Highlighting Inspiring Women: She gives time and talent

Throughout March, which is Women’s History Month, the Times-Register is again publishing a series of articles highlighting local women. Whether it’s through their careers, hobbies, volunteer efforts or unique personalities, these women have inspired others.

By Audrey Posten | Times-Register

When Amanda Schneider graduated from North Fayette Valley in 2009, she admittedly didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. She even joked about becoming a truck driver, the laughter often distracting people from their questioning.

But as she left home for Cedar Rapids, some reassuring words from her father stuck with her. He said, ‘Well, one of three things is going to happen, Amanda. You’re gonna go and you’re gonna love it or you’re gonna go and you’re gonna move to a bigger city. Or you’re gonna come back home. And any of those are gonna be fine. Just know that wherever you’re going, you can do whatever you want to do.’” 

“What he meant was don’t be afraid to take the next step. Whatever you choose, there will be opportunity there,” Amanda said. 

Little did she know that, nearly a decade later, an invitation from her financial advisor father to join him and help grow the business would bring her back to the area and into a fulfilling life reflected through career, community volunteerism, family and faith.

“I get a little emotional thinking about it now,” Amanda shared.

Amanda was working in commercial insurance at the time and had never been a financial advisor. So she joined the Women’s Leadership Alliance (WLA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by a group of leading female financial planning professionals from around the country. The alliance seeks to attract more women into the financial planning industry, changing the conversation regarding women in the field while providing impactful resources and empowerment. 

She joined a six-month mentor program as a mentee, where she worked on specific business development goals. 

“It was a transformational experience for me as a young financial advisor,” Amanda reflected. “The mentorship I received truly shifted the way I approached my business, both with client work and managing my team.” 

She also became close friends with her mentor, a successful financial advisor in the San Francisco area. 

Early on, Amanda also worked to grow her clientele. She recalled door knocking all of Elkader twice. Joining a community organization would help too, she thought.

A Google search steered Amanda toward the Elkader Area Chamber of Commerce (EACC) and welcoming coordinator Ann Gibney, whom Amanda calls another important mentor. Amanda joined the EACC board in early 2020 and became its president nearly two years later. 

“Once you realize what it takes to make a volunteer organization happen, how can you not want to do more?” she said. “It was so much fun. I met so many awesome people and have had the privilege to have relationships with not just community members, but business owners.”

Around the same time Amanda assumed the EACC presidency, she also joined the board for the Elkader Childcare and Learning Center. Both her daughters attended, and she wanted to learn more about how the center operated and how it benefitted the community.

“That was like being shot out of a cannon, understanding what it takes to run a daycare organization,” described Amanda. “It was post-pandemic, and like many businesses, childcare—the entire industry—just got slammed in the worst ways possible. I got really involved very quickly, putting together different capital campaigns and talking to people about how there was an opportunity to be a bigger resource. I feel really proud of that work.”

Amanda spent four years on the board. Now, with her daughters both in school, she’s letting others lead and learn. It’s the same at the EACC, where Amanda recently transitioned off the board. 

Currently, Amanda serves on the board of Illyria Community Church, but has paused other organizational involvement in the community for the next year. She said reclaiming her time after so many years of activity has felt strange—and a bit emotional.

“I got involved to get to know people, to be part of a community, and I had that opportunity. It’s just time for somebody else now,” Amanda said. “And it wasn’t ever just me. I’m very fortunate to have a very understanding husband and girls who get enthusiastic about being social. They were involved in just about everything I was, so it’s time to give them a little bit of a break as well.”

Amanda is grateful to the Elkader community who welcomed her family’s involvement. Her daughters attended board meetings, put together informational packets and set up for events. They saw firsthand, she said, “that it takes work to have the community you want. That is a really important message and one I don’t think I set out to teach. But now my almost 9 year old understands someone’s got to do it. You’ve got to show up to get what you want.” 

In addition to her family, Amanda plans to focus more on work. In 7.5 years, she’s enjoyed forging relationships and growing her career from a desk in her dad’s West Union office to a full-time Foundations Wealth Partners location in Elkader.

“I’m very fortunate to be in this role and to work with the clients we do. We’ve got people who are seniors in high school who are hearing in their financial literacy course about what they should be doing, and you’ve got people who are my stage of life—middle 30s to 40s—and life’s happening fast. Then, there are people who are making sure their wills and beneficiaries are updated. It is very humbling working with those various stages of life and seeing what differences you can make in this role,” Amanda shared.

Amanda continues to be involved with WLA as well. She now chairs the Midwest Regional Circle of the organization, collaborating on advocacy projects with female financial advisors across the Midwest. Knowing she would have more time in her working days, Amanda also decided to give back to the mentor program—this time as a mentor. 

“I have the pleasure of mentoring a bright young financial advisor in Santa Barbara, Calif.,” she said. “The program has kicked off in a great way and I am blessed to be a small part of her career trajectory.”

Amanda encourages others to get involved and find a network that lifts you up. 

“If you have a little bit of time, a little bit of talent and a little bit of compassion, there are so many opportunities out there to not just better yourself, but to better another woman. Whether it is professionally or personally, there are like minded people who want to come together to elevate one another,” she advised.

No matter your stage in life, Amanda said you shouldn’t feel pressure to fit into a “defined role every single moment. Because life is always changing.”

Moving forward, she hopes to make a lasting impact on those in her life—especially her young daughters, who she’s raising to be bold, productive little citizens of the world. 

Amanda is also grateful for those who have left a lasting impact on her life. 

“It’s not just me when people see Amanda. I want people to know there’s a whole lot of people behind me who have created who I am and will continue to foster me through the next stages of life,” she said.