This profile highlights one of
Career-changing is not for the timid, but Cristina Wiebelt-Smith's mid-career decision is more than a steady gig. It's also given her back her time and allowed her to bring a demonstrable message of
For this former certified public accountant, fluency in taxes came in handy career-wise, but as her children got older, Wiebelt-Smith wondered if something else wasn't in the cards for her.
Even on a part-time basis, tax season required anywhere from 60 to 80 hours per week.
"Half the year is taken up by it," she said.
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Wiebelt-Smith also observed an interesting trend. "Things in the culture changed," she said. Her clients began asking more questions about money, and she enjoyed those conversations a great deal.
The more clients stepped outside traditional tax-based conversations, the more intrigued Wiebelt-Smith became by financial planning. At nearly 50, and with her children about to enter college, she did a quick gut check.
"I wanted to spend my life doing something I love," she said. "I like tax [and] the conversation with clients, but I wanted to be able to be more proactive. In the tax world, your time is dominated every 15 minutes; you have to say what you're working on, and if I wanted to sit with a client, either I couldn't charge them for it, or if I didn't charge them for it, I wouldn't have enough billable hours. That creates a lot of stress."
The pivot to financial planning was a natural fit for Wiebelt-Smith, who used her tax expertise as a launchpad for her transition to the advisor's chair at St. Joseph, Missouri-based Gertsema Wealth Advisors. "Every person that comes in, we ask them for a tax return," she said.
Once the firm has the tax information, whether it's a business or an individual, Wiebelt-Smith is often called upon to assist and has found that tax experience "is very practical knowledge to have."
Wiebelt-Smith works with a roster of clients who fit the "millionaire next door" demographic, including
"They feel like maybe they don't belong in this world or they don't have enough money to invest," she said.
Her empowerment mission extends to her community, and especially to its women. Many have attended presentations, including through her Women & Wealth Workshop program. She has brought her message of a more equitable financial education to participants in senior programming and communities and through a local investment club. The program gives lunch-and-learn presentations during the day or after-hours food-and-wine discussions with friends, and teaches practical tips including on household cash flow, identity theft and estate planning.
In one instance, "I put together a presentation [about why]
She is quick to provide hands-on, practical advice using graphics and screens, and deploys a light touch. "You don't have to have it all figured out," she reminds them.
Part of her mission also includes ensuring the materials are scalable and easy to repeat, so that her colleagues can also carry the message to their audiences.
In addition to financial empowerment, another one of her passions is the local pregnancy resource center in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she began volunteering in 2023 and now serves on the board of directors and as treasurer.
"She and a co-volunteer meet weekly with pregnant women during a My Baby & Me class," said Libby Owens, director of the center. "Cristina joyfully serves the moms by listening, providing encouragement and assisting as they earn diapers, clothes and baby care items at every class. She has been a mentor to more than 25 pregnant women."
Wiebelt-Smith's pivot allows her to enjoy a career that gives her purpose and the opportunity to serve both on and off the clock.
"With financial planning, people tell you everything, and they'll pour their heart out to you," she said. "It takes a lot more emotional energy in this job."
