I finished reading the excellent Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaccson at the weekend. One thing that was evident throughout the book was Jobs’s dedication and he was passionate about creating great products. It is what drove him and what he loved doing, even when he was really sick. When he was ousted in 1985, the focus of the company changed from making great products to making profits and the company suffered for it.
The reason I am mentioning Steve Jobs and Apple is today is my first day with my new company, Bluewater Financial Planning. I cannot wait. I am doing something that I am passionate about and I believe that you give clients the service and attention that they need.
I have worked in the financial services industry since 1998 and up until 2010, it was just a job. If I found something else in another industry, I would have happily changed careers. In 2010, I was introduced to financial planning and it suddenly all made sense. My job was about listening to people, really finding out about them, what is important to them and what their fears are. As a financial planner, I put everything together, analysis their situation and ensure they have enough money to do what they want to do. If they don’t have enough, I come up with solutions to make things happen.
By working as a planner, I have really got to know my clients and what makes them tick. Nothing in the previous 12 years in the industry has given me as much satisfaction as seeing someone do what they love doing but were afraid they couldn’t afford to. Until that is, we worked together and found a way for it.
Helping people achieve what is important to them is what I love doing . So today is the first day of what I hope will be a long and successful career. In the future, I will be blogging weekly on issues in the financial planning and personal finance world. Feel free to leave comments and let me know if there is anything you want me to cover.