Talk FS

Building a financial services business from nothing. That's exactly what Brad Ainsworth did, starting with three months' money and one client. Now Cathedral Wealth Management looks after around a thousand clients. In this episode of Talk FS, Ryan Venner sits down with Brad Ainsworth, founder of Cathedral Wealth, to talk about how he backed himself to build a business from nothing, the health challenges he has overcome along the way, and the lived experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, client care and purpose.

You'll learn:

✅ How Brad worked his way from a bank commission desk into financial services

✅ Why the client who changed everything, Jean, inspired him to start Cathedral Wealth

✅ How he has built the business while living with sight loss, ADHD and tumour diagnoses

✅ Why meeting Stephen Sutton and the "86,400 seconds" philosophy reshaped his outlook

✅ How Springboard to Business came from a desire to give back

✅ What it takes to build a team and culture rooted in trust

This is Talk FS, the podcast for professionals in or entering the financial services industry.

From administrator to Managing Director in just over a decade. Olivia Maynard's career journey in financial services is a masterclass in adaptability, leadership and mentorship. In this episode of Talk FS, Ryan Venner sits down with Olivia Maynard, Managing Director at TFP Financial, to talk about how she progressed from an entry-level admin role to running the business, the mentors who shaped her leadership style, and how she built a culture of empowerment across her team.

You'll learn:

✅ Why splitting advising and business ownership was the best decision TFP made

✅ How mentorship shaped Olivia's approach to leadership

✅ Why "feedback is a gift" and how to build a culture of empowerment

✅ Olivia's ambitions for herself and TFP Financial over the next four years

This is Talk FS, the podcast for professionals in or entering the financial services industry.

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#TalkFS #FinancialServicesCareers #Leadership #CareerJourney #FinancialPlanning

Romany Youell became the UK's youngest financial advisor at 18. In this episode of Talk FS, she talks to Ryan Venner about the mentors, setbacks and one pivotal networking event that shaped her career.

Romany grew up sitting in client meetings alongside her father, a mortgage adviser who built his business from his spare bedroom. She dropped out of college at 16, joined his firm, and became the UK's youngest ever financial adviser after an exception was made to Quilter's usual age requirements. Today she runs The Finance Woman, a business built around clients the traditional industry has often overlooked, including women, business owners and non-traditional professionals, and she's now mentoring the next generation of advisers herself.

Lifestyle financial planning is the approach that transformed Nick Lincoln's career, and in this episode of Talk FS, he explains why it's made his advice business one of the stickiest in the industry.

Nick is an independent financial adviser and founder of Values to Vision Financial Planning, with over 20 years' experience in the industry. He entered financial services almost by accident in 1993 before qualifying as an IFA in 2001. In 2008, a chance seminar introduced him to lifestyle financial planning, and he's used it with every client since, building a business of 85 families with what he describes as a near-zero attrition rate.

In this conversation with host Ryan Venner, Nick discusses:

- How he stumbled into financial services with no long-term plan, and why he never left

- What lifestyle financial planning actually is, and why cash flow modelling changes client conversations

- Giving clients "permission" to spend the money they've spent a lifetime saving

- Why he believes AI will increase, not reduce, the need for human financial advisers

- How to build the judgement and resilience new advisers need to guide clients through market downturns

- Why he thinks the "advice gap" is really a money gap

- The value of consistency, trust and treating every client the same way, regardless of wealth

Whether you're an adviser, a paraplanner, or considering a career in financial services, this episode is a candid, unfiltered look at what it actually takes to build a long-term advice business rooted in trust rather than product-pushing.

🎧 Subscribe to Talk FS for more conversations with the people shaping the future of financial services.

Guest: Nick Lincoln, Values to Vision Financial Planning

Website: https://www.v2vfp.co.uk/

Podcast: The Real Adviser Podcast, https://www.therealadviserpodcast.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hattipnick/

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Self-employed paraplanner Rebecca Hewick joins Talk FS just two weeks into launching her own paraplanning business, and she's pulling back the curtain on exactly what it took to get there.

✅ What really pushed Rebecca to go self-employed, and why it wasn't about the money

✅ The practical steps to prepare for self-employment in financial services (IT, insurance, security, notice periods)

✅ Why building a genuine professional community and network matters more than people think

✅ The evolving role of the paraplanner — and why "report writing" is dying out

✅ The difference between transactional paraplanning and true collaborative partnership with advisers

✅ Why Rebecca chose paraplanning over becoming a financial adviser

✅ Her advice for anyone considering the leap into self-employment

Whether you're a paraplanner thinking about going independent, an adviser wanting to understand how to get the best from your paraplanning support, or just curious about career paths within financial services, this conversation is full of honest, practical insight.

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping careers in financial services.

Financial planning coaching is transforming the way advisers build relationships with clients.

Women in financial advice are helping reshape the future of financial planning.

