Team Member Spotlight – Anna Sergunina
MainStreet Team: When did you join the MS team?
Anna: I joined the MainStreet Financial planning team in July of 2006. 15 years ago! Since I was very new to the industry, I started working as an administrative assistant/para-planner. I convinced Jim Ludwick, that he better hire me full time as I was very serious about becoming a financial planner and I never looked back. It’s been the best decision I’ve made. I love what I do as a financial planner, I love my clients, my team, and the business we’ve built.
MainStreet Team: What has been your favorite project at MSFP, or what are you looking forward to?
Anna: The most exciting and favorite “project” I’ve been working on is the purchase of the MainStreet business from Jim in 2014. I have always been, and still am very passionate about helping as many families as possible make smart financial decisions. My goal is to grow our team to be able to reach more people. Me owning the firm would allow me to create this growth. It’s been an awesome experience and as Jim finally IS retiring at the end of 2021, we are excited for the next phase for an all-women MainStreet team.
MainStreet Team: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
Anna: Movie: Forest Gump. “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get!”
Book: Think and grow rich, by Napoleon Hill.
MainStreet Team: Favorite ice cream flavor?
Anna: I am a vanilla girl! I like plain and simple. A vanilla scoop on a freshly made waffle cone.
MainStreet Team: What type of music are you into?
Anna: I’ve been blessed to benefit from my husband, Yuri’s, interest in music. He’s always putting playlists together and finds great new and old songs. I mostly enjoy soft rock these days. I also love listening to podcasts on a variety of topics.
MainStreet Team: Where were you born?
Anna: I was born in the former Soviet Union country, called Moldova, city Chisinau.
MainStreet Team: Tell us about your family.
Anna: My family immigrated to the United States in the mid-90s and settled in the MD/DC area. I have a younger brother, Alexei, who is married with two kids. Yuri and I moved to the San Francisco Bay area 10 years ago and loving it. We now have our hands full with our adorable 2.5-year-old toddler, Liam. Both Yuri and I still have one grandparent who is living. Yuri’s parents live close to us in San Francisco and help a lot with Liam, which I am so grateful for.
MainStreet Team: Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list and why?
Anna: We are planning to go to Italy with Liam next year, and also to visit our family that is still there in Moldova.
MainStreet Team: Do you have any hobbies?
Anna: I love cooking and exploring and trying new recipes. With that comes the love for tasting and drinking wine. That’s why we love living in the bay area, which is 1.5 hours away from Napa and Sonoma. And a few self-care items I’m very consistent on are getting my nails done and getting a massage.
MainStreet Team: What’s something unique about you?
Anna: I speak two languages: Russian is my native language and English is my second language which I mostly learned and started speaking at the age of 15. I’ve retained my knowledge of the Russian language and I’m working hard on teaching Liam!
