139: She dealt blackjack to pay for college. Now she runs a $5 trillion company. Meet Orion CEO, Natalie Wolfsen.

Most CEO stories start with an Ivy League credential and a tidy career ladder, but this one starts with a blackjack table.

Before Natalie Wolfsen was running Orion, she was dealing cards to pay for college. At the time, she had no idea that the lessons she was learning on that casino floor would follow her all the way to the C-suite.

In this episode, Natalie opens up about the chapters that don't fit neatly on a résumé and why she believes those are often the most important ones.

Listen in to hear: 

• How she parlayed casino marketing into a career in finance
• Why she walked away from a thriving role at American Express to try entrepreneurship
• The startup that failed in 8 months and why she'd do it again in a heartbeat
• How saying yes to "inconvenient" opportunities compounded into a career she never could have planned

More about Natalie Wolfsen:
 
Natalie Wolfsen joined Orion Advisor Solutions as CEO in October 2023 and is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. She is the former CEO of AssetMark and has nearly 30 years of financial services industry experience. For over 25 years, Natalie has served independent advisors (RIA and broker-dealer affiliated) with more than a decade of working with independent and insurance broker-dealers. Prior to joining AssetMark in 2014, Natalie previously held digital and investment platform development, investment solution management, strategy and marketing roles at First Eagle Investment Management, Pershing, Charles Schwab and American Express. Natalie has an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California, Berkeley.

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