“…Kathleen Longo, president of Flourish Wealth Management in Edina, Minn., belongs to an all-women study group known as the Goddesses of Financial Planning.
Ms. Longo, who advises on $95 million in client assets, joined the group of about a dozen other female RIAs 16 years ago when she was still working for a larger firm.
The group, which meets for two hours on the last Friday morning of each month, was instrumental three years ago in helping Ms. Longo realize she could launch her own advisory firm.
“When I joined, I was still at a larger RIA and I thought I’d be there forever. But seeing these other women, and having the inspiration and support of this group made me realize I could go out on my own,” Ms. Longo said.
Whether the group is made up of RIAs from the same city or spread across the country, the idea of competing against each other is one of the first things taken off the table….”
