Financial Planner Life Podcast
Welcome to The Financial Planner Life Podcast. We cover an intimate and honest account of what it’s really like to work in the financial planning profession.
Our guests share their stories of success, failures, and learnings, as well as what to expect from a career in the financial planning profession! We host guests at various stages in their careers, as well as multiple roles, to ensure that our audience has a variety each week.
Financial planners, business owners, paraplanners, and back-office staff all have their own stories to share, and The Financial Planner Life podcast serves as a platform for them to discuss their personal and professional journeys. The podcast covers a multitude of topics, from mindset and motivation, health and wellbeing, all the way to diversity and inclusion.
We approach each episode with the idea that it will educate and spark a conversation within the industry on topics that may not be openly discussed. If you're considering a career as a financial adviser or are curious about learning more about this exciting sector, we encourage you to give the podcast a listen.
The Host: Sam Oakes is the host of The Financial Planner Life Podcast. since 2008 Sam has been supporting leading national and global financial planning firms in finding the best talent, he was the director of Recruit UK, a 7 figure turnover financial planning recruitment company that he successfully exited in 2024, Sam now works as the Head of Creative for Hoxton wealth, building out podcasts, YouTube and social content for this fast growing fee based international financial planning firm.
Sam has always had a passion for financial services, starting as a trainer for a leading product provider in the UK, and he has been in the industry for over 20 years.
He sees himself as a partner to the industry and wants to contribute useful resources, such as this podcast, to educate those who are further seeking advice and help about how to push their careers forward in this amazing profession.
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Financial Planner Life Podcast
Career Tips From Successful Financial Planners Part 1 - Golf Day
🎥 Financial Planner Life Golf Day | Game 1: Vikash Kanani vs Paul Taylor
Real Golf. Real Financial Planners, Real Finanical Planning Career advice.
Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify - here
Welcome to the first ever Financial Planner Life Golf Day, where the fairway becomes a forum for honest, unfiltered career advice in financial planning.
🏌️‍♂️ The Match:
It’s Vikash Kanani (MD, Chatsworth Wealth) vs Paul “The Power” Taylor (Chartered Planner & Coach) in a competitive 9-hole matchplay at Mappley Golf Course, Nottingham.
🎒 Caddies:
• Paul Bradley (Founder, Chiltern Hills FP)
• Jay Dhaliwal (Chartered Planner & Young Achiever of the Year 2023)
🎤 Featuring appearances and insights from:
• Mike Yuille (financial planner and straight-talking realist)
• Carla Brown (President of the PFS & Director at Oakmere Wealth)
• Guy Skinner (Founder, Citygate – the “4-week career starter”!)
• Your host, Sam Oakes, bringing the banter and asking the real questions
⸻
âś… Topics we cover on the course:
• Starting your career in financial planning with zero clients
• The truth about referrals (and how to ask for them properly)
• Niche marketing, cashflow struggles, and what no one tells you about year one
• How AI is reshaping advice and speeding up training
• Imposter syndrome and gaining confidence as a new planner
• Managing time, energy, and avoiding “playing office”
• The power of mentorship, and the case for being a human first planner
🔑 Quote of the Day:
“AI lets you be more human. And that’s where the real value in advice lives.” – Vikash Kanani
⸻
🏆 But who won the match?
Let’s just say it came down to the final green. One clutch putt. One celebration. And one loser with their head in their hands.
You’ll have to watch to find out.
Be sure to follow Financial Planner life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning.
Reach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.
Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? drop Sam a message.
Welcome to the Financial Planner Life Golf Day. And we've got Vikash and Paul taking on Jay and Paul, so let's get cracking. So let's meet the golfers. First up is Vikash Kanani. He is a chartered fellow managing director of Chatsworth Wealth Management and this is his home turf, and his caddy today is Paul Bradley. He's the founder of Chiltern Hills Financial Planning, he holds a master's in wealth management and he's a chartered fellow. And their opponents Paul Taylor, chartered financial planner, Certified Coach, and he plays off a two. And his caddie is Jay Dhaliwal, Chartered Financial Planner and winner of Young Achiever of the Year 2023. And they're going to be playing nine holes match play at Mapley Golf Course in Nottingham.
Speaker 2:Let's get started First question what are you playing off?
Speaker 3:I'm playing off 19.
Speaker 2:I'm playing off 2, so that's 17 divided by 2.
Speaker 3:So that gets us to. Should you give me?
Speaker 2:8 shots. 7 shots, I'll take 7. Good negotiating.
Speaker 3:Very easy to negotiate. My home course 7 shots. Let's go. It's on. Are you going to go first, vic? I'll go first. That's what I like to hear. I you going to go first, vic?
Speaker 4:I'll go first. That's what I like to hear. I think straight is an arrow, Vic. Straight is a wonky arrow, Vic.
Speaker 2:Yes, Is it down the middle, Vic? It's a bit right, That'll work. That is a nice golf swing for a 19 handicapper. But I don't mind confessing I still get nervous on a first tee and I still get nervous on a first meeting. So I think the trick is to have a process, stick to it and what will be will be. We'll see. Game on. Game on.
Speaker 3:Here we go. So most of the questions that came in from the future financial planner were all about business development, which I'm sure we'll get into. But before we do, Paul, I thought it was really important for people to be able to frame what exactly is a financial planner and what do they do?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think one of the keys to business development is having a real conviction in how you convey what you do, what it is, the benefits of that, your process and your promise. Now we'll all do it differently. So, for example, I always like to explain to the client the wealth journey and I think there's five stages to the wealth journey to the client the wealth journey and I think there's five stages to the wealth journey. There's acquire. That's the bit where you're building up career, using your human capital to build up wealth, and we sort of all know the type of planning and the advice that we're giving in that stage. Then stage two is preserve. You've worked hard, your human capital has built a reasonable lifestyle and you want to preserve that lifestyle to the end of your days.
Speaker 2:And I think that's the essence of financial planning in stage two is helping somebody really understand and have a plan for to ensure that basically they can live the life that they want for the rest of the days. Absolutely, and that's where financial advice and financial planning normally sits. But I think there's three more stages. Okay, I think that we've got protect. Normally six, but I think there's three more stages. Okay, I think we've got protect. We get to a stage where we've got to prepare money to transfer down the generations. That's what I class as estate planning preparing money to move. And then there's a fourth stage that I don't think we focus on enough. I think we get confused between legacy and estate planning correct so stage four is prepare.
Speaker 2:So we you know we've got to protect money by transferring it, but we've got to prepare people to receive that. And there's a reason why 90% of wealth is lost in three gens and 70 in two is that we don't do enough work in our wealth management proposition, in helping prepare people to be good stewards of wealth. And I think stage five just runs through every stage. It's about enjoying.
Speaker 2:I'm not a big fan of terms like life planner, lifestyle planner. I think there's too many people using it and I don't think the general public relate to it well. I don't think people want to be told or I need help with planning my life. But fundamentally, stage five is enjoy. And I think the key skill set for enjoyment is having a coaching skill set that you know. They say money doesn't buy happiness. It does if you know what to spend it on. No-transcript, we need to convey our process. This is the process that we're going to take you through in each of those stages and this is our promise and I think that's really essential to spend time work with a coach, maybe on being able to frame exactly what you do and the benefits of it to the consumer yeah, I mean it's interesting to talk about what we do and how we help.
