Tina Tenret, 39

When award-winning investigative journalist Tina Tenret was 29 years old, she made a major career change. The move was spurred by her mother’s suicide, a shocking tragedy that made Tenret rethink the importance of her news career.

Her mom, like many women, was constantly “full of financial worry,” according to Tenret. Her fears surrounding finances only worsened when she got a divorce and didn’t know how to navigate the job market after 20 years as a stay-at-home mom.

With a desire to help other women like her mom, Tenret went back to school to become a certified financial planner. She then joined ProVise Management Group, accepting a salary 10% less than her other offers, because she says she admired the firm’s ethics.

Today, ProVise provides full financial planning services managing about $800 million for 750 clients. Tenret assists about 100 clients, whose investable assets range from $250,000 to $2 million.

She specializes in helping women who are divorced or widowed, who oftentimes have the same “bag lady syndrome,” or fear of being put out on the street, that pained her mom. “I want to put that fear to rest,” Tenret says.

She also enjoys working with same-sex couples, for their financial planning involves unique issues not present in other families. This summer the Wall Street Journal published an article on Tenret’s work with a same-sex couple who hired her to determine if they could have one parent become a stay-at-home dad.

Tenret believes her background in journalism has helped her better understand her clients’ needs. “You know what questions to ask to get to the heart of the matter,” she says.

Last year, the president of the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce asked Tenret to launch a women’s executive leadership group, AchieveHERs. At first, Tenret didn’t see the need. But once she started meeting with women in the community, she realized “many phenomenally successful women still have a crisis of confidence,” she says.

— Traci McMillan Beach

Q&A

City of Residence: Clearwater

Birthplace: Wilmington, Del.

Years on the Gulf Coast: Seven

Alma mater: University of Virginia

The most important business lesson I’ve learned: Take the next step. You only have to be uncomfortable five minutes at a time.

Two people, dead or alive, you’d like to have dinner with: Katie Couric, with whom I worked at the "Today Show" during my TV news days, and Oprah Winfrey, who built herself up from nothing.

Best award you ever received: Back in my days as a TV news investigative reporter, I earned the Associated Press Investigative Reporting Award for uncovering Medicare double billing at a university hospital.

One community group you’re most involved with: AchieveHERs, a women’s executive leadership group I helped launch for the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Our tag line, “Women Sharing Wisdom,” reflects how we provide insight, ideas, skills and success stories to help women overcome obstacles in business.

Who would play you in a movie about your life: Halle Berry.  She knows firsthand that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. My mother’s sudden death brought me to my knees but governs much of who and what I am today.

Favorite off-hours activity: African safaris. My next safari will track the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.