Learn all about Chelsea Ryan, our newest operations manager and Colt Ryan’s wife!

Chelsea Ryan is Giesting Financial’s newest operations manager, working for our firm to ensure that our clients and the administrative work needed behind the scenes is taken care of proficiently and on time. Though she might not work directly with clients on a day-to-day basis, she does ensure their needs are met through overseeing the back-office processes. Having Chelsea in the office helps us stay organized and allows our wealth advisors to focus on creating custom financial plans and helping clients to reach their goals.

This is Chelsea’s first job in financial services, but with a background in teaching, she’s more than prepared to handle everything her position entails. “Coming from the world of teaching, I think I have a unique understanding of people, their needs and how they communicate,” Chelsea says. “I think that teachers have to be open minded and willing to learn new skills and systems. I also think flexibility is important because we always have to adapt to the circumstances we’re presented with. Just like financial services, teaching can be unpredictable, but also in a similar manner, we prepare for every possible scenario to be sure that we’re protected when things go wrong and can celebrate when things go well.”

Her teaching background also helps her break down concepts they might be encountering for the first time. She says, “Even though I was a lead teacher who helped teachers understand their roles as opposed to a traditional teacher in a classroom with students, I still think I’m well-suited to explain new ideas to our clients. The entire job of a teacher is to guide and shepherd students through ideas they might not be familiar with, and this job requires the same process and level of dedication. I am also learning about the industry right alongside them, so I’m very excited about the possibility of helping them gain a better grasp on these concepts by going over them in ways that can be understood by those of us who aren’t trained financial professionals.”

Just as she’s working through this major change in her professional life, Chelsea and Colt are also adapting to being parents of three children instead of two. They welcomed their beautiful, new daughter Nellie into the world in February of 2022. “It’s a gift that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Chelsea says. “We’re thrilled to be parents of three unbelievable children. They’re so well-behaved, and we love to share the world with them. It’s definitely a new challenge for Colt and me, as we’re outnumbered now, but we’re settling into a routine that works. The five of us make a great team, and the entire family is so thrilled to have yet another person to lend our love and support to.”

That teamwork is what makes Chelsea and Colt a dynamic duo both inside and outside of our office. Now having been married for eight years, they feel that they’ve learned all of each other’s unique quirks and qualities. They also know how to play to each other’s strengths while still supplementing potential weaknesses. “We’re definitely different. Colt is more relaxed, and I have a “Type A” personality, so I’m driven by details and organization, but I think that’s why we work so well together. We bring each other to the middle, and even though we might operate slightly differently, we still share the same values and love for one another, our families and our work,” Chelsea says.

The couple met playing basketball in college at the University of Evansville where Chelsea was a star forward. Though her passion in high school was for volleyball, she sensed that her path was leading her into collegiate basketball, which she had always excelled at. She began playing basketball at just 8 years old in what was known locally as “Bitty Ball.” She says, “I had been an athlete my entire life, and I’m grateful that I moved toward college basketball. I knew by the end of college that it wasn’t something that I wanted to pursue professionally, but I think it instilled in me a lot of the values I still hold, like hard work, dedication, determination, and time management. I also take pride in the fact that I’m always looking for ways to improve, whether that be as a person or as a professional.”

A mother of three, Chelsea spends the majority of her time with her children and her husband. Together, they enjoy traveling, swimming, going to the beach, hiking, exercising, going on walks and being outdoors. “We just love to be together,” Chelsea says. “We all have our own unique interests, but we enjoy supporting each other through those activities and always being present. For example, the boys love to go golfing, and even though the girls and I aren’t huge fans of playing golf, we still like to walk the course or ride in the cart. I think it’s a product of having both Colt’s and my family nearby. We spend so much time together, and we lend a helping hand when necessary and put each other’s needs first.”

When she finds some alone time, Chelsea likes to stay active, both physically and mentally. She often walks or works out on the Peloton, racing new tracks and completing various planned workouts. She is also an avid reader and enjoys sitting down in the backyard with a great book in perfect weather. Chelsea says, “I don’t have much alone time, but I like it that way. Even when it’s not quiet, I always feel like I’m at peace when I’m home with the people I love.”