Speaker 4:You know, so there's five or three stages. But like what? But what do we actually do? I think the help is is really in in clarity, like helping people get clear, and efficiency, which helps them be more confident. You know, so I think the clarity is like just such an interesting part because it hits the human side of money straight away.
Speaker 4:You know so, I don't think any of us have met someone who walks through the door who can actually articulate like what it is that they're trying to accomplish or what the values are, and that that getting clear on that is like it's hugely valuable. And then from there, I know, as financial advisors, people think that we're experts in the markets or in picking funds or in insurance, but actually the more, the deeper you get into it, you realize that is all about psychology and decision making and ultimately helping people make better decisions. So they're, so they're more efficient on the journey, and I think where we can feel really confident is on the tax side of things. So that's where you can demonstrate and in some cases you can save about hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I'd completely agree with that. I think there are different stages, like you've both identified, and I think we'd all kind of agree with that, and I'm very much a goals-based financial planner and it comes down to speaking to the client, trying to understand what their goals are and then using your skills, technical knowledge, experience to essentially guide them along that journey. Guy, where's my ball?
Speaker 2:Oh wait, I know. Miles ahead of Vikash, miles ahead, he's got a shot. Kasia burst pipes. I think it's going to get to it.
Speaker 4:Well, I think you go five iron and just punch it out.
Speaker 2:Good shot, vic. I think we're going to have a shoot out now 350 yards. They don't need to know it's downhill or downwind. Paul the power.
Speaker 3:Paul the power mate that is a cracking drive.
Speaker 2:Not an easy shot, is there in one, though.
Speaker 4:The difference is we're in two.
Speaker 2:Oh what a shot. It's gone on a bit that, I'm afraid, chipping with a camera. Vic Shot very good.
Speaker 4:Should be, similar. We'll take that. I think we're a little. Oh, we're not closer, we're not closer.
Speaker 2:I don't even need to read this, because Vikash is going to show me the way.
Speaker 3:Right to left, but I'm just going to try and get it within the dustbin lid, the biggest dustbin lid you've ever seen.
Speaker 2:That was cricket Wide Wasn't a very good stroke. It's a gimmick, mate, we're doing it's a gimmick Pick it up, pick it up. This is to win it.
Speaker 3:Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it. Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it.
Speaker 2:Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it.
Speaker 3:That is two monster drives, first hole, second hole, very straight.
Speaker 2:Need to get that putter working now though.
Speaker 3:Right Ball right.
Speaker 1:That's gone in the trees, mate.
Speaker 3:Paul, should we just try and again knock it out? We'll try, and it's the only thing you can do. We'll try and find the fairway on one of these soon that's nice what are you thinking, vick? I'm thinking eight iron up the hill into wind. Yeah, all right, I sound a bit well. Again, chalk's cheap, though we've used our extra shot on just tapping it out.
Speaker 2:That is a golf shot. He looks pretty good under pressure, does Vikash? That's my first impression. Is that enough club, paul? We'll soon find out, vikash, I'm not called Paul the Power Tailor for nothing, you know.
Speaker 3:I don't want you having second thoughts in your mind just before you strike it.
Speaker 2:Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him. Pulled it, that's left Pulled it.
Speaker 3:That's going to be trouble.
Speaker 2:He's left the door open. Let's get up there.
Speaker 1:So generating clients through referrals has always been a tried and tested method. But how do you do it? How do you do it successfully?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you, know, obviously you've got. Do you do it successfully? Yeah, you know, obviously you've got. Initially, you've got to have a strategy and tactics to develop conversational opportunities, which I did, as you know, through cold calling small to medium-sized business owners. But once you've got a few clients, um, you really need a great attitude and a great process to be affected, effective at getting personal introductions, as I prefer to to call them.
Speaker 2:So from an attitude perspective, I think there's two things. Is it unreasonable to not expect, if you add value to somebody for all the people that they interact with over a 12-month period, all the people they care about? Is it not unreasonable to assume that they could introduce you to somebody who might, you know, benefit from your service? I don't think so. So we want to have that attitude. The other attitude is financial planning always starts with a name. Great outcomes start with a name and a personal introduction is just a name. So you've got to know what a name is worth to you. So if somebody gives you a name, what is the probability that you will convert that name to a client and what will that mean in revenue terms? So you might say, for every name that you get, I know that's worth two thousand pounds to me from a revenue perspective and that really, I think, shapes your attitude to really go about seeking personal introductions. Um, you know more purposefully.
Speaker 2:But then you've got to have a process. So I believe in you've always got to be throwing the ball at a client. You can't be ripping it out of the hands asking them to write five names on a piece of paper. That's unprofessional. But your process should ensure you're always throwing the ball at them. So even before they meet you, on your website you should have a section that says what we expect of our clients and we expect personal introductions to people who you think we can add value to. In your value proposition document it should basically say the same, but it also might demonstrate the process that people go through when introduced to your firm. So you demonstrate your process At the end of a first meeting if you've really added value.
Speaker 2:Did you get value out of that, mr client? Of course. Is there anybody you can't think of who wouldn't get value from a conversation like that? And the answer is usually no. Ie, most people can get benefit and value out of a nothing venture, nothing gain conversation. So you're thrown on the ball, okay, and then you've got a feedback process for clients and in your feedback process it talks about you know how you work on personal introductions.
Speaker 2:If your clients are asking you how things are going doing, very well, I'm getting a lot of personal introductions from clients like you and we're growing as a result and there's literally you can think of 10 or 15 ways of how you can throw the ball to a client, which basically leaves them in no doubt that you know if they refer somebody to you that they care about, value is going to be added. Yeah, and you know I think we've got to have a process and I think it's important that you might consider speaking to somebody who's you know been down that road and had success with that. So you've got to have the right attitude and a right process. That's always throwing the ball at somebody you've worked with and added value to, but in the end, you know what increases the probability of a referral is doing an effing good job that takes care of everything, I think how many times do you ask for a referral?
Speaker 2:well, I think it's built into my process. So at the end of the first meeting I think it's always good to go at the end of the first meeting. You get value out of that conversation and it's always good to go at the end of a first meeting. You get value out of that conversation and it's literally I always record how I've said it, so if it comes up in conversation again, I say it slightly differently. So when I go into a next conversation with that client, we're saying it slightly differently.
Speaker 2:But it's built into your website. It's built into your client-facing documents that you expect to be introduced to people that they care about If you think they can add value. I think it's also important to say that, and I like Matt Jarvis' term in the US where he says well, look part of our services, a friend of yours is a friend of ours and even if they don't fit our normal service model, we will speak to them and point them in the right direction. So I just think you've got to work out 10 or 15 things of where you can throw the ball at somebody and leave them with the ball and in most cases you'll get good outcomes.
Speaker 1:love it let's go and find your ball.
Speaker 2:Let's go find it where is it?
Speaker 6:in the bunker, apparently. Oh, that's a relief.
