For National Women's Small Business Month, we're honoring some of our fantastic female members!
Today’s Q&A is with Sandra Turner, president and founder of
Retirement Plan Services Inc. Sandra shares her secrets to success and why she
loves being involved with NFIB.
Q: How did you get into retirement planning?
A: “I needed a job, so I went to Snelling and
Snelling in Houston, TX and said, ‘What can you recommend to me that would
utilize my Bachelors in Mathematics plus my (education) in Political Science?’
You see, I was young, married, and followed my husband from Boca Raton to
Houston…Snelling sent me to the firm of Hand and Associates, Inc. where I was
hired as an actuarial assistant on defined benefit plans.
“William Hand, EA FSA, the owner and head
actuary (of Hand and Associates, Inc.) was also the new president of a
fledgling group called the American Society of Pension Actuaries, which had him
working feverishly on the corrective regulations for ERISA, the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 with Senator Jacob Javits of NY and
James Kirkpatrick, FSA. ERISA created a whole new industry and I was in the
beginning of this great adventure. Today the American Society of Pension
Actuaries is called (the) American Society of Pension Professionals &
Actuaries with over 17,000 members.
Q: Tell us about your company.
“In 1997…I started Sandra R. Turner &
Associates, Inc. out of my house. I had two small boys so working at home made
it easier. My first hire was a woman from my choir. Unfortunately, the City got
wind of my home-based business and made me move it, since I had an employee. So
I rented a run-down death trap of an office in downtown Oviedo. Over time, we
grew and had to move. I renamed the firm Retirement Plan Specialists, Inc. in
2003 to attract talent that did not want to be associated with a ‘name’ and bought
my building in 2008.
“Today, we have employees working remotely as
well as here at the office. We have clients from all across the country. We are
considered a ‘boutique’ firm, which means we design, implement and administer
retirement programs specifically to the needs of the business and its owner.”
Q: What’s one thing you do every morning to start your day on a positive
note?
A: “Right now, I am teaching a Bible study
during Friday lunch at my office. It is really a throwback to when videos were the
‘in’ thing…the Jabez Prayer series. Basically it says you get up in the
morning, thank God for another day, and ask him to really bless this one! Plus,
looking at my three pooches slobbering for breakfast helps as well.”
Q: How do you stay inspired and creative at work?
A: “I have been in this industry for nearly 40
years…I find creativity belongs to the younger members of my firm. Unlike a lot
of my male peers (sorry guys, but you know this is true), I DO believe in
giving up the reins to the next generation. Plus, I am blessed my oldest son,
Lanning, is in the business with me. He has over 10 years of experience, plus
fresh new ideas on taking this company into a future I will not be in.”
Q: What was your first job?
A: “Taco Viva in Deerfield Beach, Florida. I
wish I could remember the (owner’s) name. At the time, both (Taco Viva) and
Taco Bell were small business and I always thought his food was so much better
than Taco Bell, but you see who is standing today and who is not. This is
another person I called many years later for teaching me a good work ethic.”
Q: What do you value most about being an NFIB member?
A: “Because of my association with NFIB, many
people in the IRS and DOL world considered me ‘influential’. Over the years,
NFIB got me into tax saver summits and a number of other important political
arenas where I have been able to help others in their big to protect and
enhance the retirement plan world for business and their employees.”
Q: Please share one piece of advice for other female leaders in
business.
A: “Join this great organization! It is like the
union for small business and it needs women, men, and minorities, because that
is what the mixture of small business is.”
Check out more National Women’s Small Business Month profiles on NFIB members Phyllis Burlage, Melissa Remis, and Robin Kocina!
