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B C B U S I N E S S . C A
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 Ta n y a G o e h r i n g
QUALITY TIME
On a series of autumn nights
in Olympia, Washington, in
2004, Tracy Theemes drove
around aimlessly in the dark.
Not only was she under pres-
sure as a new financial advisor
at Smith Barney (now Morgan
Stanley), she also felt underap-
preciated for the extra labour
she was putting in at home with
her young family. So, she had
decided to go on strike.
"I left home between 5 and
7 p.m., Monday to Thursday
nights. I wouldn't cook dinner,
and I didn't answer any
questions. No one's going to
starve. They have a father,"
Theemes recalls.
On one of those nights, she
was driving in the pouring rain
MAKING MOVES
By day, Tracy Theemes deals in dollar signs and budgets as
a financial advisor. By night, the co-founder of Sophia Financial
learns new choreography at her hip-hop classes and workshops
in downtown Vancouver. By Sandrine Jacquot
W E E K E N D W A R R I O R
Tracy Theemes is an
award-winning author,
TEDx speaker and nom-
inee for several awards,
including the YWCA
Women of Distinction
Award for Education.
She also co-founded
Sophia Financial Group
to ensure people felt
heard, understood
and respected for their
experiences. "My busi-
ness partner and I...
were feeling discour-
aged and frustrated
with what we saw as
inequality in the deliv-
ery of financial advice
and services, particu-
larly along the line of
gender," Theemes says.
Part of her work
includes running
Sophia Wealth
Academy, a day-long
event (and fundraiser
for Dress for Success)
to educate women on
managing their money,
which just had its 11th
iteration in March 2025.
"We've grown, certain-
ly, and we're very suc-
cessful here at Sophia.
But we're a drop in
the bucket," she notes.
Theemes says the
financial advising world
still has a long way to
go when it comes to
inclusivity. Despite that,
she believes her team
has made a difference.
"I'm proud of what
we've done. I'm proud
of our clients," she
says.
WARRIOR SPOTLIGHT
DANCE IT OUT
For the co-founder
of Sophia Financial
Group, Tracy Theemes,
hip hop is a new way
to challenge her
body and brain.
