This week we're doubling down on the Financial Planner Life with our guest duo, Nathan Waldron and Ryan Nobbs, co-directors and Financial Planners with Evergreen Financial Planning, a business with the objective of reaching the ~95% of people that don’t fit the typical client profile for Financial Advice, through understanding the long-term strategic approach to building introducer relationships. 

This duo of Adviser/Directors are hell-bent on building up the Evergreen brand to become the go to firm for anyone looking for Financial Advice, whether that’s tomorrow, or ten years from now. They understand that although not everyone is ready to pay service fees and invest assets, education around Financial Planning for those who need it at a lower level, proves infinitely valuable for the clients of the future. 

The Evergreen boys have built a business model that inspires collaboration, delegation and honesty, whilst also striving for solution based financial planning for clients, all starting with the question “What can WE do for YOU?”, an open question that gives clients a chance to speak freely and highlight their goals and concerns when it comes to managing wealth. 

We get the feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Evergreen in the future, so watch this space. 

Time Stamps 

00:00:00 | Intro 

00:01:18 | How are you feeling out of 10? 

00:03:45 | What's exciting in financial planning now 

00:05:38 | The next generation of clients 

00:14:01 | Solutions to the advice gap 

00:16:35 | How Evergreen Financial Planning started 

00:20:18 | Partnering from across the country 

00:24:20 | High performing strategy to attract clients 

00:28:23 | Building trust 

00:35:55 | Key processes 

00:43:51 | The value of marketing 

00:49:05 | Working with professional introducers 

00:56:51 | Quick qualifying questions 

00:58:36 | The outreach process 

01:01:32 | Elevator pitch

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

This week’s guest on the Financial Planner Life Podcast is Ben Slater, Chartered Financial Planner & Director at Stephen Eve Financial Planning Ltd. 

Ben started his career straight out of education, as an apprentice client services administrator within a Financial Planning firm, moving into paraplanning after 2 years, before pursuing his qualifications and becoming a Financial Adviser. 

Ben undertook an apprenticeship in Financial Planning at a time where entering the profession was in no way a well-lit path, so Ben is in a position to offer some really valuable insight into how to effectively start your career in Financial Planning. 

We talk about the way in which the industry is changing for the better when it comes to early careers, and how starting to allow more accessible and inclusive options for getting into Financial Planning is the right way to inspire an influx of new talent.  
 
After his time as an employed Financial Planner, Ben made the decision to become Self-Employed, which in itself presents a new set of challenges. Ben talks us through the journey, what to consider if you’re looking at your options for Self-Employed and how to take a calculated approach to this transition. 
 

Time Stamps 

 00:02:21 | Ben's first years in Financial Planning 

00:04:33 | What you need to enter as an Administrator 

00:08:18 | Apprenticeship  

00:10:40 | Exams and qualifications as an Administrator 

00:13:40 | Speed of progression 

00:16:01 | Nurturing employee's 

00:17:44 | Employed to self-employed journey 

00:21:07 | Client acquisition 

00:23:00 | Building client connections 

00:29:29 | Why going self-employed isn't scary 

00:39:31 | How Ben makes money self-employed 

00:42:36 | Is going self employed as a new academy graduate a bad idea? 

00:52:42 | Quick wins for income as an Adviser 

00:56:04 | How Ben caters to lower income clients 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

 Bonus Episode

In this short episode, we empower you with a rinse-and-repeat strategy for marketing yourself out to financial planning firms to secure interviews and at the very least a solid network to lean into as you gain more qualifications and experience, this is perfect for those studying without experience, and looking to get their foot in the door or on their radar!

are you looking to start your qualifications and gain valuable soft and practical skills?

you need to sign up to the financial planner life academy

Drop me a follow on LinkedIn for more content. 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

This week we are giving away some absolute GOLD on the Financial Planner Life Podcast as we speak with Paola Forsberg, Founder and CEO of Paola Forsberg Consulting Ltd, specialists in lead generation for the Financial Planning profession. 

Paola is a seasoned professional in the world of lead generation, especially around utilising LinkedIn to generate new business and establishing yourself as a key person of influence in a particular field. 

In this episode we go into great detail on how to soup up your LinkedIn engagement strategy, whether you’re growing a network, searching for new clients, getting to know your target audience and developing relationships with relevant individuals. 

We discuss various techniques for growth, and the different methods for doing this including automation, direct messaging, following up and engaging effectively without wasting time! 

Paola is a firm believer in working smarter, not harder when it comes to utilising LinkedIn effectively, we learned loads from this episode, and you will too!  

