PLANADVISER: What advice would you give to someone entering the industry today?
Mongon: For someone entering the industry today, I recommend focusing on three areas: building skills, expanding industry knowledge and developing strong relationships.
First, become exceptional at your role. Stay organized, communicate clearly, anticipate challenges and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Seek input from anyone willing to share their experience. Understanding how and why past decisions were made gives you valuable context for providing future solutions.
Second, learn as much as you can about the industry. Professional designations provide a strong foundation, but real growth comes from learning from mentors and peers. Ask about unusual situations, exceptions to the rules and lessons learned. Understanding the “why” behind those experiences will deepen your expertise.
Finally, invest in relationships. The most successful professionals recognize that delivering a great client experience is a team effort. Take time to understand the perspectives of those you work with and approach challenges collaboratively. When you support colleagues across every role, from sales to operations to service, you create a stronger team and a better client experience. Helping others succeed not only strengthens relationships, but also allows everyone to contribute their best work while avoiding burnout.
PLANADVISER: What have you done that you are most proud of at work? Personally?
Mongon: What I’m most proud of is the impact I have on individual employees. The most rewarding moments are when someone says, “I’m going to share something I wasn’t planning to …” or “This finally makes sense.” I often meet people during some of their most financially vulnerable moments, when they’re looking for guidance and clarity. In just a 15-minute conversation, they trust me enough to share their family story, financial concerns and future goals. I love being able to update the way people view their financial future and give them confidence in the decisions ahead. While technology and AI can provide information, it cannot replicate the trust, empathy and human connection that come from helping someone feel understood and supported through emotionally charged financial decisionmaking. I never take that trust for granted, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to help employees navigate important financial decisions with confidence.
PLANADVISER: What outside interests or experiences have influenced how you approach your career?
Mongon: Since I was a kid, I was always a reader. In high school, I worked in my parents’ bookstore recommending books to parents and children, and I graduated college with an English degree and creative writing minor, preparing to be a teacher. The most dynamic human interactions I’ve learned through reading and writing thousands of stories is how differently people can perceive the same event.
I love to approach each interaction with every plan sponsor with genuine curiosity about their story. Hearing their experiences in business and in life have led me to ask one of the most revealing questions: “How did you feel when that happened or when you made that decision?” Truly understanding the feelings and perceptions of our clients helps us to build on what they define as the most rewarding, successful parts of their business and life.
My goal is to create a flexible service experience to match them and their unique needs, then to add to that success as measured by their and their employees’ standards. I seek to create relationships that outlast our business engagement and build success as defined by those who live it.