Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Burns.
Hi Mary, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started my Financial Planning practice under Northwestern Mutual in 2023. My vision was and has always been to make women a bigger part of the financial conversation. I worked with too many advisors who seemed to overlook what the female had to say in the conversations.
In June 2024, my husband and I welcomed our first daughter. I wanted to keep pushing and growing to show her what was possible. I felt like the best way to help me achieve my professional goals was to join a team. In July 2025, I joined Highcountry Wealth Management as their first female advisor. This gave my clients a better experience/quicker response times. And for me, it has given me time back to do what is most important. It was the launchpad I needed to accelerate the growth in my practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge I have had to overcome is how different my professional life looks compared to my male counterparts. After having my daughter, I have to find balance in taking care of her and still seeing the growth I need professionally.
Being a part of Highcountry Wealth management has meant that 2 days a week I get to put all my attention into her. No grabbing my computer or checking emails. We go to the zoo, walk to the park, whatever she wants. But the 3 days that I am working, I have to be totally dialed in. It’s a total mindset shift. A lot of men get to just show up for work and know that everything at home is taken care of.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Highcountry Wealth Management is a comprehensive financial planning firm. We have a team of 10, allowing us to take a wide variety of clients. Starting with someone who is just getting started financially, maybe they just need some life insurance or want to set up a Roth IRA to start saving. The other end of the spectrum is sophisticated planning with our business owner clients. They may need help with tax planning, estate planning, etc. We specifically enjoy working with business owners in the blue-collar industry.
I would say the biggest differentiator is how in depth our planning is. We want to know all of our clients. Their goals and aspirations. From there, we create a tailored financial plan. We are focused on way more than just the rate of return they get.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think a lot of advisors are worried that AI is going to take over. However, I don’t share that concern. I think that the ability to talk to someone face to face and get solutions to your specific problems is going to be really relevant to people. You can google how much you need for retirement or ask Chatgpt, but it’s never going to fully understand your goals and everything you have going on in your financial plan. It’s not going to coach my behavior when the market takes a downturn. I just think there are a lot of gaps that it will not fill.
Pricing:
- We will offer a free financial consultation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://highcountry.nm.com/
- Instagram: @highcountrywealthmanagement
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marybburns
