I call my featured expert an unsung hero. I met Susan Green in my new eWomen of Orange County group – where I found a home with “heart and soul.” Wonderful group of women business owners.
Susan is a financial strategist – but not just any strategist – she’s a long time expert at economic forecasting woven in with compassion, soul, and humor. Yes, humor. You wouldn’t normally place humor next “financial” in the same sentence but one of Susan’s best qualities is her “Cameron Diaz” style of humor. Her humor best expresses her heart that runs deep. Not only does she love to protect and guide her clients to building a financial legacy for their families, but she can’t get enough of her daughter and adorable grandkids. A day in heaven for Susan is being with her family, who happen to have recently moved up north from southern California making the frequent connection a bit of an effort. I mean who can’t get enough of their daughter and grandbabies, right? Susan raised her daughter mostly on her own working hard at being a conscious, strong, smart, savvy and dignified role model for her. That consciousness paid off.
Passion is another word to describe Susan and her love of people. “Thinking back, my big passion was to protect and help people. From the time I was a child, I’d hop on my Dad’s shoulders and we’d walk the neighborhood while I took my magic wand and bestowed special wishes for the household’s safety, and happiness. Dropping May Baskets on neighbors’ doorsteps to wish them happy May Day, and taking in stray animals to help and protect was just part of my makeup. I was the person who always helped the underdogs at school, and defending them to bullies, and just having a total compassion for nature and animals,” says Susan with her big green glowing eyes and smile.
(Photo from Facebook May 2014: “Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Thank you for always caring for me and being so loving, supportive and selfless. Love you, Michelle)
With her fascination of examining trends, economic forecasts, and high profile companies, she brings several decades of publishing to her current career as a wealth preservation strategist for women, families and charities. “I have had the most amazing career participating in the developments of our time. My career path took me on a fast track learning major industries from industrial to the high tech world, where I landed, immersed myself in, and thrived. I was truly participating in the biggest changes and trends of our brave new world over the last few decades. Emerging trends and the evolution of our time was part of my makeup,” remarks Susan.
I felt Susan was a great fit with my passion for helping women business owners overcome their lack of owning their value and self-worth via my money legacy program. Every client who ever goes through my branding and business innovation program starts with their relationship with money. I take them through an elegant, dignified process how to recalibrate their new normal around money by being more in expansion energy vs. contraction around money. See, how we do one thing is how we do everything and if we are out of alignment in our relationship with money (fear, lack, worry, guilt, shame, etc. more often) we are not congruent with our brand (you) and ability to make profits.
(Photo: Sept 4, 2014 Mastermind Day: The Brand of YOU)
With that I introduce you to my friend and colleague Susan Green of Conaway & Conaway in Tustin, CA.
1. Please introduce yourself (tell me your name, your title and give me a brief description of what you do) I’m Susan Green, Financial Strategist at Conaway & Conaway.
2. Go into a little bit more detail about what your company has to offer
Conaway & Conaway is a wealth preservation management firm that provides comprehensive financial advice, retirement planning, insurance, and investment strategies. We offer access to securities through J.P. Turner & Company, LLC, which is a member of SIPC.
3. What inspires you to do what you do? I enjoy strategizing with clients, to help them figure out how to address their goals. Basically, I like figuring out problems and applying custom solutions.
4. What’s the most important message you have to share? Don’t wait to plan. The longer you wait the fewer your options. And don’t go it alone. People need advice and professional guidance. It’s ridiculous to do it yourself.
5. Tell me about your education, training and work experience. That would take awhile. I spent years in high tech, working with the major players in our economy on go to market strategies. I have seen many of the major trends in the economy. I have my Series 7 and Series 66 registration, Insurance licenses, and I’m currently working on my CES designation for Certified Estate Specialist.
6. How has your past experience prepared you for what you do now? Research, planning, strategizing have been the major focus of my career. I’m using all my knowledge and extensive corporate experience for people, not just companies.
7. Is there a time in your life where you could say you triumphed from struggle to victory and it changed the course of your life? Early on, I changed industries and learned each one, and adapted quickly to our changing economy, the trends, and demographics.
8. What can people expect when they work with you? High integrity, high values, ethics, and professionalism. Really, I’m dedicated to my clients and their needs and like to communicate regularly.
9. What makes you the most proud about what you do? Helping individuals create a plan and vision for their future. Helping them see the plan is a key achievement and then laying it out for them.
10. What type of clients do you work with? Individuals, women, families, and charities. We have a professional team here that also works with companies and 401ks.
11. What is your greatest hope for your clients? That they have a long, healthy, life and have enough money to enjoy it!