Blue Ocean Life Nation Interview Series: Jennifer Aube

Jennifer Aube Blue Ocean Life interview

Thank you for sharing your story with us. What is your professional background? How did you end up with this career?  

From 2006-2012, I owned a consulting business where I worked with schools to help children with disabilities access the curriculum through assistive technologies.  Through my consultative role, I was able to truly help people reach their goals and take them from where they were to where they wanted to be through assistive technologies.  It was rewarding to work with families and schools along with the kids I was supporting to make dreams come true.

In 2012 I entered the field of financial services.  My father was a financial advisor and I saw that he was helping people pursue their goals and strive for their dreams through his role as a financial advisor.  It seemed like a good fit for me, as I would be doing similar work with different products.    I had four small children, and changing to this new career was a better fit for me at the time.

Since then, I have grown in my business. I develop deep relationships with clients as I help them pursue their goals, plan their legacy, and invest their assets in a way that aligns with their goals and dreams.

I am passionate about financial planning and helping clients manage the curveballs that come their way throughout the lifespan.  I enjoy increasing my knowledge and skill set and have achieved the credentials of   CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Chartered Financial Consultant®. 

In 2021, I became the author of Naked Wealth.  Naked Wealth is a passion project to get families talking about money, money values, and legacy planning in a non-threatening way.  I realized that people don’t want to speak with strangers about money.  Naked Wealth is a way that people can approach the topic, open the book, work through it, and begin having conversations prior to or alongside working with a financial advisor and other professionals. 

Throughout my career as an advisor, it is my mission to get people having meaningful conversations with their family and friends.   Life is full of curveballs.  Divorce, premature death, illness, injury, change of goals, dreams and plans.    How do you live a life of happiness and balance NOW- while also preparing yourself for the future?  The curveballs are inevitable. Being derailed is not.  But it all started with getting naked….

What does that even mean?  It means having the right conversations with right people in your life, taking that deep dive to be truly known and truly safe doing so. ….. I can show you how to plan for the life of your dreams, keep your family thriving for generations to come, and unburden the people you love the most in the event of the unthinkable.

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I help people develop a healthy money mindset and have conversations of Naked Wealth

I am a contributing author for a book while at my previous firm with New York Times Best Selling Author, Sharon Lechter.

In 2021, I began hosting the Naked Wealth Podcast; available on Amazon Music/ Spotify/ Apple.

I have been featured in Authority Magazine and US News and World Report, Fem founder, and Medium.com.

How did you begin your remote work journey? Where do you see yourself in the next year? What tips do you have for others who are working remotely?

I began working remotely at the beginning of COVID-19.  I was accustomed to working 90% of my time face to face with clients in my office and 10% on web conference. 

Throughout the COVID period, I realized the power of working remotely and having access and proficiency on web conferencing software. Being licensed in several states, I could hold meetings with clients across the country and be able to engage in the same depth of conversation that I could in the office. Through the use of technology, I was also able to loop in other professionals such as CPA’s and attorneys.   Everyone has a busy schedule and we could hold a conference without the need for drive time.  

The biggest challenge with working remotely is that you have to be disciplined with time management.  If you are not organized, you could find an hour has passed scrolling through Facebook or watching a show on Netflix. 

I use a combination of Andy Frisella’s Power List and Jason Selk’s “Organize Tomorrow Today” to stay on track.  I have a book that I fill out before I go to bed.  On the left, it has time blocks where I can enter my schedule. On the right side, I write down my top 3-5 activities that have to get done the next day.   I know that if I complete the 3-5 top activities, that I can finish my day and feel like I won the day.    Every day something comes up that throws me off course.  A client emergency, a child sick from school, etc.    I know that at some point in the day, I have to complete those tasks.   These are also tasks that can be completed during school pick up lines, when a client cancels, etc.      Using my time wisely has allowed me to be successful throughout working remotely.

I am currently working in the office about 50% of the time. 

Moving forward, I see myself maintaining a work life integration where I work 50% remote and 50% at the office. I have a vacation home in another state. I enjoy the flexibility to break away, clear my mind, and yet still conduct appointments and work when I am away from the office at my vacation home. 

What is your self-care routine and how do you find time to integrate it into your daily life?

My self care routine starts with an early morning.  I wake at 4:45am on weekdays.   Once I wake up, I spend 20 minutes in prayer and meditation, I get in a 30 minute workout, read 10 pages in a self development or business related book, and then start my breakfast.

I use anytime I have left to empty the dishwasher or start a load of laundry.   Starting my day before the rest of the family is awake allows me to take  some “me time” before anything is asked of me or my time.  I find I am in a better head space when I take this time out for myself.