Time Stamps 

00:00:00 | Intro 

00:01:19 | Failed lead generation horror stories 

00:04:34 | Paola's financial services experience 

00:07:13 | Where to start on LinkedIn 

00:13:59 | How to connect on LinkedIn 

00:22:55 | Automation & idea generation 

00:28:12 | Hashtags 

00:31:23 | Effective ways to engage and build connections 

00:38:23 | Outreach campaign tips 

00:53:00 | Sales & marketing 

01:05:37 | Target audience 

01:10:30 | Investing in campaign tools 

01:13:09 | Automated programmes 

01:15:03 | B2B or B2C - Which one first? 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

Administration, often seen as a great starting point for those beginning their career in Financial Planning, but due to being stigmatised as a career stepping stone, finding an experienced, highly capable admin is gold for Financial Planning firms aiming for success. 

In steps this week’s guest, Maria Mushtaq, Award Winning IFA Administrator at Holden & Partners, Chartered, B Corp Financial Planning firm! Maria is a shining example of the value added by this often-overlooked area of the profession, as having a trusted back-office team to lean on is crucial for the success of any Financial Planning business.

Maria built strong foundations in Law before moving to Financial Services, a transition we’ve regularly come across in our conversations, and hasn’t looked back since. She describes some of the key highlights of working in this industry, as well as some of the challenges involved in this highly varied and challenging role. 

As an administrator, Maria is involved in the entirety of the client journey, we discuss the incredible breadth of her knowledge required to carry out this role effectively, and the importance of Admins maintaining regular contact with clients. 

As well as being a great foundation for moving into any role within Financial Planning, strong IFA Administrators put themselves into a position of having a range of career prospects. Maria talks us through the wide variety of options available to those in an administration position, including team management, compliance, investment management and more, as well as when to consider the move.

If you’re an administrator looking for ways to exceed expectations and add maximum value to the Financial Planning process, check out this episode and take a leaf out of Maria’s book!

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

The Financial Planner Life hosts Sam Oakes, Elena Stephenson and Charlie Scott were recently invited to speak at The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) Changefest event, to talk all things careers in Financial Planning. 

This was a chance for us to champion the profession of Financial Planning, raise awareness of the abundance of opportunity out there for those entering the industry, as well as offering expertise on securing a position in a firm.

We covered:

-        Roles within Financial Planning

-        Salaries, qualifications and relevant skills

-        Financial Planning as a career choice

-        Opportunities for future Financial Planners

-        Diversifying the profession

-        The value Financial Planning offers to clients

-        Niching to suit your interests

-        Financial Planning Academies

-        Alternative routes into the profession

We also answered some great questions from the audience of aspiring professionals exploring their future career prospects. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to speak at Changefest, who knows, we might even see some of those in attendance on the podcast one day!

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

Something a little bit different on this week’s Financial Planner Life podcast as we talk about the past, present and future of fintech in the Financial Planning profession with the following special guests:

Gareth Thompson, Co-Director at Plannr – “An open and modern alternative to the traditional back-office system”

Robert Roome, Chief Strategy Officer at Wealth Dynamix – “Revolutionising the way you manage client relationships”

Plus, special guest co-host Rob Harradine, Co-Founder at Ammonite – “Hybrid financial advice technology” 

We take a deep dive into the value these fintech solutions offer for Financial Planning firms to enhance their business. This isn’t just down to the enhancement of Adviser’s day-to-day duties, but the knock-on effect this can have on back-office teams, management and clients throughout the process.

In recent years, there has been a substantial shift in the way Financial Planning firms utilise technology to streamline their processes in order to provide a better service for their clients. We discuss the reasons for this, why it hasn’t happened sooner, and the impact technology could have on the profession in future.

We ask our panel of guests what they find are the key pain points for Financial Planning firms when it comes to revolutionising their technology and making changes to how they operate as a business. 

Of course, being in the careers space, we discuss the effect that technology has on attracting top talent to your business, and how, due to the solutions fintech provides, this could be a crucial factor in both attracting, onboarding and retaining Financial Planning professionals.

It’s no secret that having your finger on the fintech pulse is vital for anyone looking to be successful in Financial Planning, so thank you Rob, Gareth and Robert for helping us do exactly that! 

