I recently celebrated 10 years working with APCM Wealth Management for Individuals (AWMI). As I look back, I am proud to have been with this growing company from the beginning. AWMI is a company of core beliefs rooted in employee success as much as in its own success. Employees are encouraged to develop their skills, to “learn and grow as industry experts with the highest credentials.” My journey continues to be incredible and evolving for myself, my family and, of course, AWMI.
From the very start of AWMI, whether it is clients or employees, the most important quality is ‘fit’, meaning how a new client or employee will fit into the culture of our workplace community, and it is our superpower, in my opinion. I can honestly say that having a job in the finance industry was not on my radar when Laura, one of our Directorsasked me to take the chance, but she saw me as a great fit for this role and this company. By taking that chance, I have been able to discover and develop skills I never thought I had and even added letters behind my name. In the last ten years, I have seen our superpower bring together a team that fits well together and fits well with our clients. Having a team that is in good community with one another exemplifies another core belief, “to ensure a successful business to serve clients for decades to come.”
I started this journey when my youngest daughter was three and I was able to work my schedule around the needs of my kids, who are now 13, 15, and 18. Of course, as my kids became more self-sufficient and my position was evolving, I could then switch to giving my attention to my work more and fitting my kids into my work schedule. AWMI has another core belief, “Work and life balance is part of our culture,” and I am grateful for that because it gave me the opportunity to raise my kids and to also contribute financially to my family, to have a great work/life balance.
AWMI also has been developing in great strides these last ten years. Another of our core beliefs is that “an engaged team contributes maximum energy for a great work environment.” My position is the perfect example of this. I started out as a part-time assistant to one of the directors, and with the growth of the company, my role has advanced into a full-time operations manager. The part-time client service position team-of-one has matured into a team of three highly qualified co-workers who provide the day to day back-end office tasks to the clients of three advisory teams. I have been given the opportunity to branch out professionally as AWMI has progressed. Because we are all engaged and we believe in our company’s dedication to its core beliefs, our teams are interconnected and give 110% for their clients.
Mary Kate Herndon, FPQP™
Operations Manager
