On this episode of Don't Do That, Kelly Waltrich sits down with Anita Knotts, founder and CEO of the Lotus Women's Institute, for conversation about women in wealth management, agency at work, and the real cost of waiting.

Anita coaches women at pivotal points in their careers, from client service professionals weighing an advisor role to advisors who hit a wall five years in. Her curriculum comes from her own experience as a woman in the industry, giving the women she coaches a safe space to admit their fears and push past them.

Kelly and Anita dig into the problems firms still haven’t solved for women, from missing maternity policies to the absence of a lactation room. Anita points out that change only happens when women sit in leadership and ask for it. She also calls out smaller firms in growth mode that still hesitate to offer flexibility or hire women at either end of their careers.

Anita's ”don't do that”: don't wait until you're 100% ready. She tells the story of leaving a stable corporate paycheck months before turning 51 to launch Lotus. The fear of turning 61 and wondering what might have been scared her more than the fear of failing. She makes the case that trying almost never ends your life as you know it. Regret lasts much longer.

01:22 – Anita's accidental start in wealth management 30 years ago
02:28 – Learning from successful advisors and why you can't become what you can't see
03:18 – Avoiding sales, joining Wells Fargo, and a U-Haul move to San Francisco
04:18 – Taking bets and building a successful advisor career
05:01 – Leaving a corporate paycheck at 51 to launch Lotus Women's Institute
06:14 – The friend's question that clarified what came next
08:11 – From recruiting to developing, advancing and retaining women
11:50 – Why the conversation needs to include the supply side
13:57 – Kelly on being a ”wrecking ball” for change
15:06 – How conditioning holds women back from taking risks and speaking up
16:14 – Kelly's list of non-negotiables
17:11 – Core values, agency and why being different is a gift
18:24 – Firms asking ”how do I get more women?”
19:20 – The Lotus triangle: women clients, advisors and leaders
23:53 – Missing maternity policies and gaps women still face at firms
24:59 – Why women need seats in leadership to drive change
25:41 – Firms afraid to offer flexibility or hire women ”of a certain age”
26:41 – Kelly on the hard calls behind workplace flexibility
28:09 – Treating employees like adults with clear, strategic goals
31:50 – Culture belongs to everyone, not only the leader
33:19 – ”Waiters” vs. people who take agency
36:54 – Anita's don't do that: don't wait until you're 100% ready
37:47 – Regret as the bigger risk and the leap to launch Lotus
39:36 – Coaching women at life inflection points
40:28 – Why trying and failing almost never ends your career
42:32 – The cocktail party test for a job worth keeping 

Connect with Kelly Waltrich:

• LinkedIn: Kelly Waltrich
• LinkedIn: Intention.ly
• Instagram: Intention.ly

Connect with Anita Knotts:

• LinkedIn: Anita Knotts
• Website: Lotus Women's Institute

About Our Guest:

Anita Knotts

Founder & CEO, Lotus Women’s Institute

Anita Knotts is a seasoned financial services executive, leadership coach, and TEDx speaker with over 30 years of experience in wealth management. As an immigrant woman of color and long-time industry leader, Anita brings both strategic insight and lived experience into the heart of the Lotus Women’s Institute. Her work bridges wealth management, leadership development, and storytelling, helping women and firms navigate change with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

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