Rauni Naud: focused, balanced and fulfilled

Rauni Naud of Castlegar is an all-or-nothing kind of person, and that policy—balanced by her intelligence and self-awareness—is working very well for her.

Naud is a busy and successful financial advisor and the co-owner of Naud Lester Insurance & Investment Solutions Inc. in Castlegar. She has earned a lifetime membership in the prestigious Canada Million Dollar Round Table, an association of financial professionals, and has achieved Court of the Table status in that organization for two consecutive years now.

“In this business you have to have a hard head and an open heart,” said Naud. “The value of the advice I can give you is based on the value of the information you give me.”

The things that matter

Good health, finances and relationships are the things that we most want to keep for the long term, and are often the things that we take for granted. Naud’s specialty—and the place where she has enormous influence—is finances, and she’s accumulated some wisdom in other areas as well.

“Self awareness is so important,” she said. “If you’re going through life on autopilot, when do you stop to love and appreciate your life and all that’s in it? I know what I want and I know what I need, and that (clarity) usually comes with maturity.”

Naud admitted that learning to be a good team player with her staff was a challenge, as her tendency is to do everything herself—she’s not naturally a patient person. She finds that clear and honest communication are essential for a low-stress life.

And on balance

To replenish her inner resources from the demands of a 70- to 80-hour work week and many hours of volunteer work, Naud exchanges her business attire for shorts and flip-flops and goes to her backyard flower garden, which she refers to as her sanctuary. She also gets great joy from spending time with her large extended family.

“The big thing is that my home life is happy,” she said. “My husband is calm and patient and funny. When we’re at home, we’re enjoying it—we don’t need to escape to somewhere else. We don’t talk about work at home, and I don’t talk about home at work—I like to have a single focus.”

Naud was recognized at an awards luncheon held on May 3 to celebrate the West Kootenay's Influential Women in Business. The recognition is an initiative of Kootenay Business magazine, sponsored by Scotiabank, and is based on nominations from the business community.

“I believe we all owe something to the world,” Naud said.

As a Kootenay-born-and-raised businesswoman, her “something” is her commitment to the financial stability of as many residents of the region as she can reach.