Lauryn Williams: From Olympic Gold to CFP^® Certification

What can the path to CFP^® certification look like? For Olympic gold medalist Lauryn Williams, the journey was long but rewarding. The competitive nature that enabled her to medal in BOTH the Summer and Winter Olympics,* coupled with a desire to give back to her community, drove her to success.

Lauryn was a track and field athlete in college. When she received a six-figure athletic contract, she wanted to make responsible financial decisions but didn’t know where to start. Her first experiences with financial advisors were largely negative–they did not provide helpful information or even explain why she lost money. One highly-recommended advisor worked for a company that invested several professional football players’ money into a casino that never opened. Lauryn kept looking for good advice, but she lost a lot of growth potential because of these poor advisors.

After this, Lauryn started educating herself; she understood that she needed to plan for retirement while she had a higher income. An online search led her to financial planning; she knew nothing about the profession, but wanted to help people who struggled with the same financial issues she had. While still running full-time as a professional athlete, she interned at a firm with CFP^® professionals. She admired the integrity with which they served clients, and the knowledge they had. As she learned about different careers in the financial planning profession, Lauryn saw that some focused only on clients with $1 million or more in assets. She wondered why financial planning wasn’t more available to everyone else. Wanting to help people in all income ranges, Lauryn decided to start her own firm.

Lauryn took the CFP^® exam in July 2013, but she did not pass. Not ready to give up, she found a mentor, reached out to her education coursework provider, and dedicated plenty of time to studying before taking the exam again in November 2015. Lauryn failed a second time and was heartbroken, but CFP^® certification was her goal. She was committed to conquering this exam in the same way she focused on achieving her athletic goals.

In July 2017, Lauryn was ready to take the CFP^® exam again–in the middle of planning a wedding and starting her own business! She re-evaluated her previous study plan, was honest with herself about the changes she needed to make in order to prepare well and made those necessary adjustments. She got up early each day to study. She established a good support system of family and friends as well as an online study group, so she was not alone as she went through this process. All this helped her pass the July 2017 exam. “The keys are perseverance and persistence,” Lauryn said. “You’ll have rough days, but you keep showing up.”

Today, Lauryn is working to grow her firm, Worth Winning, to provide comprehensive financial planning to those who need it most. She focuses on budgeting, financial literacy and education, providing her clients with a strong foundation and the opportunity to succeed. Her clients are primarily former athletes and young professionals who do not have the financial knowledge they need to handle their income. Lauryn sees her role as both an advisor and educator–she wants to help her clients truly understand how their money works.

Lauryn’s message to those considering certification is that “CFP^® certification is a worthwhile journey. You will be able to help people, and you’ll have the chance to work with people from your community of diverse backgrounds and education. Helping people is the best part of the work.” Every path is different, and while your unique path to CFP^® certification may not look exactly like Lauryn’s, CFP^® certification is a worthwhile and attainable goal. You can start your path to becoming certified today.

* Lauryn Williams won medals in track and field at the 2004 (2 Silver) and 2012 (Gold) Summer Olympics, and won a Silver medal in two-woman bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics.