Alex is a great example of what it means to step outside of your comfort zone, get involved and see the benefits of being involved within the financial planning profession. From networking, mentors, peers and finding job opportunities, Alexandria has discovered new opportunities for herself and better ways to serve clients.

Alexandria Cole is three years in the profession and shares what it’s like to be “in the middle” of her career story. While working at an insurance company, Alexandria attended a financial planning mixer and discovered the world of financial planning and what it had to offer. She shares her journey to find what she’s been looking for – how to help clients in a meaningful way. Alex is a great example of what it means to step outside of your comfort zone, get involved and see the benefits of being involved within the financial planning profession. From networking, mentors, peers and finding job opportunities, Alexandria has discovered new opportunities for herself and better ways to serve clients.

Many of the career stories you hear share the beginning, end and skip the middle, but Alexandria shares where she is at in her career story – the middle. She is in a paraplanning role and shares her journey in deciding if she wants to be a lead planner and how she would design her idea role, if given the opportunity.

Alexandria understands something critical about the financial planning profession: our strength lies in our community. The passion and the willingness to support each other is infectious and Alexandria found this to continue to hold true when she failed her first attempt at the CFP Exam. Instead of judgment and embarrassment, she found a community that encouraged he, is her champion and wants her to be successful. Through community, Alexandria found her passion for financial planning.

 

What You’ll Learn:

The importance of the financial planning community and how you can get involved

How one person can make a difference in the financial planning profession

Ways you can get involved as an individual – even if you don’t want to go so far as to launch your own NexGen chapter

How to continue to push forward with purpose if you fail the CFP® exam the first time

How to decide what career path you want to take in financial planning

How to get involved with NexGen

That it’s okay to forge your own path

 

Join us for a story based podcast where we go back in time to the late 90s when the financial planning profession was abuzz with the possibility of something great (and at times unthinkable) that was about to happen.

Join us for a story based podcast where we go back in time to the late 90s when the financial planning profession was abuzz with the possibility of something great (and at times unthinkable) that was about to happen. - the merging of professional organizations to create one professional membership organization.

Join us for a story based podcast where we go back in time to the late 90s when the financial planning profession was abuzz with the possibility of something great (and at times unthinkable) – the merging of two professional organizations to create one: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Financial Planning Association. For this episode, we’re continuing our series on the history of financial planning by bringing together Elissa Buie, David Brand, Dave Yeske, Scott Kahan, Guy Cumbie, Roy Diliberto, and Joe Votava to share their stories on what is simply known by some as “The Merger”.  

I think it’s important to note that this is about much more than just the FPA as a professional organization. As you listen to this episode, I want you to know that we are all part of the same movement to make financial planning a profession. For some, their part is working towards the CFP marks and being counted among the ranks of financial planners with the “one designation.” For others, it is their focus on clients and serving beyond the fiduciary standard – to keep moving our profession forward. And for others, still, it is about taking a stand and being willing to sacrifice things held dear for our profession.

We’re all part of this greater movement and that is extremely exciting to me!

 

What You’ll Learn:

The progression of our profession and how key groups came together for the profession.

How passion and purpose around financial planning helped propel our profession forward.

Importance of the CFP(R) Mark to the financial planning profession.

The importance of the FPA to the financial planning profession.

The challenges both organizations faced throughout the merger

How the two organizations put their differences aside to align their vision for the future of the profession

What we can take away from the history of the FPA to better understand the evolution of financial planning as a profession and serve our clients

 

Do you have a strategy for growing your practice based on human connections? Humans want to work with humans. That’s why Mike Byrnes promotes the idea of building a business growth strategy on a foundation of rock-solid relationships both with clients ...

Do you have a strategy for growing your practice based on human connections? Humans want to work with humans. That’s why Mike Byrnes promotes the idea of building a business growth strategy on a foundation of rock-solid relationships both with clients and with your fellow financial planners.

Do you have a strategy for growing your practice based on human connections? Humans want to work with humans. That’s why Mike Byrnes promotes the idea of building a business growth strategy on a foundation of rock-solid relationships both with clients and with your fellow financial planners.

This concept, in Mike’s opinion, applies to all aspects of your business from asking for referrals to building relationships with influencers in your network. Building out your media presence, networking with your colleagues in the financial planning profession, and maintaining a sense of authenticity is key to create real human connections that will transform your practice.

Mike has some incredible insights on how to re-purpose your media for improved engagement, the best methods for networking with your colleagues and helping one another grow, and how to ask for referrals from clients without damaging your relationship.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is working to blaze a trail for themselves in the financial planning profession!

 

What You’ll Learn:

How to embrace different skills that take time to develop – like being on camera, speaking at events, and reading off of a script

How multiple forms of media can help to build your relationships with clients, prospects, and your network

The best ways to avoid sounding “stiff” in videos or podcast recordings

Ways to navigate asking for referrals from clients

How to create authentic connections with new clients walking in the door

What companies are looking for in a new hire

How to position yourself for success in your financial planning job search

How to create positive relationships across generations within the financial planning profession

How a succession plan can work successfully for all parties

The best way to improve your professional relationships

 

Byrnes Consulting on Youtube

> This episode recorded live for Youtube <

 

 

How would we be better off if we addressed the gender equality in our profession? In this episode, we’ll be exploring this, and many other questions about how we can address the gender gap in financial planning together.

How would we be better off if we addressed the gender equality in our profession? In this episode, we’ll be exploring this, and many other questions about how we can address the gender gap in financial planning together.