Now You’re Talking Network founder, Mary Kemi Agbesanwa, is pursuing a qualification in financial advice to help address the investment gap.
Agbesanwa started her career in management consulting, working at PwC in London and contributing to the company’s work in Germany and South Africa.
However, when she started to notice how the role of technology was “disrupting” the consulting industry, she decided to move into Fintech through a job at Seccl.
“That role whet my appetite for wealth management,” she says.
Speaking to FT Adviser as part of the New Voices series, Agbesanwa said this led her to pursue a career in the advice profession and inspired her to look at how investing could be made cheaper for people.
“Coming in as a financial adviser is a natural segue to commit to learn more about the space to address the massive gender and ethnicity investment gap,” she adds.
“Having someone like me with that knowledge could be really helpful in the future to encourage more people to get financial advice and not be intimidated by this space.
“I see a world where, once I’m qualified, I can support people that are founders, side hustlers, and even professionals, into thinking about their finances and about how to unpack investing,” she says.
Confidence
Agbesanwa discussed her role in growing the confidence of women within financial services and the important role this plays.
“I’ve been running a community and business called the Now You’re Talking Network for a couple of years which started off as a WhatsApp group of 30 of my friends working in financial and professional services.”
Almost 10 years later, the network has over 3,000 women in its group and on its mailing list.
The purpose of the network is to help women earn more and become more confident by discussing personal development and supporting members on their entrepreneurial journey.
“We talk a lot about how starting a business can be a way for women to gain confidence and financial independence, deal with imposter syndrome, discuss salary negotiation and personal branding and topics like that.
“We emphasise that, regardless of your career and your field, it is really powerful for women to gain confidence for their job right now or a job they might have in the future.”
Agbesanwa said it has been great to build the network as it has enabled her to see members start businesses together, launch side hustles and provide each other with accountability and pursue their passions.
“Sometimes people just need an additional boost and to see people that are a similar age or similar background to them. That reassures them that they can do it too,” she says.
She also details that 65 per cent of the network members are Bame and they might be the first in their family to work in the corporate world or work in financial services or wealth management.
“Providing that network for them to connect and meet others is really important as well,” she adds.
If you would like to be featured in our New Voices series, or you know someone who would be a good fit please get in touch with Tom Dunstan at tom.dunstan@ft.com
