Nicole Rutledge Regilio
Director of Financial Planning/Wealth Advisor
Personal Thoughts
It wasn’t until fourth grade that I picked up a bat and glove for the first time. From that point on, my life was softball day in and day out. I excelled on the field and spent my summers traveling around the State of Florida with all-star teams and other competitive travel teams. This didn’t come easy though. It required a lot practice, drills, and perseverance. I was determined to be the best I could be and to make my parents proud. Whenever I was exhausted from practice and felt that I couldn’t do anymore, I always remember my mom and dad saying, “can’t never could” and these words have stuck with me my entire life.
I continued to be a star on the field until my junior year of high school. One afternoon at practice, while sliding into second base I knew my knee would not recover, and it never did. After surgery, I remember thinking, “now what?” That summer, I took up golf, once again practicing every day. Knowing I could never play softball again, I made the high school golf team that spring after only picking up a club a few months prior. We went to state that year! Once again, determination and perseverance played a big hand.
I went to college and gave up sports with the goal of being an Orthodontist someday and fulfilling my true purpose – helping others and giving them a reason to smile. Life doesn’t always go according to plan though. By my senior year of college, I came to the realization that neither dental school nor medical school were for me. Yet I chose not to change my major and graduated in 2001 with a degree in chemistry.
I spent the next year wondering what I wanted to be when I grew up. The job market was dismal due to the tragedy of 9-11 on top of the recent tech bubble burst. I submitted countless resumes with no luck in sight for employment and finally decided a temp agency might be my best bet. I needed a job, any job at that point. My first placement was with RCG as their receptionist. Working at RCG fully introduced me to the financial service industry and the stock market. I had taken basic accounting and economics in college but never paid much attention to the financial world, let alone considered it a career path for me. Less than a year later, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up!
I fell in love with the service RCG provides our clients. As an advisor, I provide reassurance and confidence to our clients when they are making big financial decisions and planning their future goals. Creating a financial plan is like putting together a puzzle: lots of different pieces just needing to be arranged the right way to create their beautiful picture. No two puzzles are ever the same, making each day a new challenge. I face that challenge with determination as I strive to help others achieve their financial goals while giving them a reason to smile.
I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me the importance of a strong work ethic and the perseverance to succeed no matter what life throws your way. It is because of those values that I am where I am today. While RCG wasn’t my plan A, it’s been the best plan yet.