Who's Who Women in Business

21 Walk into the offices of dts lifeStyles at 545 Broadway and you might do a double-take. From the soft, comfortable furniture to the one-of-a-kind artwork that adorns the walls, the space radiates warmth and comfort. It doesn't look anything like a financial services company – and that's just how owner and founder Debbie Styles planned it. "When someone walks through our doors I think they'll have a very different feeling than what you would expect walking into most financial services practices. It's very homey," Styles says. "I feel that the history of this industry has been very much fear-based. You meet with an advisor and you feel you haven't saved enough or don't have enough. We want to be the complete opposite of that. When people walk through our doors we want to create a safe environment and have clients leave feeling more in control of their financial circumstances in order to live better and spend their most limited resource — time — more wisely." Though that kind of thinking might seem new, Styles is hardly a newcomer to the industry. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba, she met her father's financial security advisor, Tim Nosworthy, who encouraged her to put her skills to work. Following a three-year apprenticeship with Great-West Life, where Nosworthy served as her mentor, she struck out on her own in 2000. Styles, who continued her studies and obtained her CFP designation in 2007, estimates her business has grown to five or six times what it was when she started, thanks in part to her most recent acquisition of Nosworthy's practice. The essential element, though, has been a focus on slow but steady growth. "I think the key is just being patient," she says. "The focus for me is on being an educator, which is really important in this field. There are so many people who need help and are almost scared to ask for it." Although the mother of three girls is proud of her success as an entrepreneur, she says the most rewarding part of her work is the relationships she has developed with clients. "I just love getting to know clients. Clients are what is the really exciting part of this business," she says. "It's all about the long- term relationships from generation to generation with businesses and families." To help foster those relationships, dts lifeStyles has focused on making personal connections a priority. Call their offices and instead of an automated voice-mail system, you are greeted by Styles, assistants Lisa Bayko or Michelle Purdie, or even Nosworthy, who is transitioning from an advising to a consulting role. While dts lifeStyles continues to offer a full range of financial services, the company recently underwent a rebranding. Originally known as dts financial services, it adopted the new name two years ago to better reflect its core values. dts now stands for demystify, transparency and sufficiency. The industry itself has changed since Styles got her start more than two decades ago, and it is continuing to evolve. One change she has been happiest to see is how women are now playing a much greater role in the financial decision-making process. And Styles hopes to see a greater reflection of that progress within the ranks of the financial services sector. "Women now make a lot more of the financial decisions than they did 22 years ago. Women have become significant household earners and are often the key financial decision makers." ❚ DEBBIE STYLES Owner and founder, dts lifeStyles To learn more, visit dts lifeStyles at 545 Broadway, email debbie@dtslifestyles.ca., or send Styles an Instagram message to debbie_styless. built for client comfort MAKING FINANCIAL ADVICE A SOUGHT-AFTER EXPERIENCE By Jim Timlick From left: Lisa Bayko, Michelle Purdie and Debbie Styles. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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