All three said their practices are practically all-digital, because their clients communicate, make payments and arrange their lives through online platforms. Sun's phone barely rings anymore, she said, since clients have the option to reach out to her on whatever social media platform they feel comfortable with.
But more accessibility doesn’t necessarily mean frequent direct communication, said Ngo. She uses the virtual assistant application Schedule Once to set parameters around her schedule. Sun said chat bots are a way to handle minor things such as frequently asked questions.
Not only is Sun’s practice almost all digital, she’s also a part of the growing group of location-independent advisors. She told attendees at the Invest In Women panel that she’s partnered with the shared workspace company WeWork to meet with clients wherever the company has an office building.
Toward the end of the panel, the discussion drifted onto the desires of millennial professionals like Townsend and Ngo. Townsend, who works from a home office, said, “Millennials want to leave this corporate 9 to 5; they want to be free and they want to travel.”
She’s not shy about sharing pictures of her travels and out-of-office excursions on Instagram, and that’s attracted clients who enjoy travel as much as she does.
“Many of us feel guilty for traveling and taking time away from our busy practices in order to sort of unwind, and we’ve just learned [from Townsend] that actually you can do so and be profitable,” said Sun, bringing the discussion back to the importance of being present online and telling one’s own story.
Outside of social media, the three women said they attend conferences in the industries that they want to service the most. For Sun, it’s the television and press industries, while Ngo said she loves the women in tech, and Townsend said she meets many people from her involvement in events focused on women.