Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez, The First Gen Mentor
October 11th, 2021
Giovanna “Gigi” is a first generation American, first generation college graduate, and first generation professional. She quit her 9-5 in investment management to become a full time content creator on TikTok, a financial education instructor, and an aspiring author.
In this feature, Gigi shares her key learnings from her first role, how she navigated a career transition and joining a new company, skills needed to succeed in Finance, and her founding The First Gen Mentor. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.
Early Career
After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, you worked at Progressive Insurance for 3 and ½ years. What key learnings did you take from your first role?
I’m very thankful for my time at Progressive. Although being a claims adjuster didn’t exactly align well with my long term career goals, I learned a basic life skill- how to handle a car insurance claim. You’d be surprised how many grown adults clam up when it comes to dealing with a car accident (lawyers, doctors, etc). I also learned what it felt like to work for a company that had an established training process and performance metrics. Although it wasn’t my forever job, I worked with some amazing people, some who are still my best friends to this day! My one regret is I wish I would have switched to a job that used my degree sooner. I got comfortable and should have probably pivoted after 1-2 years.
In 2014, you started an Analyst role in Private Equity at TorreyCove Capital Partners. How did you know you were ready for a career pivot and what initially drew you to this field?
It was important for me to feel like I was using my Economics degree. Although I enjoyed the work I did as a claims adjuster, I didn’t feel professionally fulfilled in the role. I still felt the yearning to do more. I found the job at TorreyCove by looking for entry level jobs in finance. I actually had to take about a $10,000 paycut to start at entry level in a new industry, which was a hard decision to make. I can now look back and be thankful for taking that leap because it was a short term sacrifice that got me into a field I was much more interested in.
Two years later, you transitioned to a position at Meketa Investment Group. What are the most important elements to consider when moving to a new company?
For me it was important to join a company where I could learn. What really attracted me to Meketa was that since it was a smaller company, the organization was really flat. This meant I was able to easily access senior management or attend client meetings. That is not the case at every organization! I also wanted to work for a company that supported my professional development. Meketa offered reimbursement for the CIPM (Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement) program as well as a bonus for passing the exams. Win win!
After transitioning to new companies throughout your career, what steps did you take to maintain your relationships and network from your prior jobs?
When leaving, I always try to leave on a good note by organizing a goodbye happy hour. This gives me a chance to catch up with everyone and fill them in on my next chapter. I add everyone I’ve worked with on LinkedIn because I know it’s the easiest way to stay in contact. It’s important to not only connect on the platform but to also be active on LinkedIn to remain visible. I also try to send update messages to former bosses so they know how I’m doing in my new role. Which reminds me- I need to send some update emails to my network :)
In 2019, you took a role at Northern Trust Asset Management and in 2021 were promoted to a Senior Associate position. What skills and strengths did you realize were key to succeeding in Finance?
I can cite three reasons for my success at Northern Trust. Firstly, Northern Trust is an organization that actively supports diversity, equity and inclusion. They’ve done this well before it was the “cool” thing to do. This type of work culture helped someone like me, a first generation Latina, not go unrecognized. We had very active business resource councils and regularly received messages from corporate headquarters about their support for DE&I. Secondly, because of the excellent work culture, this fostered good senior leaders who supported my career development and actively looked for ways to get me more visibility within the organization. And lastly, I had finally learned the key to career success- self advocating. Northern Trust was the first place where I learned how to “brag” about my contributions and claim my accomplishments to receive the recognition I deserved.
First Gen
You recently launched The First Gen Mentor. Can you share more about your decision to start your own company and the mission?
I started my TikTok account purely as a hobby- I just wanted to share all the money and career tips I wish I would have had as a young adult. I never intended for it to become a business or my full time job! As my audience grew, I started getting approached for business opportunities for brand partnerships, money coaching and speaking engagements. Although I was very happy at my last corporate job, I found this type of work much more meaningful. After living through the murder of George Floyd and Covid, my priorities have shifted. I’m more interested in spending my time making an impact in my community than moving up a corporate ladder. My mission with The First Gen Mentor is to empower first gen and BIPOC through financial literacy and early career navigation tips. I do this by openly sharing a lot of the struggles I went through, and providing actionable advice for how my audience can do better than I did.
What are the most important lessons you have learned from launching your own company?
That you wear so many hats. I do it all! I’m the product and I do marketing, accounting, operations, contract review, business development etc. I will acknowledge I do have a lot of support from my partner. He helps me with the logistics of the business which frees up my time so I can focus on creativity.
For the last year, you have also been a mentor for Latinx Business Association of UCSB. Can you share more about how mentorship has impacted your career?
Being a mentor is a big part of my identity. In addition to my mentorship with LBA, I’ve also mentored former foster youth and students in the UC Washington Center Program. I’ve always found a lot of fulfillment in guiding a younger person through life and their professional development. I’m thankful for these experiences because they are what shaped me into the person I am today- and most importantly into The First Gen Mentor. I could have never imagined I could make a career out of being a mentor and doing what I love. I’m truly thankful and still pinch myself!
Career Advice
What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?
I wish I would have known the first gen experience does not end in college. I didn’t realize that being a first gen professional would bring its own challenges. This meant I stumbled through my career for 8 years without knowing all the unspoken rules. My advice is to seek community early on- whether it’s through your alumni network, an employee resource group, or a non profit. A community will help you navigate the maze that is corporate America.
What’s your advice for someone who experiences imposter syndrome?
This phrase helps me: Corporations are not charities. This means corporations are set up to profit, and they are not going to hire and most importantly retain someone who is not making them profit. You are valuable! If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be there.You’ve earned your seat!
Who is one woman you aspire to be like?
Eva Longoria. She does it all! She is an actor, director, activist, entrepreneur, mother, and beauty mogul -and she’s trilingual! She has never forgotten her Mexican roots and uses her platform to do incredible work to elevate our community.
