Monday Morning Quarter-Buck
“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” ― John Lennon
Monday Morning Quarter-Buck is back! As some of you may recall, the sabbatical from this blog was used to co-author a book that will be released later this year (more to come).
Another change to the blog, based on your feedback, is that it will now be a semi-monthly blog (instead of weekly).
This release is a little sappy, I'll admit, but I am feeling so thankful and really want to share something from my heart although it's a little scary for me to do that, I know you are all so supportive, that I am following the advice from John Lennon, "hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life."
For those of you reading this that are long-time clients, you know the "adventure" of when I decided to leave "the firm" I was with and venture out on my own. It was scary for all of us, and I am forever grateful for all of you that stayed by my side and supported me in the journey. Now, two-and-a-half years later, I am so thankful I made that move. But one of the major concerns I had about going independent was lack of challenging brain power (just my brain) and a having a back up for clients should something ever happen to me.
I was so lucky to solve the first problem by finding a group called the XY Planning Network. Those of you that have been to my website may have noticed that I have them listed under my bio as a "member of" organization. The network has allowed me to form amazing relationships with other advisors that specialize in some of the most unique niches within the industry, so if I want a second opinion - I remove the names and present the facts to get a massive amount of brain power feedback.
Last week I had the opportunity to make those connections even stronger when I attended the most amazing conference that I've ever been to (and I've been to a number of them in my career) hosted by the XY Planning Network.
What this Network is doing to change the face of financial planning can only be explained as a movement to take back the real meaning of Financial Planning. Just a few of the conference sessions included such topics as:
- Diversifying your service model to make sure that a clients entire life is included in the planning process
- Diversifying the industry to represent the population (a topic I'm deeply passionate about since only approximately 16% of financial planners are women)
- Hiring the next generation of financial planners and paraplanners to allow for sustainability and a backup (addressing my other major concern mentioned)
- Defining an area or group of people that may want to work with me
As a side benefit of the conference, I was able to talk with other advisors that I could collaborate with on specific issues for clients.
One, in particular, included a pre-college planning process. So now when a client has a child that is in their Sophomore year, we can start that planning process with not just one brain, but two!
Another advisor that I spent some time with specialized in career consulting, so when a client feels stuck in their career, we can collaborate to help move a client forward, feeling more fulfilled.
I could go on and on, but my point is, by leaving "the firm"' in 2015, and joining a movement in early 2016, I'm no longer restricted to the traditional financial services "products"; instead, I have the privilege of helping a client find solutions that affect their happiness in life.
In addition to the great relationships I was able to strengthen, I discovered some amazing technology that will allow me to be more efficient in the area of student loan analysis and mind mapping your financial plan. I'm very excited to integrate those into the practice and your lives!
I am sharing all of this with you as a way of saying thank you. Thank you, to the clients who helped me start IWPS, all of you who have begun working with me after I joined this movement, and all of you who are following and supporting me in other ways on this journey. I am forever grateful!