Flying High in Financial Services

Another episode of ConquerCast is out and we're focusing on retirement and un-retirement!   I'm excited to introduce to you all, Sonya Sokoliuk. After over 30 years in the airline industry, she didn’t just retire—she switched gears completely and re-hired herself in the mortgage and financial services world. 🚀 Talk about a career 180!   Sonya is now a mortgage agent and has teamed up with The Mortgage Coach, a brokerage led by people who are just as passionate about coaching as they are about finances. We had a chance to geek out together about leadership, mortgages, and big career moves.   The pandemic was a pivotal moment for Sonya, as it was for so many of us. She experienced what I like to call a "mid-life career change," not a mid-life crisis. It was a moment of clarity that led her to leave the airline industry—where she had been for over three decades—and step into the world of mortgages. She recognized that the financial industry, while completely different from her previous career, offered the challenge and intellectual growth she was looking for.   In our conversation, Sonya highlighted some key transferable skills from her airline days that serve her well in finance:  1️⃣ Accountability 2️⃣ Critical thinking 3️⃣ Communication 4️⃣ Self-leadership 5️⃣ Client-first mindset   And for anyone looking for a mortgage agent—Sonya shared three essential things to consider. Make sure you have a broker who listens to you, answers your questions with transparency, and helps you understand the full picture of what you’re signing up for. Connect with Sonya: LinkedIn Instagram Sign up to the weekly Conquer Leadership email newsletter for lessons on leadership development, team engagement, personal growth and excellence. And, be the first to hear about new episodes of ConquerCast. Visit ⁠conquerleadership.ca⁠.