Meet Kena Pitts | Bank and Financial Governance Executive, Certified Financial Coach, and International Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kena Pitts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kena, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Understanding my “why” is the most important factor in the success of my brand. I am the very proud child of two terminal degree educators who devoted their lives to educating our community, people empowerment, and leadership development, and our family heritage has very deep roots in the Civil Rights Movement. Those same values are the center of my “why.”

Still today, we are faced with actual realities of having to overcome bias and discrimination, particularly in access to wealth and economic power. I created Epic Life Strategies to educate our community, women of color especially, in all matters of personal finance, going above outcomes of financial literacy but achieving financial fluency. A basic understanding of how money works and tools for budgeting are not sufficient for building generational wealth and increasing one’s financial acumen. Through Epic Life Strategies, I get to continually live my “why.” I educate women about personal finance. I give them access to tools and resources to empower them to live a life of financial freedom and create wealth for their families. And I have a front seat to the development of our next generation’s leaders.

Keeping true to the heart of my passion in fulfilling these values fuels my commitment to my “why.” And it’s that commitment and drive that powers my success.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I credit much of my success to the blessing of proximity. My career in GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) began because of my passion to ensure our economy was equal and equitable for all people. I was granted an unusual level of proximity and visibility to my executives who created exceptional opportunities for me to learn and grow. Those opportunities yielded access to valuable insights into how our banks and financial institutions work and their critical role in bridging the gaps in inequality and inequity in the financial system. I use my 20+ years of experience to give my clients access to that same knowledge, same vocabulary, same tools and instruments, same opportunities afforded to those in wealthy communities. I am incredibly proud to be able to use my experiences and proximity to the industry’s leading banking and financial services executives to equip and empower my clients for the financial future they deserve.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This question is most certainly best answered by people who actually “get out!” 🙂

My life is full of family and all things family. We spend our time with our children and trying to be present for all of the things that fuel their passions and interests: flag football, bookstores, dance teams, gymnastics, laser tag, jump parks, and simple backyard fun!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The love, support, and faith of my family, especially my husband – Jonathan Pitts, has been essential to my success, as well as the push and belief of my First Lady, Dr. Victory Vernon. They saw gifts in me that I had yet to realize and created an environment, even gave me a platform, where I could dream, imagine, create and take quantum leaps of faith to actually see it happen.

Website: www.kenapitts.com

Instagram: Lady Kena Pitts

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenapitts

Twitter: IAmLadyKena

Facebook: Kena Pitts

Image Credits
Photographers: Marquita Washington and Renata Brooks