Stephanie Link Discusses Mentors, Motivation and Wealth Management at AP Market Outlook Summit

At the 2021 Advisor Perspectives Market Outlook Summit, thought leaders from every corner of the industry came together to discuss risks and opportunities across the industry with more than 3,000 financial advisors.

Hightower’s Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager Stephanie Link was one of two keynote speakers. During the event, Stephanie spoke with Suzanne Siracuse, founder and CEO of Suzanne Siracuse Consulting, about how her path led her from the sell side to the buy side to wealth management.

Read below for a snippet of their conversation, which has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Suzanne Siracuse: It’s no secret that there are very few women who hold top positions in investment management, and even fewer in CIO roles. Can you share a little bit about your journey? Did you always want to be in finance?

Stephanie Link: I was very fortunate growing up. My mother was a teacher who put a high value on education. At the same time, I had a father who was a financial advisor. He taught me business, work ethic, what it takes to be successful, and the importance of taking care of yourself.

I had a wonderful upbringing. My parents were divorced, but they still worked together to make sure I had what I needed. One thing they both stressed was the importance of being confident and financially independent. They told me I could do anything I wanted to do – be a doctor or a lawyer or astronaut or financial advisor, whatever! They just wanted me to understand the importance of accumulation and compounding, and made sure I was listening. I was very lucky in that regard.

Over the years, I learned that while wanting to make money is a good goal, enjoying what you do is incredibly important. In college, I realized I loved the markets, I loved stock picking and I loved talking with clients and learning. That’s one of the reasons I decided to come to Hightower after so many years on the sell and buy side. I wanted to learn something new. It keeps you going!

Suzanne Siracuse: How did you meet Jim Cramer? What was it like to work with him?

Stephanie Link: I was on the sell side for 16 years when I decided I wanted to start running money. Jim and I live in nearby towns, and we ended up meeting for coffee. He said he was looking for a portfolio manager of his charitable trust, which is his money that he houses at TheStreet. I said, “I don’t really know how to run money, but I know about the markets.”

He said, “Come on, let’s have some fun.” So I did! He really taught me how to run a portfolio. We were so competitive with each other. We used to email each other at 4 am – who got on the treadmill first? Who ran more miles?

I worked for him for 6 1/2 years. He let me work at home twice a week because I had an infant. Of course, that turned into me emailing him 24/7, so I was working even harder at home that I was in the office! He’s got a good heart, and we still talk all the time about different companies and stock pick.

It was a wonderful experience working for Jim. He’s a mentor, and you have to have mentors if you’re gonna make it.

To learn more about Stephanie’s portfolio management work, email us at advisorsuccess@hightoweradvisors.com.