

Financial Planner Life Podcast
Sam Oakes
Welcome to The Financial Planner Life Podcast. We cover an intimate and honest account of what it’s really like to work in the financial planning profession. Our guests share their stories of success, failures, and learnings, as well as what to expect from a career in the financial planning profession! We host guests at various stages in their careers, as well as multiple roles, to ensure that our audience has a variety each week. Financial planners, business owners, paraplanners, and back-office staff all have their own stories to share, and The Financial Planner Life podcast serves as a platform for them to discuss their personal and professional journeys. The podcast covers a multitude of topics, from mindset and motivation, health and wellbeing, all the way to diversity and inclusion. We approach each episode with the idea that it will educate and spark a conversation within the industry on topics that may not be openly discussed. If you're considering a career as a financial adviser or are curious about learning more about this exciting sector, we encourage you to give the podcast a listen. The Host: Sam Oakes is the host of The Financial Planner Life Podcast. since 2008 Sam has been supporting leading national and global financial planning firms in finding the best talent, he was the director of Recruit UK, a 7 figure turnover financial planning recruitment company that he successfully exited in 2024, Sam now works as the Head of Creative for Hoxton wealth, building out podcasts, YouTube and social content for this fast growing fee based international financial planning firm. Sam has always had a passion for financial services, starting as a trainer for a leading product provider in the UK, and he has been in the industry for over 20 years. He sees himself as a partner to the industry and wants to contribute useful resources, such as this podcast, to educate those who are further seeking advice and help about how to push their careers forward in this amazing profession. Be sure to check out Financial Planner Life Academy - start your career today! https://financialplannerlife.com/academy/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 22, 2022 • 45min
Investing towards a more sustainable world - Tom Jaffrey
This week Charlie is joined by Tom Jaffrey from Blackfinch Group, investment specialists working towards a more sustainable world. Founded on evolutionary principles, Blackfinch work to provide the strongest possible solutions for their customers offering products and services for investors in almost any situation. Today Tom talks about how Blackfinch help their clients to see the positive impact that their investments are having on the world, why it makes financial sense in the long-term to do our part, why we shouldn’t completely exclude polluting industries such as oil & gas, plus he shares with us his own struggles and barriers in this sector. We cover: Tom’s career journey and his alternative qualification/experience route into the profession Why the business name ‘Blackfinch’? Is there a generational split between people who want to invest in sustainable projects? How financial advisers are reacting to their clients wanting to support green initiatives Advice for people who want to learn more about sustainable investing Dealing with overwhelmed and mental health issues Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation. Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Sep 15, 2022 • 1h 40min
Financial wellbeing planner and avid gamer – Kris Mason
This week Sam is joined by Kris Mason, financial adviser for Bentley Brown & Co Ltd. Kris actually prefers to refer to himself and as financial wellbeing planner so we dig a little deeper into this today talking about why Kris thinks that financial planning and our overall wellbeing are so intertwined. Kris also shares with us his career journey into the financial planning profession, how he heard about the role and why he wished that he’d heard about it sooner. He had previously assumed that it would be too expensive for him to gain his qualifications so he was pleased to be proved wrong here! We also have a deep discussion about men’s mental health. Kris very honestly shares a point in his career where he was really struggling with his mental health and tells us what he did to overcome it. Thankfully he’s now on the other side. We also touch upon Kris’s passion for gaming and perhaps how he could position himself as a financial planner for the huge gaming community. This is a great lesson that if we share our interests with the world then we’ll attract our ideal clients and become a key person of influence within a specific niche. We cover: Kris’s career journey Realistic salaries as a financial planner and how Kris negotiated his own salary Kris’s struggles with mental health Regular questions from clients Understanding tax Embracing your own personality in your brand Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Sep 8, 2022 • 43min
Clark's Financial Sparks – Bryce Clark
