Operate with integrity with everything that I do. That’s just who I am.

[24:21] And I treat people the way I would want to be treated.

[24:25] And I feel that that comes across and it also shapes who I bring on as a client. You know, I have a prospect process where we really get to know each other before we say, yes, we’re going to work together.

[24:41] Because I also want to get to know them, you know,

[24:44] and, you know, I only want to work with nice people.

[24:48] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[24:49] Angela Dorsey: Like myself. You know, I don’t like a lot of drama. I don’t like,

[24:54] you know, manipulation or there’s really no need for all that.

[24:58] Yes. So that’s, I would say integrity, honesty,

[25:02] and communication,

[25:04] you know, that’s.

[25:06] Those things are very, very important, I think, in daily life and especially in a financial planning relationship, because your clients, they have to trust you.

[25:15] They’re trusting you with their money and their family’s future. And so that trust has to be there. And trust isn’t something that you just give out. You have to earn it.

[25:27] And I found that to earn trust,

[25:30] I Do what I say I’m going to do.

[25:34] And I try to mend my surprise. Sometimes things do happen and I have to call a client. You know what?

[25:39] This is what happened and this is how I’m going to fix it.

[25:42] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[25:43] Angela Dorsey: So I think just having that motto really helps.

[25:48] Tara Bansal: Very nice.

[25:51] Are you willing to share your prospecting process? I’d love to hear what you do in order to make sure you’re a good fit before you move forward.

[26:01] Angela Dorsey: Yes, absolutely, absolutely. The first step is an introductory call.

[26:06] And that’s typically 20 to 30 minutes.

[26:09] And we talk at a very high level what it is that the person is looking for. And I do very little talking in that meeting.

[26:18] And I start the call off. The purpose of this call is really to determine if we’re a possible fit. And if not, I’m willing to refer you to someone else.

[26:27] So I let them know right off that I’m not desperate, I’m not going to pressure you. This is really just to see if we’re possibly a good fit.

[26:35] And then if after that call we are,

[26:38] then we move on to a second meeting. I call it our get acquainted meeting. And that’s typically a zoom meeting or an in person meeting where we talk more in depth about what it is they’re looking for.

[26:50] And then I talk more about the services that I provide.

[26:55] And I’m getting a sense for their personality,

[26:58] you know, and they’re getting a sense for my personality.

[27:01] And then after that meeting, I collect more documents and then I put together a financial plan summary, like a proposal of. Okay. Based on our conversation and based on the documents that they may have given me, they may have given me their investment statements, they may have given me their tax return.

[27:18] I do some analysis to see how I can add value.

[27:22] And I put a lot of work. I put a lot of work even before a client,

[27:26] you know, signs the papers and pays me a penny.

[27:30] And so I put together a proposal of what it is that we would cover together, what the fee would be.

[27:36] And I asked them and I presented. So this is our third meeting. I present this one page. Well, usually it’s two, two or three pages,

[27:44] document. And then I asked them to.

[27:48] No rush. You know, why don’t you sleep on it, think about it and then let me know.

[27:53] Know what you think, like in the next week,

[27:56] a couple of days or a week.

[27:57] And so during that process, they really got a sense for my personality, how I work, what we’ll work on. And then I,

[28:05] I’m. I’ve gotten a sense for Their personality,

[28:09] how prompt were they in providing me the information?

[28:13] How open were they? If they’re very secretive? Well, I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that. That’s a red flag because you have to. If you don’t trust me enough to give me your investment statement at this point, you know, we’re going to have a hard time because you’re going to have to trust me.

[28:29] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[28:30] Angela Dorsey: And so after that point, then after we’ve created a summary of what it is we would work on together and it resonates with them, then we.

[28:46] We sign up. By the time if someone has made it to the third step, there’s a 90% chance that they’re going to sign on.

[28:55] Tara Bansal: And you only do that third step if you want to work with them.

[28:58] Angela Dorsey: Yeah.

[28:59] Tara Bansal: Is that true?

[29:00] Angela Dorsey: Absolutely.

[29:01] Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve been doing this now since 2014.

[29:04] I can pretty much tell if someone is not a fit at the intro call. I’ve learned.

[29:09] I’ve learned to,

[29:12] you know, direct them to a better resource.

