Re-winding back to early trade and banking days, the finance industry was a particularly male-driven industry and it is proposed that female professionals are under-represented in the financial services sector today. But this is changing and indeed the rate of successful female professionals is steadily increasing, proving not only a positive for consumers but also for business.
When early success in the financial field came to Danielle Wilson of Pivotal Financial, the finance arm of RE/MAX Australia, it was not by chance.
With a career stemming from property, education in property economics, and genuine passion for helping people navigate the financial world, the hard-working finance specialist quickly cemented her position amongst top financial specialists and has been recognised by her peers and industry bodies through numerous awards.
Last year she was named Best Newcomer at the 2018 Connective Excellence Awards and earlier this year received the Pivotal Financial Rising Star award. Most recently, she was named a Rising Star finalist for The Advisor 2019 Better Business Awards.
An impressive start to her career!
For Ms Wilson, being female made little difference to her early success. If anything, a natural need to nurture her clients through a somewhat uncertain period of their lives aided her drive to achieve.
“I think there’s a need in this line of work, this industry, to want to help others, and perhaps it’s a natural need to nurture clients through the process,” said Ms Wilson.
“It’s incredibly humbling to receive this recognition so early in my career, but I do believe it is very much a team effort,” she added in relation to being recognised amongst the industry’s top performers.
“I feel as though a lot of my success has largely been due to the people I choose to surround myself with, and I did that carefully.”
Ms Wilson’s background in property (she managed a large commercial investment property portfolio with the QLD Government and also held a management role within her family’s property and finance business for a number of years) paved the way to finding her niche, which just so happened to be helping clients understand the (sometimes perplexing) financial aspects of buying and selling property. Taking a step away from the family business wasn’t something that she jumped into lightly, but with the momentum to succeed behind her, she says leaving the security of the family business was perhaps the most influential part of her career so far.
“I needed to have confidence to push into something new, and in order to do that successfully, I knew I had to surround myself with successful people – people that could mentor me and help me to continually progress in my own career,” said Ms Wilson.
And making that jump to an industry that at the time was about to undergo major changes and overhauls is not something done on a whim. It takes confidence and adaptability. For Ms Wilson, though, change and adaptability became the norm.
“There have been a lot of changes to our industry, but for me, this is all part of the job,” she says.
“I came into the industry at a time where there was a lot of uncertainty so it is all I’ve known, but I don’t think of this negatively.
“In an industry which is ever-changing, being able to continually learn and adapt plays a pivotal role in providing clients with what they need –knowledge and clarity.”
Having worked in the property side of the business, she can relate to the position clients are in and where their apprehension may be coming from; more importantly, what their understanding, or lack of understanding, of the process as a whole may be.
Terminology can sometimes be lost on those who are not regularly exposed to it and navigating changes within the industry is daunting even for some of those who work within the industry.
Taking the time to explain to clients and ensure their understanding of the process surrounding the whole transaction is what sets her apart.
“People can sometimes find dealing with finances overwhelming and stressful, particularly when it comes to purchasing property,” she said.
“It is not just about their immediate needs either.
“Educating clients is at the core of providing them with exceptional service. Sharing the common goal and building trust is incredibly important. And I suppose that is where the natural need to want to nurture people comes into play.”
After being drawn into the industry to help people, Ms Wilson partnered with Pivotal Financial in late 2017 after searching for a company which upheld similar values to that of her own family’s business. It was the culture of the company which was attractive and proved to be a particularly successful partnership which offered guidance and support through the team’s successes.
“It is not just them or me, clients have a team behind them in the process; and for them, feeling like someone is on their team is particularly valuable.”
As for the changing dynamic of women in the industry, Ms Wilson says as a Pivotal Financial specialist, gender hasn’t come into play.
“True to my own experience is a team of successful professionals in the finance industry, where individuals help each other.”
As for the future, Ms Wilson’s is looking bright, and she hopes to continue to build business with a focus on growth, sustainability and teamwork, regardless of what the industry’s future may bring.
Media contact:
Lyn Cox, Public Relations – M. +61 418 793 096, E. lcox@remax.com.au
About RE/MAX: RE/MAX was founded in 1973 with an innovative, entrepreneurial culture affording its agents and franchisees the flexibility to operate their businesses with great independence. With more than 125,000 agents and almost 8000 offices globally, nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX.