Securian Financial Group hired Laura Vaughn right out of college. After her first full year as a financial advisor, Vaughn set a production record, earning her the title of Diamond New Advisor of the Year – the first woman to receive the honor.
"My goal for 2011 was simply to win the race," Vaughn said. "I knew that if I hit a certain level of production I would be in the running for Diamond New Advisor."
Data from LIMRA show that 22 percent of financial advisors in 2010 were women. Vaughn doesn't understand why that percentage is so low. She contends that the defining characteristics of successful advisors have nothing to do with gender.
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"I would look for someone who wants to help people and has no family business or other fallback options. It makes you work harder and better able to get through the tougher days," she said. "It's easy to quit if you have a fallback option.
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