Inspiring Conversations with Roberta Fitzgerald

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roberta Fitzgerald.

Hi Roberta, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in beautiful Los Angeles, CA. My brother and I were raised by our mom, who means the world to me. She played the role of both parents because my dad died one month before I was born of “a rare lung disease.” My father was Black, and my mother is Guamanian. We grew up in a very urban town in LA called Harbor City, two blocks from the housing projects. My mother struggled for years to raise us in an area and era where interracial relationships were heavily frowned upon, but she was determined to give us the best life she could.

Her resilience and desire to give us the best education allowed us to live in the ‘hood’ but attend private Catholic school. My brother and I were two of the six black kids in the school from grades Kindergarten to 8th. As a child, I was mad about having to attend a predominantly all-white school. I wasn’t thinking about how the outstanding curriculum would set the foundation for my future academic success, nor how socializing and learning with my white friends at school and growing up in a neighborhood of all Blacks and Latinos would round me out as an individual. I had the best of both worlds which eventually helped me to have greater success with working with all individuals in corporate America.

I went on to be the first on both sides of my family to attend a university straight from high school. My family was so proud me. One month having started college, boom… I got pregnant! My boyfriend at the time was away at college so I was a single mom for the next four years trying to find my way. I continued to go to school and when my son turned one, I started my career as a bank teller at a well-known financial institution. That sparked the beginning of my career in banking for the next 18 years.

In 2013, I was called by a recruiter from Northwestern Mutual to discuss being an entrepreneur as a financial advisor. I would be my own boss, and I would have a leadership team that would show me how to be a CEO. So, I stepped out on faith and started my practice with Northwestern Mutual.

Memorial Day 2013, six weeks in the business, I was at a party and began to cough. For the next several weeks I was in and out of the hospital. I was finally diagnosed with a very rare autoimmune disease in my lungs called Sarcoidosis. The same illness my dad died of. After only working for six weeks, I was out of the business for six months, not knowing if I was going to live. I had multiple surgeries during that time.

When I returned to work, my desk was just as I had left it. Every piece of paper still intact. My managing partner’s loyalty to me gave me added energy to come back and give this opportunity to impact others my all. 

At that moment, my “why” to do this work changed. It was no longer about just being a successful CEO and business owner, but a beacon to testify about my challenges and encourage one family at a time to think about planning for life differently and with urgency. With my health challenges, I must plan differently. I save and invest significantly for times I cannot work. Thankfully, I have built an awesome team and with their support our practice has successfully moved forward year after year without compromising service.

Over the years, I have received many honors, achieving bronze, gold, and sapphire recognition. I also had the fortitude to attain my master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2014, one year after being diagnosed. 

I have learned to demonstrate resilience remembering this career is about serving others. It’s part of my legacy. Your legacy is not just what you leave behind but how you have helped others to prepare for the future.

In addition to running my financial planning practice, I am also passionate and actively working to diversify the financial services industry with more women and advisors of color. I founded an organization for Black Financial Advisors called the Black Caucus to create a safe space for advisors to strategize and navigate how to be successful in this business. The organization led the charge to implement other cultural affinity groups within my network office to improve diversity, equity and inclusion and ensure trusted advisors look like the communities we serve. We have been in existence for eight years and continue to grow and impact change in communities across America.

The Black Caucus not only educates our clients daily to improve the overall financial welfare of our communities, but we also offer free quarterly webinars and partner with community non-profits to impact the homeless epidemic in Los Angeles as well as supporting students in underserved communities with the tools they need to be successful during the school year.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own a holistic financial planning practice in Downtown Los Angeles. April 2023 marked my 10th year of owning my business. My team and I specialize in helping clients remove the financial stress from their lives by cultivating and implementing financial plans with the purpose of achieving clients’ goals and passing on generational wealth through investments and insurance.

We are extremely passionate about helping women and especially families of color have a healthier relationship with money. We predominantly work with women executives and professionals in the medical market. We are committed to continuing this mission and improving the financial well-being of our communities nationwide.

What sets us apart is our ability to create an environment and build relationships with our clients where there is no judgment. We ease any feelings of shame or fear about a client’s level of knowledge regarding money and meet them where they are. The goal is to assist our clients to progress every year and help their vision come to fruition. We help our clients build wealth in a tax-efficient manner and protect their income and assets simultaneously. We are committed to improving communities nationwide and creating “Change Agents” in families through financial literacy and effective planning strategies to improve their overall financial health.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe my life is impacted by luck. I believe all things happen through Christ, my Lord and Savior. God has allowed me to endure a life full of love and turmoil because He feels I am strong enough to get through the numerous challenges past, present and future. As well as be smart and humble enough to celebrate the joyous accomplishments and be grateful for my complex life.

Contact Info:

• Website: robertafitzgerald.nm.com
• Instagram: @theerobertafitzgerald
• Facebook: robertafitzgerald-northwesternmutual