Time Stamps 

00:00:00 | Intro 

00:06:40 | Wealth Dynamics CRM target customer 

00:09:23 | Plannr's CRM target customer 

00:10:22 | Firms pain points 

00:12:38 | Client Lifecycle Management (CLM) 

00:16:17 | A family office service 

00:22:27 | The UK's adoption of new fintech 

00:28:49 | Wealth Dynamix’s competition 

00:30:20 | How Wealth Dynamix CRM makes and saves companies money 

00:31:30 | Plannr's competitors 

00:33:54 | Should Administrators & Paraplanners be worried or excited about this new tech 

00:38:02 | Biggest frustrations about CRM's 

00:46:13 | Talent attraction & market disruption 

00:50:23 | Hybrid Financial Planning 

01:01:44 | Fintech with marketing and social 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

Does the business you work in have a detrimental effect on your mental health? 

This week we're joined by Mike Jones, Founder of Better Happy, the organisation that aims to elevate the wellbeing of businesses, with the mantra of; ‘Creating happy places to work so any business can lead their industry through high levels of employee wellbeing, productivity and retention.’ 

Mike is a firm believer in the idea that in the UK, we have a misplaced definition of success, and often sacrifice certain things in order to improve other aspects of our lives, without looking at the effect that has on the big picture that is our wellbeing as humans. 

We talk about the value of routine, accountability, reflection and how these can remedy the factors that negatively affect your mental fitness, from both an employee and business owner standpoint. 

We look at hierarchical structures within businesses, the part they play in the wellbeing of those within the business and common mistakes that often lead to negative outcomes. On the other hand, we evaluate some key ingredients that go into designing a business that is set up for success in the wellbeing department. 

Whether you’re an employee who feels their wellbeing isn’t what it should be, or a business owner looking to improve your company culture, this episode will set you on the path to positive change! 

Time Stamps 

00:00:00 | Intro 

00:00:36 | How are you out of 10? 

00:06:51 | Ambition 

00:19:50 | Do business owners prioritise success over their personal health? 

00:28:00 | Conflict & Fear 

00:33:09 | Do personal transformations = business transformation 

00:38:12 | The mistake of promoting employees to management 

00:45:26 | Businesses can change the UK's mental health 

00:55:49 | Do things for purpose 

01:02:52 | Charity and generosity 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

Ready to embark on your paraplanner journey? We've got you covered with insights, advice, and valuable resources. 📚 

This is the audio version of the video found on the financial planner life YouTube channel.

🤝 Join Elena and Adam and explore the path to success as a paraplanner. Whether you're aiming for exams, seeking study tips, or honing essential skills, we've got all the guidance you need. 

Find out more and sign up to the Financial Planner Life Academy here: https://recruitukltd.co.uk/financial-planner-life-academies/   

👍 If you found this video helpful, don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe for more valuable content. Have questions or need further guidance? Drop them in the comments section below. Your journey to becoming a successful paraplanner starts here!
  
🎓 Stay tuned for more expert insights and career tips. Thanks for watching, and best of luck on your paraplanner career path! 

If you’re an existing paraplanner and are looking for a career change, check out the Recruit UK website here: https://recruitukltd.co.uk/   

Time Stamps 
00:00:00 | Intro  
00:00:57 | Where to start 
00:02:27 | Starting the exam journey 
00:06:16 | FPL Academy benefits 
00:09:03 | Study tips 
00:14:14 | Key skills 
00:17:04 | Outro 

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.

Are you part of a group that is underrepresented in the Financial Planning profession? 

This week, we’re joined by Women’s Financial Wellbeing advocate and Chartered Fellow Financial Planner Samantha Secomb, Director of Women’s Wealth – Financial Planning and Advice for Women. 

Throughout her career in Financial Services, Samantha has identified some key behavioural differences that often come to light when talking to couples about their finances. We discuss her findings and how these were the seeds of research behind her current company, Women’s Wealth. 

Samantha has a burning desire to bring women to the forefront of Financial Planning, as she feels that as they are underrepresented in the industry, resulting in fewer women seeing success as a female Financial Planner as a viable and achievable option. She shares her thoughts on how as a profession, we can change this for the better. 

We look at empowerment of clients, making Financial Planning accessible to women who might not fit the typical client profile and how Women’s Wealth is changing this, including their focus around subscription models as a means of servicing clients. 

If you’re passionate about diversifying the Financial Planning profession, this episode is truly inspiring and positive outlook on the future of Financial Services, from both a careers, and client service perspective. 

00:00:00 | Intro
00:00:55 | Samantha's career journey
00:07:50 | What made Women's Wealth happen
00:13:26 | Empowerment
00:29:21 | Subscription models
00:37:10 | Working for Women's Wealth as a woman
00:51:10 | What is keeping women in back-office roles
00:56:14 | Next stages for Women's Wealth

Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.

Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.

Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.