Hector

Fix Inconsistent Performance and Build a Team You Can Rely On to Grow.

For growing recruitment companies with 10+ recruiters who want consistent billings from a reliable, high-performing team.

Hector gives your recruiters the skills to succeed in today’s market with 120+ actionable courses taught by today’s top billers—backed by hands-on implementation support.

Founder

Vertical Drop

Strategic Advisor

The Recruitment Mentors Podcast 

The most practical podcast in recruitment, listened to by 80,000+ ambitious recruiters a month around the world 🌍

Podcast Host 

Azzouz Branding

Hoxo Media

Sales Consultant

Pavilion Recruitment Solutions

Insurance Recruitment Consultant

One Answer Insurance

Sales Executive

Hastings Direct

Sales Adviser

I’m on a mission to help recruiters build the skills they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing market.

To do that, I focus on two things:

🎙️ Hosting the most practical podcast in recruitment: The Recruitment Mentors Podcast - Listened to by 80,000+ ambitious recruiters a month

📈 Building the world’s best training platform for the recruitment industry — Hector.

Safe to say, we’ve still got work to do 💪🏻

I’m at max connections — hit follow to stay connected and follow along the journey 👊🏻

Hishem Azzouz

The non-billing manager era is fading.

For years, being "off the tools" was something people celebrated.

A badge of honour.

A signal that you were progressing quickly in your recruitment career.

But there's a trend I've seen consistently this year across some of the most successful recruitment companies I've met:

They have fewer and fewer managers without a personal billing or contribution target.

Not more.

And honestly… I'm not surprised.

Here's why:

1️⃣ The knowledge gap has never been bigger.

What it takes to succeed in today's market is so different to what worked even 2–3 years ago.

If you're not close to the market, close to customer expectations, and close to today's market nuances, your ability to coach effectively drops fast.

2️⃣ "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work anymore.

Most recruiters don't respond to that style of leadership.

They want leaders who can model the behaviours they're being asked to adopt.

People who still feel the rhythm of the market, not just talk about it.

3️⃣ The best companies are shifting the model.

Nearly every high-performing business I've spent time with this year has a management layer full of people who are still contributing.

Not necessarily full desks.

But still revenue-generating.

Still proving they can lead from the front.

The non-billing manager will always exist, and some are incredible.

But I'm seeing fewer of them every year.

4️⃣ The new career pathway looks different.

I don't see more and more recruiters stepping away from the tools early.

I see the opposite.

Those who want to lead are realising:

To lead well in this market… you need to stay closer to the market.

This isn't a criticism.

It's just the direction things are heading.

The best recruitment companies today?

They're building teams where leaders still contribute, still obsessed with understanding their market, and still operate in the same reality as the people they manage.

#Recruitment

Helping Recruitment Leaders Build Consistent, High-Performing Teams | Founder @ Hector | Host of The Recruitment Mentors Podcast (80K+ Monthly Listeners)

If I was a recruiter making one big bet for next year, it would be this.

The more people I meet in person in my industry… the more successful my year will be.

Clients.
Candidates.
People of influence.
Anyone who matters in your ecosystem.

Every time I look at the data, the stories, the behind-the-scenes conversations on the pod… 

It all points in the same direction.

If you get to the end of next year and correlate the people you met with the business you did, the graph will only go one way.

Up and to the right.

In-person interaction is about to become a competitive advantage again.

Because while most recruiters hide behind emails, video calls and AI…

The ones who put themselves in the room will win the relationships and the revenue everyone else misses.

#Recruitment

There will be fewer and fewer stories like this over the next five years in our industry.

Which is why sitting down with Benjamin Richardson & Mike Bott, Co-CEOs of LHi Group, was a real privilege this morning.

How often do you get to unpack a recruitment story that includes:

🏆 Circa £45M+ in gross profit across 300 people, 9 offices and 5 recruitment brands over the last two years.

🏆 A landmark financial event in 2022, in which the business was valued at ~£80M and 80% of the company became employee-owned through an EOT.

