Discover financial solutions that protect your future and provide peace of mind. Whether you're exploring annuities, life insurance, or understanding employee benefits through your workplace, 制服丝袜 Life offers resources and products designed to meet your personal and family goals.
Support your workforce with innovative employee benefits and retirement solutions. 制服丝袜 Life partners with business owners, benefits administrators, and pension fund managers to create customized programs that attract and retain top talent while securing their financial future.
Simplify complex retirement and pension risk management with our tailored solutions for large organizations. 制服丝袜 Life specializes in working with institutions to address their unique challenges, offering expertise in pension de-risking and strategic retirement planning for a more secure future.
Empower your clients with confidence by leveraging 制服丝袜 Life鈥檚 comprehensive portfolio of financial products. From annuities to life insurance, we provide the tools, resources, and support to help financial advisors and brokers deliver exceptional value and long-term results.
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Individuals
Discover financial solutions that protect your future and provide peace of mind. Whether you're exploring annuities, life insurance, or understanding employee benefits through your workplace, 制服丝袜 Life offers resources and products designed to meet your personal and family goals.
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Employers
Support your workforce with innovative employee benefits and retirement solutions. 制服丝袜 Life partners with business owners, benefits administrators, and pension fund managers to create customized programs that attract and retain top talent while securing their financial future.
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Institutions
Simplify complex retirement and pension risk management with our tailored solutions for large organizations. 制服丝袜 Life specializes in working with institutions to address their unique challenges, offering expertise in pension de-risking and strategic retirement planning for a more secure future.
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Financial Professionals & Brokers
Empower your clients with confidence by leveraging 制服丝袜 Life鈥檚 comprehensive portfolio of financial products. From annuities to life insurance, we provide the tools, resources, and support to help financial advisors and brokers deliver exceptional value and long-term results.
The Wave Strength | Webinar | Apr 29, 2022
Soaring Toward Retirement with Thunderbird Pilot Michelle Curran
The Wave Strength | Webinar
制服丝袜 Life celebrated Women鈥檚 History Month with a woman who has made history. Former United States Air Force Fighter Pilot and Thunderbird, Michelle 鈥淢ace鈥 Curran, joined 制服丝袜 Life鈥檚 Chief Customer Experience Officer, Christine Tucker for a special LinkedIn Live event to discuss planning, goal setting, and what it means to 鈥減ull 9 Gs.鈥濃
Pilots will tell you that flying 1,500 MPH and 30,000 feet up makes life back on earth seem relatively slow. But whether you鈥檙e in the air or on the ground, if you want to be successful, you need a solid plan. Michelle knows a lot about flight plans, and life plans, and we can apply many of her strategies and tactics to becoming retirement ready. Listen in as Michelle and Christine discuss what it takes to make a safe landing.
Top 5 Ways Planning & Goal Setting Lead to a Safe Landing in Retirement
Article Highlights
- Priorities are like alligators, deal with the closest one to the boat first.
- Without goals, we might be flying...but it's unclear where we鈥檙e landing.
- A good plan is like a map that takes us to our destination.
- Finding allies and stepping outside of our comfort zone are keys to retirement success.
听听听听
听听听听In recognition of Women鈥檚 History Month, The Wave Strength proudly welcomed former Thunderbird, and U.S. Air Force Pilot Michelle 鈥淢ace鈥 Curran to the Mission Critical webinar. Michelle and host Christine Tucker discussed many fascinating aspects of Michelle鈥檚 career, and Michelle shared several lessons, tactics, and strategies that can be applied to financial wellness and preparing for a successful retirement. Here are five key takeaways from the webinar which can help us become retirement ready.
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- 1. Establish Priorities.听听One of the many highlights of the Mission Critical webinar was when Michelle shared her strategy for prioritizing: Focus on the closest alligator to the boat, then deal with the next one. Applying this strategy to retirement preparedness could mean reducing debt, creating a budget, or enrolling in an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan.
- 2. Set Goals.听Without goals, we may be soaring, but we鈥檙e doing so without a destination, and that could lead to a bumpy landing. Goals serve as our destination and establishing goals will help set a course toward a successful retirement.
- 3. Make a Plan.听Michelle repeatedly noted the importance of planning in achieving her personal and professional goals. Our plans are like a road map, it's how we navigate toward our goals. After we鈥檝e established our goals, we can then begin planning to achieve those goals. Another important takeaway is realizing that it鈥檚 OK to change our goals and plans if our circumstances change.
- 4. Find Allies.听Michelle emphasized the importance of trust among her fellow Thunderbird pilots. When we鈥檙e planning for retirement, it鈥檚 critical that we find trusted advisors, resources, and tools that we can depend on for accurate information and advice.
- 5. Get out of the Zone.听Taking a calculated risk isn鈥檛 a bad thing, Michelle calls this 鈥渟tepping outside of our comfort zone.鈥 When applied to retirement planning, this can mean simply deciding to start the process of becoming retirement ready. Sometimes the first step is the most difficult. For Michelle, that first step was applying to be a Thunderbird, but by taking that risk she was able to soar to great heights.
If we hope to soar toward retirement, it鈥檚 important to recognize that we are the pilots of our journey. And if we鈥檙e to make a safe landing, it鈥檚 mission critical to establish priorities, set goals, create a solid plan, find trusted allies, and step outside of our comfort zone.
About our Guest
Michelle Curran
Michelle Curran has led an impressive career as a Fighter Pilot during her 13-years in the United States Air Force. From 2019 to 2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Michelle was also named the Distinguished Alumna of the Year by the University of St. Thomas in 2021 and has been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show and CBS Evening News.鈥
Before joining the Thunderbirds, Michelle was a combat-proven fighter pilot completing missions around the world. Her passion for pushing limits, inspiring others, and changing lives led to the creation of her company, Upside Down Dreams. Through this platform, she is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles, face the fear of failure, and excel at whatever they are passionate about.
Timestamps:
| 00:00 | Introduction |
| 03:53听 | Inspiration for joining the Air Force |
| 06:51 | How did you get the call sign "MACE?" |
| 08:05听 | Breaking the speed of sound |
| 09:35 | Legacy and honor of being a veteran |
| 11:37 | Female Thunderbirds |
| 12:48听 | Becoming a Thunderbird |
| 16:48 | How can women plan and prepare for goals? |
| 20:22 | How do you not overthink and execute? |
| 22:43 | Taking calculated risks |
| 25:07 | Overcoming imposter syndrome |
| 29:12 | What is next in your career? |
| 32:45 | What does it mean to pull 9 Gs? |
| 39:24 | Inspirational women |
| 41:39 | Overcoming struggles |
| 43:44 | What is the highest G maneuver? |
| 45:23 | Motivation in difficult times |
| 48:36 | What is your favorite airshow location? |
| 49:56 | Establishing trust as a Thunderbird |
| 52:16 | Staying calm under pressure |
| 54:03 | Final Thoughts |
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Information is based on current laws, which are subject to change at any time. Clients should consult with their accounting or tax professionals for guidance regarding their specific financial situations.
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