[29:15] If after 20, 30 minutes I just get a weird feeling that something’s not right here, or I may not be the right person, just technically, you know, I’m not an expert in everything and I may not be the right advisor for them.

[29:29] And as a fiduciary,

[29:31] I really must forward them on to someone, refer them to someone who’s a better advisor for them.

[29:40] Tara Bansal: Do you have a list of names or how.

[29:43] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I do. I have a list of names.

[29:47] And sometimes if someone contacts me and from their issue,

[29:53] I can just tell that they really just need an hour or two with an advisor just to point them in the right direction to get them going,

[30:03] and that’s their next best step. You don’t want someone to get overwhelmed. You know, you can easily tell them, oh, These are the 10 things you must do. If they just know what their next best step is, you’ve helped them immensely so many times.

[30:15] Many times, because I get a lot of people contacting me many times. I’ll just give them guidance in terms of, you know what?

[30:23] How about this?

[30:25] You know, if you do this, this is. This would be your next best step. And they just do that for free.

[30:29] Just point them in the right direction and then that can help them.

[30:35] Or maybe that first, I don’t do hourly appointments anymore,

[30:39] but maybe just sitting down for one, one or two hours with a family planner would get them on the right track.

[30:46] Especially when they’re young. You know, when they’re really young, one little Change can just put them on the right path for the rest of their life.

[30:54] Tara Bansal: Yeah. Can change the trajectory. And it’s those little things that can make a difference. I agree. How did you decide to focus on women with your practice?

[31:05] Angela Dorsey: Oh, yes.

[31:07] Okay, well, now, that’s an interesting question.

[31:10] When I first started my practice, I was the only financial planner for everyone. You know, I thought, wow, I am so special.

[31:18] The only financial planner for everyone.

[31:20] And so I was getting clients here and there.

[31:23] But then I found out,

[31:25] I, I, I, I felt that, you know, I really, really enjoy working with the women, you know,

[31:31] especially women who are around my age.

[31:34] You know, it’s just more fun. We can talk about finance, but then we can also talk about other things, you know, women things. And, you know, it just made it all more fun and relatable.

[31:43] You know, I felt like I could relate to their, their challenges of raising a family and having a career and doing this and doing that, and,

[31:52] and so,

[31:54] wow. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just focus on women?

[31:57] And then one day,

[31:59] I went to a Financial Planning association meeting in Los Angeles,

[32:05] and I met Kathy Curtis.

[32:08] Kathy Curtis.

[32:09] Tara Bansal: She is who I want to have on the show.

[32:10] Angela Dorsey: Oh, yes, I love Kathy Curtis.

[32:15] She has her firm in Oakland, and she also focuses on women. And I had been tracking her. I still remember I would be in my cubicle, my little cubicle there in Corporate American and reading about Kathy Curtis and saying, one day I’m going to be like Kathy Curtis.

[32:31] Tara Bansal: And here you are.

[32:32] Angela Dorsey: And so when I heard she was presenting at the FPA meeting, I was so excited. I mean, she was like a superstar. I’m like, oh, my gosh, it’s going to be Kathy Curtis.

[32:42] And so she spoke about her practice and how she has several niches targeting women.

[32:50] And so then afterwards,

[32:51] I still remember, I walked up to her and I said, oh, hi, Kathy. My name’s Angela Dorsey. I said, I have been following you for so long. You’re like a mentor to me.

[32:58] And she’s like, really? Because she was very humble.

[33:02] And I said, oh, gosh, you know, I would love to just focus on women.

[33:06] You know, that just seemed like such a rewarding niche to have, you know, not that women are a niche, but.

[33:12] Tara Bansal: Um, I think in a way they are like, you, you can narrow down more. But it’s definitely.

[33:18] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, it is. I thought of it as a niche. So it was a niche.

[33:21] And, and then she said, well, then just do it.

[33:24] And I said, really mean, just do it. She’s like, she said, yeah, you know, just,

[33:28] you know, with your website, if you’re, if you don’t want to just jump in, just take a. One little tab on your website, one page, and just say, for women only.

