AWD Impact | Wholesaling Diversity

Impact

AWD Members explain what it feels like to attend AWD meetings with like-minded professionals, receive support from people who understand workplace diversity issues, and be a part of an association that seeks to give back to the community directly with education and indirectly with excellence.

Who is an AWD Member?

All Black financial services intermediary distribution Interns, Trainees, Internal Wholesalers, Hybrids, External Wholesalers, Strategic Accounts, Advanced Markets (and Managers of all of the above) are AWD Members!

Black students considering or seeking to enter the financial services intermediary distribution industry are also afforded AWD Membership. If they ultimately choose an alternate career path, their provisional membership comes to an end.

AWD Members enjoy business networking, community outreach with minority youth, monthly virtual meetings, workshops, resume & business plan evaluation, and job search support plus mentorship, introductions, camaraderie, and (when we can gather in person again) annual conferences consisting of speakers, best practices, sales ideas, recognition, value-added content and dinner together.

"The Association for Wholesaling Diversity has played a tremendous role in my financial career. From the moment I met Marlōn Hall and joined AWD I knew I was in good hands. This organization has taught me how to be the best financial professional I can be. One thing that stuck out the most for me is that everyone in the organization is invested in educating the next generations to come. Diversity and inclusion are at the top of the organization’s agenda, and AWD will not stop until its footprint has reached every African – American wholesaler in the industry.

When I joined the Association for Wholesaling Diversity, I was fresh out of college, I had no resume, and my interview skills needed work. Multiple members of the group reached out to me and helped me get started. This organization got me connected with recruiters and different companies across the country. Marlōn helped me create my resume and took me under his wing and taught me how to conduct myself in an interview. This training was so good that after I finished all my interviews, I had jobs lined up to hire me. That most mind-blowing fact about it all was that it only took me one full month to land a job.

Once I got my job, AWD made sure I was equipped to be the best internal wholesaler I could be. We had monthly zoom meetings where I was taught sales skills, how to navigate the workplace, and they also helped me study for my licenses. I took everything this organization taught me and applied it to my work. These skills were so beneficial in my career that I got two promotions and a total increase of $10,000 to my salary in less than one year. Joining the Association for Wholesaling Diversity was the best thing I did for my career. I want is to make sure the next up and coming African – American wholesaler has the same opportunity that AWD presented to me."

-Koran Jordan

AWD team and family, I am so thankful for our organization and leadership team. The Thanksgiving and Christmas season allows for some much-needed rest, relaxation, and reflection time. As I sit and think about this year, it’s clear that AWD was instrumental in my successes. There are three ways AWD contributed to my successes in 2021; first through access to development materials, secondly through shared success stories, and lastly through access to the best wholesalers in our business.

More specifically, I believe that AWD has helped me expand my skills and abilities, which lead to a new wholesaling position at the Capital Group/American Funds. Also, I earned the number one position at my previous firm from a percent to goal measurement. AWD is the most important organization for wholesalers from diverse communities. I believe that our membership, our leadership team, and our mission is imperative to my and other wholesalers’ careers. Thanks, AWD for all you do!

-Corey Tyson