Other self care things that I do include walks when the weather is nice, having my hair done, spending time with my husband biking and walking and boating in Florida.  

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Putting yourself first is important to your overall wellness. Given this, what are your best holistic wellness tips?

Never say you “don’t have the time” for fitness or wellness.   Taking the time to eat a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner are not “luxuries”, they should be treated as necessities.   If you don’t start with a healthy inside you cannot expect to be healthy on the outside.     I hear a lot of times from people that they don’t eat healthy because they “just need something quick”.    If you are always rushing around, plan tomorrow today.   Pack healthy snacks that are quick and easy to eat on the go.  Hard boiled eggs, almonds, grapes, cheese, etc. are all easy grab items that will fill you up on the go.    I use Icon Meals for lunches at home or the office. Icon Meals are prepared meals with measured out Macro’s.   I pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and have a pre portioned healthy lunch.     Fueling your body is critical to productivity and wellness.  

Taking care of your body through physical exercise should also be a priority.   A 30 minute walk at lunch, waking up 30 minutes earlier, or even 15 minutes on the end of each day is do-able for almost anyone.  We always make excuses to let ourselves off the hook from that thing that will take that next step of effort. 

Wellness is 360 degrees.  Take the time. Make the time.  If you don’t prioritize you, who will?

What was the toughest challenge you faced during your career?
How did you get through that period? What advice for people dealing with similar difficulties?

The toughest challenge I faced was finding my purpose.  Often we “default” into a career by nature of a lack of direction, family, societal pressure, or other factors.   We tend to live our lives in our early years being tossed by the waves and doing well where we are planted, instead of fully thriving and achieving our purpose in a place we choose to be; in a career we intentionally enter.  Life circumstances and curveballs can also cause us to default into a place we never intended to be. 

Once I found my purpose, I had to pivot and move in the direction of it.    Moving out of my comfort zone and into the unknown was scary.  I heard once, that every time we feel butterflies in our stomach there’s usually something amazing on the other side, we just have to get through it first.    I find that to be true in most cases.  Don’t expect a cheering crowd.  Your friends and family know you as the “former you”.   It may seem weird or like you have gotten something into your head that is a mid life crisis,  or some rendition of that. That is their fear talking as well as the unknown.  

When I have found myself standing on the precipice of a change or the unknown, I lean into those who have walked the path I have walked. I find a coach or mentor who can help me through the emotions that I will go through during the transition. 

Mental health and feeling good are crucial to maximizing performance. How do you prioritize your mental health?

We have all heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.  If you don’t have your basic needs met, you cannot achieve self actualization.   I believe that if you are spending your energy on worrying about what other people think, trying to please everyone, or spending hours riddled with anxiety, you are missing your mission.

It is vital to have a friend, professional counselor, business coach or mentor who can help you sort through your “head trash”.  There is no shame in it. We all have it.  Life beats us up.  We have baggage.  We may have chemical imbalances.  Whatever the case may be, just as it is important to do exercise regularly for physical health, mental health is also imperative. 

Before the pandemic hit, you may have worked in an office or corporate setting, but what do you foresee happening now? How do you see companies allowing employees to work post-pandemic?

I anticipate that companies will allow more work flexibility than before the pandemic, however it will likely depend on the field of work.   Doctors, therapists, financial advisors, attorneys, etc., I think will work remotely more than ever before.   For some professions, technology increases efficiency and safety for some.  

That said, knee to knee, face to face interactions are still very valuable and cannot be fully replicated in a virtual setting.  I believe that companies will settle into a new “post pandemic normal” that looks different than ever before.

If you could have lunch with one person in the world, who would it be and why? 

Abraham of the Bible.  I have always been amazed that he climbed that mountain with his son, Isaac to sacrifice him, trusting the whole while that it would be “ok”.  I cannot imagine what faith like that would be like and would love to get into his head, have a chat and understand how he had such strong faith that he would take those steps.

If you could inspire a movement, what would it be and why?

Working with young people to move them into their adult life with confidence, clarity of purpose, and feeling equipped for life financially would be a movement I would like to inspire.  There are self help and business networking groups that assume the basics are known.  Information about credit, finding purpose, understanding money and basic investment principles are assumed.  Young adults jump into mortgages, credit card debt, car payments, jobs, marriages without really exploring who they are on their own and equipping themselves with a toolbelt that will set them up with the skills they need to succeed.

Please list your social media handles so we can tag you.

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-wironen-aube/

Facebook: www.business.facebook.com/WironenAubeWealthManagement/

Website: wawm.lplfinancial.com

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC

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