[33:36] And you know, just talk about, you know, the challenges that women have. We live longer,

[33:41] we tend to earn less, we’re more conservative investors, you know, all the things that we do as women, you know, just talk about that and say that you have financial planning for women.

[33:50] And I said, okay. And so I immediately went home and did that. You know, I’m just, I’m a doer, you know, so I immediately.

[33:55] Tara Bansal: Are a doer.

[33:55] Angela Dorsey: Yeah,

[33:57] yeah. So I immediately went home and put up that page. And I tell you, I’m kind of a geek too. Maybe it’s my computer science background. But then I looked at my Google Analytics and found that that one page was getting a lot of hits, you know.

[34:13] Yeah,

[34:14] it was getting a lot of hits.

[34:16] And so I think about a month later I said, you know what, I’m just gonna jump in.

[34:23] And I made that one page my homepage.

[34:26] Financial planning for Women. I still remember it showed like multi generational women. It showed a grandmother, a mother and a little girl.

[34:33] And they were at the beach. I love the beach. So I’ve got to have the beach in there somewhere.

[34:38] And I thought, oh, boy. And then the blue, you know, had a blue background. It was a very pretty website.

[34:44] And so I put it up and I just held my breath. And do you know that the first three prospects that contacted me after that were men?

[34:56] One was looking for a financial planner for his wife because he wanted his wife to be more engaged in the family’s finances.

[35:03] One was a.

[35:07] Oh, oh. One was a trustee,

[35:11] and he wanted his sister to be more involved, and one was for his mother.

[35:18] And I really didn’t expect that. I had to actually go back to my website to look at my website to make sure I actually did publish the right thing.

[35:25] It does say financial planning for women, right?

[35:28] Tara Bansal: That’s very funny.

[35:29] Angela Dorsey: But it was, it’s been great. And I’ve never looked back.

[35:31] Tara Bansal: When did you do that? How long ago?

[35:33] Angela Dorsey: That was probably maybe 20. Let’s see, I left at 2014, maybe 2015.

[35:42] Tara Bansal: Okay.

[35:42] Angela Dorsey: So very early, very early,

[35:44] very early. Because I was noticing what was really interesting,

[35:49] I was noticing that a lot of my prospects were women, either single women or married women who were managing the family’s finances.

[36:00] And so a lot of my clients are married and they’re the ones who manage the finances for the family. And so I just,

[36:12] like I say, leaned into that. You know,

[36:15] if that is who I am attracting, then let’s learn more about that group and what it is that they’re looking for,

[36:22] how I can better serve them.

[36:24] And it’s just been great. You know,

[36:27] I love that you just.

[36:28] Tara Bansal: Like, followed what felt most enjoyable and fun to you.

[36:33] Angela Dorsey: Yes. Well, that is what makes it rewarding, you know, to get back to the whole theme of your podcast, you know,

[36:40] her way. And I think there’s. There’s no right way, no wrong way. You have to do it your way in order for it to be authentic to you and rewarding.

[36:52] And I can honestly say that through all the twists and turns, I’ve always just come back to, you know, what’s right for me. There’s so many bright, shiny objects out there of things, you know, you can do as an advisor.

[37:06] And I felt like each time I went back to, well, what’s right for me, what feels right for me. And sometimes, you know, it’s right for the moment, but then that changes.

[37:17] But you can only make a decision on the information that you have at the time and be flexible.

[37:26] Tara Bansal: Very nice. What does your ideal practice look like? What do you imagine? Or what do you want your ideal practice to be?

[37:40] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh,

[37:43] that’s a tough one, because it seems like once you get there, then there’s another goal around the corner.

[37:51] But an ideal practice is to work with clients who really value not just investment management, but comprehensive financial planning. You know, they see the value.

[38:06] They include me in their financial life.

[38:11] Yeah, I am fortunate. I have a great team now. I have an associate financial advisor, Amy, and I have a client service manager, Michelle.

[38:23] And by having the two of them, it helps me to focus more on the things I want to do and give them things that they’re good at and that they want to do.

[38:35] So I feel like I’m finally at a point where I have more balance.

[38:40] I don’t feel I’m not in a state of overwhelm constantly.

[38:45] Tara Bansal: When would you say that changed?

[38:47] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh, maybe about a year ago.

