The end is really the beginning

When I was in my 20s, I looked forward to the weekend with great anticipation, as it meant having Sunday brunch (mimosas included) with my besties. I have since stopped having mimosa-filled brunches, as my 50-something body can no longer tolerate alcohol before noon.

I tried to remember, to no avail, when I decided this lifestyle wasn’t for me anymore and that sitting in my fleece jammies in front of a warm fire, having a hot toddy and completing the New York Times crossword was more my speed. One day, a fun-filled, carefree boozy brunch life ended with a fizzle, and a homebody lifestyle began with equal fanfare.

My husband and I used to look forward to going on a Caribbean cruise every year and loved the idea of being in multiple ports and dressing in fancy evening gowns and tuxedos for dinner. Our last cruise was in 2004, and we are not quite sure why this was the end of our cruising and the beginning of staying at a resort and just sunning by the pool. Maybe it was the no-muss-no-fuss concept of just throwing on a pair of shorts and heading to dinner? Or maybe we had become so entrenched in our annual cruising habit that it started to become cumbersome and no longer had the wow factor?

It’s said with age comes wisdom. While it has taken me a while to become wiser, I have realized that endings almost always come with new beginnings.

I experienced a soul crushing job loss in 2009, only to find a job that I look forward to doing each and every day. Without the ending, I would never have experienced the feeling of actually enjoying my job.

Perhaps it’s time to reflect on old habits, friendships or partnerships that deserve a new beginning.

If you have a relationship with a vendor that has become comfortable and safe but no longer brings the wow factor, it may be time to mix it up by looking at alternatives, such as Wipfli, to start a new beginning. We are specialists when it comes to compliance, and we can help your financial institution with anything from BSA/AML to cybersecurity to model validation.

Click here to learn more. I’ve also included a range of resources below to help:

• Understanding the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020
• FinCEN guidance on hemp-related customers
• $1.8 million penalty issued to financial services firms, signaling increased enforcement of NYDFS cybersecurity regulations
• Risk, testing guidance and transparency: Highlights of 2020 and 2021 FFIEC updates
• Vendor risk management: Protecting your data