From Wall Street to Entrepreneurial Empowerment: Cindy Fields' Journey of Service and Impact
Women's History Month is celebrated annually in March to honor and recognize women's contributions, achievements, and struggles. GlobalMindED is proud to highlight the voices and work of influential women.
Cindy Fields is the co-founder of the digital ecosystem for entrepreneurs called?Achieve Beyond! and the founder and owner of the financial solutions and entrepreneurship firm Loyalty Alliance, Inc.
What is your personal/professional story??
The world of finance was not exactly a fairytale, but it held a certain magic for a young woman with a thirst for knowledge and a head for numbers. I cut my teeth in the fast-paced, white-gloved world of venture capital, merchant banking, investment banking, and turn-around situations. I later transitioned to merger arbitrage, middle market investment banking, and wealth management. All were exhilarating, cutthroat in their own ways, male-dominated, and fueled by ambition. I was young, it was fun, and I had experiences beyond the expectations of a nice girl from the North Shore of Long Island.?
But something was missing. The deal's thrill started to pale compared to the desire to build something meaningful, something that empowered not just myself but others. That is when the idea for Loyalty Alliance sparked.?
In 2003, I took a leap of faith and founded Loyalty Alliance, Inc. It was not about chasing the next big deal; it was about building a meaningful financial services company focused on clients, not products or commissions, and giving back to the communities we served.?
Fast-forward to 2020. The early days of the Pandemic were a period of soul-searching for many, including myself. While I was locked up in my NYC apartment speaking to hundreds of entrepreneurs and other high achievers whom I met on LinkedIn, I realized there was a need in the market that was not being addressed. I felt compelled to meet it, but it meant reinventing my business again.?
So, I retained my insurance and lending businesses, dropped investment management, and began building with my now partner, Mark Cohen, a next-generation B2b community for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and other high achievers that was unlike any that came before. We called it Loyalty Alliance Achieve Beyond! It is a protected industry and geographically agnostic oasis from the noise of current social media sites [no trolls allowed] in which participants, who by their very exceptional natures are constantly achieving beyond expectations, can build, grow, and thrive by the sharing of their ideas through blogs, articles and story-telling, request, offer and advertise their business resources, and dream and realize dreams larger than they ever thought possible. All because that is what I truly believe entrepreneurs and high achievers deserve – and NEED.?
Every day brings new challenges and new entrepreneurs with fires in their bellies who need help or direction. And that is what keeps me going - the chance to help others achieve what is truly important to them and to be a Fairy Godmother to all who need me to help make their dreams come true.?
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today??
Life is never a straight line, and mine is no different.?Fate and good fortune brought me to Wall Street at a time when women in professional roles were few and far between. I did not seek Wall Street [I was not even sure where it was on the map], but I had the opportunity to interview for a role that was preliminarily promised to someone else. However, they liked me better and decided to hire me. That was the start.?
A life-changing event occurred early in my training. During my first internal venture capital portfolio review meeting, decisions were being made on what companies to invest in, what products to invest in, and what people to invest in. Every decision was deliberate and focused on doing the right thing. I realized the decisions being made around that table would directly affect industries and people within industries. That day brought with it an exhilaration and spark that has never dimmed. It also sets a standard for how businesses can and should be done. It is about people and not just returns. I had the incredibly good fortune to have a quality group of people (men!) around me in an extremely competitive, money-focused environment who refused to compromise on doing the right thing. I will forever be grateful to them and their training.?
Along my career journey, I bumped my head on the glass ceiling (multiple times!) and got bruised financially and personally for various reasons. However, I was inspired by the incredibly good people I met along the way and the lengths they took to uplift others [including me!). I wanted to be like them! And I still strive to meet and exceed the examples they set.?
But only some were as good, decent, or altruistic. In fact, too many were selfish and destructive of others' interests. I learned to navigate.?
Now, with the scars of Wall Street on my back, I pride myself in saying I am as proud of the knowledge of the enemies I have made along the way as much as I am of the people I call my friends. You truly are known by the company you keep – in business and your personal life – and I am blessed by the wonderful people I can call friends and associates.?
Here are some lessons I learned along the way.?
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I am still persevering, growing, and learning. But now my entire focus is helping others achieve what is important to them. And I have an entire platform to help make that happen. Talk about gratitude!?
Where does your passion to serve come from?
My passion for serving comes from my idealism, my optimism, and a heavy streak of righteous indignation that people should be treated justly [learned from my parents, grandparents, and religious community], and a stubbornness that won’t let a bad situation lie.?
I was taught by my parents to do the right thing, set an example, and hold my head high no matter what. My family gave me uncompromising support and love in all my endeavors – academic, sports, and performance. I was lucky, but I did not realize how much until much later when I learned that too many people did not have the love and support I had experienced. I want to help rectify that. Unconditional support can change lives! I want others to feel that.?
My passion to serve also came from wanting to correct, or at least mitigate, the abuse of power I saw exercised by others. In business, I saw too many people use their positions of strength to take advantage of their employees and clients. It always hit me the wrong way. In fact, Loyalty Alliance came about because of my interaction with a manager who increased pricing to our clients and agents for no other reason than he could! Not to add value or help in any way, but because he had the power to put more money in his pocket for doing nothing and take advantage of that power. I left his agency the very next day and started Loyalty Alliance, whose name says it all. It is an organization focused on doing the right thing for our clients, partners, and communities by creating an alliance of experts who worked together to create value for all [a revolution in its day, and still!].?
My passion for serving also emanates from my strong belief and understanding of the role of entrepreneurs in the US and global economies. Entrepreneurs invest their time, money, energy, and efforts into creating companies that create jobs, instill culture, and innovate. However, until they are proven money-makers, most entrepreneurs are ignored at best and are derided for not following the status quo. It is my passion to support entrepreneurs in any way I can. That is the reason behind the Loyalty Alliance Achieve Beyond platform. To help the entrepreneur thrive, for me, is to help the world.?
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals??
Let me tell you, being a Business Fairy Godmother is magical! I can sprinkle my expertise on entrepreneurs, from wide-eyed startups to seasoned serial ventures. We unearth the resources they need to catapult their businesses – and dreams! – to dazzling new heights.?
But here is the secret: even Fairy Godmothers sometimes need a little magic dust when it comes to equity in entrepreneurship. That is where GlobalMindED comes in!?
Joining the GlobalMindED community allows me to connect with a whole new world of dreamers and achievers. Imagine a young girl living in Uganda, driven to starting a farm to feed her family and community, held back by a lack of resources. The GlobalMindED community will help me – and her - bridge that gap, enabling me to connect these dreamers with the people and tools they need to turn their dreams into reality. Those tools will come not just from the resources I know but also through collaboration with the incredible partners of GlobalMindED. Together we will be able to match the needs of entrepreneurs in underserved communities more efficiently and effectively with the resources and tools to address those needs and challenges. As a team, we can change lives and the course of personal histories! Wow!?
It can be a kind of a symbiotic spell! Together, we become a magical force propelling dreams forward on a global scale! I cannot wait to see the incredible things we achieve together.