Meet Hesy Landesbaum ,she is an expert with 20+ years of experience in the financial industry, holding leadership positions in Fortune 100 Companies like, ING Group, MetLife, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, New York Life Insurance Co. She is a Registered Representative with FINRA & Insurance Agent Founder. She was featured in The Top 100 People in Finance Magazine, catapulting her business and career, as one of the top Latinas in such a competitive industry and she is on the list of Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs and Their Success Stories by Yahoo.
Who is Hesy Landesbaum? Define yourself.
I am a woman that likes to impact others positively. I enjoy being with myself, and my family I like to be a better person every day and be happy. Since I was young, I always liked to teach other ways to grow and provide them with information they need. I dislike the ignorance that could make people dangerous.
You have a foreign surname, what is its origin?
That is my married name of German origin.
How were you as a kid?
I was the girl with good grades always, I enjoyed family time, I liked to have friends.
You hold a bachelor’s degree in International Relations at UNAM, in Mexico, why did you choose that course of study?
Since a young age I realized I loved to meet people, learn from them, and develop relationship, International Relations had many different lines of specialization and Business, and Commerce were my emphasis.
You are Mexican, you started your professional career in Mexico in the areas of sales and financial services, how did you jump from that point to live in NYC and work for important companies as Metlife, Citi, JPMorgan Chase & Co. among others?
I loved working in sales and management, when I came to NY I wanted to work in the same areas, the Financial Industry allows you to impact your income, build long lasting relationships and help people with the most important financial decisions of their lives.
You currently have a Financial Services practice with NY Life Securities; in simple words can you describe what activities you do and what services do you provide?
I have my own practice and I partner up with NYLIfe Securities to provide Financial Planning that is something that everyone needs and not everyone knows they need. I create awareness on my target audience which is the Latin American community to have solid foundation financially.
What are the things that make you prouder about what you do?
Financially empower individuals and business owner to prepare for the unexpected and have a vision for the future prepare, build, growth and transfer a legacy to the future generations.
You have dedicated over 20 years to the financial services industry, what are the biggest lessons you have learned over the years?
If you want to stand out you need to do things that nobody else is willing to do, be consistent and persistent will get you anywhere.
You are the founder of Hablando entre Mujeres USA, tell us more about it.
Hablando entre Mujeres USA started in 2017 trying to inform women about the resources available in terms of health, finance, style, family etc. My mission became to connect women so they can help each other as well as providing them with tools to start their business or improve the current one with a strong and solid financial foundation. We have monthly Networking event so they can grow their network, highlighting the success of Latin Women so they can become an inspiration for another women that is hesitant to grow.
“If you want to stand out you need to do things that nobody else is willing to do, be consistent and persistent will get you anywhere”
You hold numerous positions within several nonprofit associations like. President of Women’s Affair Commission of Fuerza Migrante. Chair of AMA-Women American Mexican Association. Board President of Mexican Expressions National Society MECENAS, President of the Committee Guadalupian of the Archdiocese of NY, among others, what does it drive you?
The organizations I decided to support have different mission and vision, so I like to add value to their objectives and make a difference in their different arenas but the main goal of all of them is to empower the Mexican-Latino Community in USA.
You have been a recipient of numerous awards including LULAC´s 2019 Female Leadership in the Financial Industry Award, Orgullo Latino Achievement Award, you were selected by The Society of Foreign Consuls in NY as a woman who has made significant contributions to your community, you were featured in The Top 100 People in Finance Magazine, catapulting your business and career, as one of the top Latinas in such a competitive industry and you are on the list of Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs and Their Success Stories by Yahoo. What´s the recipe for your success?
Have always a goal, a lot of people do not really know how their days is going to go. I always plan my days; I know exactly what I am going to do months ahead. Direction is important as well as an action plan. There is a debate about multitasking the truth is that you need to be focused on one thing at the time so you can do it right the first time to avoid those losses of time and productivity.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow in your professional ladder?
I always raised my hand and I made sure that my immediate managers and their managers knew about my growth careers goals. Culturally the Latino community think the opposite, when I was a Bank Manager with JPMorgan Chase in NYC, I had to ask my team members with Latino background about their career goals aspirations and very often I will get the answer that I know I do a good job and someone will notice, and coached them on how they need to raise their hand to let management to know and then start a career action plan.
“Have always a goal, a lot of people do not really know how their days is going to go. I always plan my days; I know exactly what I am going to do months ahead. Direction is important as well as an action plan”
What situation marked your life in a way that prompted you to be who you are today?
There is not really a specific situation. My parents were always very responsible with great work ethic, they were always happy to help someone else and go above and beyond for their loved ones. Always giving the best of themselves personally and professionally. I am like my parents.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about women in the financial industry?
Granted, it is a male dominated industry but now women are having more presence and the female leadership position are growing little by little. Other myth is that in only a good fit that are good in Math, it is good to be confident with math, but it is not a conditional to have a career in finance because you need other attributes like good inter personal skills, have the will to learn and be eager to advance. Other myth is that you make a lot of money, which is not 100% accurate. Yes, it is a very profitable career for the right person only. You could do very well is you have the business mentality if you are willing to be comfortable being uncomfortable and get paid based on your performance. A very low percentage of the global population is willing to leave their confort zone to grow financially on their own pace.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that has had a deep impact on your thinking?
Just the day-to-day experiences helped me a lot. I am a fan of personal growth, self-care as well as Neurolinguistics, law of attraction and motivation within.
Do you have any philosophy that guides your career decisions?
