Cheryl Holland '80 was an economics major at Bryn Mawr and is now the president and founder of Abacus Planning Group. In addition to her work, Cheryl is a trustee emeritus of the College.
Cheryl is returning to campus as part of the Career & Civic Engagement Center’s programming on Oct. 15, at noon via Zoom.
Holland and Lydia Walz '16 will talk with students about "Building a Career in Personal Finance." Students can learn more and register via Handshake. Students on campus are invited to a complimentary lunch from Uncommon Grounds and to come together in Campus Center 200 to join the Zoom call. Off-campus students can join remotely via Zoom.
In the below Q&A, Holland talks about finding her career passion, the value of attending a women's college, and more.
How did you get involved in your current field?
A long and winding path (I encourage career experimentation!). My first job after college was in econometric research, and I quickly realized that all left-brain work was not for me. After working in the Bryn Mawr admissions office for a year, I was the first female broker in a Merrill Lynch office. I enjoyed working with clients and advising on saving and investing but I was not a natural saleswoman. I heard a gentlemen speak on the future of financial advice where individuals charged a fee to advise clients rather than a commission and the proverbial light bulb went off in my head. I quit my brokerage job not longer after, obtained my certified financial planner designation, and began a journey to founding my own fee-only, wealth management firm in 1998, Abacus Planning Group. The best financial advisors are empathic problem-solvers who understand markets and taxes and psychology and put all this knowledge to work in service of others. I cherish having a career that marries left brain and right brain work every day.
What part of your Bryn Mawr experience has been most important to your professional development?
All successful investors must be able to think critically, analytically, and globally. We all know that’s a day in the life at Bryn Mawr. When advising others on how to invest, skilled communication is a must: writing, speaking, and the visual display of quantitative information are all tools that an advisor uses each day, which I mastered at Bryn Mawr. I am grateful for the many professors who assigned challenging reading, marked my papers with copious red ink, and kept me inspired to push myself to the next level. And, although the classroom reigned supreme, the chance to experiment with student leadership, the opportunity to listen and learn from friends from around the world, and work in the dining room kitchen with men and women who kept the students fed, built my character and values in ways that shape who I am to this very day.
What career advice do you have for current Bryn Mawr students?
Take risks!
What made you choose to attend Bryn Mawr?
In the '70s in South Carolina, being a vocal brainiac was not a cherished archetype. I was eager to attend a rigorous women’s college and I am grateful for that opportunity to this day.