Books

At long last, a book exclusively celebrating successful women. Above and Beyond the Glass Ceiling profiles professional women who range in age from twentysomething to octogenarian. Their stories, as told in their own words, are inspirational, thought provoking and entertaining.

Our very own Susan L Combs is featured as one of the 25 women who share their compelling stories of shattering the barriers to their ascension in the world of business in Above & Beyond the Glass Ceiling.

Does someone else define and measure success for you, instead of you deciding what gives your life purpose?

Can you imagine being a highly valued part of an industry that lets you use the skills and attributes that come naturally to you as a woman to earn an exceptional living and spend ample time with your family–all by helping others find more security and greater peace of mind for theirs?

Chronicling her experiences in two decades as a financial advisor and owner of McNeely Financial Services, in Spencer, Wisconsin, Juli McNeely is the only female past president of the prestigious 126-year-old NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Investors) organization, a position to which she was elected in 2014. Written in her candid, incisive, no-holds-barred style, No Necktie Needed: A Woman’s Guide to Success in Financial Services makes the industry accessible to women in search of a strong work-life balance and who seek to define and measure success by their own standards.

If the thought of vacationing with your parents makes you cringe, fear no more! Help is here!

Planes, Canes, and Automobiles: Connecting with Your Aging Parents through Travel is a gold mine of practical advice, funny anecdotes, and tales of triumphs and travails from Val Grubb, who has traveled more than 300,000 miles (and counting!) with her 84-year old mother over the past twenty years.

WIFS surveyed 800 industry females to answer the question: Why do some women achieve major success in the financial services industry and others do not? The results were compiled, analyzed and serve as the basis for the book, Financial Services: Women at the Top — A WIFS Research Study.

Offering keen insights, the book highlights 23 successful, dynamic women in the industry. Each one shares openly about what attracted them to the business, how they developed their practices, what they learned along the way and how they have created a life that blends family, community service and a fulfilling career.

In any business, your sales team should mirror your marketplace. But in the financial services industry, only 25.7 percent of financial advisors are women, despite the fact that 70 percent of women seeking advisors say they would prefer to work with a woman. Most firms and agencies are missing significant opportunities to serve female clients and increase revenue.

In Women Matter, three women who rose to the top of the insurance and financial services industry share their insight about the why and the how of gender diversity: why gender diversity is critical to the bottom line, why the industry is lagging behind, and how field leaders can recruit and support qualified women.