[38:53] Tara Bansal: Well, that’s great, though. And I mean, I feel like that’s where we met at Limitless.

[38:58] And a big focus of Limitless is designing your practice to fit your life. Or have you, you know,

[39:07] not be overwhelmed and not be working all the time.

[39:12] Is there a certain amount of clients you want to have? Have you thought about that?

[39:19] Angela Dorsey: Not really. Not a certain amount. I think for me, again, it’s this feeling your way through.

[39:26] Like, right now, I Feel like I have.

[39:30] I have room,

[39:32] you know, especially now, I feel like I have room. So I feel like I can grow.

[39:35] I feel like I could take on more. Right. Fit clients.

[39:40] And I think it really depends. It depends on the client needs. It depends on,

[39:47] you know, so many things.

[39:48] So I really.

[39:52] I remember when I first started in 2014.

[39:56] Well, actually, I started my practice in 2012,

[39:59] and I worked two years, you know, overlapping, but overlapping. I remember I thought, wow, you know, if I could have 30, 30 clients, oh, man, that would be so great.

[40:09] Well, 30 came and went.

[40:11] And now I’m thinking, huh, you know, I could have a lot more than 30 and 30. You know,

[40:17] 30 especially. They come gradually. They don’t all come together at once.

[40:21] And so gradually, you know, each year a couple of more clients. Couple of more clients. So you gradually. Because onboarding a new client is very labor intensive.

[40:30] Tara Bansal: Yes.

[40:30] Angela Dorsey: And so when they come gradually, it really helps to manage the workflow.

[40:36] So,

[40:37] yeah, I’m not there yet where I can say I’m at capacity. There is room, especially now that I’ve hired an associate financial advisor.

[40:46] There’s room for more. Room for more.

[40:48] Tara Bansal: Good. And I love that you’re just going to feel your way.

[40:52] Angela Dorsey: I am, yeah. Yeah. It seems like the older I get, the more touchy feely I get.

[40:56] Tara Bansal: Yeah, I can relate to that, too.

[40:59] Angela Dorsey: Yeah. Because you learn that there’s no, you.

[41:02] Tara Bansal: Know, there’s black and white. There’s.

[41:04] Angela Dorsey: Yes, there isn’t.

[41:06] And,

[41:07] you know, and there’s so much we don’t know to say, okay, this is how it’s going to be. Then you get there and it’s like, well, not really. It’s something different.

[41:14] So, you know, I’ve stopped trying to predict that.

[41:17] Tara Bansal: Yeah. But some people have this vision in their mind of exactly how they want their practice to be. And I just wondered if you had that.

[41:27] Angela Dorsey: Well, I just know I want to be able to be present with clients,

[41:34] and I wanted to.

[41:37] I don’t want to have so many clients where I wouldn’t recognize them on the street.

[41:43] You know, I want to.

[41:45] I want to have the right number of clients where I feel like I give them the proper attention and serve.

[41:51] Tara Bansal: Them the way you want to serve them and feel good about that. Yeah.

[41:56] What,

[41:57] is there a certain number of hours you want to work a week or how many vacation you want in a year?

[42:06] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I.

[42:09] My husband and I were planning to go to France this. This fall,

[42:16] and so we’re taking three weeks off there.

[42:19] So that’s good.

[42:20] And then in the summer, we usually take time off.

[42:24] I would say I would love,

[42:27] like take like six weeks off.

[42:33] And then my Fridays, I like having my, my Fridays pretty light.

[42:37] I like my Fridays to just be a time of doing light cleanup,

[42:43] working on the business, maybe doing some follow up, but just really kind of having a time for reflection and planning and stepping back a bit.

[42:54] I really try hard not to have meetings on Mondays and Fridays. And even during Surge, I do surge. I do spring surge and fall surge. I pretty much follow the limitless playbook, which has been really helpful to me.

[43:11] So we have client meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

[43:14] On Mondays, it’s team day. You know, I meet with the team members and I do planning for the week. And then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, client meeting Friday. I call it follow up Friday.

[43:30] And if we’re not in search,

[43:32] then my Fridays are working on projects.

[43:36] Like right now we’re not in surge and we’re working on our workflows. We want to beef up our tax planning workflow.

