Giving & participating are a constant

While Brenda’s been active in her church and community, 10 years ago she wanted to take it one step further and to use her firm to make a meaningful difference to her Metro DC community.

She selected to partner with the American Red Cross. Brenda says, “They just touch so many of our citizens’ lives”. Brenda reached out to Linda Mathes, the CEO of the American Red Cross National Capital Region. She shared her idea of hosting a Women’s Networking Luncheon, featuring a silent auction of designer handbags. The idea was that every woman has at least two good handbags in her closet, and Brenda felt her vision would appeal to women with careers and limited time. It presented a great networking opportunity for professional women in the area, while also allowing them to help raise funds to assist citizens affected by fires, floods, tornadoes, school shootings, and other tragic situations, where life-saving blood is a necessity.

The event, “IN THE BAG,” which features donated, designer handbags in a silent auction, just celebrated its 10th Anniversary in November of 2019, with the help of the Women’s Steering Committee, made up of 30 local businesswomen. This event has raised over $1.5M dollars net for the American Red Cross and hosts 300 attendees annually. Their motto is “buy a purse, save a life.”

In the Bag has served as a wonderful opportunity to bring women all over the metro DC area together, an opportunity to educate everyone on the services the Red Cross provides, and, of course, a perfect opportunity to meet new people and go shopping for a “great” handbag.

For her outstanding and innovative community service leadership, Brenda was honored by the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation in a ceremony in Boston in 2018. Selected as one of the three finalists from across the nation, Brenda was selected to receive the Community Service Award by Invest in Other’s (IIO) and received a $40,000 check for the American Red Cross.

Brenda’s favorite client success story centers around a widow. After the passing of her husband, the widow found she’d been left with $9,000 from a life insurance policy but little else. With a young son to support, she hit upon the idea of using the insurance money to buy stock in companies that made products she used. Now, at her current stage of life, she wanted to stay in the metro area and maintain her lifestyle, but she needed more income to do so. How could she do it without paying a whole lot of taxes? She challenged Brenda to create a financial plan and strategy to improve her cash flow, maintain her lifestyle and do legacy planning for her beloved family. Using estate planning tools, including a Charitable Remainder Trust and a Revocable Living Trust, and partnering with a good CPA and attorney, Brenda showed her how to double her income, and save capital gains taxes. She was able to fund two college educations, pay for in vitro treatments resulting in two beautiful girls for a family member, and set up a trust for her grandchildren, and her great- grandchildren, to establish her legacy that is still continuing. “There is nothing more rewarding than assisting a client to accomplish more than they ever thought possible. This is why I love my calling”, says Brenda.

With clients in over 20 states, this is just one of Brenda’s client success stories. As a pioneer, Brenda’s successes and best practices have been featured in local and industry publications, news, and radio. Brenda also enjoys serving as a mentor to women entering financial planning. She is actively leaving her legacy in her profession by giving back. Brenda is a wonderful example that not all heroes wear capes!