This week Elena is joined by Bryce Clark, client services administrator at Wellington Wealth. Today we talk about the importance of the administrator role to a business and your personal development. In Bryce’s opinion this is a great way into the profession if you want to become a financial planner. We also talk about Bryce’s Instagram account ‘Clark’s Financial Sparks’ and how it’s giving much needed financial guidance to young people who otherwise wouldn’t be receiving it from wealth managements firms. It’s this young age when bad spending habits need to be addressed before they get out of control. We also go into the psychological side of our relationship with money and Bryce admits where he was previously going wrong. We also cover why we should be encouraging young people into the profession and how this will benefit the diverse clientele in need of financial advice. You can follow Bryce on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/clarksfinancialsparks?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= We cover: Starting from scratch and getting into the financial planning profession The importance of an administration role The perception of working in financial services vs reality Clark's Financial Sparks Instagram account The psychological side of our relationship with money Encouraging more people into the financial profession Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Sep 2, 2022 • 1h 25min
The M&G Wealth Financial Adviser Academy - Tom Hegarty
The first episode in our brand new 'Financial Planner Life Acadamies' series, where we bring the best entry-level and academy opportunities to you, so if you are considering a move into the profession check out the financial planner life academies website, here you will find a detailed breakdown of the academy, including videos, blogs and a deep dive into the values, culture, process, earning potentials, testimonials to help you make an informed choice when starting your financial planning career journey. click here to find out more This week Sam is joined by Tom Hegarty, Partnership Director and M&G Wealth. Tom is joining us today to discuss the M&G Wealth Financial Adviser Academy who are working in partnership with Recruit UK and The Financial Planner Life Podcast. This is a fantastic interview packed full of useful information for anyone who would like to become a financial adviser. Tom explains why there is a need for a financial adviser academy, how M&G can support you during and after the process, who ideal candidates are plus he’s very honest about realistic earnings in the first three years of your new career. If you’ve ever thought about being a financial adviser then this is the episode that you need to listen to above any other! For more information on the M&G Wealth Financial Adviser Academy, or to apply please click hereWe cover: Who are M&G Wealth? Why there is a need for a financial planning academy The key components to being a successful financial planner Support during and after the academy What a new financial planner can expect to earn What exactly is competent adviser status? Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation. Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Sep 1, 2022 • 1h 10min
From Law Student to Chartered Financial Planner - Danielle Lecomber
This week Sam is joined by Chartered Financial Planner Danielle Lecomber who is self-employed under Hall and Costello Wealth Management Ltd. Danielle didn’t start out as a financial planner, her career began as a Paraplanner so we dig deep into that role, what she took from it and why she decided to move into financial planning. She is a keen advocate to promote this profession to more women and in fact was nominated for an award at the Women’s Financial Advice Awards in 2021. Danielle didn’t set out to become a financial planner, she actually went to university to study law but made the transition into financial services when she worked out that Law wasn’t the right career path for her. Danielle’s story is proof that it’s possible to make a career pivot and she has never looked back! Today she shares with us how much she enjoys building meaningful relationships with her clients whilst helping them achieve their financial goals. Danielle has a social media account called Thought Provoking Finance which you can check that out here: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleLecomberDipPFS We cover: Danielle’s profession journey and career pivot The pressure for young people to pick a career path Advice for young people wanting a career change Personal development & mentorship The biggest learning experience as a financial planner The benefit of being Chartered Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Aug 25, 2022 • 57min
Sustainable Pensions - Charlotte O’Leary
This week Charlie is joined by Charlotte O’Leary, CEO at Pensions For Purpose (B Corp pending). We chat about Charlotte’s career journey which has taken her through several different sectors, and we focus on where the financial planning profession needs to catch up in terms of sustainability. Charlotte also shares some interesting insights into our relationship with money and explains how we’re all hardwired to seek short-term rewards. This doesn’t bode well for pensions so Charlotte emphasises the importance of pensions, planning for your retirement and how the lack of financial education in school is doing us all a disservice. A fantastic chat full of gold nuggets of information! We cover: Charlotte’s career journey Who are Pensions For Purpose? Sustainability in business, life and pensions Financial education in school Advice for anyone wanting to get into sustainable financial planning Diversity and inclusion Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Aug 18, 2022 • 1h 1min
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs to become a Financial Planner - Sara Davies
