10 Years as a Woman in Finance: How She Built Her Career

In this episode of the FMI Podcast, Marlana Lancaster sits down with Senior Client Services Associate, Abby Pannell for an authentic conversation about career growth, customer service, leadership, and what it means to truly serve people well. Abby shares her unexpected path from managing at Chick-fil-A to spending the last 10 years helping FMI grow. With no prior financial experience, she reflects on the lessons she learned stepping into a completely new industry, the importance of hospitality in business, and why the smallest details can make the biggest difference in how people feel. The conversation also explores lessons from Unreasonable Hospitality, Michelin-star service experiences, company culture, leadership, and the natural growth of FMI over the years.00:00 – Introduction to Abby Pannell00:45 – Abby’s side hustles and flipping thrift finds01:18 – How Abby joined FMI with zero financial experience02:00 – Lessons learned managing at Chick-fil-A03:07 – Why Chick-fil-A hospitality translates to finance03:43 – Unreasonable Hospitality and serving people well04:28 – Michelin-star restaurant experience and service details05:43 – Making clients feel valued at FMI06:17 – Small gestures that make clients feel special06:55 – Growing the FMI team and building relationships07:40 – FMI culture: glorifying God and serving people08:18 – Abby reflects on 10 years at FMI08:50 – From the old office to major company growth10:05 – Leadership, technology, and adapting as a company10:50 – How FMI combines local care with large-scale resources11:20 – The funny “10 years apart” connection between Abby and Marlena12:15 – Oura Rings, sleep scores, and final thoughts