FEATURE
Since this is our annual family edition, can you tell us about yours?
here she is
My husband, Ryan, and I are both from Central New York and have three children: Caitlyn (15); Michael (13); and Emily (11). We met on a train ride from NYC to Syracuse. I sat next to him, and the rest is history … we married in 2005. I attended Syracuse University and studied piano performance, after which I worked in admissions (not a lot of demand for concert pianists in Central New York). When Ryan and I had Caitlyn, we decided it was best for me to stay home. I spent the next eight years raising kids, taking care of my grandmother (“Gram”), giving piano lessons, and leading the youth choir at our church.
Which realm of your work life is most gratifying?
I am one of six women managing directors nationally at Northwestern Mutual who also has a personal advisory practice. I LOVE doing what I do. This opportunity changed our lives in so many ways, and I am forever grateful. It’s the greatest honor to help clients create and implement meaningful financial plans. I get to help them achieve their financial goals and be there for major life events — engagements, marriages, births, first homes, business purchases and sales, promotions, and other milestones. Helping families preserve and protect their legacies is an awesome privilege.
lynn
What helped fuel your passion? After my Gram passed and two of my three babies were in school, I went back to Syracuse and studied management with a concentration in economics. I was invited to join Northwestern Mutual in 2014. I never imagined becoming a financial advisor; however, once I started to do some research, I found that the industry is lopsided when it comes to gender and race—85 percent of financial advisors are men and 75 percent are white. I knew I had an incredible opportunity to impact these statistics, especially when I accepted the Managing Director role where I have a big responsibility of recruiting new advisors to work in the Lake Norman office.
How have your challenges strengthened you?
My proudest moment was having the honor of being by my Gram’s side when she passed away. My Gram was my person, and it was so hard to be there at the end, but I am so grateful that I was able to be brave and do it. The second big event for me was the loss of my best friend Kristen in 2018. She was an advisor alongside me, and we were the only women in our firm at the time. She was only 33 years old. She was a firecracker and AMAZING at what she did. Her clients adored her. To see someone so young, making such an impact, and having so much light surrounding her go dark was a life-changing moment for me. Whenever this life gets hard, I fight for her. She inspires me every day.
bowser
NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL OF LAKE NORMAN
26
SEPTEMBER 2021
w OMAN.COM
L AKENORMAN
WRITER LESLIE OGLE
Lynn Bowser is the managing director and financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual of Lake Norman, located at 9713 Northcross Center Court, Suite 300, in Huntersville. Contact Lynn at 704.494.8077 or visit her today at www.LynnBowser.nm.com.
PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTOGRAPHY 44 (CRAIG REYNOLDS)
