How do you get clients as a financial planner without buying leads or relying on referrals?

In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes interviews Jak Ali, Managing Director of J.A. Financial Planning Ltd, a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

Jak shares exactly how he generates clients as a financial adviser using creative, confident, and relationship-based business development. He has built his entire client base without depending on lead providers or a legacy client book.

After training as a barrister and working on a death penalty case in California, Jak switched careers and moved to Dubai, where he began his financial planning career in a pure business development role. No leads. No shortcuts. Just hard work and smart strategy.

It was there he learned a powerful truth:

If you can master business development, you will never need to rely on anyone again.

He later joined St. James’s Place at age 26, going straight into self-employment with full confidence that he could build a book of clients himself. And he did.

Check out St James Place Academy here - https://www.sjp.co.uk/academy

One of his most inspiring stories?
Jak saw a Vodafone executive on LinkedIn, but calls and emails went unanswered.
So he flew to Luxembourg, waited by the stage at a tech summit with two cans of Irn-Bru (the exec was Scottish), and landed a 20-minute meeting.
That conversation led to a new client and a mindset shift that changed everything.

In this episode, you will learn:

🔹 How to get clients as a financial planner using creative prospecting
🔹 Why business development is the most important skill in financial advice
🔹 The truth about going self-employed with St. James’s Place
🔹 How to niche into sectors like education and generate leads at scale
🔹 Why Jak mentors aspiring financial planners on confidence and psychology
🔹 How to create a lifestyle-first model built on faith, family, and finance

Jak no longer chases clients. They come to him.

Whether you are just starting your career, exploring self-employment, or trying to grow your client base, this episode is your blueprint for building a financial planning business on your terms.

you can also watch this episode on the finanical planner Life YouTube channel

📍 Hosted by Sam Oakes, Founder of Financial Planner Life, the UK’s leading podcast for careers in financial planning.  If you want to start your own podcast or appear on the finanical Planner Life podcast, reach out - [email protected]. 

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