🏆 A leadership transition with Jim Denning after five years as CEO, handing over the reins to a brand-new Co-CEO structure.

We did our very best to dig into exactly what they believe has enabled the business to reach this point.

And the first thing we unpacked the foundation of their entire journey was their People Strategy.

They’ve made a huge, consistent investment in entry-level talent for years.

And the impact?

80%+ of all leadership roles have been homegrown.

The majority of the board started their careers inside the business.

Along with this, we really got stuck into what they believe has helped them retain their best people, so you will learn all about Jim Denning's 'Younger You & Future You' Concept - I thought this was absolutely brilliant!

We then dug into how diversification has been one of their biggest unlocks:

Multiple brands.

Multiple geographies.

Multiple ways of working with customers.

This approach has been fundamental to their resilience and long-term success.

There was so much gold in this conversation.

If you’re a recruitment leader in the trenches, building and growing your business, we did everything we could to make this episode as useful, insightful, and practical as possible.

Can’t wait to drop this one 🔥

#Recruitment

To the 1,300 of you who listened to the podcast so much this year that it was your #1 show…

I appreciate the hell out of you.

There are so many unbelievable podcasts you could give your attention to.

So to have 1,300 people choose The Recruitment Mentors Podcast as their number one, week in, week out…

Thank you ❤️

I hope you’ve felt the show improve this year, with better guests, better questions, better conversations.

And I’ll do everything I can in 2026 to keep pushing the standard.

For the 5,500 of you where we were a Top 10 show, and the 3,900 of you who had us in your Top 5…

Let’s see how many of you we can move to the Top 1 next year 🫶🏻

#Recruitment #Podcast

Sat down in the studio with Jack Cole today. 

The first time since 2019 when I rocked up to his old office with a backpack, two tripods and my phone to record a podcast along with Thomas Hurley  

Whole different chapter now.

And it hasn’t been easy.

This was another really honest founder conversation.

Impact of stress, ego, scaling too fast, getting things wrong, getting things right, and rebuilding with intention.

Zero sugar-coating.

Just the real journey not the Linkedin highlight reel. 

If you’re a founder (or want to be one) and you’ve ever thought:

“Is it supposed to be this hard?”

…this episode is going to hit home.

Can’t wait to share it with you all 🔥🙏🏻

#Recruitment

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If you’re planning to hire entry-level talent into your recruitment business next year…

Do it with one rule in place.

It will massively increase your chances of success and give you far more future leaders in years to come.

The rule:

Never hire entry-level talent into a cold market.

Only place them into markets where you already have traction, job flow, and proof of success.

Don’t expect a brand-new recruiter to build a market from scratch.

Set them up to win.

This came straight from my chat this week with Mike Bott from LHi Group.

They’ve hired their fair share of entry-level consultants over the last 5+ years, tested everything, and this is now their non-negotiable.

It’s massively increased their success rate and it might be worth adding to your entry-level hiring strategy next year.

#Recruitment

Over the last five years, I haven’t partnered with many companies on my podcast.

I REALLY care about who we align with and the impact we deliver for them.

Not just taking whatever ££ comes our way.

Which is why one of the biggest buzzes I get in this business is hearing the results we’ve been able to generate for the partners who trust us.

And this year has been insane.

Here’s how we’ve got on YTD:

🚀 SourceWhale 

575% ROI from their podcast marketing spend this year.

Year 3 incoming…

🚀 Raise Year 1 Partnership

 A qualified lead every single week.
 50% close rate.
 400%+ ROI in year one.

Bonkers results.

This is the stuff that gets me fired up.

So I’m buzzing to say that our 2026 Podcast Partners will be.

🔥 SourceWhale (Year 3 together!)

🔥 Raise (Year 2 incoming!)

Let’s goooooo!!!!

P.S. We do have one more partner to announce for 2026… More on that soon 😉

#Recruitment #Podcast

What will recruitment look like in 2026?

I don’t usually like making predictions.

But after dozens of interviews, hundreds of conversations, and a ridiculous amount of data from this year and being asked this question a few times recently.

