Welcome to WomenShare, a celebration of women in financial services. In this episode, hosts Leah Alter and Joanna Ehresman are joined by Amy Young—a transformative speaker, intuitive, and coach who specializes in guiding women to reclaim their power and lead from their intuition. Amy is the creator of Invincible, a rite-of-passage experience for women ready to step into their most authentic selves.

This episode explores how the divine feminine—a concept rooted in embracing intuition, being, and authentic emotional expression—can bring profound change to industries often dominated by conventionally “masculine” models of success. Amy’s personal journey dovetails with the experiences of many women in financial services who find themselves out of step with traditional industry norms and in search of a more aligned, fulfilling leadership style.

Leah and Joanna connect the dots between Amy’s teachings and the realities of life in financial services. Citing industry research and personal stories, they discuss how many women have started their own advisory firms after feeling out of place at larger institutions. Amy illuminates this "forced entrepreneurship" as a natural creative response, rooted in feminine energy’s urge to build something more aligned.

Throughout the episode, Amy shares her own awakening—moving from experiencing burnout as a business owner, to discovering the importance of slowing down, listening to her inner knowing, and allowing her feminine energy to guide decision-making. She describes the challenges and rewards of reorienting her life and work around these values—including navigating the fear of change, being okay with messiness, and modeling transparent leadership for others.

Embracing Divine Feminine in Finance: Amy explains how embracing the feminine principles of being, feeling, and creation can help women navigate industries that prioritize action, achievement, and logic. Recognizing and honoring these energies brings a sense of homecoming and new appreciation for women’s unique strengths.

Why Burnout Isn’t Your Fault: Many high-achieving women blame physical exhaustion on health or capability, when often it’s the result of operating in a model that doesn’t honor natural cycles or ways of working. Smaller, more cyclical bursts of productivity paired with intentional rest can lead to more sustainable success.

The Power of Creation: Leaving ill-fitting workplaces and starting new ventures is not just a necessity, but also a manifestation of feminine energy’s drive to build belonging, connection, and innovation.

Universal Balance: Every individual, regardless of gender, contains both masculine and feminine energies. The key is not to suppress one in favor of the other, but to seek balance—this leads to healthier workplaces and more fulfilling careers.

Leadership Through Vulnerability: Amy and Leah discuss the value of showing up transparently—even (and especially) when navigating messy periods of change. This models resilience and gives others permission to honor their own journeys.

Permission to Be Messy and Evolving: Transitions are rarely clean or immediate. Both Amy and Leah recount how giving themselves time and grace in career transitions led to more authentic alignment and personal growth. Trusting the process, even in phases of "unrest and destruction," paves the way for genuine renewal.

Courage to Challenge Industry Norms: Financial professionals don’t have to choose between certainty and authenticity. By...

Welcome to WomenShare: a celebration of women in financial services. Today, hosts Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter sit down for an insightful and heartfelt conversation with Nina Smith: a seasoned growth and business development leader known for her marketing ingenuity and her passion for community leadership. Nina joins the show at a pivotal transition point in her career, moving from a seven-year tenure at boutique firm Kendall Capital to an exciting new role at global powerhouse UBS.

The interview kicks off with Nina’s signature career philosophy—never fleeing, always advancing. Nina traces her decision to leave a role she genuinely loved at Kendall Capital for a bigger stage at UBS, sharing the inner workings of her decision-making process, the value of listening to your gut, and the importance of not waiting until you’re dissatisfied to make a bold move. Her story powerfully reframes what courage and timing look like for women aiming high in financial services.

Joanna and Leah also dive into Nina’s playbook for leaving jobs on great terms, maintaining relationships, and nurturing a robust network that pays dividends throughout one’s career. Nina reflects candidly on her New York agency days, her pivotal years at Capital One, and her success in fostering long-lasting professional connections—including turning former bosses and clients into references and partners.

You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at Nina’s “Women and Wealth” client development program—rooted in community, fun, and low-pressure engagement. From pickleball socials to lavender farm gatherings, Nina explains how she prioritized authentic relationships over transactional networking, with an emphasis on events that create belonging and loyalty rather than sales quotas.

As the discussion turns personal, Nina opens up about the challenges and joys of balancing her role as a mom with her professional ambitions. She reveals her strategies for managing the ever-evolving demands of work and home, and the critical importance of asking for help, cultivating a supportive community, and modeling ambition and adaptability for her children.

