Ep 385: Unblocking Clients That Won’t Implement With A Journey Of Financial Health with Danielle Howard
May 14, 2024
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Danielle Howard, owner of Wealth By Design, discusses her unique approach to assisting clients with implementing financial plans by uncovering their money memories. She shares insights on structuring planning engagements, transitioning to a planning-centric business, and adapting client headcount to different life stages. The conversation also explores the contributions of women in the financial planning industry, evolving definitions of success, and personalized career paths for fulfillment.
Creating Financial Fingerprints to Footprints Process
Danielle Howard has developed a process called Financial Fingerprints to Footprints, where she helps clients unlock early money memories to understand how past financial lessons shape their current financial behaviors. This process involves a five-meeting sequence in the first year to explore clients' financial situations and underlying money beliefs. Danielle utilizes tools like Money Quotient and George Kinder's life planning questions to delve into clients' money memories and identities. By introducing these discussions after presenting initial financial recommendations, Danielle helps clients achieve breakthroughs while ensuring their engagement in exploring these sensitive topics.
Transition from Insurance-Focused Practice to Planning-Centric Business
Danielle Howard's transition from insurance-focused practice to planning-centric business was influenced by working through George Kinder's life planning questions with her husband, leading to a major career change. She emphasizes adapting client headcount to meet lifestyle goals at various business stages. Her approach aligns with her personality as a 'cook' who embraces flexibility and improvisation, contrasting with a 'baker' who follows a fixed path. This adaptive style allows Danielle to navigate her financial planning business dynamically and cater personally to client needs.
Empowering Deep Listening and Authenticity in Financial Planning
Danielle Howard highlights the value of women in the financial planning industry, emphasizing their ability to deeply listen to clients and bring authenticity to client interactions. She emphasizes how success in financial planning has shifted for her from client and asset acquisition to aiding clients in their success. Danielle believes advisors have the opportunity to chart unique career paths aligned with personal needs while helping clients achieve theirs. This approach reflects her commitment to fostering genuine relationships and guiding clients authentically toward financial well-being.
Understanding and Unveiling Client Goals
In this podcast episode, the financial advisor delves into the crucial process of uncovering and refining client goals before diving into financial planning. Initially focusing on eliciting quantitative data, the advisor emphasizes the importance of understanding the deeper motivations behind stated goals. By engaging clients in thoughtful conversations and probing questions, the advisor navigates beyond surface-level aspirations, encouraging individuals to explore the underlying values and emotions that drive their financial aspirations. This process serves to align financial plans with clients' true desires and aspirations, fostering a more meaningful and personalized approach to financial planning.
Defining Success and Evolving Perspectives
Throughout the podcast, the financial advisor reflects on the evolving definition of success in the financial advisory industry. Initially driven by monetary metrics and product sales, the advisor's concept of success evolves to prioritize client well-being, empowerment, and long-term financial security. Success is redefined as the ability to positively impact clients' lives, provide a sense of financial stability and peace of mind, and offer guidance that transcends traditional financial planning. By embracing personal growth, continuous learning, and mentorship of future advisors, the advisor embodies success as a multifaceted journey of growth, impact, and inspiration in the financial advisory realm.
Danielle Howard is the owner of Wealth By Design, a hybrid advisory firm based out of Colorado that oversees about $35 million in assets under advisement for 35 client households. Danielle's unique "Financial Fingerprints To Footprints" process assists clients who have difficulty implementing financial plans by uncovering and addressing their money memories. This approach helps them understand how past financial lessons shape their current financial identities and may hinder future goal achievement.
Listen in as Danielle shares how she structures her financial planning engagements, using a 5-meeting sequence focused on understanding the client’s financial situation and the psychological factors influencing their money management. She discusses her transition to a planning-centric business, influenced by personal experiences with life planning questions, and explains how she adapts her client headcount to suit different life stages. We also explore the unique contributions women can make in the financial planning industry, Danielle’s evolving definition of success, and the personalized career paths available in the industry that allow for personal fulfillment while aiding clients in achieving their financial goals.