Her journey revealed her goals
Dafna Gold, AAMS™, CEPA, is a seasoned financial professional with decades of experience and has always wanted to help people.
The power of broad horizons
Dafna Gold's career journey started with medical school on her mind – she wanted to help people live better lives – but it wasn’t long before she discovered fulfillment in finance and the life-changing power of planning.
Through fearless exploration, adaptation and growth, today, Gold has found her calling in life as a financial advisor and proud founding member of the team at Dedicated Wealth Partners of Raymond James.
From her early, post-college days at Goldman Sachs to navigating the complexities of real estate investments for institutional and high net worth clients and later global supply chain management, each experience has honed Gold’s professional skills and broadened her horizons.
Between roles, Gold made the decision to attend grad school, ending up at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She knew from the get-go she didn’t want to pursue an MBA in finance so instead set her sights on studying international affairs to enrich her worldview.
“After grad school, I immediately took a massive pivot in life. I accepted a role at Limited Brands, the then parent company of Victoria’s Secret. I initially worked in their supply chain management, finding inefficiencies and cutting down both production times and costs.
Gold continued to prove her talent and was named the director in business development for the major national retailer stores and catalogues. Then the 2008 global financial crisis waylaid her career, and she was let go in a wave of layoffs. Still, “these opportunities were formative in building my understanding of growing a business in a challenging environment. This insight still serves me and my business owner clients to this day,” Gold said.
Her circumstances served as a moment to redefine her path. She got married, had children and through consulting work never strayed too far from the financial services industry. Later, she moved to Miami, where she discovered Raymond James.
“Coming from New York, I didn’t know much about Raymond James. But the more I learned about it, the more I loved what I was hearing,” Gold said.
With the connection between her experience and her interest in helping people clearer than ever, Gold set her eyes on a new career, joining the Raymond James Advisor Mastery Program in March 2021.
A culture fit
Even with her familiarity in financial services, starting as an advisor at Raymond James marked a significant milestone in Gold’s journey.
“There’s a book I love called ‘Embrace the Suck’ by Brent Gleeson. I revisit it every year. Gleeson takes the lessons he learned as a Navy Seal and applies them as principles to help people live an extraordinary life. They act like a manual for life that help guide me especially in moments of stress, change or uncertainty.
The way I see it, Gleeson’s twelve principles fundamentally relate to accountability and mindset. To achieve better performance on the whole, you need a strong and authentic culture. Culture is vital, and Raymond James gets it right,” Gold said.
BRENT GLEESON’S FAIL-SAFE PRINCIPLES FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE
- Embrace the suck.
- The only easy day was yesterday.
- Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
- Persevere and thrive on adversity.
- It pays to be a winner.
- In absence of orders, I take charge.
- Stay in your three-foot world.
- Demand discipline, expect innovation.
- Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
- Eat the elephant one bite at a time.
- Uncompromising integrity is my standard.
- Never out of the fight.
Since joining the firm, Gold has continued to carve a path that has taken her advisory career from strength to strength. The relationships she’s built and the suite of resources available have helped elevate the level of service she provides her clients.
“It’s a pleasure to work for a firm that walks the talk,” Gold said.
“I feel that because Raymond James views me as a client of the firm, I’m able to better serve my own clients as a result. It’s a unique value proposition that plays to an advisor’s – and their client’s – advantage. I never feel like an employee, I consistently feel like they are here to facilitate client service.
Whenever I’ve reached out for any issue, there’s never been a door slammed in my face. The answer is always ‘let’s see what we can do.’ This culture of helping people resonates deeply with me, so much so, it’s an approach I strive to teach my own children. There may not always be a perfect answer or solution, but there’s always someone willing to make the effort, and that’s what counts,” Gold said.
Mentorship and connectivity are a big part of life at Raymond James. Gold has found value in both the official and unofficial mentorship relationships she’s nurtured.
“From senior leaders to senior advisors – everyone feels accessible. When I first joined Raymond James, I took the initiative to set up several meetings and every single person answered the call. That support hasn’t gone away either. There’s an uplifting culture that ultimately underpins the client service I deliver,” Gold said.
Aspiring, innovating, evolving
In her capacity as a financial advisor, Gold has the opportunity to guide people in their lives. She’s someone who enjoys intellectual challenges and finds fulfillment in solving intricate financial problems.
“As advisors our job is to be the CFO of people’s financial lives. We’re there to give advice. I find it fascinating to hear what people can do and achieve with their wealth. My clients are building careers and business in so many different fields,” said Gold.
Through her journey, she’s honed skills and experiences she now uses to help other people. As a woman and mother navigating the intricacies of financial advising, Gold’s approach has become one where she confidently upholds her integrity amidst the challenges.
“Raymond James stands out as a supportive professional environment for women in financial services. I feel encouraged and trusted to prioritize my work without sacrificing my family commitments,” said Gold.
Both of Gold’s children play basketball, and as the team coach she has to attend every game. “While my kids keep me busy, life at Raymond James also allows me to pursue my own interests too. I’m very active in athletics and have previously competed as a triathlete. And outside of running, biking and rock climbing, I love music and have played in several bands as lead guitarist.”
Upon retrospection, Gold acknowledges that it’s been a combination of her past experiences, the obstacles she’s tackled and the mindset she’s fostered that have put her in a formidable position to thrive as a woman in financial advising.
“I’ve found that as a parent, specifically as a mother, I bring a unique sense of care and perspective in how I manage my client’s financial health. That benefits my clients in a different way then perhaps they are accustomed to,” said Gold.
As Gold continues to write the next chapters of her story, she enjoys a rewarding career as an advisor that allows her to prioritize her family and work-life balance – and she has it in a partnership that supports her.
She wanted to help people, now she’s helping people.
Sources: TalkingPoint by Brent Gleeson; Embrace the Suck by Brent Gleeson
AAMS™ and Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ are registered service marks of the College for Financial Planning.
This piece was featured in Aspire Magazine, a biannual publication from the Women Financial Advisors Network. View the latest.
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