Speaker 2:This is not pretty. Do you want to get the camera on this so people see how hard that is? How would you play this on the green, on the green. Well, that's it. Let's focus on outcomes.
Speaker 4:Yes, very good this is where we started taking it home how close, how close can you get to your playing partner?
Speaker 6:when he's playing. How close can you get? He's trying to intimidate. Look at his guy. It's pretty good to be fair, great shot. How close can you get?
Speaker 2:He's trying to intimidate you Look at this guy. It's pretty good to be fair. Great shot, no gimmies Well done.
Speaker 3:Take that, Remove the flag Right. I'm there for four, you're there for three.
Speaker 2:Right, so a match play moment. We could do with downing this. That is awful. I believe that's still on you, sir.
Speaker 3:Oh mate, One down you making me putt yes, no, that's good, that's good.
Speaker 2:One. Up there we go Putting. Can I practice my putting? You can practice your putting, is that?
Speaker 3:allowed. Well, while Paul Taylor practices his some uh, he made some really interesting points about referrals, but I think I think what I've always found with referrals, or personal introductions, or whatever people call them it has to sound right in your voice, yeah, and you have to do it in a way that really feels congruent with with how you operate. So what? So what's your way of doing it?
Speaker 4:Well, I think I've got two observations straight away. I think one is I think, within a client bank, there are certain clients who are more influential and are better networked, right. So I think the first step might be just to kind of hone in on who's likely to give you higher quality, more dependable right, right to concentrate on. Yeah, and then I mean beyond that. I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of saying the conversation has to be comfortable. There's a great carl richard story where he talks about working for merrill lynch right, and where, um, like he explains to his best client, there's two ways you pay me, so you pay me the fees for looking after your money, and you also pay me by referring other people to me. And the client turned around to him and said listen, carl, I do not pay you two ways, I pay you one way and if you're not careful, I'm going to pierce someone else that way.
Speaker 3:That's brilliant and it's just that kind of thing may have worked at one point in time, but certainly if it doesn't feel right coming from you and in today's world that's just not going to cut it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think putting pressure on the client and putting them because it's, you know, like finances, personal finances it's to be able to talk about. It's like you don't talk about financial anxieties or problems or how much you've got in the pension with your friends you know, so expecting them to breach the topic. It's a like, there's a high watermark, I think, coming from a position of confidence in your value proposition, like is is.
Speaker 1:You know, that's the start point so we're taking a break from the golf just to talk about something a little bit more serious. There's an amazing charity called stand by me, which is a bereavement counseling charity and guy skinner is a patron of it and you're doing a little bit of um charity raising and hopefully, if you're doing a little bit of charity raising and hopefully, if you're enjoying the episode, maybe you can click the link in the comments and make a donation. But, guy, can you just tell us a little bit about Stand by Me, the charity, the great work that they actually do, and why we're looking for donations?
Speaker 7:Yeah, we support children in North Harts and Steve Village. They will have been bereaved relatively recently, referred to us by adolescent and mental health services. These are children that are struggling. Examples I could give you. Where I've volunteered We've got children that just fall asleep at school. They can't think about anything apart from the person that's died. They get told all sorts of things like the person has just gone away and they don't actually come to terms with the fact that the person's died. But we give them the space and the hope to grow around their grief and know that life goes on and that tomorrow will be a better day.
Speaker 1:I love it. Well, we're certainly, here at Financial Plan of Life, going to be making a donation to that fantastic charity, and we urge that you do the same. Now back to the golf.
Speaker 4:It's 309 yards. I think we've got to go big or go home.
Speaker 3:I'm feeling that I think, as with everything, paul, we've got to manage the balance between risk and reward.
Speaker 2:You've got a lead to protect, haven't you?
Speaker 3:So I'm just going seven iron and hopefully it will roll down the hill.
Speaker 2:Seven iron. It's a nice shot, very nice.
Speaker 4:Boring though that was, I'm not going to lie that was a bit disappointing.
Speaker 3:But at times, if boring gets you to your destination, why do anything?
Speaker 4:else that was an index fund of a shot.
Speaker 2:It's a bit right, bit right.
Speaker 3:Safe, though, isn't it Possibly?
Speaker 8:It's a goal shot.
Speaker 6:That's a great shot Not the best bounce but it was a good shot.
Speaker 3:We'll take that. Yeah, well done.
Speaker 6:Redeemed it.
Speaker 2:We'll take that bit of a safety shot taking after taking some lessons from Vikash there. Good shot, mate. That was nice. Two good swings, that thank you.
Speaker 3:Starting to question your handicap a little bit well, I think your point about asking for introductions in a way that fits your values is really important, and I don't I don't mind saying this.
Speaker 3:For the longest time, especially when I was new, there was an element of imposter syndrome as in am I good enough and am I worthy enough at this to actually ask people to introduce me to others, to others?
Speaker 3:And I think some of that comes with time, but some of that does come with belief in your own training, the exams that you've passed, and if you do some role play with other new financial planners, go on joint meetings with mentors, and that's something I'd always say to ask sit in on as many joint meetings with clients, with experienced advisors, as who will let you. And I think soon you become accustomed to and you become and you realize that actually I am worthy and I do do a good job for these clients. And it's at that point where maybe the imposter syndrome starts to fade and you think do you know what? I've done a really good job for these clients. It's come from the right place and actually I will add value to whoever they put me in front of yeah, absolutely, absolutely any advance on that guys I think on the, I think on the value piece.
Speaker 4:It's an important point. Imposter syndrome is definitely real. I think on the value piece you can't forget because we've learned about pensions, we've learned about trust, we've learned about tax. You can't forget how anxious someone who has not learned about those things can be. And the rules change all the time and sometimes I have to make decisions because there's been a change in the circumstances. So I mean I think having confidence in your value is really important in that introduction conversation Great point.
Speaker 6:Yeah, for me me, I think age sometimes comes into it as well, especially for younger advisors. So it was really hard for me again similar to you to ask for referrals in the first two years because I didn't really have that experience. But as you kind of grow your technical knowledge and your experience, it then becomes a lot easier because you know you can do the job. So you can start asking for those referrals Good point good points, right, let's see where they are.
Speaker 2:Yours got a slightly awkward bounce to the left. Come on, putter, oh friendly.
Speaker 4:Do you want the flag out?
Speaker 2:No, definitely not no, leave the flag in for this one 46 year old eyes for crying out loud. Putt is struggling. Yeah, that was nice, good roll.
Speaker 6:Take it away.
Speaker 3:Two putts to go, two up, I'm one down.
Speaker 2:I know he was generous to me, but I don't think I have to reciprocate.
Speaker 3:No, I think you've got a put this away, put to win, send him home. Is this closer than the gimme that I just that I just gave to you? I don't care.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's why you never give up. All right, I'll give you that.
Speaker 1:That's play moment.
Speaker 2:Hi oh, that's not a highway. There is it. Is that a?
Speaker 4:highway. Is that a car? Is that out of bounds?
Speaker 6:No pressure. Did you hear everyone?
Speaker 2:is staring at me.
Speaker 8:Yeah, well done, jay Go on.
Speaker 6:Jay, it'll do.
