First Allied Securities Celebrates Women's History Month with Successful Results from Beta Test of its Women Advisor Mentoring Program

SAN DIEGO, March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- First Allied Securities, Inc. (First Allied), a leading independent broker/dealer supporting fee- and commission-based independent financial advisors across the nation, today announced that the initial rollout of its Women Advisor Mentoring Program has proven successful and as a result the program will be more broadly launched at the company's upcoming national conference in June 2014.

Introduced in June 2013, the beta phase of the Women Advisor Mentoring Program aimed to match a limited number of compatible mentors and mentees from the firm's female independent advisor base across the United States. The test phase had several objectives, including helping younger female advisors benefit from an instructive one-to-one professional relationship with experienced female advisors at First Allied who could help guide them in all aspects of building their business, while enabling seasoned advisors to engage with younger female advisors and share their experience and wisdom.

The Women Advisor Mentoring Program grew out of First Allied's Women's Impact Network (WIN), whose mission has been to facilitate women affiliated with First Allied to network with one another in order to enhance their businesses and contribute to the greater success of women in the financial services industry. The formation of WIN – and the mentoring program that grew out of it – was a uniquely collaborative effort, led by a committee of accomplished home-office female professionals representing several lines of business within First Allied. Tiy O'Neal, Chief Operating Officer, Marion Vomhof, Associate General Counsel, and Lora Sekosky Smith, Managing Director of Sponsor Relations, are critical influences on the WIN program's genesis and rollout.

Marissa Fox-Foley, Senior Managing Director of Marketing at First Allied, said, "We are extremely pleased with the first results of our women's mentoring program. We initiated a careful screening process to match mentors and mentees with compatible personalities and professional goals, and this resulted in relationships that yielded both qualitative and quantitative results. The mentees, who were held accountable by their mentors for meeting agreed-upon goals, received actionable advice and direction that helped them increase their business and improve their performance, while the mentors found the experience gratifying and enjoyable. We are excited about offering this program on a larger scale throughout our organization in the very near future, as well as to our Legend Group sister company."

Stacey Stanek-Byars, a mentee, who is an advisor with The Thom Group, San Luis Obispo, CA, said, "Working with my mentor was a marvelous experience and I am grateful for all the time and careful attention she gave me. As a new advisor, I came to the program hoping to learn how to increase my book of business and to gain new perspectives on how to be successful in my career. The strategies I learned directly helped me to retain several new clients. I highly recommend the program to other young advisors."

Tina Wells Lee, co-founder of Pinnacle Financial Advisors, Stockton, CA, who served as mentor to Ms. Stanek-Byars, said, "I am very enthusiastic about the program and look forward to seeing it grow. Mentoring Stacey was a wonderful experience and, frankly, I don't simply see her as a 'mentee' because I have learned valuable things from her as well, and I look forward to maintaining our relationship. Watching her grow has been extremely rewarding; I wish I could have had a mentor myself when I first started out in this business and I am glad to be able to provide this benefit to others."

In addition to the mentoring program, the WIN provides a series of events and resources especially geared to furthering the successful careers of First Allied female advisors. The WIN program delivers networking opportunities, educational workshops, peer-led business growth sessions, seminars and research, as well as Advisor Spotlights – a quarterly publication that features specific examples of First Allied advisors' successful practices in working with female clients.

Ms. Fox-Foley concluded, "At First Allied, we provide all our advisors with top-caliber resources to help them grow and improve their practices. During Women's History Month, however, we are proud to spotlight some of the services we have initiated geared specifically to helping women succeed as independent financial advisors. As women increasingly play a greater role in our economy and in our industry – both as advisors and investors – we feel it is our responsibility to nurture our women advisors' professional development as well as help all advisors service the distinct needs that often arise among female clients."

About First Allied Securities
Based in San Diego, First Allied Securities is an independent broker/dealer that serves as the firm of choice for independent financial advisors from across the nation seeking to grow their businesses. First Allied's exclusive business development platform has been expertly constructed to provide entrepreneurial advisors with the industry's most comprehensive platform for growth. As of December 31, 2013, First Allied had approximately $27 billion in brokerage and advisory assets and 795 affiliated financial advisors. For more information, please visit www.firstallied.com. First Allied Securities is part of First Allied Holdings. RCAP Holdings, LLC purchased First Allied Holdings in September 2013. First Allied Holdings' subsidiaries also include The Legend Group, a specialized provider of investment and retirement solutions to the not-for-profit space, including 403(b) accounts.

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SOURCE First Allied Securities, Inc.