Broker Check

Meet a Westshore professional that came from another career

Cindy Stenberg

Cindy Stenberg

A teacher for 16 years, Cindy Stenberg attended Clearwater Christian College majoring in Math and Kinesiology. She has been married to her husband Matthew for 18 years and has three kids. Cindy was introduced to Westshore through a friend and was attracted to the career because of her desire for a flexible schedule and opportunity of income with no limits.

  • What is the best part of a career as financial professional?

    The best part about being a financial professional is that I still get to do what I love- educate! Instead of teaching kids, I enlighten adults on financial success. This is something I never personally had growing up, so it excites me that I get to share my knowledge with others and give them a jump start to financial success.

  • What is the most important quality/skill that has made you successful?

    One of the most critical skills you can have as a financial professional is organization. Without that I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s also about personal and social skills. Being a financial professional is about being part of a social scene. Its knowing people and being willing to network and make connections anywhere at any time. Ultimately, caring about people and their finances is what gets you far. If this business was strictly about sales, we wouldn’t be professionals, we would be salespeople.

  • What is the most surprising part of being a financial professional?

    Before I became a financial professional, I assumed that everyone with a high income had good financial habits. However, I quickly found out that this happens to not be the case, whatsoever. I shocked me to see people with high income had nothing to show for it. This is when I really learned that a lot of people choose to live paycheck to paycheck, not securing their families financially.

  • Before you started in this career, what did you think was going to be the best part of being a financial professional?

    While being a teacher I never had really considered another career. After 15 years, I became anxious to have a more flexible schedule and started looking for another job. I have always loved math so I knew that was going to be something I would potentially enjoy about this career. It wasn’t until after I began that I realized that I could continue teaching other things that I am passionate about, while doing things I am good at. Organizing people and setting them up for success are some of the best parts of my job.

  • If you could go back 10 years, what advice would you give yourself as a new FR?

    If I could give myself any advice, it would be start early. I was a teacher because I loved helping others learn. I also had kids of my own so I always thought that teaching was the only profession that would allow me to have a schedule that worked best with theirs. If I would have known that I could still be teaching others on my own time, I would have changed professions years ago. Not only that, but the fact that my work gets to determine my salary instead of being limited to a set amount is unmatched. If I could go back ten years, I would tell myself a to make the change to take back control of my career.

  • Where do you see your career in 5 years? In 10 years?

    In five years, I hope to have an assistant to help me with all the back-office work. I also hope to have found a niche industry to focus on, allowing me to specialize and grow my business. There is even a possibility that one day I am able to bring my kids into my own practice, providing them with a career as well.

  • Compare the career path you would have had in another career vs. the opportunity you have as an FR

    My career as a Financial professional  is like climbing a mountain, its only uphill from where I sit now. The support that I have from others at this firm is incredible. To have people that are really giving of time and mental resources is such a blessing. Because of that, I have been able to grow quickly since starting with Westshore. Those involved with leadership are always willing to help, hosting weekly trainings and offering support at any time.