The power of support

When Sharon Dunaway-Alt found herself going through the most difficult chapter of her life, her team became her lifeline.

Her partner of 33 years passed away in 2024 after a three-year battle with endometrial cancer. “It was a rough three years,” Sharon says. “The team kept my head above water and saved me from drowning.” Her team’s unwavering support gave her peace of mind. “We always talk about rowing the boat in the same direction and making sure no one falls into the water,” she says. “Having this team was so important, especially during a trying time like that. It gave me relief knowing our clients were taken care of and my team was there for anything they needed.”

A career full circle

Sharon describes joining her current team as the culmination of a lifelong professional journey.

“I feel like I retired when I joined this team because it’s a culmination of all the jobs that I've done in my lifetime,” Sharon says. “And now it’s come full circle.”

Her path began with childhood memories of watching her brother working as a runner on the floor in the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. After earning her finance degree from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Sharon pursued her passion for racehorses. She worked as a bookkeeper at a Chicago racetrack during summers and as an exercise rider at an Ocala horse farm during winter. After that, she considered going to law school but wanted to explore the industry first, working as a paralegal. There she was approached by founder Michael Brill to join M2 Financial Advisors Group. It was Michael, who is now retired, who encouraged Sharon to apply to Raymond James’ RAMP (Registered Associate Mentoring Program) and Advisor Mastery Program (AMP).

“I had the option of staying in operations or going to the advisor side. My team told me to naturally gravitate toward where my skills take me,” she says. “That RAMP year followed by years of AMP training gave me the confidence to become a successful advisor.”

“I was still able to bring my own personality to the practice and figure out how I was going to be an advisor, but the training program provided so many helpful tools.”

Growing a purposeful team

Sharon continues to build her practice with intention and connection. She keeps in touch with fellow RAMP and AMP graduates, including Megan Miller, who joined M2 Financial group in 2025.

“At the Business of Pride Symposium, I was speaking with an advisor who knew of a solo AMP graduate who was looking to join a team on Florida’s west coast that was LGBTQ+-friendly and would be involved in the Pride Financial Advisors Network (PFAN). So, I agreed to have a conversation, and it turned out to be Megan Miller, from my RAMP class.”

Megan brings a deep understanding of the emotional side of finances, helping clients prepare for their futures with empathy.

Today, the practice includes three advisors and one operations assistant.

Sharon emphasizes, “The intention was always to grow the team organically. It’s the same way we grow our book of business, with networking or referrals.”

The other founder, Michael Ragsdale, is a senior vice president, Investments, and Sharon says brings the “analytical lens, company experience and industry wisdom” to the business.

And Maggie Broome, senior registered client service associate, has a passion for building meaningful relationships with clients and their families and brings a different generational perspective to the table.

Sharon says, “I’m the one who will spend three hours just talking with a client. I want to find out every detail and ask them tons of questions to get to know them deeply. I enjoy solidifying those relationships.”

She says it’s proof of her curious nature, which is an asset in this role.

“I want to know what makes them tick, how they might react to the market, and determine what kinds of investments will work best for them,” she says.

“My colleagues would probably say I talk a lot,” she jokes, “which is a given.”

Life's lessons

Sharon’s life experiences have shaped the way she serves clients.

After the loss of her wife, she encourages clients to be prepared financially for the unexpected.

“I tell clients that when you’re emotionally rattled, you’ll want your financial house to be in order,” she says. “Have all your legal and estate planning documents in order because you don’t know what might happen in the future. You don’t want to have to scramble or think about affairs in these moments.”

“It’s really helped me empathize even more with clients, whatever their situation or experience,” she says.

Sharon recalls a meaningful lesson she gained while working at the racetrack after college, when a prominent horse trainer encouraged her to invest in mutual funds. “He said, ‘If you have $10,000, that’s a good start.’” she recalls. “But he didn’t put himself in my position. To him, $10,000 was nothing, but I was right out of college and not making much money. It’s something that stuck with me: I need to help people make investment goals they can actually obtain. It makes a difference for advisors to put themselves in the position of clients or prospects.”

She aims to gain clients’ perspectives and understand their emotions.

Her philosophy comes from what she learned growing up around horses. She says, “When you’re dealing with horses, they’re so in tune with you that they pick up on your heartbeat. If you go into the stable feeling anxious, the horse is immediately wondering why they should be afraid.”

Sharon feels it’s her duty to put clients’ worries to rest and help them feel confident in their financial future.

Pride with purpose

While Sharon puts herself in the shoes of her clients, she says Raymond James puts itself in the shoes of their advisors. It’s evidenced not only by learning and development opportunities, like RAMP and AMP, but also with the firm’s support for inclusion networks and events, like PFAN and the Pride Symposium.

Sharon recalls when she and her partner, Catt, couldn’t legally marry. On the advice of an insurance agent, they changed their last names to share a hyphenated surname –Dunaway-Alt – as a workaround to be on the same automobile insurance policy.

Catt was heavily involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy, and Sharon is committed to carrying on her legacy by pushing for progress and staying active in the community.

“I was never out of the closet,” Sharon says. “Catt had to drag me out.”

She’s thankful that Raymond James makes it easy to be herself and live authentically. “Being named the Ascend Award* winner was humbling. For someone who was afraid to come out, it’s an incredible honor to be recognized at a Pride event. Somewhere, I think Catt is watching and saying, ‘I’m glad I pushed you out there.’”

Reflecting on the award, Sharon adds, “At first, I didn’t view myself as ‘ascending,’ especially after the past year. But if you’re ascending, you have not yet reached the summit. You’re still working your way toward it.”

And Sharon intends to keep climbing, with purpose and pride.

The 2025 Pride Financial Advisors Network Ascend Award is an internal recognition given to a financial advisor with less than seven years of experience who exemplifies the qualities to support the next generation of LGBTQ+ clients. Submission requests are solicited from the PFAN Advisory Council and the Raymond James financial advisor community at large. Nominees are put forth to regional management for review and a committee comprised of executive leadership selects a single awardee. Time period upon which the rating is based is from 1/1/2024 to 5/31/2025, and was released on 6/26/2025. For 2025, five advisors were nominated, and one advisor was chosen as the finalist. The recognition is not representative of any client's experience, is not an endorsement by Raymond James, and is not indicative of advisor's future performance. No fee is paid in exchange for this recognition.

Follow along on social media with #RJPFAN.