From JP Morgan to £150M AUM: - Building a Referral-Only Financial Advice Practice

Karen Berisford, Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the PFS, left a prestigious investment role at JP Morgan to build a client-first advice practice with St. James’s Place. She prioritised trust, time control, and service over scale-at-all-costs.

In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Karen shares how she grew to £150M AUM without relying on social media or paid marketing. Instead, she focused on referrals and long-term, values-led growth.

You’ll learn:

• How to transition from investments to advice
• The fear and reward of becoming client-facing
• Turning one ex-colleague’s “yes” into a thriving network
• Why trust, consistency, and integrity beat any sales pitch
• The realities of flexible working when you run your own practice
• How the Women Returners Network helped her hire two standout advisers
• The compounding effect of delegation, leadership, and support
• The key benefits of the SJP partnership model
• Why building optionality starts long before a sale

If you’re serious about building a meaningful career in financial planning, this is your blueprint.

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and share the one insight you’ll put into action this week.

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