Speaker 2:What are you thinking, vikash, on this? One Looks a tough hole to me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm thinking, if I can go towards the right hand side, 150. Yeah, and let the terrain of Mapley Golf Course bring the ball back round.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good shot, mate, exactly as promised.
Speaker 3:Great drive, drive of the day.
Speaker 1:Callum, thanks so much for letting us play at Mapley today. What a beautiful course this actually is. I mean, you're the club pro. You've seen some of our schmoes playing. What do you think of the talent on display? It's good.
Speaker 5:Good, good, well, perfect day for it. And uh, yeah, it's been some good golf and some not so good golf, but yeah, it's been pretty good to watch fantastic, and if anyone's in nottingham area want to come down mapley to knock a few balls around, they can do that definitely yeah. If you're in the area, um give us a call. Vick lives three minutes away. I'm sure we can organise a game, fantastic, great stuff.
Speaker 1:Thanks for letting us play, no problem 150 yards.
Speaker 3:nine iron Nine. It's a strong nine. It's going left, right to left, so I'm going straight straight over that bunker. Yeah, you want to be the right-.
Speaker 4:I've got a blocking hole.
Speaker 2:Good, strike out of the rough. You're over to the right. A tough chip from there. See the bounce. Oh, it's long, I think.
Speaker 4:Whoa holy cow it is long.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's very long.
Speaker 3:Check your number Should have been a pitching wedge. Check the guns. Should have been a pitching wedge. Check the guns too, big mate. Now what does a two-handicapper hit from 124 yards out?
Speaker 2:Not a pitching wedge but after seeing yours, sam wedge, I'm going to knock down wedge, I think.
Speaker 3:That looks on it.
Speaker 6:Fantastic.
Speaker 8:Short ball, great ball. Shame I can't putt today.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's unlucky. What's happened there?
Speaker 1:It's unlucky, right, guys? So we're crying out for new people to join the profession. Doesn't matter if they're young or older or middle aged, whatever, but there's a common theme that sort of comes to me all the time with people that are starting out or trying to get into the profession is if you start with zero, you've got no clients. What do you do, jane? What did you do?
Speaker 6:um, there's a couple things that I did. Um, I'd say the first thing is just to speak to anyone, get practice in your meetings and kind of know your processes, what works, what doesn't work. And then I think for me it was niching down, so I've got doctors and dentists. I'm a specialist on the NHS pension scheme. I feel like that in itself just opens a lot of doors and I use those doors to organise presentations, in-person seminars. I think work really well. During lockdown we kind of transitioned onto webinars, so online, but I personally just prefer in-person events. Um, and just, yeah, getting out there, finding excuses to speak to as many people, um, getting groups of people, also communities so doctors have a lot of communities as well. It's that kind of mindset, um, and you'll come across people that have similar issues that you can also help, and that just gives you an excuse to to speak to people and grow that way yeah, well, I think I want to be brutally honest if you're going to start with zero, it's not for the faint heart, faint-hearted.
Speaker 2:So I think it's absolutely imperative that you're going to do that. Hey, you've got a support on your tough days, support on your tough weeks, somebody you can go to and chat through the difficulties, because that will be difficult. And if you're going to embark on that um, I think you better have, you know, a really strong strategy and tactics to develop conversational opportunities. Mine was um. I always used to say you know, I've got a phd. It's through phone discipline, you know, I called, called um, small to medium-sized business owners over 11 years and we sort of worked out what the pain points were, what the hooks would be on the call to open the door to that first meeting. And then you know, obviously know, how we can add value, have an impact and inspire a bit of action in that first meeting.
Speaker 2:But it was tough and I think I see too much these days which basically says you can start with zero, with three to six months cash in your bank account and and you'll do well, I'm not so sure about that. So I would say it's tough, you've got to have a. You've got to have a plan. You've got to have a strategy. You've got to stick with it. There's always a prospecting lag and it's longer than we like to think. And to get through that prospecting lag you need support, somebody you really trust that can be there for you on your tough days and make you go again. Every day is a new day. Every day there's new opportunities, but you might need some support to get there.
Speaker 1:Paul, realistic expectations then I really like what you said there. There's this three to six month idea. If you've got that amount of money in your bank account, that's a safe period. Let's be realistic. What do you think?
Speaker 2:I wouldn't want anybody to embark on that, starting with zero, unless they had, I'm going to say, 12 minimum, maybe 18 months cash, and I think they need to have a little bit money to invest in support and not just exams. So for me, 12 to 18 months minimum, but it's still going to be difficult. You still need to have a really good strategy and tactics, but it can be done and if you get it done, you know you're going to have a really good strategy and tactics, but it can be done. And if you, if you get it done, um, you know you're gonna have more freedom in your life and um, so sometimes it's worth the pain, so good luck with it so realistic expectations.
Speaker 1:We're talking about niching down over here, but the cold, cold king who went out b2b and generated over 100 million of au and check that podcast episode out on the financial panel I liked. What do you think?
Speaker 4:I mean, I think it's tough. I think, um, they talk about the first three years being where, like most people, most people fail out and I think we're hitting, like, the main challenges around financial. You know, if you run out of money then it's going to get extremely tough and psychological. You know it's a it's quite a vulnerable profession, especially early on you're starting with with no clients. I think hitting the point around like mentorship, you know, learning from people who are a few steps ahead of you is really important.
Speaker 4:I think we were chatting socially about how there's lots of people. I think we were chatting socially about how there's lots of people giving advice to financial advisors, but many of them haven't advised clients. So some of what they're telling you to do, they've never done it, so it's not tried and tested. So that's quite tough. I think, personally, if I was going again, truthfully I'd either try and develop my expertise in an employed role, so working in one of the banks with some of the wealthier clients, or I definitely would be trying to niche down and, just to your point, learn some key pain points for some really specific groups of clients.
Speaker 1:I think there's a big challenge here, isn't there? It's employed versus employed what comes first when you join the financial planning profession? Now, it's difficult, because I've spoken to so many people who come in self-employed, run their own practices, for example, without any experience within financial planning, but a bucket load of life experience and access to clients that would suit the financial planning process. I mean, vikash, you're somebody that has come from another profession into financial advice. You tell me employed, self-employed what's the best journey? What advice would you give if someone's starting from zero?
Speaker 3:If someone's starting from zero. I think Paul said it's very tough, but I also think tough circumstances present themselves with opportunities. So one thing that I would say to anyone is practical advice is be willing to do the things that others aren't. And if we think about this profession, the average age of a financial advisor is 58. A lot of them have been there, done it, been successful.
Speaker 3:One of the first things I did I got my mortgage qualification. I got really to grips with protection, things like doing the basics, learning about family income benefits and income protection because, rightly or wrongly, there is this chase for AUM and if you can position yourself as someone who will do the things that need to be done, that automatically stands you out. So put in the graph what I also think that does, whether in an employed role or self-employed role, it allows you to develop relationships with those older advisors, with those more experienced ones, two real things that I think that every new or young financial advisor can get from that. One is an element of mentorship sit in on client meetings, learn as much as you can. We'll talk about AI shortly, but with the rapid development in AI, I think the training opportunity for young financial planners is going to go through the roof. I don't think you need to shadow in person all the time. I think there'll come a point where you can plug in and listen to the key pain points and the key points of client meetings, between clients and experienced advisors.
