Alongside the 2020 NAPA 401(k) Cyber Summit, we sat down (virtually) with a number of leading advisors for some insights on how they got started, what keeps them going, and what they see for the future of retirement and their practice(s).
A conversation with Devyn Duex, Vice President, Financial Advisor at CAPTRUST, in Santa Barbara, California 
Devyn received her Master’s in Business Administration-Marketing (MBA/MKT) from the University of Phoenix and her BA in Theatre Arts, magna cum laude, from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to her current role at CAPTRUST, Devyn served as Vice President of Client Relations at Pensionmark assisting in their rapid expansion, from two locations to a national presence with over 65 since joining the team in 2006. She specializes in compliance/risk management policies, and has traveled across the nation speaking to clients, participants, and industry professionals about various retirement plan topics.
NN: What led you to become an advisor?
DD: My path to advisor was not linear, in fact I had a prior career as a stage/screen actor, dancer, singer for 10 years prior to finding myself landing up in the retirement industry. But if you knew me as a little girl, I’ve always been following an internal compass led by a strong work ethic, entrepreneurial drive, and passion to help others. Seeking a resurgence of knowledge, I sought and achieved an MBA on a path to start a new business, an opportunity to work at a retirement practice opened up. Flash forward 16+ years and I’ve put down roots, and grown into a career that has allowed my myriad of skills and goals to be leveraged. Being a financial advisor offers the ability to draw from the various skills, education and life experiences to navigate this demanding and ever-evolving industry.
NN: What/Who inspires you?
DD: I’m inspired by people who live their truth, stand with integrity, and strive to make positive change. That type of energy is infectious, and pushes me to be my best.
NN: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned this year?
DD: Embrace video, be camera ready and have fun! No, but seriously, 2020 is the year to refocus. Heading into the pandemic in February/March where my schedule included almost weekly travel, I lived more away from my family than at home… even though it is a bit challenging balancing home school, work, family, community and more, embracing the simple things and being present are so critical.
From a business perspective this has been an amazing opportunity to leverage technology to get information in front of clients at a rapid pace, pulling in partners from across the spectrum such as colleagues, attorneys, auditors, health brokers and more to get up to date perspectives to our clients, future clients and individuals as they navigate this unprecedented time.
Attending a women’s leadership event I also resonated with the comment, “growth and comfort cannot co-exist.” This year is definitely a year of discomfort, whether that is the pandemic, global conversations regarding diversity & inclusion, the polarized political scene, or controversial discussions regarding environmental/climate change, the silver lining is that people are awake and engaged more than ever. The opportunity to create positive change is more palpable than ever before.
NN: How are you/your firm “giving back”?
DD: CAPTRUST Community Foundation is our firm’s non-profit which provides grants to non-profits across the country through various programs. I’ve had the honor to serve as the Secretary for 2 years, and most recently Co-President. Serving as Co-President in 2019, we focused on a platform of operational scalability in tandem with increasing funding and giving. Charitable giving is a passion. Personally, founding and running a 501c3 professional arts company offered a way to merge skills to benefit kid-centric, mission-led non-profits on a national footprint. Through the collective efforts of the CCF leadership team and committees we implemented a cloud-based grant portal, launched a new Project Grant program, increased funding via employee deferrals, provided additional grants under all grant programs, aligned CCF with CAPTRUST marketing team, created SOPs, and were honored with a Philanthropy Award by the Triangle Business Journal. Who knew heading into 2020 that this platform would become extremely important as we all shifted to a virtual environment.
NN: What do you love most about being an advisor?
DDL If I think about this question and you asked me in the very early stages of my career, I would have told you I loved the entrepreneurial aspect, the fast pace of the industry, and the ability to help others. Today, I still feel all those things as a foundation, but it’s grown to mean so much more… the honor of working with an organization to assess their goals, to understand their needs and to create strategies to assist in accomplishing. The prescriptive nature of the role, and ability to solve complex problems. The ability to be a part of a larger team, and company, that shares knowledge, dedicates specialization to every aspect of the client relationship, and lifts others along the way. An opportunity to mentor, to speak to others about the industry and share thoughts and ideas amongst our colleagues. The Advisor career is demanding, but also affords the opportunity for flexibility which has allowed me to be present for my kids as they grow, be there for family and friends, and participate in community service through boards, volunteering, and more. It’s expansive, ever-evolving, challenging, demanding, rewarding, never boring, Retirement Plan Advisor.