This week Sam is joined by Sara Davies, a financial planner working on a self-employed basis for DWJ Wealth Management. At the forefront of DWJ is a female and it’s very rare to have women in leadership roles within the financial planning profession so we talk about the benefits of this role model for Sara and the huge demand for more female financial planners. This is a second career for Sara so we dig deep into why she chose to leave a steady career for financial planning and how she has found the journey so far. Sara is also very open and honest about a bad experience in school which led her to believe that a career like this would be an impossible dream. A fantastic episode for anyone wanting to change careers as well as any women who may be concerned about entering into a male dominated industry. We cover: Sara’s career journey Overcoming setbacks to achieve your dream job The demand for more female financial advisers Tackling limiting beliefs, impostor syndrome and having an abundance mindset Who can afford a financial planner? Financial education in schools Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Aug 11, 2022 • 51min
Your Sustainable Investment Comfort Zone - Rebecca Kowalski
This week Charlie is joined by Rebecca Kowalski, sustainable finance specialist and director of Overstory Finance. Today Rebecca shares her financial planning career, from Paraplanner to business owner. She explains how she helps forward thinking financial planning firms to fully enter their sustainable investment comfort zone. Maybe they simply lack in-house resource and expertise in the sustainable investment space or perhaps they are worried about recommending inappropriate investment solutions to their clients. Rebecca tells why this area of financial planning is her main focus, the barriers that she’s faced when talking about sustainability, the real life impacts the climate crisis is having and she gives some great advice for those looking to get into sustainable finance. We cover: Rebecca’s career journey What service does Overstory Finance provide? What is sustainable investing? How the conversation around financial planning has changed Advice for someone wanting to get into the sustainable side of the financial profession Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Aug 4, 2022 • 1h 22min
A jargon busting approach to financial planning – Keith Boyes
This week Sam is joined by Keith Boyes, Managing Director at Spentwell. Keith has an extensive career in the financial profession, starting from Paraplanning and working his way up to a financial planner and now he’s running his own business. At one point his career took him over to Hong Kong working on expat financial advice and it was during this time in Hong Kong that he really learnt a lot about himself and what kind of financial planner he wanted to be. Keith shares some really interesting insights on what working and living in the far East looked like. Now back home and running his own business, Keith talks about some of the ups and downs of being the boss and how he manages to balance work and family life. Today we also talk about Keith’s jargon busting approach to financial education and how he uses blogs and vlogs to get his message out there. A conversation jam-packed full of value, enjoy! We cover: Keith’s career journey Staying organised Mental health & work/life balance Living and working in Hong Kong Keith’s jargon busting approach to Financial Planning Having non-negotiables in your life Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.

Jul 27, 2022 • 1h 14min
Build trust and you’re good, no matter your age – Nick Adamthwaite
This week Sam is joined by Nick Adamthwaite, Director of Masterplan Lending Advisers. This is an interesting conversation because Nick is under 30 years old and running his own business. With his youth comes ideas on how to do things differently within the profession and today he tells us what that means for his staff and clients. Nick thinks that age doesn’t matter as long as you can build trust, great advice for any young financial planners out there. We also discuss Nick’s career progression and how in the beginning, he was thinking about giving up the profession during a very painful time in his life. Nick is very open and honest about this difficult time and shares with us how he bounced back and quickly learnt what it takes to be a great financial advisor, thanks in part, to support from some great mentors along the way. We cover: Nick’s career progression and why he almost quit the profession for good. Advice for young financial planners Overcoming hardships How to beat impostor syndrome The importance of customer exposure as soon as possible Be sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! Below are some excellent links from our sponsor Recruit UK for any aspiring or experienced financial planners looking for new job opportunities or looking to get ahead in their career. Financial Planner Life Academies - Where we bring together the leading financial planning academies and entry-level opportunities to kick start your financial planning career. Learn more here. Experienced and searching for a new role within the financial planning profession? Click here for a free career consultation.Check out the 2022 Financial planning Salary Guide here. If you would like to discuss partnering with The Financial Planner Life for jobs, advertising, marketing or academies please reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com or call 07854778712. Begin your financial planning career journey todayWhether you are looking to become a paraplanner, administrator, mortgage and protection adviser or financial planner, the Financial Planner Life Academy is for you. With limited entry-level job roles, giving yourself the best financial planning career education, will not only kick start your financial planning journey with relevant qualifications and skills, but it’ll also help you achieve success much faster.&nbsBe sure to follow financial planner life on YouTube for extra content about a career within Financial Planning HIT THAT SUBSCRIBE BUTTON! If you're looking to start your career in Financial Planning, check out the Financial Planner Life Academy hereReach out to Sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or career development.