Key Takeaways

1. Run Toward, Not Away: Nina’s anchor advice—credited to her close friend and HR executive Melanie—reminds women not to wait for unhappiness to drive career decisions. Instead, look for opportunities that inspire excitement, and don’t be afraid to revisit doors you once closed.

2. Relationships Are Your Legacy: Professional moves can be amicable and even mutually empowering. Nina’s career is a testament to the value of keeping bridges unburned and actively sustaining relationships with references, mentors, and colleagues, especially among women in financial services.

3. Healthy Departures Require Honesty and Openness: Both Nina and Leah share how transparency—with the right timing—about growth ceilings or changing ambitions can lead to smoother transitions and continued support from previous employers and peers.

4. Community-Focused Client Development Works: The most successful business development efforts are about genuine connections. Nina’s “Women and Wealth” events emphasize fun and wellness, swapping hard pitches for experiences that foster trust and a sense of belonging. Her approach demonstrates that a light touch and consistency build better business than aggressive prospecting.

5. The Power of Women’s Networks: From ex-bosses to clients to peers, Nina’s story demonstrates how investing in long-term, supportive female relationships opens doors and creates opportunities—personally and professionally.

6. Balancing Ambition and Family with Flexibility: Nina is transparent about the demands of raising children while pursuing growth....

Welcome to another episode of WomenShare, a celebration of women in financial services. In this week’s episode, hosts Joanna Ehresman and Leah Alter are joined by trailblazer Cokie Cox, founder and CEO of AlphaVest LLC. With nearly three decades of experience, Cokie stands out as a passionate advocate for women’s advancement and equity in wealth management, bringing fresh perspective and a tangible framework for meaningful change.

Cokie Cox’s journey into finance didn’t start with passion—it began with practicality and a desire to take charge of her own financial future. From her candid story about fighting for her book’s original title (“I majored in finance so I wouldn’t get screwed”) to her eventual embrace of the industry’s potential for impact, Cokie’s narrative is both authentic and relatable.

Throughout the episode, Cokie unpacks the philosophy behind her book, Perfect Day: A Guide for Overcoming Lifestyle Deficit Disorder, and the innovative planning process she developed to help clients reclaim wellness, growth, and a sense of contribution in addition to financial stability. This lifestyle-forward approach turns traditional wealth management on its head, empowering women to design fuller, more integrated lives.

Listeners will be inspired by Cokie’s commitment to cultivating an all-female advisory firm, AlphaVest, and her mission to create a ripple effect of opportunity and mentorship for women in an industry still grappling with gender imbalance. As wealth is poised to shift increasingly into women’s hands over the next decade, her call to “invest in women” is both timely and essential.

Redefining Wealth Through Lifestyle-Forward Planning: Cokie’s Perfect Day framework moves beyond spreadsheets and dollars, encouraging clients to prioritize wellness, personal growth, experiences, and giving back—alongside financial strategy. Her “4/1/1” routine (taking a small step in each area before 11 AM) empowers individuals to claim agency over their days, their well-being, and their impact.

The Power and Necessity of Investing in Women: AlphaVest’s all-female approach is not about exclusion but about correcting a systemic imbalance. With women expected to control two-thirds of U.S. wealth in coming years but still vastly underrepresented in advisory roles, Cokie is building a firm that matches the needs and preferences of future clients.

Mentorship, Community, and Pathways Forward: Cokie, Leah, and Joanna dive into the importance of mentorship, frameworks for retention, and community-building that go beyond just hiring more women. With references to studies like the Carson Group’s Women in Wealth Management and their own lived experiences, the conversation advocates for creating clear, supportive pathways for women at every stage of their careers.

Outcomes That Matter: Diversity Drives Performance: Citing twenty-year data and industry research, Cokie makes a strong case: Diverse and female-led financial teams don’t just create better workplaces, they deliver better investment outcomes and manage risk more effectively. For firms and clients alike, the message is clear—empowering women isn’t just fair, it’s smart business.

Personal Agency and Self-Care: Cokie’s advice extends to working mothers and professionals navigating multiple roles. Through the story of wise words from a seasoned colleague, she underscores the importance of giving oneself permission to build a sustainable career—knowing that “children need you at 13,” not just in their baby years, and planning your...