Speaker 3:The second thing is everyone talks about the great wealth transfer intergenerational. I actually think within the next 10 years, the biggest transfer of wealth is going to be those people who are looking to leave the profession, to be those people who are looking to leave the profession. There's already an advice gap we spoke about. Only eight percent of uk adults receive financial advice. Who is going to bridge that gap? And I think that there is something in instead of everyone trying to set up their own business and struggling, is there something and we'll talk about this on on further holes, is there something we need to do in the whole succession planning piece? Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 2:Just on the protection piece, I think if you're going to start with zero to get cash flow, the biggest service we can do for society is protect families, protect the financial well-being in children. I can't see anybody surviving without principally, persuading a lot of people to adopt protection policies. It's great planning that a lot of people are shying away from, but it will, for me, get you through the first year, two before other benefits of the work that you've done kick in.
Speaker 1:So I'm thinking here we're seeing low-hanging fruit opportunities, right, we're talking mortgages, we're talking protection. We're talking niching down. So that was something that you did, wasn't it? You niched down, niche it down so that was something that you did, wasn't it? You niched down. So going deep, going narrow within a specific type of client, how did that sort of help you fine-tune your focus when it came to business development and generate clients?
Speaker 6:so you'll find that a lot of these clients have very similar sorts of issues. So a few years ago, doctors and dentists or people with an nhs pension generally suffered from the rules of tapering and annual allowance. That was a very, very hot topic when I became an advisor in 2019, 2020, and that opened the door.
Speaker 6:I think I did 53 presentations in person in my first year and even if those meetings didn't transact into business, a lot of those clients have come back to me after a year, two years, three years, some are even coming back now. Um, so it's just getting out there, showing that you're credible with your knowledge, um, having those meetings, doing a good job in those meetings, and even if they don't try and act into business, then it might come at a later stage, right quick fire.
Speaker 1:Then realistic expectations when should you be expecting pa to feel like you get it and you're developing good levels of business and good levels of income within financial planning? What's a realistic time expectation from you?
Speaker 4:Starting from scratch. Starting from scratch With nothing, you've just got your qualifications. I don't know, I think three to five years you might start feeling confident.
Speaker 6:I would have said about four years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like four, I think, and I'm only speaking from my own experience. I got a really good mentor backed in to his practice, so I'd say mine was a bit sooner 12 to 24 months but that's because I took on that extra element of support yeah, I.
Speaker 2:I think again I want to stress mentorship and support. Again it will short on the time. If Guy Skinner was in this conversation he'd say about four weeks, but Guy's a one-off. Yeah, for me two years If you've got a really good strategy and tactics and you execute it really well. I can't say past two years. I know Guy would say quicker.
Speaker 3:So somewhere between We'll probably meet in halfway see past two years. I know Guy would say quicker. So somewhere between probably meeting halfway there at two and a half three, aren't we? But a key point, if you don't mind me saying, in those two years, like you would do with your clients in identifying the gaps and needs, it's imperative that you keep your own cash flow going, and that is where the protection comes in, that is where the mortgages come in. And I said to you, sam, when we spoke had it not been for my wife supporting me through my first 12 month period, I would have had to leave the profession before I started to get it. So, whether that is having some money saved, having an honest conversation about who's supporting you or generating that cash flow from whatever it is, it's really, really key that people stay in the profession until they become successful.
Speaker 1:So prospects, mentorship if you're lucky enough to get an employed role, take it, because you're going to learn a hell of a lot. If you're on your own, make sure you've got enough money in the bank and just be realistic with your time expectation. Just understand there's a huge amount of graft that's going to have to go into this. You might not see the fruits of your labour for a good two to three years, unless you're working for Guy Skinner, by the sounds of it, in four weeks, right? Big activity, big activity. We'll talk about activity with Guy, I think, a bit later on. Fantastic.
Speaker 2:Let's go play golf. Vikash has had three, I've had two, so with a handicap we're level. He's got a tricky putt here, but he's been good under pressure so far.
Speaker 3:Paul, sometimes, when you don't know what to do, you go directly at it. I like that.
Speaker 2:So that is what I'm going to do, Intentional being very intentional, I think he's left that a bit shy guys.
Speaker 3:I have left that very short.
Speaker 2:Right. So I've got this for Birdie. As you can see, the long game's been okay, the short game not so much. There's a saying in golf drive for show, put for dough, which is why I've never won any money at golf, because I obviously can't put. Is this for the hole? This is for sanity, not my day on the greens. Vic, take it away Unbelievably. Vic, take it away Unbelievably charitable, take it away. He's good under pressure. Well done, Skoia Well done.
Speaker 3:Right. This is drivable for the half Right. This is drivable With your drive. I think you might need something less than a driver.
Speaker 2:To actually get to the green. Yes, ooh Ooh, catch a bit of sand. Catch a bit of sand. Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh oh.
Speaker 4:Oh, oh, that was an awesome bounce. Oh, dear me.
Speaker 2:So just checking, are you not getting a shot here?
Speaker 3:I don't get a shot here. Oh, paul, that is a serious shot, that is.
Speaker 2:Oh, oh, ermeld the green Unbelievable. That was the best swing I've put on a ball all season 60 yards.
Speaker 3:But I think I just need a lob wedge and land it on there Just for the viewers purposes.
Speaker 2:Vikas's ball was heading for the highway, god intervened, or whoever intervened, divine intervention, and then he's back in the middle of the fairway. Oh, look at this.
Speaker 4:That was nice.
Speaker 6:Oh mate, that's fantastic. Oh mate, is that in it's?
Speaker 3:very close, very close. We'll take that Unlucky to be in the trap. This is where it came from. It's off now oh.
Speaker 2:Oh, very close, jay. Do you want to put that in?
Speaker 6:Well done.
Speaker 4:Jay fantastic.
Speaker 2:Come here, partner. So you've no shot on here, haven't you? I've no shot. So you've got this for a. You've got this for a half, haven't you? Always let me off, hold it All square.
Speaker 3:All square. Well done, Jay.
Speaker 2:Well done.
Speaker 6:Thank you. Well done, Jay and Paul. I'll take it.
Speaker 1:So, with AI threatening quite a fair few jobs out there at the moment and we're looking for new people to join the profession. So do you think there is a risk to the financial planning profession and to financial planners being able to do their job from AI, or do you think it's an enhancer to the financial planner's career?
Speaker 3:It's a great question and in my experience I've used AI from the start. I'm quite familiar with large language models and AI assistants. We use one within our practice. Now I've only seen massive benefit to new financial planners in ways that they don't even think about. For example, at the minute we are using an AI meeting assistant that records all meetings and those recordings are then available for us to use for training. So let's say, something is going on like the tariff situation or a particular factor with emerging markets. I could say to my trainee financial planners hey, if you're struggling with explaining this particular element, go and listen to the meeting I had with sam oakes about halfway through, and they can go and do that. I think it's really going to speed up the training, for, whereas normally you would try and sit in on the meeting, I think you're going to be consuming the best of any mentors that you've got. I also think that, ultimately, financial planning is about the human element, and certainly me using my AI meeting assistant has allowed me just to focus on the client, on things like body language.
