Codie LaPorte once dreamed of being in a classroom.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. At the time, I didn’t realize there were career opportunities to work with adults, as well,” said LaPorte, client experience and training coordinator for Wealth Management at Regions. “While I was in business school, I loved the aspect of teaching others – of helping them grow and be successful.”
When she started school at Louisiana State University, she knew she wanted to study business and had an eye on building a career where she could help others succeed. Upon graduation, LaPorte launched her career with Regions’ predecessor bank, Union Planters, where she began a one-year management training program on the retail bank side. The program afforded her rotations in all the relevant branch roles – including teller, head teller, assistant branch manager – and at the program’s conclusion she became a manager in a small branch in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Not long after, she was promoted to a larger branch in her hometown.
We recently caught up with LaPorte to learn more about her two decades with Regions – and how she navigated her banking career to land her dream job of helping associates develop and grow in pursuit of their own career passions.
You started your career in the consumer bank. Tell us about your decision to move into Wealth Management.
I loved my time in the consumer bank and managing one of the largest branches in southern Louisiana was a tremendous part of my career. As I thought about continuing to challenge myself and try new things, I had an eye on moving into the Private Wealth group. When a position opened in Covington, Louisiana, which was 50 miles from my hometown, I knew I had to go for it. I was that determined and knew this was the next step in my career path I wanted to take – having my own book of business, the ability to focus on advisory skills and working with clients.
A couple of years later, I inherited a book of clients from Baton Rouge, which gave me the opportunity to expand my book of clients from Baton Rouge to Slidell, Louisiana. I loved this move because it kept me on my feet, and it also allowed me to work closer to home.
In 2019, in seeking out more of a leadership role, I took a position as a relationship team administrator (RTA) where I was managing relationship specialists throughout southern Louisiana and Mississippi. Understanding the client side and the reporting side made this such a great fit at the time because in the RTA role, I was essentially a liaison between the advisors and the specialists.
You still felt a pull towards training and development that dates back to your early years. Talk about the move into your current role.
That’s right, I was an RTA for about a year before a dream opportunity came my way. In 2020, I was approached about a new role on her Wealth Management Strategy and Effectiveness team. With my background in development and learning, this role really fulfilled my early childhood dreams of teaching. This position was the perfect fit – and it was a leap of faith. It was a significant shift, but I just knew this was the right path for me to travel. My career path is so different from the typical progression. This has been the greatest opportunity, and I feel like I get to do what I was meant to do and what I love.
It sounds like you took a turn down that road less traveled.
All through my life at Regions, I’ve truly felt so blessed that I’ve had so many fantastic opportunities.
There have been so many opportunities for me around career advancement – sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. The key is to always look for opportunities to learn and keep pushing toward, and not losing sight of your goals. Resiliency and adaptability are the keys to career success.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their career?
Always stay true to yourself, work hard and always put others first in everything you do. If you do, things will work out. Everything may not always be rosy or easy, but the resiliency to power through to get to the other side is really important in building a career. You own your career path – and it is okay to get out of your comfort zone every now and then. Essentially owning who you are and staying true to yourself is so important.
What advice would you give someone looking to make a career change?
Consider taking the road less traveled. That less conventional path can often be the one that gets you to your career goals if you are following your heart. Don’t be scared to do it. You have to be confident in what you want. If it doesn’t work out, just pick yourself up and start again. It can be really hard and really scary to take a chance to pursue your passions, but I’ve seen the results of people doing just that – and it is incredible.
Resiliency. Faith. Love of learning.
The LaPorte family is a picture of resiliency. On August 14, 2016, the family was woken by neighbors just half an hour before a crested river flooded their home as a result of overflowing of a nearby river. Having lost almost everything, the family spent six months rebuilding while living in a camper in their driveway.
In May 2018, she was recognized with the Better Life Award. Read more and watch her story Early and Often on Doing More Today. Also, learn more about building your wealth management career and creating the course for a career in wealth management at Regions Bank.
Ready to build your career at Regions?
Associates are Regions’ most valuable resource. When they succeed, Regions succeeds. Looking for a place to chart your personal career course? Visit the Careers page on regions.com to search current job listings and to learn more about working at Regions.
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