Month: August 2023

Originally published on principal.com

Kimberly Etchings has never been afraid to take risks. 

From finding her own way to attend a college she’d never visited across the country, to building her own financial advising firm, to taking two years off to reevaluate her career, Etchings has never led with fear. And so far, it’s led her to success. 

“I can look back and say, yes, every time that I’ve either paused or took a risk, it has proven to be the right decision,” Etchings says.

It’s this risk-taking confidence that landed her a regional managing director role—leading an effort to build a financial advisor network from the ground up—at Principal® nearly 10 years ago. And what drove her to rise in the ranks to a national vice president with the company just six years later.

Starting from scratch

Growing up in Boston, Etchings was surrounded by a big family with a lot of love and little means. After her parents’ divorce, Etchings watched her mom work three jobs—never complaining. 

“A big motivator for me early on in life was making sure that she never had to worry,” Etchings says, “and that I never had to depend on anybody else financially.”

Without money for a plane ticket, Etchings found her own way to university, arranging rides from Boston to Tuscan, Arizona, with friends and family. An avid athlete fascinated by how the body works, she began her college career studying nutrition biochemistry. But after being approached by an acquaintance who worked in the financial industry, she shifted her focus to financial advising. 

“I’m so grateful for him because he saw something in me that never would have been on my radar.” Etchings says.

After graduating, Etchings worked for eight years as a financial advisor under a corporation before deciding to go out on her own as an advisor in the Tucson area. Hustling for a couple years, it was clear to Etchings that for greater opportunity, she’d have to move. So, she packed up for Los Angeles, leaving behind her book of business, knowing she’d again be starting from scratch. 

“I took that risk and networked nonstop,” Etchings says. “And that’s when I started to build out my team, brought in two business partners, and then we started to grow and built out a team of 11.” 

As business hummed along, Etchings relocated to Boston and managed her practice flying from coast to coast monthly. Eventually, it caught up to her. “I kind of lost my passion for the day to day of being an advisor,” Etchings says.

“After about nine months of hemming and hawing about what I wanted to do, I sold my book of business to my partners, and I took some time off.” 

Etchings gave herself a strict timeline—no less than six months and no more than 24 months—to figure out how to translate her passions to her next career. 

Was she scared? Sure, she was worried about being able to connect to and find her purpose. But did she fear that she wouldn’t be successful? Absolutely not.  

Focusing on long-term potential 

After about two years of reflection and conversations with her business coach, Etchings realized her passion: leadership. She cold called a financial company and earned a leadership position. It was a huge financial step backward, “but I knew that if I took that risk, and I doubled down and just believed in what I could accomplish, ultimately I’d get to where I want to go,” Etchings says. And she did.

Through this success, Principal got Etchings’ name and tapped her to help build and lead a group of advisors in the New England area. Understanding she was stepping into another career gamble with no immediate financial upside, Etchings wanted to make sure she got to know the people she’d be working with. 

Talking to her potential future colleagues, Etchings says, “I remember thinking there was one person that was there for less than 15 years—only one. And I thought, wow, Principal must be doing something right if all these people are still here.”

Etchings took the job on one condition: If she delivered on the expectations, she’d be given the opportunity to take on more.  

“I delivered after two years. And to the company’s credit, I was asked to take on a regional vice president role,” Etchings says. “Two years after that, I was promoted to national vice president.”

Etchings credits her ability to see past the short term as a key factor in her success. 

“The short-term decisions really can help dictate that long-term growth,” Etchings says. “And I feel like a lot of people step over dollars to pick up dimes because they’re more concerned about immediate gratification versus the opportunity to look at what a future opportunity can be.”

Creating more equal opportunity 

Etchings’ success is somewhat of an anomaly in the financial world. If not educated by an acquaintance all those years ago, Etchings says, she may have never even known about financial advising as a career possibility. 

And even with this exposure, Etchings recalls being the only female and one of only three out of 32 trainees in her class who successfully became licensed to practice. “There was always something fundamentally outdated in bringing people on,” she says. 

So, Etchings and colleagues created the Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship within the Principal Financial Network, a program designed to create an additional runway for diverse financial advisor candidates. 

“We need to create opportunities and a pathway to bring people into the industry so they can help create financial stability for individuals and families from all different backgrounds,” Etchings says. 

She thinks about her own family and the difference a financial advisor could’ve made for them. Getting out ahead despite this is “gratifying for sure,” Etchings says. But that doesn’t mean she’s satisfied. 

“I’m always looking at what impact I can make next,” she says.

Find a career that fits your skills and passions at principal.com/careers.

Disclosures and compliance number
​Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Company (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®, and the companies available through the Preferred Product Network, Inc. Securities and advisory products offered through Principal Securities, Inc. Member SIPC. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392. Kimberly Etchings, Principal National and Principal Life Financial Representative, Principal Securities Registered Representative and Financial Advisor. 

Principal®, Principal Financial Group®, and Principal and the logomark design are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a Principal Financial Group company, in the United States and are trademarks and service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., in various countries around the world.

