The Business of Retirement: Theresa Conti on Building Sunwest Pensions

How do you build a million-dollar business in a highly technical and regulated field? In this episode of Women's Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Theresa Conti, the founder of Sunwest Pensions. Theresa shares her journey of leaving a corporate role to build a specialized Third Party Administrator (TPA) firm that prioritizes personalized service over automated shortcuts. Theresa discusses the mindset shift required to move from an employee to a business owner and reveals how her commitment to "High-Touch" service allowed her to reach and maintain the million-dollar milestone. If you are a professional in a technical field looking to scale your own firm, Theresa's insights on reputation and expertise are essential. In this episode, you'll learn: -The strategic steps Theresa took to launch Sunwest Pensions. -How she reached the $1M revenue mark by focusing on a specific niche in retirement plans. -Why Theresa views money as a tool for creating security and professional independence. -Tactical advice for building a reputation as a trusted technical expert. Key Moments: 00:22 – Introduction: Theresa's background in the pension and retirement industry. 01:55 – The Value of Money: Freedom, security, and the ability to say "no" to the wrong clients. 02:45 – The Bias Barrier: Navigating the male-dominated financial world of the 90s and 2000s. 06:10 – The Million-Dollar Milestone: Scaling a TPA firm through technical accuracy. 10:50 – Resilience: What kept her going when the industry regulations got tough. 13:20 – The #1 Impactful Advice: "Always keep your technical edge."