[43:43] We’re,

[43:45] we’re doing webinars. We’re getting ready for our next webinar that’s going to be next week.

[43:50] And so, you know,

[43:52] we’re always busy doing some things, but I really like having more, more tying to just think. And it’s really amazing. I feel like when I’m not thinking, that’s when my best thoughts come.

[44:10] Tara Bansal: And so when does that happen? Like, what are you doing instead of doing something? Like, how, when do you do your best thinking?

[44:20] Angela Dorsey: Well, in the shower.

[44:23] Sometimes I’m in the shower and then a thought, oh, my gosh,

[44:27] you know, I need to do this. So then I’ll immediately write it down or, you know, put into my calendar.

[44:32] And then going for walks. My husband and I, we like to go for walks frequently.

[44:38] The walks are good,

[44:40] you know, just, just relaxing. I think it’s really great. Especially, you know, as I have more people working on the team. It’s, it’s good to refresh the brain so that I can think more clearly about things.

[44:56] Very nice.

[44:58] Tara Bansal: Where are you still growing and evolving?

[45:01] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh. That’s every.

[45:04] Every area. But one thing that we’ve started doing, which has been really fun,

[45:09] we’ve started doing webinars and we had our first webinar last month.

[45:14] And oh my gosh, I tell you, it was,

[45:18] it was rather frightening,

[45:20] to be honest.

[45:22] To be honest,

[45:23] I just had this,

[45:24] this vision because exactly a month before to the day, Zoom had a major outage that no Zoom meetings could occur on that Wednesday at 12 exactly a month before our webinar, Wednesday at 12, I thought, oh, no, what if there’s a zoom outage?

[45:43] Oh, no, what if all the zoom links don’t work? You know, I just.

[45:47] But it went fine. It was very smooth. No, no.

[45:51] Tara Bansal: Who did you invite?

[45:53] Angela Dorsey: Oh, we didn’t invite anyone. Amy and I, we did a webinar on the retirement blueprint, and we talked about challenges that women have, you know, retiring and what they can do about that.

[46:08] And it was really fun.

[46:10] It was really fun. So we’re doing another one. So in terms, to get back to your question, where do I feel like I’m growing? So now I’m learning about webinars.

[46:17] I’m becoming a zoom webinar expert now,

[46:22] which. It’s funny how one thing leads to another, because for a couple of years, I was doing videos on YouTube. So we do have a YouTube channel. I have, like, over 30 videos.

[46:31] So I feel like my experience doing the zoom, doing the Web,

[46:37] doing the YouTube videos, helped me feel more comfortable with the webinars.

[46:42] Tara Bansal: Yeah.

[46:43] Angela Dorsey: Even though it’s a different platform,

[46:47] but just being on camera and being recorded, I feel like I’m way more comfortable with that. Although I still, to this day cannot look at myself on video.

[47:00] Yeah.

[47:00] Tara Bansal: That’s part of why I’m doing a podcast instead of video.

[47:04] Angela Dorsey: I can’t. I can’t do it. Oh, my gosh.

[47:07] Tara Bansal: But how did you get people to come to your webinars?

[47:12] Angela Dorsey: It’s really interesting.

[47:15] We got most of our attendees by sending out emails. Emails to our newsletter list.

[47:23] So we have a newsletter list that we’ve grown for the last couple of years. And so we sent it out mailchimp to our newsletter list, and I emailed all my clients,

[47:36] letting them know, hey, this is what we’re doing. And then if you know of anyone,

[47:40] family, friends who might be interested in the topic. And so we got a couple of attendees through that.

[47:45] And then I also went back and emailed all of my prospects that were kind of just hanging out there. You know, I asked them to join if they would like to.

[47:54] And surprisingly,

[47:56] yeah, we got, like, 30,

[47:58] which.

[47:59] Tara Bansal: Great.

[47:59] Angela Dorsey: My fear.

[48:00] Tara Bansal: That’s phenomenal. Yes. So many people sign up, and then you only have, like, one or two people actually share.

[48:07] Angela Dorsey: Oh, well, no, I meant 30 registered. Whether they show up or not, you know, I. I give them a replay. Yeah. But I would say showed. They say 50%, and exactly 50% actually showed up.

[48:19] And so the rest, I still feel.

