For me, it’s all about the client. It’s about your goals, concerns, story, and expected outcomes. These aspects should be clearly defined for any service, especially money-related services. 

Finding someone you can confide in with your assets and the growth of your investments is not a job for just anyone. Thinking about whom you hire to join you on your financial journey might make your stomach turn and your imagination take over. Ideally, you want to entrust this job to someone who affords you the ability to lay back and order a piña colada on a beautiful beach. To make this dream a reality, not only do you want to work with a certified professional, but you want your financial goals and assets to be managed prudently by a fiduciary advisor. 

As a financial advisor, I have worked with individuals to support and guide them with their financial and investing decisions. Every client has led to a different experience, a different conversation, and a different story from which to learn. This is the story of a client who had a special request. 

My mission is simple: I want to deliver solutions and strategies that put each client in a better position than when we first met. Sometimes that means going the extra mile. 

A few weeks ago, a Zoe-referred client, Michelle, asked me to help her family. Their children are recent college graduates and will soon be transitioning into a new and very different stage in life. While they do not yet have the account balances to support an advisory relationship, I am committed to helping my clients with what’s important to them. With her unique financial situation in mind, I knew I could deliver on this challenge. 

I wanted to prepare for this meeting to make sure what I communicated was of high value to Michelle’s family members. What do they want to learn? What will be helpful for them? What information will enable the greatest amount of understanding? Most importantly, people don’t know what they don’t know. There is a whole financial world to which they have yet to be exposed. New goal unlocked: Familiarize them with this world of personal finances and remove all scary predispositions they might have. We would consider it a victory if they left the meeting feeling comfortable with the concepts and strategies presented. 

Consequently, I put together a presentation to introduce these young women to the tools they needed after graduating from college and entering a new world of possibilities and responsibilities. My goal was for them to enter the meeting eager to learn and exit the conversation with actionable strategies that would best position them for the future. 

After the call, I felt happy with the communication. However, this is a two-way street, with the most valuable insights coming from the clients. Was this, in fact, helpful for Michelle’s family? 

Let’s look at my client’s actual comments from the call: