Today we’d like to introduce you to Abi Johnston.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m proud to be a lifelong Georgia resident. While studying finance at Kennesaw State, I worked as a store manager at JD Sports and Finish Line. I always knew retail wasn’t my calling, however, so I quit after college.
Like many recent college grads, I was initially unsure of my next career move. Not long after graduating, however, I was connected to Northwestern Mutual Goodwin, Wright located in Buckhead through a family friend. After learning about Northwestern Mutual’s close-knit network of advisors and team members working collectively to build wealth and impact clients’ lives, I realized that I was entering into an industry—and, more importantly—a group of people that I wanted to be a part of. It wasn’t long until I started my own financial planning practice alongside Northwestern Mutual Goodwin, Wright and a team of people I consider to be the best in the nation.
Northwestern Mutual Goodwin, Wright offers the supportive environment that allows me to practice what has become my life mission—to positively impact the financial futures of families and businesses by building meaningful and lasting relationships. By equipping my clients with the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions, I’m able to help them gain financial security and the confidence that comes with knowing they’re prepared for the unexpected.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We often learn to go to school and then go to work for “the man.” Growing up, I bought into the widely-held notion that achieving the ‘American Dream’ meant sitting in a cubicle from 9-5. I was taught that’s what I had to do to be successful, and that’s what everyone has to do, right?
I soon found myself questioning the traditional perception of a ‘successful’ career. What happens if, for some crazy reason, I lose all of this? What happens to the people I’m looking out for? What happens when you take a chance and bet on yourself? What happens when you leave your salary to risk it all? What happens if it doesn’t all work out how you expected?
One day I came to believe I was put on earth to do exactly what I’m doing now, and in hindsight I think God has been blessing me all along. Sure, there have been a lot of difficult lessons and lots of trials and tribulations along the way. I do think that life is a journey, though, and we are all just doing the best we can.
As you know, we’re big fans of Northwestern Mutual. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As an organization, Northwestern Mutual mirrors my passion for helping families, individuals and businesses achieve financial stability through risk mitigation and wealth management. We exist to help clients feel good about their financial lives by developing a clear financial plan that brings them clarity and confidence about what they are doing and where they are headed.
In addition, I help my clients prioritize and take advantage of financial education. Having the right knowledge helps people feel empowered and in control of their long-term financial health.
I believe in taking an individual approach to helping each client. Our team takes time to understand our clients’ lives, their unique financial situations and their long-term goals to customize a tailored financial plan.
Our desire is to make the financial planning process exciting and fun as we work toward achieving financial independence.
Lastly, I work with clients across many different industries and with different backgrounds, but I specialize in working with breadwinning women, tech professionals, and women in sales.
What’s next?
Goals we are working toward this year:
– Onboarding additional team members.
– Welcoming 150 families or individuals to be serviced by our firm.
– Moving forward with an ancillary project that launches this summer (love getting to work with friends!).
– Creating content to help demonstrate thought leadership and expertise (a lot of it).
This is on top of client meetings, team meetings, recruiting candidates and growing the firm.
Contact Info:
- Website: Abijohnston.nm.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/abs_jo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/i7L69y8hRFDo6sp5/?mibextid=WC7FNe
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abi-johnston-9ab42a1a6?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
Image Credits
Michaela Pierce – The Social Circle
