Client Case Study

FROM OVERLOOKED TO IRREPLACEABLE.

Grace spent years being passed over on Wall Street because she didn't come from an Ivy League pedigree. She left with life-changing compensation and a network she built herself.

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The Challenge

Eight months unemployed after her hedge fund closed to outside capital, then passed over for promotion four times at the firm that followed and denied a shot at the sales role she wanted.

The Shift

An exercise studying successful professionals without Ivy League credentials broke the belief that pedigree determined her worth, and she rebuilt her identity around being a problem solver, not a resume line.

The Outcome

$510k in total compensation, roughly double her previous pay.

Olivia Gamber

A Note From The Founder

Olivia Gamber, CEO

When Grace first came to us, she was carrying a story she'd told herself for years: that without an Ivy League degree, she couldn't really compete on Wall Street. It wasn't a small belief. It was load-bearing. It explained the eight months of unemployment after her hedge fund restructured. It explained why she asked three people for lunch at her new firm and only the CEO said yes. It explained why she'd been up for promotion four times and never gotten one, and why her boss waved off her request to move into sales without a second thought.

She wasn't lacking competence. She was lacking a frame that let her see her own value clearly, and a strategy that didn't depend on a recruiter deciding to advocate for her. She was applying blindly, hoping someone would notice what she could already see in herself.

The work we did together wasn't about polishing a resume. It was about dismantling the belief that her background was the ceiling, and replacing it with the understanding that she was the answer to someone else's problem. What follows is that shift, in her own words.

AN ALIENATING START ON WALL STREET

Grace

I came from a hedge fund that I did well at, I was respected, I got paid well, and then the firm restructured to close capital to outside investors so I was out of a job for eight months and I was just applying blindly like on LinkedIn...

it was very strange when I first arrived because nobody was friendly, like I asked three people for lunch and only one person who happens to be the CEO of the firm said yes to me, and it was, I just felt alienated from the start.

I was up for a promotion like four times and never got it and then it was arbitrary... I also wanted to transition to a sales role and my boss is like why would you want to do that.

THE EXERCISE THAT BROKE THE BELIEF

Grace

The exercise that you had, like to look at other people's profiles who didn't have an Ivy League or a master's and were successful, because I started noticing, I was like oh, since it was very successful but they don't have either, and I was like hey, that could be me...

I knew in my own mind that I bring clarity to the client, I know what to do, I know not to over complicate things, so through this whole process I realized my worth and my value like my own self.

“I felt the change I felt the change like I'm a different person like I'm totally changed I'm confident I know what I want I know how to get it done”

BUILDING A NETWORK, NOT APPLYING FOR JOBS

Grace

...they value my time, they're like let's have lunch, like several of them always message me still for advice.

I'm also in a women's network, everybody wants to help each other, everybody wants to win. I didn't get one role because it was only a two-person shop and he's like, how else could I be helpful? I'm like, well I actually got an interview at this other shop, he's like, oh I know somebody there, could I help you.

“everybody wants to help everybody wants to win I'm so happy I helped someone else win already so it's like paying it forward”

Grace

Trust the process, do the hard work. I'm listening to these recordings, the kajabis right, and also my advice is to listen to it more. I listened to it maybe 50 times, every time I went on the train I listened to it at least.

FROM SCARCITY TO MONEY FOR THE FUTURE

Grace

It was you guys, trusting myself, trusting the process, and knowing if these firms really had a real role, with all these external forces, a war, whatever, they still have a problem that needs to be solved.

“I'm the solution to their problem with all these external forces a war whatever they still have a problem that needs to be solved and I'm your problem solver basically”

Grace

It's life-changing, it really is. Now I have the money for the future. My kids need extra math tutoring or they want to do coding, it's giving my kids opportunities I never had as a child. Now I could save properly for college.

“now I have a reassurance that I can do this I could give my children opportunity I can pay my bills”

Ready to Stop Applying?

Grace stopped waiting for a recruiter to notice her value and started positioning herself as the problem solver a firm couldn't ignore. If you're ready to do the same, let's talk.

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Read the full transcript

Grace: the firm restructured um to close um capital to outside investors so I was out of a job for eight months and you know I was just applying blindly like on LinkedIn

Grace: it was a job um and it was very strange when I first arrived because nobody was friendly like I asked three people for lunch and only one person who happens to be the CEO of the firm said yes to me and it was it was I just felt alienated to this from the start I don't know why nobody welcomed me nobody I don't know why people felt threatened by me maybe and everybody was just working really long hours like just to be there for no reason I was working until like seven o'clock I would pick up my son from daycare he was there from eight to seven like so many hours and I never saw I didn't even see him I only had one child at the time thank goodness I only had one but it was a very

Grace: I was up for a promotion like four times and never got it and then it was arbitrary like

Grace: I also wanted to transition to a sales role and my boss is like why would you want to do that and then like meanwhile he's doing it and then and then you know this this chief officer said oh well she's ever had any experience doing that like why would she

[Question shown on screen]: How does this impact your life beyond just the money?

Grace: I'm always stressing I'm like oh my god how are we going to pay for this how are we going to do this and that

Grace: an Ivy League they're great or not um and also the exercise that you had like to look at other people's profiles who didn't have an Ivy League or a master's and were successful because I started noticing I was like oh since it was very successful but they don't have either and I was like hey that could be me

Grace: through this whole process I I realized my worth and my value like my own

Grace: it's life-changing it it really is like you know now I have the money for the future I

Grace: and now I have a reassurance that you know I can do this I could give my children opportunity I can you know like I can pay my my

Grace: to you guys this is it's unbelievable like I'm I I'm I'm just still I'm still in shock I'm I'm I'm super happy and it's so thankful to you guys

Grace: if these firms really had a real role like I'm I'm the I'm the solution to their problem like with all these external forces a war whatever they still have a problem that needs to be solved and I'm I'm I'm your problem solver basically so that doesn't go away whether there's a war or not right you still have this gap that needs to be filled

Grace: and I know I'm capable of so much more and

Grace: they value my time they're like let's let's have lunch like several of them always message me still

Olivia: was to ask you as you broke into it how do you position value but then also enjoy the process specifically towards the end now that you're on the other side

Grace: so it's like unbelievable like I once once you get into this circle like this network and I'm also in a woman's network everybody wants to help each other everybody wants to win like I'm like so happy like I I helped someone else win already or we help them get a contract with someone I know so it's it's like it's like it's like paying it forward I'm

Olivia: do more right Olivia says all the time leaders do more and you did more and you can't say better than that in my opinion so that's why it's fun to celebrate you I couldn't

Grace: these tools that you gave me like will stay with me forever

Grace: I already told one of the co-founders I wanted to have you on a session with everyone because everybody's going through the same thing