“Social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to spread the message. We are working to develop a detailed content strategy that leverages AI,” says Lindsey Lewis, MBA, ChFC®, CFP®, and a Finance Industry Expert currently working for a non-profit, The American College of Financial Services. She is a multifaceted businesswoman who also co-founded Queen Quotient Co., where she and co-founder Corey Beal hope to motivate and educate the next generation of girls through children’s books. Another passion project is the media brand Influencing Finance, which encourages women, diverse women, and diverse candidates to participate and become knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the world of finance. These passion projects of hers are in the infancy stage but have the potential to make great reformations with time. “I am taking each project and building a phased approach that will launch at varying times in the near future,” shares Lindsey.
Inspired by Sallie Krawcheck, a commendable revolutionist who has transformed finance for women, Lindsey created a whole platform created by women for women with the intention of making a difference. She personifies this narrative with the work she does at The College, to create “applied financial knowledge for the benefit of society,” which has played a significant role in laying the groundwork for the enterprise’s contribution to society.
Educating Women and Dispelling Gender Myths
Lindsey grew up in a household with six brothers and no sisters; as her parents dispelled gender myths, she was expected to complete any task her brothers were asked. Growing up in a highly religious, homogeneous community, she observed that few of the many women were generating income outside the home. Her household was what some may consider an anomaly at the time, as her mother was the breadwinner from her late childhood through adulthood. She used examples to show her the value of education and how it might alter their family’s course. “We were not affluent by any means, but because of my mother’s educational choices, we could have food on the table,” says Lindsey. From her experiences and the tenacity, she earned through years of athletics, even competing at the collegiate level, she is determined to educate women and young women about the power that comes with money and making sound financial decisions. As the Director of the American College Center for Women in Financial Services, she dedicates each day to a non-profit that champions the belief of ‘applied financial knowledge for the benefit of society.’ While her other two passion projects, Influencing Finance and Queen Quotient Co., exist to ‘cultivate money curiosity’ and ‘empowering money queens.’
Lindsey highlights that her venture, Influencing Finance, came about from listening to the podcast and watching influencers talk about money without confidence. Approximately two-thirds of articles written for women indicate that they need to spend less and save more, while the majority of articles written for men are about growing and building wealth. The finance industry has been male-dominated and still is, with only 23% of CFP® professionals being women. Lindsey explains these as the reasons why this career is a great way to make a meaningful difference in the world while being adequately compensated.
Educating women comes in a variety of ways with qualified experts who happen to be women. One resource to launch is the Influencing Finance podcast planned for the fall of 2023. This podcast aims to shed light on cultivating money curiosity, which could lead to a prosperous career in finance. An important aspect of launching any project or business is having a pulse on the industry and competition. Podcasts such as Financial Feminist and others compete with Influencing Finance in dispelling myths about money genre. Although the competitors mainly focus on customers, The Influencing Finance podcast will also have a consumer lens through interviews with women, but it will also examine the financial services industry as a whole to inform the listeners about the amazing career opportunities. Her passion project, Queen Quotient Co., was formed due to the lack of money education and empowerment for girls, especially under the age of seven, as girls’ confidence in math peaks at age nine! As the mother of a young daughter, Lindsey is determined to change that for the next generation by educating little girls about money. This project and its founders are committed to changing the money narrative for diverse girls across America. The plan is to have the first book and other products launch in the fall of 2024, where they will empower money queens everywhere. “ Plan on this being the perfect gift for any baby shower or birthday present in the future. “Our team of money experts is dividing our expansive knowledge among the next generation,” gleams Lindsey. Moreover, Queen Quotient Co. plans to have a giving-back component to their business; for every 10 books that are purchased, the company will donate one book to underprivileged schools.
"As an advocate for empowering others interested in learning more about the financial industry, my goal is to transform the status quo by being a CATALYST for change."
Maintaining a Pulse on the Industry
Lindsey enjoys keeping up with current business trends. She starts her day by reading the “Morning Brew” newsletter with bite-sized stories. Currently, she has subscribed to TDLR for all the trends in AI and crypto. She is obsessed with Nicole Casperson’s content in the ‘Fintech is Femme’ newsletter. “Beyond listening to industry podcasts, I attend events to stay informed regarding trends,” she adds. To keep her enlightened, she sets out to read a book a month. The topics will vary based on where she is with her personal development, business ideas, and social awareness. In addition to that, she is proud of being a mother. She devotes time to wellness, as it is imperative to have a happy mind, body, and soul. She used to be a collegiate pole vaulter and still enjoys weightlifting.
Cultivating Meaningful Careers to Close the Wealth Gap
As the Co-Chair of the Next Gen Advisory Task Force at the American College, she advocates finding a role as a financial service professional because the industry is very appealing. The reasons are that there will be $70 trillion in wealth transition in the next few decades, there are not enough qualified candidates to replace the 10,000 financial professionals retiring each year, and the next generation of clients will have different requests for their advisors as the United States will become a minority-majority country by 2050. These three reasons and numerous others indicate that a career in finance, particularly for women, diverse women, and diverse candidates, is one of the finest places to be in the near future.
Her role at the American College includes a number of intriguing initiatives aimed at increasing career transparency for finance professionals. Each of her passion projects helps women take charge of their careers, finances, and money narratives. Her goal is to inspire the next generation of women to have empowered money conversations, instill money curiosity, and build a community that serves as a catalyst for change. “As an advocate for empowering others interested in learning more about the financial industry, my goal is to transform the status quo by being a CATALYST for change,” says Lindsey.
To summarize, Lindsey wishes to foster an appreciation of the value of her efforts for the community. Despite working full-time at the American College of Financial Services, she has worked towards her goals and assures that she and her team will meet the standards they have set for themselves. “The end game of all this work and passion is to close the investing wealth gap, especially for women,” says Lindsey.
For more information, visit https://influencingfinance.io/.
