“It’s one of the best ways you can use your time and talent”

Jessie Doll is a Certified Financial Planner® who cofounded Fairfax-based ReFrame Wealth in 2021. She and her colleagues have made giving back and pro bono work a central part of their firm, and they hosted Britepaths’ staff for a Financial Empowerment Volunteer Training in October 2021. Since then, Jessie and her partner Mitch Falter have led Financial Empowerment workshops and served as Financial Mentors. Over the past two years, Jessie has worked with two mentees, most recently with Roshon.

Britepaths and FECSoCo’s free financial coaching and mentoring services are made possible in part through a grant from the Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP). Jessie and Roshon shared their stories about their mentoring experience with FFP.

With Jessie’s advice and guidance, Roshon has paid off most of her debt and significantly increased her credit score, avoided a predatory auto loan, and has started saving and planning for future expenses and life goals. Roshon said working with Jessie has helped her shift the way she thinks about money and feel more confident about her ability to handle her finances.

Jessie said, “We’ve worked together for over a year because she keeps wanting to do more. She will hit a goal, like paying off her debt, and then she wants to set the next financial goal, like saving for her daughter’s college tuition, so she can continue creating a stable financial future for her family. Our sessions are ultimately about what she wants to talk about and what she wants to do. She is driving the process, which is so important to building trust – and that’s the heart of a financial planning engagement, regardless of a client’s income – being able to build a trusting relationship with someone.”

Jessie said she is grateful for the opportunity to use her skills for good and grow her skillset. “It’s important for me as a person to find ways to continually help people, and as a financial planner, it’s been so valuable to work with people from different backgrounds and who have different resources. I know I became a better planner across the board because I learned so much through these engagements.” She highly recommends being a Financial Empowerment volunteer. “It’s one of the best ways you can use your time and talent as a financial planner. You can make a difference for people; just being present can be really helpful to them.”

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