Welcome to Transform’s Q&A Author Spotlight Series, where we feature insightful authors who are redefining people and culture, work, leadership, and technology. Join us to gain fresh perspectives and practical knowledge from those at the forefront of today’s evolving professional landscape.
About the Author
Caroline Tanis, CDFA®️ is a Financial Advisor, strategist, & best-selling author who focuses on helping her clients build their desired lifestyle. She works primarily with executives and their families to create a financial plan. Caroline helps her clients determine their goals and future lifestyle in order to build a plan specific to them. Utilizing estate, retirement, trust, investment planning and more Caroline is able to bridge the gap between where clients are now and where they want to get to.
She is the author of Rise & Find: An Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Building Her Dream Life which is officially live on Kindle pre-sale.
Background and Inspiration
Transform: What inspired you to write about Financial Wellness, and what keeps you motivated in this field?
Caroline: Rise & Find was born out of passion and my overconsumption of books. I am an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction books. When looking at my bookshelf, I noticed the number of books that focus on one area of your life rather than looking at you as a whole person. One book tells you to fix your sleep while another focuses on your nutrition, but don’t forget to climb the corporate ladder. But no book looked at every area of my life. So, I brought together some of the most amazing women I know across a wide variety of industries to share their expertise and look at women as a whole rather than a silo.
Writing Process
Transform: What does your typical writing day look like when working on topics related to HR and Financial Wellness?
Caroline: I love to write from a local coffee shop. Something about a freshly brewed cup of coffee and being surrounded by other people’s energy helps me focus. More than that, it also brings me back to my core focus of writing and creating educational content that is meant to support people just like the ones that surround me in that environment.
Transform: How do you stay current with the rapidly changing trends in Financial Wellness to ensure your writing remains relevant?
Caroline: Part of that is utilizing social media and building community. There’s so much information out there, and things change at a moment’s notice. I love books and reading, but to stay up to date with everything going on, I make sure to share updates on social media with my community.
Transform: Do you prefer to outline your ideas in detail before writing, or do you allow the narrative to develop organically?
Caroline: At the start of any creative process, I start by unplugging, whether that’s through a walk around the block, a long hike, or going to the gym without my phone. This way, I can clear my brain and sift through all of the different thoughts to focus on the one that speaks to me. For Rise & Find, I spent a lot of time looking at my own stockpile of books (I guess we can be nice and call it a collection), going to bookstores, and pouring over Amazon lists. I was looking for inspiration but also what was missing in my own life. Rise & Find is selfishly the book that I was missing in my own life.
Themes and Messages
Transform: What core themes do you explore in your writing, and why are they significant to you and your audience?
Caroline: The goal of this book was to look at all areas of a woman’s life by bringing together some of the smartest women I know, experts in their industries. This book addresses every area of a woman’s life from equitable parenting, travel, wellness, mental health, finances, you name it. Why? Because we are beautifully complex people that have so many areas of our lives.
Advice and Future Plans
Transform: What advice would you give to HR professionals or business leaders who aspire to write about their field?
Caroline: The world needs to hear your perspective, insights, and story. So many of us think we don’t have something to share because we aren’t a celebrity or big name. I’ve come to learn over the last few years that those are the stories and wisdom we need now more than ever.
Transform: What’s next for you? Are you working on any new projects or books about the future of work?
Caroline: After Rise & Find makes its way onto readers’ bookshelves I am focused on delivering our Give Yourself a $940,000 Raise presentation that is related to the introduction I wrote in the book. The mission behind this presentation is to support the work of Rise & Find and help to move the needle on the wealth discrepancy women feel in the corporate space.
Transform: How do you envision your writing evolving as Financial Wellness continues to change?
Caroline: My big audacious dream is that my writing one day becomes incredibly irrelevant so that we all sit back, laugh, and say remember when? By that I mean that I hope the wealth and earnings gap for women no longer exists. That women are able to feel confident and empowered in all areas of their life and are born into a world where they don’t have to Rise & Find who they are, they know it from day one.
Engagement with Readers
Transform: How do you interact with your readers, especially those who are HR professionals or business leaders?
Caroline: The pandemic reminded us the importance of connection and reminded me how much I love to be with people in person. Because of this my team and I are really focused on using Rise & Find to build community and connection through in-person events that will be hosted throughout 2025 and beyond. Part of this partnering with HR teams to help facilitate workshops for their teams and employees. The other part hosting in person event geared to build community, educate, and empower (more details on this coming early 2025).
About the Reader
Transform: Share three takeaways from Rise & Find: An Ambitious Woman’s Guide to Building Her Dream Life that readers should walk away with.
Caroline:
- As women, we are not defined by one single area in our lives
- You don’t to sacrifice growth in one area of your life to improve another- the tides can rise together
- Life-changing things happen when women come together to support and raise each other up
Connect with Caroline directly in the Transform Community! Join now.