Women in financial advice are helping reshape the future of financial planning. In this episode of Talk FS, Ryan Venner sits down with Danielle Sissons to discuss her journey into financial services, the challenges and opportunities facing women in financial advice, and why she chose to build a financial planning business that better reflects the needs of modern clients and advisers.

Danielle shares how a work experience placement first introduced her to the profession, the importance of balancing technical expertise with strong relationship skills, and the role mentorship has played throughout her career. She also discusses returning to work after maternity leave, launching her own business, and her passion for helping close the gender wealth gap.

The conversation explores financial planning, women in finance, entrepreneurship, financial coaching, leadership, mentorship, AI in financial services, and the future of client relationships in advice.

Whether you're considering a career in financial planning, building your own advice business, or looking to attract more women into financial services, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

About Danielle Sissons:

Danielle Sissons has spent more than a decade in financial services and recently launched her own financial planning business. Her mission is to help close the gender wealth gap, improve financial literacy, and create more flexible opportunities for women in financial services.

Throughout the episode, Danielle shares practical insights from her own career journey, discusses the challenges facing the profession, and explains why attracting and retaining more women in financial advice is essential for the future of financial planning.

Mortgage advice is about far more than interest rates.

In this episode of Talk FS, Ryan Venner sits down with Rob Gill, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Altura Mortgage Finance, to discuss his journey from investment banking into mortgage advice and the lessons he has learned from nearly three decades in financial services.

After graduating from Exeter University with a degree in Economics, Rob began his career as an Equity Trader before making the move into mortgage broking just before the 2008 financial crisis. He shares how resilience, adaptability, and long-term thinking helped him navigate economic uncertainty, build successful businesses, and develop a leadership style centred around culture and values.

The conversation explores mortgage advice, entrepreneurship, leadership, recruitment, and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation entering financial services.

Whether you're a mortgage broker, financial services professional, business owner, or someone looking to build a long-term career in the industry, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

About Rob Gill: Rob Gill graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Economics and began his career in investment banking, working as an Equity Trader for Japanese bank Nomura. He later moved into mortgage broking before co-founding his own firm in 2009 and subsequently co-founding Altura Mortgage Finance in 2019.

Rob has worked with a wide variety of clients throughout his career, including first-time buyers, home movers, self-employed borrowers, high-net-worth individuals, and international clients.

Rob's Links:

Altura Mortgage Finance: https://alturamortgagefinance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgill1/

👍 If you enjoyed the episode, don't forget to like, subscribe and follow Talk FS for more conversations with leaders across financial services.

#MortgageAdvice #MortgageBroker #FinancialServices #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Property #MortgageIndustry #TalkFS

Mortgage advice is evolving, and in this episode of Talk FS, Ryan Venner sits down with Sarah Tucker, founder of The Mortgage Mum, to explore how branding, content, and authenticity are reshaping the mortgage industry.

Sarah shares the journey behind building one of the most recognisable brands in UK mortgage advice, discussing everything from growing a business and building a team to creating content that genuinely connects with clients.

The conversation covers the challenges of entrepreneurship, balancing business and family life, and the importance of personal branding in modern financial services. Sarah also shares insights into leadership, social media, and how advisers can stand out in an increasingly competitive market.

Whether you're a mortgage adviser, financial professional, business owner, or someone interested in building a personal brand, this episode is packed with practical insights and honest experiences.

About Talk FS: Talk FS is a podcast from Premier Jobs UK, featuring conversations with professionals across the financial services industry. Each episode explores business growth, career journeys, and the future of financial services.

Protection insurance explained in this episode of Talk FS, where host Ryan Venner is joined by Karla Edwards, founder of The Protection Parent.

Karla shares how she unexpectedly entered financial services, built a successful protection business through social media, and became one of the UK’s strongest advocates for better protection awareness.

In this episode, Ryan and Karla discuss:

✅ Why protection insurance education matters more than ever

✅ The importance of income protection, critical illness cover and life insurance

✅ What advisors need to know about Global Treatment and Zurich Accelerate

✅ How Karla built The Protection Parent brand through authentic social media content

✅ Social media strategies for mortgage and protection advisors

✅ Why “conscience over commission” is central to Karla’s business philosophy

If you work in financial services, mortgages, protection or financial advice, this episode offers valuable insight into educating clients, building trust, and growing a personal brand in the industry.

🎙️ Guest: Karla Edwards – Founder of The Protection Parent

Subscribe for more interviews with leading professionals across financial services, mortgages, recruitment, protection and adviser businesses.

Karla's links:

The Protection Parent: https://theprotectionparent.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karla-edwards-9ba043189/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theprotectionparent

#ProtectionInsurance #FinancialServices #IncomeProtection #CriticalIllnessCover #LifeInsurance #MortgageAdvisers #ProtectionParent