3017860-072023

Originally published by Walgreens Boots Alliance

Some days, she can hold her baby and dance with him to music. On other days, she can barely lift her infant son.

Sometimes she can handle simple tasks like grocery shopping and cooking, while other times she can’t get out of bed and needs days of rest.

This is how Alana Schreiber, 27, describes having a dynamic disability in a recent social media post. She explains that a dynamic disability means her symptoms are unpredictable, and the severity of those symptoms can change from day to day or even hour by hour.

“Just because you see someone do something one day, doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with it at other times,” she says.

Schreiber’s post specifically mentions Disability Pride Month, but she shares updates from her health journey year-round with more than 100,000 combined followers on Instagram and TikTok. Schreiber also shares tips and tricks she’s learned along the way, including how Walgreens helps her stay on track.

Discovering a diagnosis

Even though she’s dealt with health issues for most of her life, Schreiber didn’t get any concrete diagnoses until a few years ago. She had frequent constipation and unexplained allergic reactions as a child. Then, chronic back and neck pain became an issue following a car accident when she was 12.

“I spent my childhood and adolescence feeling othered and different,” she says. Her inability to participate in sports or even a sleepover because of her chronic pain made her feel left out and alone.

Schreiber continued to deal with erratic pain, nausea and headaches when she hit a breaking point in 2019. She had just started a new job when she “lost the ability to eat.”

Doctors couldn’t figure out the problem and put her on anti-anxiety medications, which didn’t help.

“It was like I had a flu that just never went away,” she says.

She was in and out of the hospital for months until a tenacious gastroenterologist determined Schreiber had gastroparesis, a partial paralysis of the stomach. A few months after this diagnosis, she had her first feeding tube placed due to malnourishment.

While trying to navigate living with gastroparesis, Schreiber eventually received two more diagnoses: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) as well as mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). POTS is a condition where a person gets headaches, fatigue and dizziness, among other things, when transitioning from lying down to standing up. MCAS is still a relatively unknown condition but occurs when a person experiences repeated episodes of anaphylaxis, or extreme allergy symptoms, without a clear cause.

While her medication regimen keeps most of her symptoms in check, hormonal changes, stress and environmental factors—like something as small as exposure to a scented candle—can cause Schreiber’s symptoms to bubble up.

But she says there’s a lot to be grateful for: being tube-free for a year and a half, getting pregnant and breastfeeding her baby, and sharing her journey with an online community that keeps her going.

Online community sharing and support

Schreiber’s friends initially encouraged her to share her health journey on social media, so when she did, she was surprised to learn that not many people knew about her conditions.

“I realized how many people didn’t know that you can look ‘normal’ but still have a lot going on. I’m redefining how people think about chronic illness, disability and medical devices,” she says. “Then, I realized there’s a community of people online who understand what I’m going through, too.”

So it’s a two-way street: Schreiber shares her health journey online and the community offers her support and education.

“I’ve learned just so much about the disabled community and my illness community, and I feel like I’m learning to be a better person, too,” she says.

One thing she’s recently shared with her followers is how the Walgreens app has helped her manage her conditions. From scheduling same-day delivery of her prescriptions to the medication reminder tool, she takes advantage of all the app’s services.

The app’s Pharmacy Chat even helped Schreiber discover that an over-the-counter medication was causing a reaction with one of her daily prescriptions.

“I was feeling nauseous and vomiting, and could not figure out what was going on,” she says, and then decided on a whim to try Pharmacy Chat, a 24/7 online feature that allows patients to chat with a Walgreens pharmacy team member. After typing in the medications she was taking, the expert said one of her medications, when mixed with ibuprofen, could cause vomiting.

“It saved me a call and a trip to my GI doctor,” she says.

So what’s next for Schreiber? She’s moving from Seattle back to California, her home state—something she’s sure to update her followers on soon. To those who are struggling, Schreiber says to keep going and find joy where you can.

“Living with a dynamic disability is a roller coaster. It’s up and down, and can be really confusing,” she says. “Just try riding the ride.”

Looking to get prescription medications delivered your door like Schreiber? Walgreens is offering free Same Day Prescription Delivery through September 25 at stores nationwide.

STAMFORD, Conn., August 22, 2023 /3BL/ – Webster Bank announced that Kelly Giordano has joined the Bank as Managing Director of Philanthropy. She is a member of the Office of Corporate Responsibility team which oversees the Bank’s $6.5 billion, multi-year Community Investment Strategy.

In her role, Giordano will manage the Bank’s philanthropic strategy, grantmaking programs and community sponsorships. She also will manage the Webster Bank Charitable Foundation’s activities and lead bankwide initiatives including the Bank’s award-winning United Way Workplace Campaign.

“Kelly brings tremendous experience to Webster having served in corporate philanthropy senior positions at Newman’s Own and Lehman Brothers,” said Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer. “We look forward to leveraging Kelly’s expertise for Webster’s philanthropic and community engagement efforts across our footprint.”

