Meet March’s Fort Worth Woman!

This month is Women’s History Month so it is all too fitting to honor someone who is continuing to pave the way. Michelle Willingham is a driven woman in the very male-dominated career of Financial Advising who has a courageous spirit driving her forward. She has found a niche for herself by creating the perfect balance of being both personable as well as successful. Michelle has created a client base by being who she is, not by intimidating others and she’s also an example of providing good to others as a way to achieve success, while supporting other women along the way.

Michelle is originally from Toledo, Ohio but when she married a Fort Worth Marine, she knew she wasn’t leaving this city. Now, after 21 years, the couple have raised three sons ages 28, 23, and 19. As they raised their children, Michelle worked in the banking world for a total of ten years and continually attended a networking group through the HEB Chamber of Commerce. At the end of one of the meetings, she was recruited by an Edward Jones Financial Advisor. This advisor was absolutely persistent on her recruitment for three years before she could even dream about the idea of starting off on a new career.

By this point in her life, Michelle had just reached her ten year anniversary with the bank and was starting to realize that there was not the high level of future growth that she wanted for herself. Michelle then knew that starting out on her own as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, as scary as that sounded, was where her heart was leading her. “It was hard in the very beginning because I was building this practice from the ground up,” she said. “I suddenly was having to get out and meet so many people, walk all over town, knock on peoples’ doors, and find clients in any way that I could.” Michelle’s spirit of entrepreneurship persisted, “I was hell-bent that I was going to do this and make this work,” she said.

Visiting with a financial advisor can typically feel very intimidating because people are worried about a feeling of judgment. This is where Michelle stands out in her role. “I always try to not only encourage my clients, but I let them know that understanding the reality of where they are not is what will help us create the next steps to move forward. I create a fully judgment-free zone which leaves us open for growth,” Michelle emphasized, “I am relational and take an interest in what my clients have or have not been doing for their financial future. I figure out a plan starting at where they are now now with an end goal of where they want to be.”

 As of today, Michelle has been with Edward Jones for five years and has built her own client base. “I can remember the first time a client gave me a referral to their friends and family. That is when I knew this was working and I was making it.” Michelle says her motivation comes from a combination of her family and her clients. “I have three kids and I want to be a good example for them. I want to show them that hard work and persistence pays off,” she says, “then it’s also gratifying to me when I can see someone who came in here, planned with me, and we not only together created a goal but we achieved it.”