“Good financial planning isn’t about the number. It’s about what the number is for”
I spent 12 years in banking, working my way up from the bottom, talking to customers, solving problems, building relationships and reached bank manager within nine years. It was a good experience, and it shaped who I am, but banking changed. As the industry moved online, the personal connection that had always driven me quietly disappeared. So I went looking elsewhere to see if it still existed, and joined Mattioli Woods in 2018. It’s the best decision I’ve made in my career.
What I’d loved about banking was the same thing I love about financial planning – finding out what makes people tick and helping them get there. I’m genuinely curious about people. I ask a lot of questions. I want to know what you actually want your money to do, not just the number you’ve set your sights on. Because often, the real target turns out to be closer than people think. I’ve had clients who thought they needed a million pounds in their pension and discovered they could retire comfortably two years earlier on considerably less.
That kind of conversation changes things. I had one client – widowed for 30 years, close to £750,000 invested – who’d never given herself permission to touch the money. Her dream? Getting her garden done. She didn’t think she could afford it. Part of my job was simply to tell her she could. She spent £25,000 transforming her garden, and where she used to come to our offices, I now go to her. The money was always there. What she needed was someone to help her see it.
Ethics matter to me, both professionally and personally. As a vegan, I care about responsible investment and I’m keen to develop that side of financial planning further. I won’t recommend something that doesn’t feel right, and I’d rather have an honest conversation than a comfortable one. I also mentor newer advisers at Mattioli Woods, because helping the next generation get it right carries the same satisfaction as helping a client. I also genuinely love connecting people – whether that’s introducing two contacts who should know each other or opening a door in my network that makes a real difference to someone. That side of the job doesn’t show up in a financial plan, but it matters just as much.
Away from work, I’m a lifelong Leicester City fan and assistant coach for my daughter’s under-12 girls’ football team – I take the offside calls very seriously! I’ve performed several stand-up comedy gigs, which turns out to be excellent training for client meetings. Confidence, reading a room, not being afraid of silence – it all applies. Living in Leicester with my wife, two daughters and our dog means I understand exactly what it means to work hard for your family and want the financial planning around you to be solid.