[48:20] Tara Bansal: Like that’s good because I.

[48:21] Angela Dorsey: It was very good. Yeah,

[48:22] yeah, it was very good. And so another fear that I had was that no one would show up.

[48:28] So I was happy that some people actually showed up.

[48:31] Tara Bansal: Yeah, it definitely helps having faces and people there too.

[48:34] Angela Dorsey: Yes. Yes.

[48:37] Tara Bansal: What, what would you tell your younger self or someone just starting out in this business?

[48:43] Angela Dorsey: Oh,

[48:45] well, I tell you,

[48:47] I oftentimes think or wish that I had started earlier,

[48:55] but you know, things happen when they’re supposed to happen.

[48:58] I would say for anyone who’s interested to just do it because it’s a wonderful career.

[49:06] However, there’s a lot to learn and it’s some pretty serious stuff. And so I would surround yourself with like minded people. You know, find other women advisor groups to just really support to have that support.

[49:27] You know, you, you, even if you start your own firm, you can’t do it by yourself. You need people around you.

[49:34] So I would just recommend to surround yourself and to reach out.

[49:42] You know, I know when I first started I reached out to women advisors and men advisors, just asking if I could just have a little bit of their time just to learn what they do during the day.

[49:53] And I was so surprised how giving the financial planning community is. People are more than happy to help. And I feel like there’s more than enough clients for everyone.

[50:05] I know some advisors are more competitive than others, but in general,

[50:09] everyone’s very helpful. So, you know, if you see someone who’s doing something that intrigues you, send them an email. See if you could talk to them for 15 minutes,

[50:19] just reach out. I think all of us who have reached a point where we feel,

[50:23] you know,

[50:24] pretty successful, we’ve gotten there because many people have helped us and we want to return the favor and help others.

[50:32] So just encourage others to reach out and get that support that you need because you can’t do it yourself.

[50:38] Tara Bansal: Very good. What does success mean for you today?

[50:43] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh.

[50:45] Success to me means happiness and peace of mind.

[50:50] If I can go about my workday feeling happiness and peace of mind, then I am successful.

[50:58] Because on the flip side, I have met other advisors who have a business twice as large as mine and they,

[51:06] you know, they’re struggling with some things and I would not want to be in their shoes.

[51:13] So at the end of the day, we have to figure out what that looks like for us.

[51:17] You know, you can’t compare your aum.

[51:19] Yes. You can’t compare your aum to this person’s aum or how many people are on their staff. You know, you can’t do that. That’s the wrong measurement. You have to measure.

[51:31] How do you feel? Are you happy?

[51:33] Do you feel that you are on track? Do you feel peace of mind?

[51:38] And if you do, then you’re successful. And success is,

[51:43] you know, it’s progressive.

[51:44] It’s not like, okay, I’m successful here. You know, it’s like a progressive realization of, of your worthy goals. And so,

[51:53] you know, it’s a journey, it’s not a destination. And if you are enjoying the journey,

[51:58] then you are successful. And I am just loving this journey. It’s just been fantastic.

[52:02] Tara Bansal: I love it. Yeah.

[52:04] All right, we are pretty much out of time.

[52:07] Couple quick questions. Do you have a favorite book or podcast that you’ve read or recently listened to?

[52:16] Angela Dorsey: Oh, my gosh.

[52:17] Tara Bansal: Recommend.

[52:18] Angela Dorsey: I love to read.

[52:20] So.

[52:20] Wow.

[52:21] It’s.

[52:23] Oh, man, I love. Gosh, there’s so many books.

[52:28] I love Essentialism.

[52:31] That’s a very good book.

[52:32] Gosh,

[52:34] I have so many books on my nightstand that I just love.

[52:38] I’d say that one because I think it’s at the core of what makes someone successful. You know, focusing your time,

[52:46] focusing your energy, focusing,

[52:48] being intentional.

[52:50] I think that that’s the foundation of wherever you want to go. You have to have those principles in place. I would say that book.

[52:56] Tara Bansal: Great.

[52:57] Angela Dorsey: And then a podcast, aside from yours, Gosh, there’s so many interesting podcasts.

[53:09] Tara Bansal: You don’t have a favorite one?