Speaker 3:I had one client who I just noticed the movement of her shoulder. She just recoiled at the thought of retiring. Her husband wanted to spend the money. If I was scribbling notes down or focusing on doing some of the administration that AI now does, I would have missed that. And I followed up on it and I asked her and we actually ended up having a really deep conversation that she was fearful of spending her money because she had been poor in childhood. And she said the words were I don't want to be poor again Things like that If I was head down writing notes. Ironically, I think AI is going to allow the human to be more human and I think that's what financial planning is all about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. There's a lot of what I'm hearing when I'm speaking to the AI experts and when it comes to the ability to actually service and deliver more quality advice to clients. We're looking at AI being able to free an advisor up right now to the point where they can actually take on 30 new clients, correct, yes, yeah, which is quite powerful.
Speaker 3:I think, the ability. If you think about it in basic terms, you might have a one hour meeting with a one hour follow-up getting all of your notes together and then you might have one hour of doing something else afterwards. If the AI can take away a lot of that administration, it frees the financial planner up to see and help more clients.
Speaker 1:And not just the financial planner. I think it's going to evolve the power planner role as well. Instead of being head down in research, chasing documents, etc. It's actually going to free them up to be more client relationship management focused as well. So I think we're going to see the power planner role administrative roles evolve more into sort of almost client relationship management positions as well I love that, and I think the word you used, sam, was enhancer.
Speaker 3:I think AI being here is going to enhance the ability of the financial planner, the ability of the power planner, to be more present, be more there for the client, and it's going to speed up training. I think that that's going to be big. So I'm excited for anyone coming into the profession now to leverage AI as part of their journey. Yeah, and offer peace of mind to everybody. That's what. That's what everyone wants. Ultimately, the question we're trying to answer for the client is am I going to be okay? And that's all anyone wants to know. Five holes played all square. How are you enjoying Mapoli?
Speaker 2:I think it's a wonderful course. By the way, I've had a look at the other nine as well. It's even better. My putting's not very good. The only put that's been held by my team today has been by Jay. Well done, Jay. That's the weak link at the moment. Let's see how we're going to get on.
Speaker 3:Let's go Stroke index two, Stroke two. Your honour sir.
Speaker 8:All right, right Come round.
Speaker 2:Up the right wing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's not very good, he's coming with me. I think, I've gone exactly where you have Paul, Slightly to the right.
Speaker 6:Pretty much yeah.
Speaker 3:I think we're both taking our medicine here, mate, so all.
Speaker 2:I would say, is me and Vic have shit it here on purpose because it's quite warm, so it's in the shade here in the trees. Nice shot, thank you. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. 141, vikash, what's that for you? 141? Flyers lie. Remember that one. You hit on the other hole where it just went so far past.
Speaker 3:I know I think I'm going to take a wedge got in his head.
Speaker 2:Now got in his head it's a nice hit no, oh, that is a terrible bounce.
Speaker 3:It's to the right, it's pin high, it's too right. I've had a little bit of help there, left the door open for you there, so I can't hit the club I want because of the tree. Oh, that is a lovely looking shot. Great shot, paul. Thanks, right, let's get up there Right let's get up Went for the high, high risk shot. Yeah, I had to play it delicately Nice, lovely touch.
Speaker 8:That was very nice. Well done, well done.
Speaker 1:Okay. So there's a movement, there's the fire movement, there's YouTube, there's do-it-yourself. There's people out there managing their own money, but where's the value if they go and see a financial planner against's do-it-yourself? There's people out there managing their own money, but where's the value if they go and see a financial planner against the do-it-yourself model? What do you think, paul?
Speaker 4:well, I think there's there's a few different angles you can look at this from. So I think there's studies by vanguard and others that that look at financially from a percentage return terms. What else do you get? You can also look at the psychological benefits of working with a financial advisor. I actually think Mike did a great post recently just talking about practically what are the things that we have to help people through and what are the things that everyone has to go through. What's the journey, mike? What's that then?
Speaker 8:Yeah, I think it's just pinpointing to people that it's not just advice on what to buy, it's the bigger picture of everything that goes into financial planning. I've got some money to invest, what do I buy? Well, take a step back actually. Have you done your will? Have you done your power of attorney? Are you sorted for life cover, critical illness, et cetera, et cetera? Then what's the next step? Emergency fund. Then what's the next step? And I think a lot of the time people overlook how involved planning is at every step and they they often think it's just, oh, buy this etn or buy that managed fund, whereas actually it's the bigger picture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you think? Do you think there's a space for do-it-yourself investing? Is it something that you do yourself, like you know? Is it you know let's talk about? Is there space for do-it-yourself investing? Is it something that you do yourself, like you know? Is it you know let's talk about? Is there space for do-it-yourself investment plus seeing a financial planner? Can you get both value from both?
Speaker 6:um, I think it depends on the individual circumstances. Um, for me, I like to put a big emphasis, emphasis on financial education. So I like to teach people um about finances, um, both in schools. So it's quite shocking how much school children don't know about investments and protection and all that kind of thing, but also adults as well. And there is a gap between do-it-yourself, because a lot of the people that I speak to don't really know how to do it themselves. They're just kind of winging it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I'd say, say do you think a lot of people, when they go down the do it yourself, are looking for that instant quick fix and they're not thinking about the things like you just said, the iht planning and all the uh, the wills, legals, all the things that go into it and essentially a financial plan and actually working out, say, a 15, 20, 25, 30 year period. They're thinking more short term.
Speaker 8:I I do personally, and I think the other side to it is, like you mentioned, paul, the psychology behind the journey, because a lot of things can happen along the way. You lose your job, you panic. Do I have enough money? Yes, you do. Who'd you phone your financial planner? Your spouse dies or something horrible happens? Who do you turn? To markets crash? Who do you turn to Markets crash? Who do you turn to A DIY investor?
Speaker 8:Reading that constant social media negative news, you know what a great analogy. Today, a financial planner is a bit like a golf caddy. They're there by your side to give you tips and advice, but you're the one actually doing it. But having someone there that you can pick up the phone to and say the markets have just dropped 20%, what do I do? Don't panic, stick to the plan, think long term. And this all comes back to advisor alpha. You know tax returns and tax planning can add a bit, asset selection can add a bit, but I think the psychology is the biggest amount of that advisor alpha and I think that studies about is it like 4% a year we add in value. Maybe that's on the high side, but that value add that we bring, I think is crucial and DIY investors? They overlook it.
Speaker 1:Okay, so big value add there is checking your thinking. If you're an investor doing it yourself, are you checking your emotional security? Are you checking, are you thinking the right way? And if you haven't got someone to turn to, does it day in, day out and he's checking it all and has seen it before you can reference past performance, you might be setting yourself up for a bit of failure. You might be selling that, the stock or something like that at the wrong time and putting yourself in a real damaging position.
