Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in finance but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Advani, CEO of Investment Banking Institute, located in Newtown, PA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am the proud CEO of the Investment Banking Institute. Although IBI has a 20-year history in financial skills training and education, following its most recent acquisition and a pivot in the company's mission, we are effectively in start-up mode. As IBI's first woman CEO, I have launched Series W as part of an increased commitment to the diversification of the workforce, the closing of the gender gap in leadership, and the empowerment of women in finance. Series W offers finance education, programming, consulting services, and support for companies and organizations ready to invest in diversity and equity. Series W is created by women for women, with the mission to give women financial professionals the skills and confidence to rise.

Tell us about yourself

I was initially brought onto the IBI team to streamline business operations, create systematic efficiencies, and implement strategies to fuel brand engagement post-acquisition because of my previous entrepreneurial experience. As the world (specifically industries related to finance, EdTech, and FinTech) began to transform following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I started mapping out strategic alternatives for the company. As someone who left traditional roles behind because of caregiving and who had been involved in communities and groups aiming to maximize the contributions of moms, mom returners, and caregivers to the workforce, I saw the immense potential to disrupt the finance industry by elevating women who are on non-traditional career paths. Women make up less than 20% of c-suite positions in the finance industry. Because of this, the goal became to address the unique challenges and opportunities for women in various stages of their careers through education and skills training. What has motivated me from the start and continues to motivate me each day is the thought that IBI can play a role in promoting diversity and equity in finance. More so than anything, as a mom of four myself, working with, connecting with, and hearing the stories of ambitious professionals who share in this vision of innovation through inclusion keeps me going.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My greatest accomplishment is multi-pronged. Exhibiting the courage and knowledge to go from ideator to starter, executing the vision I set forth, and building a team of stellar, highly skilled women who not only share in the company's mission but are living it and breathing it themselves.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

As I went from small business entrepreneur to a scale startup entrepreneur, I realized quickly that the core competencies are consistent: vision, passion, communication, resiliency, discipline, self-reflection, positivity under pressure, and effective time management. However, the stakes felt bigger, and that felt weighty. And that weight was coupled with the hardest challenge I have found consistent in all of my entrepreneurial ventures - that so often, I feel as though I am carrying that weight alone. The good news is that there are many productive ways to curtail that heaviness. These can include having mentors (even if they are not in your business or even your industry) to surround yourself with people who believe in your mission - whether that be employees, colleagues, board members, or investors. Every once in a while, it is nice to feel like there are people out on the island with you. And also to remember to find assurance in the fact that, even when you are on that isolated island alone, it is the island you built.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Think big. One of the greatest mistakes I made as an early entrepreneur was thinking too small. Consider scalability in every vision and every business opportunity. Who is to say you can't be an agent of change on a grand scale in a business, in an entire industry, or in the global landscape at large?
  2. Maintain an abundance mentality. By craving learning and growth, by practicing gratitude and believing there is enough to go around - you will find your connections are richer, your options are more robust, and your potential is limitless. One of the most exciting ways I see this manifest in business is through growth hacking through engaging in partnerships to share audiences. Find others who are on the same moving train as you and go forward together. This can accelerate your speed to scale (refer back to tip #1).
  3. Organize your life and business to augment your priorities. I have found it vital as both a person and a professional to clearly map out my top five priorities. For example, if I define my top priority as my family (specifically my kids) and my business as number two - this offers me the power and permission to toggle between the two on any given day, week or month without associated regret or guilt. It provides me with direction over my decisions, sometimes even on an hour-by-hour basis. Further, as an entrepreneur, you may not have definitively carved out weekends or vacation days but embrace the autonomy and take control of your "down" time or "free" time by referring back to your priorities and reassessing them as needed. Allow yourself time away from work - it is difficult, but in the end, that time leads to increased creativity, productivity, and authenticity.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ibanking.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyadvani/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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