Can you provide an overview of your experience and background in wealth management?
I began my career in the financial services industry 17 years ago, working with high-net-worth private clients and advisors alike. I advanced as an investment consultant, excelling in my role, largely due to my curiosity and passion for investments and people alike. This led me to focus on business development, enhancing top-tiered financial advisory practises by delivering sophisticated, robust, high-integrity solutions. Eventually, I made the career change to wealth management, joining Resolute Wealth in 2019 as a private wealth manager, fulfilling my purpose in enriching clients’ lives through giving meaning to their money. I also sit on the investment committee, contributing to the integrity of clients’ investments.
Qualifications include a B.Bus.Sci degree from UCT, a CFP® from the Financial Planning Institute and a CIPM® from the CFA Institute.
What inspired you to pursue a career in finance, specifically as a Wealth Manager?
Since the time I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated by the concept of wealth – not money, but wealth. To live a life free from the chains of limitations across the spectrum. To have the freedom to choose. As I got older, my curiosity deepened, my values became clearer and my desire to align these values with my career strengthened. Authenticity is at my core, and so the journey began of empowering others to live a life of meaning, where money is the enabler, not the goal. We can always make more money, but time is lost forever. Live it with purpose.
How do you stay updated with the latest trends and developments in the wealth management industry?
We get inundated with information on a daily basis, so there is no shortage! The trick is to filter this information and to take in those insights from people/sources we admire, trust and respect, and to be consistent in absorbing this information. Also, curiosity keeps me hungry for more, enhancing my content in working with clients and colleagues alike.
Are there any hobbies or interests outside of wealth management that you’re passionate about?
I love to be active, outside in nature. Connecting to the wild in a tame world. Experiencing new things. Being amidst beauty. Being with wildlife, getting involved in conservational efforts. Running and cycling have taken me all over the world, into the wild & across islands. Getting lost in a good book (mostly autobiographies) calms the mind and inspires me to live with purpose.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during your time as a Wealth Manager?
The quality of my relationships is my biggest asset; with clients and colleagues alike. Whilst investments are my passion and is at the core of what we do, we cannot control the market, just as we cannot always take the credit for superior returns. We can, however, effectively communicate expectations to clients, be proactive in challenging times and listen to our clients’ needs rather than trying to sell them something. It’s important that they feel heard, creating a safe space to establish trust. It’s a magnificent journey of growth, empowerment and helping clients to live a life of purpose, where money is an enabler and not the end goal. Similarly, my long-standing relationships with industry colleagues have not only enhanced what I can deliver to clients, but many of them are some of my favourite people, enriching my work. Nurture your relationships and they will nourish your journey.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting their career in wealth management, what would it be?
Start for the right reasons. Know your values and what you stand for. It’s hard. It’s not glamorous. It’s emotionally taxing. But it’s so rewarding, making a meaningful impact on clients’ lives. Find your purpose and figure out whether you’re willing to “embrace the suck”.
What do you enjoy most about being a part of our team/company?
Whilst Resolute Wealth is an established business, it’s still entrepreneurial in nature, providing a platform for advisors who are self-motivated to create their own magic. With the infrastructure in place, I can focus on my strengths and passions: investments and relationships, with clients and colleagues alike. In keeping true to what makes me tick, I’m focussed on what energises me, and clients benefit from it. Whilst we earn off what we bring to the business, we have no targets or products to push, and this allows for truly independent advice, where clients are a direct benefactor. Independence is golden in a world driven by greed. Lastly, armoured with ambition and flexibility, I get to balance my work with my personal passions, which in turn allows me to show up for clients authentically to grow and preserve their wealth, as this is what it’s all about.
If you didn’t have a career in wealth management, what would you pursue?
If I could choose another career, it would be one in conservation, playing my part in protecting our magnificent wildlife, whilst they in turn add beauty to my life, just by existing. I have had the most wonderful experiences with our wild creatures; they always manage to bring a deep calm to my nervous system, energising my entire being. Perhaps one day I can incorporate this in my work, through philanthropic efforts.
How do you approach work-life balance, and do you have any tips for maintaining it?
Authenticity is my highest value, and for me to show up as my best self in the world, I need to feed my soul. I’ve learnt to not feel guilty for indulging in my daily pleasures, so long as they nourish my mind. I need my daily dose of being active in nature, to feel alive, to move my body, allowing me to shake off stress and provide clarity to my thoughts. I love my “me-time”, being with close friends or reading a good book to bring calm, inspire, slow down. Travel, authentic experiences and challenges are all part of it. These little gifts allow me to work with passion and purpose, to be present with clients, to inspire them to be better too.
Can you share a proud moment or achievement you’ve had in your career as a wealth manager?
When you have won clients over, when they let you in and confide in you, sharing their fears, their hopes and their wins, that’s hard to beat. This is when we get to work together to achieve real wealth. Their trust and appreciation make this journey so rewarding. It humbles you.
What’s one thing you’re looking forward to accomplishing or experiencing in the near future, both professionally and personally?
I love this dynamic industry, and my partners in it. I learn something new every day, so I’m always growing, enriching my mind. As time passes, I’m reminded why I’m doing this; the reward of helping clients to live a life of meaning is priceless. Similarly, the growing respect from colleagues in the industry drives my growth. So, it’s not necessarily something I’m looking forward to accomplishing; I’m lucky enough to love what I do, which continues to draw me in. It’s more about feeling content, and being excited at what is still ahead of me, as this is only the beginning.
