Top Women in WealthTech 2020: Jess Liberi of eMoney Advisor

Q&A January 22, 2020 at 03:17 PM
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Jess Liberi, Head of Product, eMoney Advisor

Accomplishment(s): In my role as head of product at eMoney, I'm focused on defining and delivering new and innovative solutions that help planning-led advisors engage clients and grow their businesses.

Therefore, the professional accomplishments I am most proud of over the past year include the launch of two new product offerings — Foundational Planning and eMoney Access — as well as moving forward with our incubator, currently called Project Avocado.

None of this would be possible without the creative, hardworking team of people I'm lucky enough to work with every day. Our product and development teams have grown substantially over the past few years, so we've spent a lot of time figuring out how we can define processes and guidelines to ensure consistency but also not stifle the creativity and innovation that is key to the eMoney culture.

We've shared many meaningful experiences together over the last year to accomplish these goals. One highlight, in particular, was traveling with some of my colleagues to India to visit with our teams there.

In addition to teamwork and collaboration, it's also very important for me to invest in my own development. I'm proud of the progress I've made working with an executive coach over the past year. I've been able to grow and evolve in areas that have helped me become a better colleague, contributor, leader and mentor.

How to get more women into WealthTech: Be willing to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. Most of us didn't start in the Fintech space. We came from other roles in financial services or outside the industry altogether.

There are so many Fintech firms out there, and many more that are yet to be started , since there are so many opportunities for innovation and disruption in the industry. Find an area you are passionate about, and dive in headfirst.

Advice for those starting out: Nothing is out of reach. Too often we think that we can't have it all and must choose between two or three things, but we don't. Rather, we should define what "all" means to each of us. Once defined, you'll realize that weaving the two together to stay on track and succeed will become much easier.

Once you've defined your "all," don't worry about being perfect or "right" all the time. Speak up without the fear of being wrong. Many times in business there isn't a single answer or right way to do things.

Be willing to take risks and push ahead even without all the information. It's important to know that you're not going to please everyone; nor should you aspire to. As long as you're true to yourself, you can feel confident in the choices you make along the way.

Sources of insights and inspiration: There are so many that it is hard to choose! I love Twitter and LinkedIn as social media platforms for keeping up-to-date on industry news and trends.

But when I'm looking for advice and inspiration, it's the people around me that have the most impact. My husband, three kids, sister and friends all help me to put things into perspective, take a deep breath and figure out a way forward. Sometimes, just spending time with family and friends is the food for your soul that you need to keep going!

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