Professional
Background
Melissa Gonzalez was born and raised in San Diego in a home filled with three generations of women. After graduating from San Diego State University with a business degree, she started her career in banking at a nationwide financial institution.
“I loved my career at the bank,” Gonzalez says. “I had a lot of success managing a branch for four years but eventually I wanted to have more control over how I helped people with their finances.”
Gonzalez’s own financial advisor at the time encouraged her to join Northwestern Mutual. “I was afraid of making such a big change, but one day I realized that I needed to bet on myself,” she says. “So I agreed to have the conversation and decided to take the leap. The other big draw was that owning my own business would give me the freedom to manage how I spent my time.”
Today, Gonzalez lives in San Diego with her wife, Marisela, and their two dogs and two cats. Below, she shares some of her earliest memories around money, the biggest concerns she’s hearing from LGBTQ+ clients and the importance of trust in her relationships with clients.
Professional
Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Spanish — San Diego State University
Financial Advisor Melissa Gonzalez on What Financial Freedom Means to Her
Associations and Memberships
Diversity and Inclusion Council Co-Chair
https://www.northwesternmutual.com/our-commitment-to-diversity/
BNI - Partners Reaching Success
https://www.bni.com/find-a-chapter?address=91950
The Academy of Our Lady of Peace
Our Lady's School Volunteer
National City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Member
http://www.nationalcitychamber.org/
Mario Lemieux Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand
https://www.alexslemonade.org/
Human Rights Campaign Volunteer
https://www.hrc.org/local-issues/community/san-diego
LGBT Center Volunteer
http://thecentersd.org/https://www.sdsu.edu/
Years of Experience
Representing Northwestern Mutual since 2017.
