Dynamic Brokers finalist in Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards

Russell, a financial broker for nearly 17 years, said the seed was planted after someone told her "a single mother of three children couldn't possibly run their own business".

"So that's exactly what I went and started February last year and have been giving it an absolutely red hot crack," Ms Russell said.

A year and a half later, her business, Dynamic Brokers, is all systems go with the support of her "superstar" administrative assistant Hollie McCullagh.

Dynamic Brokers is a finalist in the Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards.

The business is also up for an industry award next week as best newcomer.

The financial industry is male dominated in the older demographic, Ms Russell said.

She said she had encountered a "huge" amount of challenges in starting out her own business.

"I've been lucky, I've worked for some great companies around Launceston," she said.

"But starting out on your own, as a sole income earner as a single mum was a huge, huge step."

Costs to get started, she said had to be self-funded.

Ms Russell wanted to hit the ground running including having a shopfront and branding.

"I thought, what better [to name the business] than dynamic? That's exactly what I am, that represented everything I was and what I was trying to instill in my daughters," she said.

The young business wasn't immune to the difficult financial climate such as rising interest rates.

"I started Dynamic Brokers in a time of the most uncertain interest rates ... where lending got so much harder," Ms Russell said.

"It was a really difficult time to start a business as well."

The reason she does her job, Ms Russell said was because it impacted people's lives in a positive way.

"If I can play a small part in someone's financial journey and achieving their goals and dreams, that's a win-win for me," she said.

"There's nothing more satisfying than that."

She likened being able to see houses and cars she helped finance to being a tradie who drives down the street pointing out what they've built.

"You get a real sense of pride. And the tears, and bottles of wine and everything that came with it has been absolutely worth every minute of it," Ms Russell said.

As a financial broker, Ms Russell said they were part of their client's journey including the many firsts of cars, personal loans and houses.

"I can be part of the whole journey," she said.

"I can make sure that all the steps that they want to achieve in their financial goals, I can get them in the right order."

She said her objective was to provide a holistic approach to look at a clients long-term goals as well as the immediate.

"My job is to dissect their personal information and see if they can afford to be able to make that goal happen," Ms Russell said.

"And a wise man once told me, that it's not a no - it's just a not yet."

Holding a diploma in mortgage and finance, she said they were held to account be ASIC to ensure they complied with a client's best interests.

"We pride ourselves on being very different," she said.

"I think our website even says no bulls***. We're just very relatable people, we're mums, we're honest."

She said that mentality extended to being honest about someone's financial situation and suggesting other ways to achieve a client's goal.

Her advice to other women entering the financial industry or starting their own business was to give it a red hot go.

"It's not all butterflies and rainbows," she said.

"But I think if you take away each night and know that you've achieved something good, and you can only control what you can control, then I feel that you've made a difference."

The Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards winners will be announced on Saturday, September 23.

"I think it's huge to be recognised as a woman in a small business," Ms Russell said.

"Particularly because if you have a look at data, particularly when it comes to finance that if a husband and wife, let's say go to a car yard to buy a car, that there are percentages that'll show you that it's the woman who generally make most of the financial decisions within a household.

"They play a huge part in that."

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