Being an only in the financial industry has been challenging

Transcript:

Liz Skinner [00:00:04] With me today is Lanta Evans-Motte. She’s a financial adviser with Raymond James and a winner of one of our 2021 InvestmentNews Excellence and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Awards. She is a see it be it role model. Thank you for joining us, Lanta.

Lanta Evans-Motte [00:00:20] Thank you for having me. Pleased to be here.

Liz Skinner [00:00:23] Tell us a little bit about what it was like coming up in this industry and give us a sense of what maybe your biggest challenge was in terms of becoming successful in the financial advice business.

Lanta Evans-Motte [00:00:36] So being an only in the financial industry has been challenging on a number of fronts. So when I started in this career, I was a younger female adviser of color and I didn’t fit any of the models of what a successful financial adviser looked like. And I wasn’t part of a wealthy family. So despite having a degree in accounting and being finance 10 year corporate career, I didn’t look like someone who knew how to manage money, mine or anyone else’s for that matter. So the challenges were both within the industry as well as working with clients.

Liz Skinner [00:01:12] And yet you did succeed and have come along in your career. Tell us a little bit about what you think the significance is of you becoming successful in this industry.

Lanta Evans-Motte [00:01:23] One thing that I knew was that this was a calling for me, not just a career. So I just continued to focus on the things that I could control, those things that has served me well previously. Things like obtaining more knowledge, partnership and working with others, faith, hard work, perseverance. And most important, I’m very thankful for having a very strong support system, both personally and professionally.

Liz Skinner [00:01:50] And, Lanta, is there anything that you can think of that the financial advice industry could be doing better to encourage more diversity within the financial advice business?

Lanta Evans-Motte [00:02:02] So I think a lot of the programs and initiatives that have been underway for some time, and particularly with the racial equity work that was done last year by a lot of firms, I think a lot of stuff is in play now. So I think that that effort of increasing the diversity of the voices that are at the table when the discussions are being made, when policy is being made, when programs are being initiated, I think having a more diverse group of voices to have input into whatever they’re planning to do, I think is going to go a long way towards moving the needle.

Liz Skinner [00:02:39] Very good. Thank you again, Lanta, for sitting down with us. And congratulations on your award.

Lanta Evans-Motte [00:02:45] Thank you so much.