[53:11] Angela Dorsey: No, no one doesn’t pop up. Then that’s fine. I just wondered. Yeah, I’m more of a reader than a listener.

[53:19] Tara Bansal: Yeah. I didn’t know that about you.

[53:22] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, I love to read. I’m very visual and so I love to read and I love the paper books. I’m not a Kindle person. I love the paper. I love going on Amazon and ordering a real book, you know, and then having it, you know, arrive.

[53:35] And I’m just so excited to,

[53:36] you.

[53:36] Tara Bansal: Know, have it and go through it and.

[53:38] Angela Dorsey: Yeah, yeah.

[53:40] Tara Bansal: What’s your best self care ritual?

[53:45] Angela Dorsey: Um,

[53:48] let’s see. My best self care ritual on Sunday mornings, I.

[53:56] I sit and I reflect on my life and I just enjoy the peace. There’s something about Sunday mornings. There’s just such a peacefulness and silence that I feel and I just use that time to.

[54:13] To be grateful for what I have and also to see what areas of my life that I want to improve. And that’s not just business, but relationship, health,

[54:27] all those areas.

[54:28] So it’s a time of reflection for me. And then I also go to the spa once a month. I do that. That’s really fun too. Yeah.

[54:37] Tara Bansal: When you. Your Sunday morning, is it a certain time period, do you journal or write anything, or is it just thinking?

[54:47] Angela Dorsey: Yes, I do journal.

[54:49] I’m a big. I love to journal.

[54:52] And I would say it depends. Sometimes I have a lot to write,

[54:59] but sometimes it’s just a quick little note. Just a quick little something comes to mind. Just a little quote comes to mind, and I just jot it down.

[55:07] But other times, it’s something. You know what? I really need to focus on something here, and it could be a couple of hours that I work on that, but I feel like my Sundays, that’s a time where I step back or my life and really just look at the big picture and see,

[55:21] you know, how. How I’m feeling again. That feeling thing. How. How I’m feeling about things, or if.

[55:27] Tara Bansal: I love that you do it so regularly and it’s part of your schedule.

[55:32] Angela Dorsey: Yeah,

[55:33] Yeah. I think you. You have to.

[55:36] And I find that the more I tune into it, the more I get out of it.

[55:43] You know, it’s like,

[55:45] if you pay attention to it, you realize that there’s, like, this guidance there.

[55:50] Tara Bansal: There’s more information there. If you pay attention to it.

[55:53] Angela Dorsey: If you pay attention to it.

[55:55] Tara Bansal: Very nice. All right, last thing. One thing that brings you joy right now.

[56:01] Angela Dorsey: Oh, gosh.

[56:03] Brings me joy.

[56:07] My husband and I, we have two adult children,

[56:11] and when they text me, when they call me, that just makes me really happy because I know they really didn’t have to. They don’t. They don’t live with us anymore.

[56:19] They’re living their own independent adult life. You launched,

[56:22] they launched.

[56:24] They have launched, and they’re both very successful. And so when they reach out just with any little something,

[56:31] it just helps me to know they’re still thinking of me, and it just makes me feel good.

[56:38] Tara Bansal: Very nice. I have loved this. I know I. I know I can talk to you forever based on experience,

[56:45] but thank you for taking the time.

[56:47] There are so many gems in here of wisdom that.

[56:51] Angela Dorsey: Oh, well, thank you, Tara, for inviting me. You know, I just enjoyed our conversation,

[56:59] and,

[57:00] you know, I just really appreciate you thinking of me to be a guest on your podcast. So I really enjoyed this. Thank you.

[57:07] Tara Bansal: You’re welcome. Just thrilled to have you.

[57:11] Tara Bansal: I loved this conversation with Angela, and I hope you did, too.

[57:15] The big takeaway that really stayed with me, especially the more I sat with it,

[57:20] was how consistently she listened to herself.

[57:24] From the image of a young Angela sitting on her bed, flipping through Money magazine to the quiet knowing that kept resurfacing through her corporate career to the courageous leap she made into financial planning.

[57:37] Angela’s story is a powerful reminder that our clearest direction often comes from within.

[57:44] That quiet inner voice may feel scary to follow,

[57:48] but more often than not, it’s right.

