Episode 004
Jennifer Kelly
“Just because you’re a woman does not mean you are relegated to serve.” In this episode, Jennifer Kelly shares the blunt, life-changing advice her father gave her on her first day in the corporate world.
Alice Tang talks with Jen about the realities of being a “Million Dollar Producer” while balancing the demands of motherhood. Jen reveals why she believes her journey might have been faster without the pull of family—but why she wouldn’t change the path she took. If you’ve ever felt like your industry wasn’t built for you, this conversation will give you the tools to build your own seat at the table.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How to set boundaries early in your career to avoid being “relegated”.
The importance of reading and continuous learning (even if it makes you sleepy!).
How to maintain focus and energy during high-volume periods in your industry.
"Hitting your first million-dollar mark reframes what's possible. You start to think about how you can expand your goals and how you can make those dreams bigger than what you once thought was achievable."
[00:00:00] Welcome to women’s million dollar conversations with Alice Tang, where we share stories from successful business women who have saved, earn or sold over a million dollars and discuss how they build their success and insights to help you achieve your goals. Now let’s join the conversation.
[00:00:20] Alice Tang: Hello, Jen, thank you so much for sitting down with us for the million dollar woman conversation, And share some insights so that we can empower the next generation of women to get that just like you do.
You bet.
[00:00:34] Alice Tang: How did it make you feel when you hit that million dollar income or when you know that, oh, all my effort altogether is a million. How does it make you feel?
[00:00:44] Jennifer Kelly: I think when I hit that mark, I was obviously enthused and excited and felt good about that.
And then started to think, okay, well, that’s where I am now, but clearly I’ve got quite a ways to go in my life and my profession. [00:01:00] So it reframes what’s possible. You know, when you hit that mark, All of a sudden you realize, okay, I’ve achieved that. So now what’s the next goal? What’s the next step? What else is possible? So that I think it just puts, your perspective at a different place. And you start to think about how you can expand your goals and how you can make those dreams and those goals bigger than what you once thought were possible.
Play How did you feel when you hit that million dollar income
[00:01:25] Alice Tang: Wow, as you talk about reframe what’s possible, I have a lot of goosebumps flowing through my body.
Good, what is the biggest bias you had faced on the path to success or facing the path to this goal?
[00:01:43] Jennifer Kelly: Honestly, I think when you say bias, my immediate thought is to go to gender.
You know, how is my gender impacted my professional progress? And I think it has to some degree. Not because my industry [00:02:00] so much is framed to really benefit a man versus a woman. Cause there are a lot of very successful women in my business. However, I think that playing the role of a parent, a mom pulled me out of work more often than it might have if I either was a person without children or, maybe a dad. And that’s very general statement because I know there are a lot of dads out there who do miss a lot of work and dedicate that time to their families and their kids. But I do think that that played , a role in my earnings and how quickly I achieved that million dollar mark.
It could have happened faster and sooner.
[00:02:42] Alice Tang: You are very humble and very kind, I am in the industry where I look at people’s finance. So I know that, there isn’t a lot of women in your position who can get to that million dollar in the timeframe you did.
Of course, there are people who do you know, who can [00:03:00] or did, but even for people who are single, no need to worry about a spouse. No pets or cats, you don’t need to go home and feed them and play with them. But still probably they choose to be at a place where they’re comfortable. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
[00:03:19] Jennifer Kelly: You’re absolutely right. I think that’s a good way to say it is one of my limits and I’m probably guilty of taking on too much to try to figure that out and finding it by, hitting that limit and saying, okay, no more. I can’t do any more, I think that the motherhood thing, is definitely something that influences, your trajectory in business and the timing of that trajectory.
[00:03:43] Alice Tang: Absolutely. So a quick side question. Do you have a team who support you, for you to get to that million dollars or you just do it by yourself or with only one assistant?
