Growing up, Debra Ohstrom watched her single mom struggle with their money and it inspired her to pursue a career in finance. Now, 25 plus years of experience later, Debra still saw a lack of financial literacy support for women. The pandemic afforded her time to reflect on these issues, and she decided to start a business. “The statistics around women and money are heartbreaking to me when I know I can help change it and give women the confidence to take action and have a wonderful financial future,” she said.
Debra offers her clients courses and educational packages to guide them step by step toward financial independence. She also breaks down quarterly market research into a newsletter for women to stay updated on the latest trends. If you’re wondering where to start, you can sign up for Debra’s free training on having the right money mindset here or check out her workbook.
“The first thing that I do is make sure women realize financial education isn’t taught in college unless you are a finance major,” explained Debra. “This means they need to stop feeling embarrassed or ashamed that they don’t have the knowledge they need to start investing. There was no way they could have known.”
For women interested in investing in their future, her advice is to get started because it is never as scary or complicated as one might think. It is when women make that change to start and begin to grow their long-term financial security that is the most rewarding part of Debra’s job.
She hopes that in the future, she can write a book and increase her client base to help as many women as possible. Supporting her in this endeavor is her recent membership in the International Association of Women. Debra attended information events hosted by leading industry experts and connected with a global community of women.
“It is a great community of both corporate and entrepreneurial women. It is very supportive for everyone and my advice to other members is to get involved. There is so much to learn from these amazing experts,” she said.
Connect with Debra:
Want to find a community like Debra’s? IAW is open and waiting for women from all around the globe to join our community of professional women who want to expand their horizons just like you. Register for one of our weekly events, or find a local chapter near you to get started.