Speaker 4:Right, it's exactly right. There's a. There's a great Brendan Fraser quote as well where he says if all we needed was knowledge, we'd all be. We'd all be billionaires with six packs. So so knowing what to do is is just part of it, and you know, I've been working with Carla for almost four years now and I knew it was sensible to set up a trust for my pension. But I had the trust deed on my desk for two years. So it's, it's having an like. It's in a similar way that a personal trainer is an accountability partner. It's having the time and space, but also a critical friend helping you make progress on these things.
Speaker 1:It's really interesting. You're one of the most qualified financial planners that I know. Carla is obviously the president of the pfs and also a financial planner. So you're telling me you've got a financial planner.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I get a lot of value from it. And again it's back to the Renan Fraser quote it's not necessarily knowing what to do, but it's actually taking that action. And that's the difficult bit.
Speaker 8:Well, just going back to you know, paul's probably seen three or four major crashes and it's those points that people panic. If we look at COVID, it's the obvious one a few years ago. It's the big V-shaped curve big crash, quick recovery. How many people panicked on that big downward and sold out when they shouldn't have. And having someone in your corner to say what should I do? Don't panic, stick to your plan. Think long term. That's the value add.
Speaker 2:Take it away. Yeah, we're going to go, good, good, we're going to show a bit of charity, show a bit of charity, All square three to play the big drive down the middle.
Speaker 3:Easier said than done.
Speaker 2:It's down the right.
Speaker 3:Beautiful, that is perfect, thank you. Two and a half holes to play Paul in prime position.
Speaker 1:Nice little sponsorship there for cash.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Lucky number seven. Talk to me about sponsorship, then, yeah, something we should be doing more than financial planning.
Speaker 3:So I think something like a sponsorship is something to do later on. I probably wouldn't use the money to say, sponsor a cricket club that's far away from you or anything like that, and then people think, all right, I've seen that, but it it means nothing to me. Yeah, so I'm a fan of sponsorships at this point, just for a bit of awareness. If something comes, then great. But when you're new, starting out, I think there's better places to get your roi. Yeah, makes sense to me mate I think I can just ignore the trees.
Speaker 2:I think I can just ignore the trees. Oh, so just to refrain, he said he could ignore the trees.
Speaker 3:That's what he said I definitely couldn't ignore the trees. Okay, just checking, we'll go again. I ignored them. They didn't ignore me Hell of a shot, so I need to make this count.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's a good shot.
Speaker 3:Should Paul put, then yeah, yeah, you sticking me in the pressure cooker. Yeah, sticking you in the pressure cooker.
Speaker 4:Is this one? Do we need this one to put some?
Speaker 3:We need this one to put some pressure on.
Speaker 2:All right, it's a good putt yeah, I'll give you that one. So we've got two for it Two putts for the win. Great putt, go on, stick her in. Great caught, go on, stick her in. Well done, jay. Thank you. Well done, jay and Paul.
Speaker 3:Taylor go one up, awesome One up with two to play.
Speaker 2:We're in this hole, jay. It's goodnight, god bless. Oh, jay, thank you, let's see where this finishes. We'll take that. So I'm going to trust him that he's giving me the right yardage. This finishes. We'll take that. So I'm going to trust him that he's giving me the right yardage. It's a bit left. Catch a bit of it. Oh, we like that bounce, we love that bounce. That was a nice bounce.
Speaker 3:That is a hundred yard shot.
Speaker 2:Very nice. Come on, vikash. See, that's a good shot. That is nice. How was your bounce?
Speaker 4:mister. Oh, that was a very unfortunate bounce, is it? You're on the green. That's pretty good. No, we're alright. You're in the game. You're on the green.
Speaker 2:Good shot, paul, very nice.
Speaker 3:Now then let's have a bounce. Come on, kick right, Kick right. Not bad at all, man.
Speaker 2:Not bad at all.
Speaker 1:So, being a financial planner, what's the biggest risk to you? Being a busy idiot, and how should you manage your time? Jay, I'm going to start with you.
Speaker 6:So I do a lot of time blocking. I'll have certain days where I'll do, let's say, annual review meetings for all of my clients in one area, and so I've got a lot of clients spread out throughout the West Midlands and I'll see them maybe five or six in a day within the same postcodes or same kind of mileage. So I'll spend some of my days doing that. Some of my days will be prospecting, so trying to get new business, and essentially just, yeah, managing my time that way to make sure that I'm working as efficiently as possible so you literally time block certain tasks on certain days.
Speaker 1:Is that based on your energy levels? Do you factor in other things that you're doing, such as sports, for example, exercise? Do you follow you know? Do you follow um, let's say, do prospecting that after a hard session at the gym?
Speaker 6:yeah, yeah. No, I do go to the gym about four or five times a week so I like to kind of schedule that in. So I'll have my gym sessions, also Pilates, kind of blocked in and then I kind of tend to work around that. But yeah, I'll have certain days where I do certain things. So admin on one day is catching up on emails at certain times of the day as well just to make sure I'm on top of that.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, time blocking works really well for me. I love it. I've heard a lot about time blocking. A few people have been mentioning to me actually something I definitely need to implement. Um, the cash. What about yourself, mate?
Speaker 3:yeah, I think. I think time time blocking is a great thing. Look, we, we all have to um, be wary of the fact that in 2025, there's lots of things vying for our attention. Lots of things, and I'm often guilty of it, you know. A lot of people watching will have probably seen me on LinkedIn. Yes, we get some return from it, but there is your ego involved.
Speaker 3:You can chase vanity metrics and ultimately, it comes down to the fact that is what you're doing generating cashflow for yourself and adding value to your clients. So I would say something as simple as if you find yourself thinking right, I'm going to do this course. Next, I'm going to post on LinkedIn. I'm going to do this. Yes, all of those things are good, but they can take over Something just as simple as block some time out. Follow up with your prospects. If you have clients, call them for a chat.
Speaker 3:I still think a lot of people leave it to their six monthly meeting, leave it to their annual meeting. The number of times that I've just picked up the phone on a random Tuesday and said hi, sam, just thought of you because I saw this, or you might've seen this in the media. This might affect you and the number of times that someone will say do you know what? I'm so glad you called because I was thinking about you or I was going to call you and I just think, increase those contact points. I think that is a really good, a really easy thing that people can do. That will generate your return and you don't get lost in vanity metrics and chasing your ego.
Speaker 2:Really mr taylor I love that word vanity metrics. I for some time work in. I work in 90 minute cycles, so a circadian rhythm which is a sleep cycle is 90 minutes. So your body works best. It dances to a 90 minute beat. So I would typically work um 7, 30 till 9, have a break, then do 90 minutes. So that's really important for my cadence of performing well at a high intense level. I do believe in working with intensity, but it's 20% of your activities that determine 80% of your results. It's the classic Pareto law and I think a lot of people get the 20% wrong. It's critical we get what you do in that 20% that drives 80% of your results right.
Speaker 2:For me it's always been the most important thing in financial planning is what happens from the opening second of a conversation to a closing second of a conversation. So I work heavily on my conversational processes. It's got to start with strategy and tactics to develop conversational opportunities and then conversational processes. What's my first meeting process? Um, how do I position getting referrals? How do I? What's the conversation process for protection, whatever that might be for me? That's critical to me to get an 80 of results.
