“If, five years from now, a client is sleeping better at night from financial peace of mind, I’ve done my job.”
For nine years, I managed activity holiday resorts in the Mediterranean. People arrived tired, often stressed from long journeys and my role was simple; help them relax and work out what they actually wanted from their break. Some wanted to drop the kids at childcare and disappear on an 80km bike ride while others just wanted nothing more than a book and a quiet sunbed by the pool. The specifics didn’t matter. What mattered was listening carefully and making sure their version of a good holiday became reality.
That’s exactly how I work today. I’m still helping people figure out what they want from their lives and their finances, then either finding a way they can achieve them or, if their goals aren’t realistic, amending them based on their priorities. The only difference is that instead of a one-week relationship, this one lasts twenty or thirty years.
Recently, I caught up with a client I first met last year. At that first meeting they were anxious about money and in a job they weren’t enjoying. They told me, “I want to work less, but I’m worried I can’t afford to.” We stripped everything back and had a detailed look at their expenditure and income then rebuilt their financial plan. We adjusted their investments and modelled different futures. The results surprised them: they could move to three days a week immediately and still retire comfortably at their desired age of 67.
When I saw them again last month, the change was obvious. They were happier and calmer. Watching someone move from constant financial worry to genuine peace of mind – that’s why I do this.
I’ve never believed in making things more complicated than they need to be. In some situations, an adviser may create multiple structures when you could achieve the same result far more simply. I don’t want my clients nodding along, trusting me blindly. I want them to actually understand what we’re doing and why. When I explain investments, how they’re structured and how they’re managed, I start with something familiar they can relate to – sometimes as simple as the supermarket they shop at – and build from there. The moment a client says “actually, now I understand” – that’s when you know you’ve done it right.
I’ve always been comfortable operating in changing conditions. Managing a watersports centre taught me that nothing stays still. The wind shifts, weather turns, equipment fails. You learn to adapt quickly or you struggle and financial planning is no different. Markets move, lives evolve, priorities change – and good plans flex calmly with them.
My move into financial planning happened almost by accident. My now wife had already returned to the UK and I wanted to join her. One regular guest at my resort kept telling me I’d be great at what he did. Eventually I asked him what that was and he said: “Jamie, I do what you do. We just talk about different things.” He was right. The relationships are the same, the conversations about goals are the same just with a financial twist (and a few more exams behind me!). The difference is the long-term impact.
What drives me is simple: helping people live well over time. This work doesn’t end at a milestone, it’s about staying alongside clients as their lives change, ensuring their wealth supports what matters most to them: peace of mind, freedom and security.