Yes, my philosophy has been always to follow my passion and feel happy doing what I really like to do. My priorities have changed over the course of my life as a businesswomen and mother, my family takes priority in all my decisions.
What does a normal workday look like for you?
With the pandemic, my kids are doing online school due to the pandemic I make sure that they are all set for their days. Then I start my online meeting with my clients to help them with financial planning solutions. Scheduling and planning all my networking events for Hablando entre Mujeres USA, also meetings with women that are looking for tools and financial tools for their business. Planning events for the other nonprofit organizations I collaborate with. After business hours it is sacred to respect dinner time with my family.
“A very low percentage of the global population is willing to leave their comfort zone to grow financially on their own pace”
What do you love most about your job? & What is the most difficult part?
What I love the most if to make a difference is families and businesses helping them to have peace of mind financially, as well as empower them to continue growing their business. The most difficult part is to make tough decisions between my family and my business. I used to be a chronic workaholic in the past, I put my career before my health and my family for example having to go to an important meeting leaving behind your baby with fever, and I learned today more than ever with the pandemic that there is not tomorrow there is only NOW. And we should and must know that our health and our family is always first. And our professional success is also the consequence of having your personal life in order and as priority.
Everybody has had dark moments in their lives, what have you done to get out of that phase?
I had very serious health issues, and I just took a step back look around and reinforce that your mental sanity and your health are first not matter what.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my family getting to know my 3 kids more, we talk about the present, the future, their goals, and dreams. I also enjoy a good manicure, pedicure, and a massage.
Music is one of my passions, one friend told me where there is music there is nothing that could be bad because you are at a different state of mind, and nothing will affect you. But I personally consider that music is food for the soul it makes me feel more alive. I enjoy all music types from a good Trio song from Los Panchos and the latest in Techno Music.
“ We should and must know that our health and our family is always first. And our professional success is also the consequence of having your personal life in order and as priority”
Many authors say women can and must strive to have everything – a shining career, a blossoming family life and a perfectly balanced lifestyle all at once, others point out that– then women are placing unrealistic expectations on themselves if they believe they can have it all, you have kids, I don´t know if you are married, so according to your experience, what do you think about these statements?
I was one of those women, as I stated before I put my career before many times, sometimes making decisions that I regrated. There is an eternal debate about the work-life balance but what I have learn is that there is no balance you learn to live with the two of them, and you are the only one deciding where you are going to invest more time on based on your priorities. I know it’s not easy to be a businesswoman, mother, wife, sister, daughter. We need to have clear expectations of where you want to go, and we can’t always be the superheroes. We need to be happy within get the best of every day because life is too short. I just want to be happy and a better person everyday and I wish that for my kids also, that will make me as a successful parent.
What are your plans for the future?
My plan for the future is continue empowering financially the Latin American Community and other communities. Continue growing the community of Hablando entre Mujeres USA so more Latin women are aware that there are more women living their same situation and are willing to share their stories, successes, challenges, and experience so they can benefit from it.
There is still the glass ceiling for women in the world: Fewer opportunities, jobs underpaid just for that fact of being a woman, etc. Have you experimented with the glass ceiling? If yes, what are the biggest challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?
Absolutely there is still a glass ceiling as I mentioned before, particularly in my Industry is changing little by little but there are other industries where the gender gap is still big. I think that all the feminist movements in the past 5 years have created more awareness for women to realize that nobody can decide for you or define you. As I mentioned I always tell women to raise your hand and speak loud and clear what is what you want because nobody is really going to knock at your door with an opportunity, we need to create them. That is what always has helped me to grow professionally.
What tips, can you give to young girls who want to become like you?
We are all unique so I would not want someone to be like me, because they can be better. As long as they follow their passion, feel happy doing what they are doing, meaning that they would do it even if they do not get paid, they will be successful as a consequence of that. Always having a clear expectation and have a laser focused mind will take them anywhere. Make smart decisions, never feel pressure for anybody, you are the owner of your destiny, and you feel that you can’t take it anymore remember why you started and go back to basics.
I think in your position, many people may have the wrong idea of who you are, and what do you (professionally), with this idea in mind, what is being Hesy and what´s not?
Hesy is someone that values respect, honesty, true friendship, and people that are willing to follow their dreams to be happy and that are willing to give happiness to others. Hesy is not the unreachable person that sometimes people think. I always learned from my family to have my feed very down to earth.
“I always tell women to raise your hand and speak loud and clear what is what you want because nobody is really going to knock at your door with an opportunity, we need to create them”
Who is the woman you admire the most and why?
My mother is the person that admire the most, because she has been a warrior taking care of personal problems to be there for her family. I also admire all the women that left everything behind in their home countries and came alone to a new land without the knowledge of the culture, language, customs and have a difficult time trying to make a living to support their families back home. They are true heroes.
What else do you want to add or share with us?
It’s very important that women highlight other women so we can create the domino effect and become a unified voice in pro of all the women in the world. We can start from home empowering our children to have a clear vision since an early age to they can be self-confident, strong, with a vision so they feel empower to conquer their dreams and passion. Also is good for everyone to filter your closest circle of friends because you become what they are. Enjoy every second of this short and precious life.
Name: Hesy Landesbaum
Sector: Financial
Company: New York Life Securities LLC & Hablando entre Mujeres USA
Designation: Registered Representative with FINRA & Insurance Agent Founder
Country: Mexico /USA
Social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hesylandesbaum/
https://www.instagram.com/hesy.landesbaum/
https://www.instagram.com/hablandoentremujeresusa/
https:/www.hablandoentremujeres.com
