Shawna has spent more than two decades in financial services, but it’s no secret that she’s not in it for the money.
For Shawna, finances have never been nearly as interesting as the people themselves. So what she lacks in fondness for econ, she has more than compensated for with a deep and abiding affection for people.
You get the sense pretty quickly that Shawna is the beating heart of the team, winning the trust of clients from the word go, tackling any questions, and keeping clients connected to their dreams and goals.
This wasn’t lost on her first boss in the financial industry, a man named Jerry who told her from the minute he met her that she was magic, a true diamond.
For Shawna, finances have never been nearly as interesting as the people themselves.
Shawna, who never lacked confidence, even early on, threw herself into that first role, supporting the firm’s 100 employees, and was given opportunities to be in rooms she says she had no business being in.
With that confidence came an incorruptible sense of fairness, righteousness, and impatience that make for great leaders, but often, unhappy employees. When she sensed a culture was complacent and resigned, or worse, unethical, she was out, simple as that.
When the opportunity came to work at Baird in 1998, she hesitated for two reasons: One, it meant a pay cut, and two, she had no friends there yet.
“It’s not camp,” her dad said. He was right.
She spent two years as an FA in a solo office at Baird, which meant that the work was 100% focused on the financial work, with no team to lead or lean on. She was about to surrender when she met Catina, who invited her to join their team in 2020.
Today, Shawna is the heart that bonds the team together—and anyone who meets her knows it.
With years of experience behind her, Shawna began her career at The Koenig Jones Group with an entirely new perspective. She decided that instead of trying to take over and rearrange everything, she was going to listen and fill the gaps the team needed most.
Today, Shawna is the heart that bonds the team together—and anyone who meets her knows it.
“The best compliment I get, and I hear it all the time, is, ‘I never thought I’d like someone who does what you do.’
I have to laugh—because that has nothing to do with me or our firm, and everything to do with the reputation of the industry itself.
Wherever you go, people say they’re going to do a thing and then they don’t do it. That makes me nuts, and always has. I believe in showing up. I take pleasure in exceeding expectations (which I also find isn’t hard to do because so few people expect it!)
There’s only one way to earn trust, and it’s never easy or fast. But without that effort, nothing happens, nothing lasts—and when you do, the potential for growth and connection is sky high.
“I believe in showing up.”
Even in the early days of my career, I was confident, maybe more confident than I should have been! That all changed when I found myself in a position to become a partner.
Suddenly there was all this pressure to act a certain way—the implication being that who I was wasn’t good enough. My confidence, and my success rate, plummeted.
This taught me that confidence is nothing without authenticity. I’m just not a fake-it-til-you-make-it girl. I’m either all in or I’m out. And I can’t do my job if my heart isn’t in it.
When I met Catina and this team, I knew I had come home in many ways. It’s where your heart is, right? Certainly where mine is.
“Confidence is nothing without authenticity.”
I love a lot of things about this business, particularly the action—something is always happening! It’s exciting and dynamic, sometimes unpredictable.
But the real reward doesn’t live inside a balance sheet; it comes as the result of the relationships themselves. I take pride in those rich, deep connections, and anticipate their lives and opportunities as I would my own.
Shawna Hurst has more than 25 years of experience in financial services. She partners with individuals, families and business owners as they navigate critical financial decisions—from IRAs and college savings to life after retirement, and lends an empathetic ear to those who want not just a financial plan, but a thriving financial future.
Shawna lives in Shakopee with her husband Jack, son Jackson, daughter Madison and their two dogs, Baxstrom and Bailey. They love camping, hosting, and gathering around the fire pit, and playing hockey on the rink in their backyard. Shawna is no stranger to random acts of kindness, and is happiest either reading at home or taking the floor of Toastmasters International® with a hot mic in her hand.