I had the pleasure of working with both Meg and Genevieve when I was honored to be part of their “GetReal!” TV show. I learned so much about this dynamic duo (as I call them – because they ARE!) and was so impressed by both of their individualities and their commitment to their vision, that I knew I had to share their story. The title of their TV show, GetReal!, is so appropriate because they are REAL. They exude honesty, trust, and most of all, commitment to helping advisors and their clients grow — AND they certainly have the formula for the ultimate success story! We are so privileged and grateful to share their story with our community.
– Maree Moscati, CEO CTPRP
Meg Hanington
Genevieve Thayer
Co-Founders
Beacon Partners
Share how your career paths positioned you both to be where you are today.
Meg: We each had the entrepreneurial bug from our families, respectively, and I had put in many years in the industry, from both a corporate and independent perspective, and now was the time to make a change. I realized that what I was doing I loved, but I wanted to go out on my own and I wanted to do it on a broader scale. So, we got our coaching certification, decided at that point what Beacon Partners was going to look like and who we were going to serve.
Genevieve: I had been in the industry for nearly 20 years, and I sort of reached a point in my life where I really wanted the opportunity to work with many different types of advisors from both a geographical and diversity perspective. I have a passion to help attract and elevate more women in financial services so that there is greater representation within the industry, and that was not possible if I stayed in my former role. And Meg and I recognized that we work really well together and have unique skill sets, and together we can help hundreds of advisors.
If you had one wish for a do-over in your career, what would that be and why?
Meg: Well, I would say that I became a little complacent in my career because routine is really good for raising children. I had great experiences and was with one company for a number of years, but at some point, I knew that I wanted something different, but I didn’t know what that was, and so I stayed where it was comfortable. I wish that I would have not been afraid and become an entrepreneur sooner.
Genevieve: Along those same lines, for me it would be not being so afraid of failure. There’s a disadvantage to thinking that in your twenties, “I’ve got to get it all right because I’ve got to set it up for my thirties, and I’ve got to have those babies.” It’s just such a disservice to yourself. And I think also that I would have hired a professional coach, have someone in the industry who understands the process and could help me figure out what I wanted in my professional life.
What advice do you have for women in the industry?
Meg: Advocating for yourself and standing up for yourself is huge. And I would also say that it is never too late to make that change. We’ve certainly met many women along this journey who have turned their trajectory around at 65 or 75. At any age, you can do some reflection and say, “This isn’t working well for me. How can I turn it around?”
Genevieve: I agree, you have to learn how to advocate for yourself. I learned through many experiences that people will sort of give you what they feel like giving you versus what they believe you are deserving of. People will only allow you access to things if you ask for it or negotiate for it. And also don’t stay with a particular firm or job when you know in your heart of hearts it isn’t the place you want to be and just have that self-awareness along your entire journey.
Bio:
Meg Hanington, EPC, Co-Founder
As Co-Founder of Beacon Partners, Meg Hanington supports independent financial advisors to identify their barriers, get off autopilot, and help them to build their “ideal” practice through coaching, consulting, emotional quotient programs and aligning their people with their purpose. Having begun working with Merrill Lynch in finance, asset management, technology and product development, Meg transitioned in 2012 to working with independent financial advisors. It was through these foundational experiences Beacon Partners was formed. Meg’s unique ability to listen to and understand her clients’ goals and implement a workable solution for achieving them has been a recipe for success.
In addition, Meg serves her community by supporting non-profit organizations whose missions focus on helping residents suffering from hunger, lack of quality education and housing, and mental health challenges. When Meg is not serving her clients or community, she can be found boating on the Barnegat Bay or cooking her favorite dishes. She and her husband have six children and one grandchild.
Genevieve Thayer, EPC, Co-Founder
Genevieve brings nearly 20 years of experience as an operations expert in the financial services industry to Beacon Partners. Her background includes extensive compliance, technology, and client relationship management. As a critical thinker and problem solver, Genevieve excels at designing solutions to improve processes and building efficiencies into the day-to-day operations of an organization through the implementations of efficient workflows and technologies.
Genevieve understands the value of strategically designing goals and objectives to thoughtfully plan for business growth. As an Executive and Leadership coach, she encourages her clients to challenge the “status quo” and think beyond their current barriers to effectively and honestly implement meaningful change for themselves and their organizations.