[57:51] What inspires me most is how intentionally she’s built her life and her practice one thoughtful, strategic step after at a time.

[58:01] Even now, with a thriving firm and a team she loves, she continues to make space for reflection.

[58:08] Every Sunday morning she checks in with herself,

[58:11] asking what feels aligned, what doesn’t, and where she wants to go next.

[58:16] That kind of self honoring practice is such a beautiful example of growth,

[58:22] integrity and conscious leadership.

[58:25] Angela doesn’t just do for the sake of doing,

[58:29] she takes action that’s rooted in clarity, presence and purpose.

[58:34] And that’s what stood out to me the most.

[58:37] None of our journeys are ever really finished.

[58:40] We’re all evolving,

[58:41] learning and becoming.

[58:43] But when we stay true to who we are and what we want,

[58:47] we find our way.

[58:48] That theme of just listening to yourself,

[58:52] being your authentic self, and creating your vision,

[58:56] your version of success runs through this podcast and Angela brought it to life so naturally and powerfully.

[59:05] Thank you for listening and I hope you’ll join me again next time.

[59:10] Thank you for listening to her life, her practice, her way.

[59:14] A podcast for and about Female Financial advisors.

[59:19] I truly hope you found something valuable and encouraging in today’s episode. If you did, I’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

[59:31] It helps other phenomenal women in our field find this space.

[59:36] And if you know another advisor who would benefit from these conversations or from the kind of support I offer through coaching,

[59:44] please send this episode to her.

[59:47] If you’re curious about working with me as your coach or interested in being on the podcast, I’d love to hear from you.

[59:54] You can find more details and reach out to me on the contact page of my website,

[01:00:00] herlifeherpracticeherway.com no spaces, no underlines, just the words straight in a row.

[01:00:10] Until next time, Keep building a life and practice you truly love.

Angela’s Firm – Dorsey Wealth Management: https://dorseywealth.com/

Angela’s Newsletter: https://dorseywealth.com/newsletter

Angela’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClcv4jfZfZy2Eb1671tPwQ

Book Angela Recommended: Essentialism by Greg McKeown – https://gregmckeown.com/books/essentialism/

Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) – https://www.acplanners.org/home

Steph Bogan’s Limitless Adviser Coaching – https://limitlessfa.life/

Angela Dorsey, CFP®, MBA

Angela Dorsey, Founder of Dorsey Wealth Management, is a fee-only financial planner specializing in Wealth Management and Retirement Planning for Women and Couples.

Angela has a certificate in Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning, an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and a B.S. in Computer Science from Loyola Marymount University.

Angela is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a Registered Investment Advisor. She is a member of NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors), the Los Angeles Chapter of the Financial Planning Association and the South Bay Estate Planning Council.

Angela created Dorsey Wealth Management because she had a lifelong passion for financial planning. She enjoyed helping others better understand and organize their finances, then put a plan in place to achieve financial goals.

While helping her friends, who were smart and successful professional women, she noticed many didn’t have the knowledge and confidence to manage their personal finances well. As a result she found that many of them felt embarrassed and ashamed about their finances, while promising themselves to get their finances in order “someday”.  From this experience, she saw the need for financial planning for Women.

After more than 20 years in Corporate America, she followed her dream of starting her own financial planning firm. Her clients are primarily single and married women who want to better manage their finances or take the lead in managing their household’s finances. They sought her help because they wanted someone they can trust and who listened carefully, offered unbiased information, advice and guidance.

As a fee-only financial planner, she does not receive commissions to recommend any stock, bond or mutual fund. She only recommends what is best for her clients based on their life goals, risk tolerance, personal and financial situation.

Comprehensive financial planning is a process, not an event. It focuses on client’s goals, then integrates all areas of their financial life, recognizes how their beliefs and attitudes impact financial decisions and makes adjustments as circumstances change.

Angela lives in Torrance California with her husband and enjoys spending a peaceful day at the beach or surrounded by nature. She is a self-proclaimed Foodie and is a regular supporter of Best Friends and spcaLA.

Angela’s website: https://dorseywealth.com/

Angela’s Newsletter: https://dorseywealth.com/newsletter

Angela’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCClcv4jfZfZy2Eb1671tPwQ