Giordano has nearly 25 years of experience in the philanthropy, nonprofit and finance/corporate sectors. Most recently, she worked as a consultant for Wellness in the Schools and Connecticut Public Broadcasting. Previously, she was Managing Director for more than 10 years with Newman’s Own Foundation, where she directed the organization’s global grants budget for the 100% profits-to-charity consumer packaged goods business. Earlier in her career, Giordano served as a vice president in the Corporate Philanthropy group at Lehman Brothers and Assistant Treasurer of The Lehman Brothers Foundation. While there, she developed and managed the firm’s Employee Giving Campaign and Nonprofit Board Placement program.

Giordano earned a bachelor’s degree in economics/finance and Spanish from Bucknell University. She is a former board member of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy and former Vice Chair of Norwalk Education Foundation.

About Webster

Webster Bank (“Webster”) is a leading commercial bank in the Northeast that provides a wide range of digital and traditional financial solutions across three differentiated lines of business: Commercial Banking, Consumer Banking and its HSA Bank division, one of the country’s largest providers of employee benefits solutions. Headquartered in Stamford, CT, Webster is a values-driven organization with $75 billion in assets. Its core footprint spans the northeastern U.S. from New York to Massachusetts, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including our latest annual report, please visit our About page. To find our latest press releases, visit the Webster Newsroom.

Contact Information:

Media Contact:
Elaine K. Ficarra
eficarra@websterbank.com
203.913.2716

Investor Contact:
Emlen Harmon
eharmon@websterbank.com
212.309.7646

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On Friday August 18, 2023, KeyBank held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for its new, full-service, state-of-the-art branch in Downtown Ithaca. The new branch is located at 604 South Meadow Street and several leaders from KeyBank and the Ithaca community attended the celebration.

As part of the grand opening, the KeyBank Foundation donated $10,000 to Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca. This grant will help the organization provide a wide range of services that include mental health care to children, adults, families, and seniors, EAP services to more than 50 local businesses, targeted outreach to vulnerable youth and other community members in need of support, and community education to professionals and the general public.

“We are excited about the opportunity this new branch provides for us to deepen the strong relationships we have in the Ithaca community,” said Steve Fournier, KeyBank Central New York Market President. “This new branch is yet another way KeyBank is investing in Central New York. We look forward to meeting and working more closely with our new neighbors, clients and community partners.”

In addition to high-touch banking services, this new state-of-the-art branch offers full-service banking capabilities, features digital video screens and a client hospitality area that can double as an area for financial seminars and group presentations with clients and the public, as well as a drive-up teller line, ATM and free parking. Longtime banker Spencer Nicoson is serving as branch manager at the new location.

“KeyBank’s new branch in Ithaca is uniquely designed to give our clients a more personal banking experience, with even better access to a full suite of products and services,” said Nicoson. “We are excited to bring this more consultative approach to Ithaca and demonstrate our commitment to helping our clients move forward on their financial journey.”

In addition to helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals, the new Ithaca branch is also serving clients seeking to develop and grow businesses in the area.

As part of the opening of this new branch, KeyBank consolidated its branches located at 300 North Tioga Street and 2315 North Triphammer Road into the new location on South Meadow Street. The facility on North Tioga Street was sold to Tompkins County in 2022 and temporarily leased back by KeyBank. The North Tioga Street property is currently being considered for a Tompkins County Center of Government facility.

Since 2017, KeyBank has made more than $599 million in investments in Central New York, supporting affordable housing and community development projects; small business and home lending to low-to-moderate income individuals and communities, and transformative philanthropy.

Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

ABOUT KEYBANK

KeyBank’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $195 billion at June 30, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

CFMA #230710-2158288

This summer, record-setting heat waves have impacted life and work around the globe. And although drought and wildfires are often the most visible results of climate change, the most dangerous climate threat to humans is heatstroke.

So how can climate technology help humans stay safe and healthy on a warming planet?

“The impact of weather conditions on people is very different,” says Kurt Schickman of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. “But you don’t have to get on an airplane to find these disparate impacts from heat in people’s lives. This is not just around the world, it’s around the corner.”

In this episode of Healthy Spaces, host Dominique Silva speaks with two climate innovators who are rapidly implementing climate solutions that help protect people – and their livelihoods – from extreme heat.

Listen to the full episode to learn how Kurt Schickman and Arsht-Rock are developing global strategies to make our communities and buildings more heat resilient; and how Rohith BL and Trane Technologies are innovating to protect workers and the food supply in India from rising temperatures.

Guests:

Kurt Schickman, Director of Extreme Heat Initiatives at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center 
Rohith BL, Director of Innovation at Trane Technologies 
Host: Dominique Silva, Innovation Initiatives Leader, Trane Technologies

Subscribe: Find all episodes on your favorite podcast platforms: 
Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
Google Podcasts

Learn more about the Healthy Spaces with Trane Technologies podcast.