About this episode
In a new episode of Head to Head, Jackie Larson (Senior Vice President of the Westside Group at RBC Wealth Management) joins Co-Heads of Distribution Kirsten Pickens and Ryan Robertson to discuss how to find your client’s “money language,” the way she works to empower a new generation of women in financial services and how she built an impressive career on kindness and compassion.
About Jackie Larson
Jackie has been working with clients in the investment industry since 1992. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota then worked for Dean Witter and American Express prior to joining RBC Wealth Management in 1997. Jackie has her Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Wealth Manager (AWM) designations. She has been repeatedly recognized by Minneapolis Saint Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business as a recipient of the FIVE STAR Wealth Manager award.
Transcript excerpt:
Ryan Robertson: Hi Jackie. Thank you so much for being here. Welcome to Head to Head.
Jackie Larson: Well, thank you for having me, Ryan. I’m excited to be here today.
Ryan Robertson: So I thought we would start with just what led you to financial services. What do you love about this business?
Jackie Larson: Well, that’s an interesting story. I had no intention of becoming a financial advisor or even going into finance. We had a family friend that lived across the street from my best friend growing up and I was going to be an occupational therapist. So I knew very young, I wanted to help people. And so, as I was waiting to get into occupational therapy school, my parents were, of course, were at a cocktail party talking about my future and this family friend was asking what I was doing.
And my Dad said that I was going to be an occupational therapist. And this gentleman very assertively said, I think she needs to go and visit with somebody up in the Twin Cities about becoming a financial advisor. I think she would be great for the career. And I do believe my Dad‘s comment was the only thing she knows about money is how to spend it.
But, I had done a little bit of volunteer work at, as an occupational therapist, at the Emma’s Achievement Center and also at the children’s burn unit at a hospital in Minneapolis. And I very quickly realized that even though I wanted to help people, I wasn’t really able to change the outcome.
So, I realized it was a little hard on my heartstrings. And so I thought, well, what the heck? I’ll go visit. And I met a lady by the name of Audrey Casello, who was at Morgan Stanley at the time, Dean Witter. And she was amazing. And I thought, you know what? I’m going to give this a whirl. And so…
Ryan Robertson: And can I go back? So at the cocktail party, I’m just curious, that gentleman who said that to your father, what did he see in you that made him say that? What was it that made him go, she should go talk to so and so?
Jackie Larson: It was my personality. He said, she loves people. She’s a good listener. She’s a good talker. But I think it was just that I had always seen him bopping around my friend’s yard and we’d go over and they had a swimming pool. So we’d go into their swimming pool. And even just at family events. So I think that’s what he saw.
He was also in the business. He was a Branch Director at the time, in Rochester, Minnesota. And I think it was just the personality.
Kirsten Pickens: That’s awesome. We can see that. I mean, as soon as you walked in the room, that smile lit up the whole room. So I think relationships and engaging right off the bat is so much of this business, don’t you think?
Jackie Larson: Oh, a hundred percent. So, then I fast forward, I started as a Client Associate. I started and literally my Dad wasn’t totally wrong when he said I just knew about money and how to spend it. So, I mean, I did a lot of studying. I got my Series 7 right away and got all the licensing, but then very quickly realized that I kind of wanted to be more in a client-facing role.
I did do a little bit of a pivot from a Client Associate because I realized I wanted a little bit more; and I went to American Express at the time and I was working in their trading unit. And that was a call center and I was really good on the phones. I mean, it was just like you were picking up the phone and talking and supporting the advisors and that was great. But what I quickly realized there is I was missing the client interaction.