Speaker 2:Uh, focusing 20 of my time really thinking about conversational processes and delivering those. Um, and, as I said, 90 minutes works for me. I'm always knackered after 90 minutes and, um, I think there's some truth in that. So, 90 minutes of thinking about it, 90 minutes of activity actually. So working in an intense way, in the critical 20 percent where possible, that drives results, um, and that's obviously prospecting for many people and when you get in front of somebody being really well honed and trained to execute. But yeah, 90 minutes works for me. Rest at it again, but making sure that those 90 minutes are spent in the right areas.
Speaker 1:I also think in that period, when you're going to hyper focus on that level of intense activity is probably not to jump on LinkedIn and put a post on, because that's when you can get absolutely pulled in. It's the same with anything like YouTube. Right, you go on there and go. I'll just check out my videos and see what the performance is. The next minute you're smashed in the face by the shorts and you're looking at some kind of UFO documentary.
Speaker 2:I'd echo Vic. At the end of the day, phone time's critical. I've always viewed that as as the number one driver to performance for me how much time, how much time we spend on the phone, phone discipline phd again and that's critical for my performance.
Speaker 1:Yeah I mean, mr bradley, you spend a lot of time in the bath in the morning I know that's the show, so tell us a little bit about that time you spend in the bath and a little bit more about your strategy for time management to get the most excellent results that you actually do as a financial planner I mean the time in the bath is it's, it's, it's a bit personal development, but I was and I think I shared it with vick I was trying to be the opposite of the ice bath bros so yeah
Speaker 4:so it is like it's, but, you know, with my two young children and like the life, family life, that is where I've got some time to chill. So like I do enjoy a hot bath and I'll watch. I'll watch youtube videos, I like watching james shack, I like watching podcasts. But in terms of time management, one of the things that's kind of stuck with me that I think is valuable is um is putting a pound cost on your time, you know. So if you, you know, figure out your revenue, figure out what your, what your hourly rate is, and I think that's the yardstick from which you've got to assess different tasks that you do. I think.
Speaker 4:I think, from a time management perspective, I think this is where, like matthew jarvis, like just excels and he's he's he's very black and white about things. But I think, on time management, it's helpful and that's you know he's got surge meetings for time blocking, but he talks, talks about not doing things that are either playing office, you know, such as LinkedIn, or that aren't good use of your time, such as email and inbound email, inbound telephone calls, on the higher value activities, which I agree, it's time, it's time in front of clients, or time prospecting, connecting with, with professional connections, I mean, I would put, I would put personal development as a as a high value activity as well no, I love that, but you know from a habit stacking perspective you're doing it perfectly.
Speaker 1:You know you're taking an opportunity to relax and rest. I may be joking about the bathing, but it actually works because you know that you carve that time out, that time's for you to chill down, relax in a busy family environment, but to also soak in some James Shack, for example, and learn from some other people about how they how they do it. So I think factoring in training and development is massively important. It can't be go, go, go, go go all the time, because you're never going to fine-tune the skills that you actually have. One of the things I would add in what I do a lot at the moment is I bought myself an ipad but I made sure there's nothing on there that's work related. The only thing that I have on there is my like notepad and I go in there. Any no social media no, nothing. So when I bring my ipad out, I know in my head it means business yeah
Speaker 1:and I'm going to be putting down a lot of my thoughts into my notepad on there. I might have chat GPT on there just to kind of guide me and help me a little bit. But it does give me that space, it gives me that time to really really dump my thoughts into it and start to kind of analyze what my thinking is, how I'm approaching things, what can I do better. And I love using it for lists as well. You know, good old-fashioned, I can't use a pen and a paper because I destroy it the way my brain works. You know, you look down at a pad of paper next to my desk and it's got a million and one scrolls and all sorts. And it kind of makes sense a little bit to me. But it's madness. I can't go back to it later on.
Speaker 2:I'm running with surge meetings in 26, actually courtesy of Matthew Jarvis. I'm looking forward to that. I think that's going to create a lot more space.
Speaker 4:I guess that final point on the same topic is um, it is, it's through managing your energy, but it's making sure that you actually rest properly, absolutely. You know so. The job is intense. It's like it can be highly stressful. Lots of it's outside our control, you know so when you do a period of high intensity you need to look after yourself. You know, I think too often we wait until you know you've almost crashed before you prioritise yourself. Take a break.
Speaker 2:Speaking of time management, I just want to close on. It's no time for you to lose this game. Let's go. Flag in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, leave it in, please Am I going, or yeah, you go, mate. Flag in, sir. Flag in. Leave it in for this one.
Speaker 2:Well, we don't even need to play nine if you don't. You know, if you lose this one? Oh, I'm not sure. Is it that guys?
Speaker 3:I have hit it. Oh, that is awful, that is unforgivable.
Speaker 2:I think paul taylor's gonna put us away well, the putter has been absolutely awful today and it's obviously the putter's fault. It's not my fault he's not hit it.
Speaker 3:Go on then put it away. It. Go on then put it away. Made use of all of the hole, Paul, that's what it's there for. That's what it's there for. If we make this, we draw this hole and then play one more. If he misses, I've won.
Speaker 2:Come here give us a hug, maestro.
Speaker 3:That was a hell of a game. Well played, sir Well played.
Speaker 2:Thanks for all the good luck. Here are the ends.
Speaker 1:Another amazing game of golf here at Financial Plan of Life. On the course. Unfortunately, there has to be a loser. Thankfully there has to be a winner. So massive congratulations to the winners.
Speaker 2:Go on, jay, make that, throw Jay and Paul what a fantastic result, well done.
Speaker 1:There has to be a winner, so massive congratulations to the winners. So first off, mate, congratulations. Thank you very much into the history of the financial planner life golf tournament on the course champion. So well done, so glad. Vick, let me win. I love it and he does it so a legacy of golfing and the financial planner life, but what about your own personal legacy in financial planning?
Speaker 2:legacy and financial planning. Wow, I think. Um, I think your legacy is shaped by your daily actions between now and date of departure, and as financial planners, we're supposed to help people live a great life, and what they do with their money will shape their actions and how they spend their days and therefore their legacy. So I guess the way I view legacy as a financial advisor is the impact you have in helping other people, ie your clients shape theirs. So you know it's not about my legacy, it's the role that I do and the role that I play in helping people shape theirs.
Speaker 1:No, I love that and one of the biggest highest purpose sort of thought processes that I had around the financial plan of life was a by-product of bringing more people into the financial planning profession. Getting more involved is that they do have a positive impact then on families lives and future generations of those families and kind of ease that financial well-being that can create a huge amount of anxiety within families distress. So for me I understand that that's a fantastic legacy.
Speaker 8:I love it this bloody feet in me work. So, mike, you're sneaking in with a bit of brandon chicken tuesday.
Speaker 1:This bloody feat in me work. So, Mike, you're sneaking in with a bit of branding. Chicken Tuesday it's time to smash this off the tee. It was a driver not a tree, wood A bit of gardening there.
