RISING ICON #86: Hailey Margetta
photo credit: Bullseye Media
What name do you prefer to be called?
Hailey or Hails (depending how well you know me)
What are your pronouns?
She/Her
Where did you grow up?
Franklin, Wisconsin. A suburb 25 minutes southwest of downtown Milwaukee
What city are you currently based in?
Eagan, Minnesota
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Hi, I’m Hailey. It’s nice to meet you.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
People are surprised when they learn I’m an extroverted introvert. They assume because I’m in sales I’m always outgoing. Truth is, to feel rested and mentally healthy, I need a lot of uninterrupted me-time.
Who do you help?
Professionally, I help people by providing financial guidance and banking solutions. It’s my job to make complex and often intimidating material feel approachable and easy to understand.
What are you building now?
I’m building my way to freedom of time.
What were you building ten years ago today?
My reputation and my network.
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I love learning, taking risks, and carving out a path that’s uniquely my own. Personal and small business finance is my passion, so I imagine I’ll still be doing something in that lane.
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
Banking is more than the teller line or investment banking. There are so many interesting, flexible, and well-paying career opportunities in this industry that go unfilled because people don’t know they exist.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
I’m doing my part to build a more financially secure and equitable future for our community. I want to help small business owners and individuals build generational wealth. The way I see it, if the knowledge I share helped someone avoid a financial mistake or maximize an opportunity, I did my job.
Who is your mentor and what is the best advice they’ve given you?
You know the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child”. Well, I think it also takes a village to raise a young professional. I’m grateful I had many outstanding mentors early in my career. They helped shape who I am, how I value myself, and how I interact with others. Special shout out to Jed Hausmann, a banker and business owner who taught me how to network and negotiate.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
Two years ago I became a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. I’m proud of the finance classes I’ve created on their platform.
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
My dream is to appear in Harvard Business Review and Forbes someday.
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
Trevor Noah
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
Inclusive Business Devleompent for the Next Generation
What award would mean the most to win?
In my current stage of life, winning 40 under 40 would be pretty cool.
What makes zero sense to you?
Why salary ranges aren’t posted on all job positions.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
There are two words. Failure and quiet. I wish failure was linked to courage, learning, and growth. Quiet should be connected to thoughtful and strategic, rather than lacking in confidence.
What game are you changing?
Finance
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
Investing in self-reflection and personal growth.
Where can we follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileymargetta/
https://www.haileymargetta.com/
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Be vulnerable. Share your humanness. We’re not robots.
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Hailey, for sharing your story!
LAUREL is a media relations partner for bold leadership. For nearly a decade, we’ve helped leaders build effective strategies for scale and growth specializing in key opinion leadership and go-to-market strategy for emerging brands. To follow along with the RISING ICONS series, nominate a leader or subscribe to our weekly email newsletter. To accelerate your own rise, get our free guide to elevating your leadership profile, FIT(lite). RISING ICONS is made possible by grant funding from Knight Foundation.
“I wish failure was linked to courage, learning, and growth.”
Notice: It’s important for our readers to understand the origin of the interview content. The featured ICON contributed responses that were not edited from the original submission. All claims are made solely by the contributor and do not reflect the views of LAUREL or its partners. Thank you for supporting innovation leaders. We’re convinced, the future is bold.
