I had the privilege of meeting Christi virtually through a panel we were both part of for Women in Leadership, hosted by the infamous Judy Hoberman. With Christi’s messaging, enthusiastic attitude, and willingness to give so much of herself to assist others, I just had to invite her to be part of our Dynamic Women series. Meeting Christi, even virtually, just made you want to learn more about her and her journey. And so we have.
– Maree Moscati, CEO, Copytalk
Christi Staib
President
Silver Sail Wealth Advisors
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Christi: When I was in college studying business and marketing, I took classes to help me be more well-rounded. I actually took banjo for a semester. When you play a banjo, it’s almost always a very happy sound, and I really enjoyed learning the basics of it. I also took drama and dance classes. With the dance class, we took a trip to New York and got to see behind the scenes at the Met. And not only did we get to see behind the scenes, but we also got to go onstage and perform. There was no audience, but I can say that I actually got to dance at the Met.
How did your career path position you where you are today?
Christi: Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money and from my teens I read many, many books about budgeting, finance and building wealth. I even studied finance in college but after graduating I focused my career in telephone and computer systems sales and marketing. As a hobby I continued to help my friends and other employees with finances, how to invest their 401(k)s and giving financialadvice as a friend.
Early in my career, I met the man of my dreams. He was my best friend and my future was set. In 2001, nine months after we were married, he, my family and I were scuba diving in Cozumel. During the first dive, my husband indicated he was having a problem, and we couldn’t get to him…. on that day, he drowned. In an instant, my life was turned upside down and I became a widow. All that we had planned was gone, and I found myself not only dealing with the grief of losing my spouse, my best friend but also the harsh reality of how to rebuild my life emotionally and financially to give it meaning and purpose.
I went to so many widow support groups trying to find a reason to continue living. I missed my husband terribly. While participating in the widow support groups to rebuild my life, I realized how much I wasusing my finance background and giving friendly advice to help other widows work through their new financial predicament. It was so meaningful to me to help others and it gave me great joy. I soon realizedthat my new purpose in life was to be a wealth manager helping others take control of their finances and their futures. Along the way, I started helping families and female entrepreneurs build their financial futures while planning for those unexpected events that I know can change life in an instant.
Who is your most influential mentor and why?
Christi: My mom, Amber Benson. When I was in high school, she owned her own software company, and back then, very few women owned their own businesses, especially in the software industry. She’s been in a male-dominated field for a long time and has excelled. But more than that, she is, and always has been, very loving and caring to others. Sometimes if a parent is telling a child how to do something but their actions are different, it can be confusing. Amber was always consistent in her words and actions with me.
What is a final nugget of wisdom you’d like to share?
Christi: We learn by asking others and reading books, so ask successful people to lunch and ask what paths did they take and what stumbling blocks did they have? There’s no embarrassment. There’s always expansion and growth… and perhaps a new friend or mentor. I’d also like to thank all of the people who have helped me along the way. I have been blessed to be supported and nurtured by so many people I’d be afraid to name some and forget others. But I am truly grateful Beyond measure! I couldn’t have done this all by myself.
Bio:
Christi Staib is a Wealth Manager for Silver Sail Wealth Advisors. She is a wealth manager not a financial advisor. Financial advisors focus a relationship on investments. Wealth management professionals focus a relationship on you.
Christi is dedicated to help you create a future unique to you and one that you love. To learn about you and your family goals, she starts by asking fun and interesting questions and listens carefully. She gets to know who is important to you and what you want to accomplish in the future. She can then give guidance to help you excel, especially in these areas:
• How to best protect all that you already have
• Make sure Uncle Sam only gets his fair share and No More!
• Prepare you and your family for unexpected life events (Being a widow(er) is difficult, but it’s even more difficult when you can’t have access to your family assets)
• Utilizing Advanced planning tools like digital trusts so if something happens to you tomorrow everything is labeled in such a way that all your hard earned savings and assets goes to your loved ones / favorite charities
• Make your charitable donations have an even greater impact
To discover more about how she helps people just like you create and execute a plan (And she makes it fun and easy) go to www.SilverSailWealthAdvisors.com
To have a free Financial Plan or Stress Test of your current plan (up to a $5000 value) Contact Christi at christi.staib@lpl.com.
Christi also educates other financial advisors on how to have an even bigger impact on the lives of their clients. She is an accomplished author and speaker. She has spoken at Financial Conventions to Wealth Managers and Financial Advisors as well as within the community of investors themselves. To receive a complimentary copy of Christi’s book, Navigating the Unique Financial Needs of Women Today, please email her office manager Stacey at Stacey.Love@lpl.com.