[00:03:53] Jennifer Kelly: I had one full-time assistant. And then in my line of work, we also have a person that’s in a [00:04:00] processor role.
So of course she definitely contributed to our success as a team. But that was it. It was the three of us and my processor was not exclusive to me. So it was Mark, my assistant, myself and then our processor who was dedicating herself to us and others. So it was a lot, and it was in the midst of, the craziness of COVID-19 and the volumes in this business were huge.
So it was definitely an opportunity to produce and do well financially, but it did tap into like every ounce of energy I think we had at the time.
[00:04:38] Alice Tang: Very good. What is the number one piece of advice that you would give to another woman who’s looking to get to their million dollar goal, whether it’s income, asset, or million dollar deal.
[00:04:52] Jennifer Kelly: I think that figuring out the why of what drives you and having that be front and center. I’ve been reading a lot [00:05:00] lately about visual cues and how our brains work and being able to see and visualize your goal or that end result that you’re trying to reach is really a powerful tool to getting there.
So I would say putting that in front of you, whether it’s a vision board or some other visual reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing, would be something that I would have adopted sooner in my career. Keep reading. I think that’s one thing that I have not done enough of is reading. It just has not been something I’ve prioritized in my business or personal life for a long time. Cause I feel like every time I pick up a book, I fall asleep, but it is so valuable. And, that’s something that I would advise other women to do early on in their careers.
[00:05:44] Alice Tang: Great. So you just mentioned the book. What is the name of the book that would have a relationship with the visualization or visual skills that you would recommend our audience to consider looking at or reading?
[00:05:57] Jennifer Kelly: Oh, I just finished this book called the training [00:06:00] camp by John Gordon and it’s an easy, read. It’s not anything difficult at all, but it told as like a fictional story about an athlete and his trials and tribulations and getting to where he wanted to be.
But it was a good reminder of just very simple ideas about how to get better and how to stay focused and how to keep your priorities front and center. So easy read, but I did think it was a good book.
[00:06:27] Alice Tang: Awesome. Last question. What is a piece of advice that you receive, whether very good or very bad that had a big impact to your life that you would like to share with our audience?
[00:06:39] Jennifer Kelly: So immediately, I know what I want to say, but it probably isn’t something that’s friendly to your audience. When I started my business career, it was straight out of college and I went to work at Merrill Lynch and like any of those big firms was very , male dominated and I was 22 and knew nothing. So my dad said to me,[00:07:00] I want you to practice saying one thing before you go to work for the first day.
Okay. And he said, I want you to practice saying get your own F -in coffee. And I was like, oh, ok. But it was, his message of saying just because you’re young, just because you’re a woman does not mean that you are relegated, to serve these other men in this office. This is about you and your career path. And that’s what you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. So, that quote and that little piece of advice has always stuck with me. Like my gender does not dictate, what I’m capable of doing or I won’t let that allow others to dictate what my professional goals and achievements are going to be.
[00:07:44] Alice Tang: Wow. That’s awesome. Well done, Jen. Thank you so much.
Jennifer has been in the mortgage industry since 2003. Before starting her career in Mortgage Lending, Jen was a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch with her Series 7, 66, & Insurance License. This frame of reference allows her to view a mortgage not just as a one-time transaction, but as one element of her client’s financial plan. She works with her clients to determine how best a mortgage can fit current & future financial goals and plans. Jennifer prides herself on working efficiently to minimize inconvenience for her clients and making the process as streamlined as can be. She communicates proactively so everyone involved knows where they are in the process. When Jennifer’s phone rings after 5 or on a weekend, she answers it!
Jennifer is a native Oregonian, a graduate of Beaverton High School & Pacific Lutheran University. She is an avid runner and has successfully completed 2 marathons, several Hood to Coast events and countless 1/2 marathons. When she isn’t running you can find Jennifer playing golf with her husband, at one of her kids’ sporting events, or gardening in the backyard of the home they share with their son, daughter, and niece.