These are two trends I can’t ignore heading into 2026 

#1 - Trust will be the new battleground.

Trust has always mattered in recruitment.

But in 2026?

It becomes everything.

We’re heading into a world where trust is being eroded from every angle:

Was that video real or AI-generated?

Was that email written by a recruiter or ChatGPT?

Is this DM from a person or a bot?

Is that “market insight” actually true?

And that’s just the surface.

From a client or candidate’s perspective:

“Can I trust this recruiter with my career?”

“Can I trust them with our brand?”

“Can I trust they’re even who they say they are?”

“Is this candidate / person real that I am interviewing?”

As tech gets louder, and automation accelerates, human trust becomes the differentiator.

Everyone wants to be the “go-to recruiter” in their niche.

But here’s the truth:

You’ll never be the most in-demand recruiter, until you’re the most trusted one first.

Recruitment businesses need a deliberate trust-building strategy now, not in two years’ time.

#2 - The market is splitting: more small agencies, fewer big ones

I don’t think recruitment is slowing down.

I think it’s splintering even further.

And the biggest shift?

More lean, high-margin agencies and fewer traditional “scale to 100 people” plays.

Nearly every market report shows ~80% of UK recruitment agencies have under 10 employees.

I genuinely wouldn’t be shocked if that pushes closer to 90% in the next 2+ years.

Founders have real options now to grow profit in their business.

AI, Automation, Outsourcing.

Not the traditional add 2-3 £250K billers to my business this year which will mean X to the bottom line.

Plus… a lot of founders simply don’t want the stress of 30–100 people anymore.

And let’s be honest:

The economics of UK-only recruitment have got harder.

Lower average fees.

Higher operating costs.

Harder margins.

Which is why so many UK recruitment companies I’ve spoken with this year do 90%+ of their revenue in the US. (There’s a reason for that…)

So if you are trying to scale:

You need to be absolutely dead-set on it.

Clear on the path.

Clear on the sacrifices.

Clear on the long-term plan.

Because the alternative small team, high leverage, tech + outsourcing heavy is becoming more attractive than ever for founders.

Those are my two takes for 2026.

I might be completely off 🤣

But it’s what the conversations, insights, and patterns are pointing toward right now from my point of view.

If you had a take for 2026 and the recruitment industry what do you think it would be?

#Recruitment

Everyone’s been talking about the US market this year.

But what about leading recruiters in Europe?

Different rules. Different challenges. Different playbook.

Especially if you're in the Renewables or Energy industry.

This week, I sat down with Matthew Sykes from JD Ross Energy, and we broke down what it really takes to succeed in the EU markets.

Because leading recruitment teams across Europe?

It demands nuance, cultural intelligence, and serious skill.

In this episode, we get into:

🇪🇺 The biggest cultural mistakes UK recruiters make in Europe.

⚡️ Why renewables is both a goldmine and a trap.

📉 The red herrings, false signals & fragile markets to watch out for.

 🧠 How to lead, coach & stay relevant, even when you're no longer billing

We also geeked out on market strategy because in this space, it's everything.

And Matt opened up about his unique coaching philosophy that’s helped keep him close to the front line for nearly a decade.

🎬 Trailer below. Full episode out now.

As always, a huge thanks to our podcast partners who continue to support our mission with the pod - SourceWhale | Raise 🔥

#Recruitment #Podcast

Last time I talked about Metaview's new AI Sourcing Agent, a bunch of recruiters messaged me saying the same thing.

“I found candidates I never would’ve spotted on LinkedIn.”

That's what this tool is all about.

Because if you think about it, most recruiters still rely on the same LinkedIn filters and Boolean searches everyone else is using.

And that’s the problem.

Filters don’t just filter results.

They filter out excellent talent.

They can’t understand intent.

They can’t pick up on what your version of great really looks like.

That’s exactly the problem Metaview set out to solve.

Their AI Sourcing Agent doesn’t need you to write another Boolean string, it learns directly from you.

From your calls, your notes, your decisions.

It understands how you think about talent, then proactively surfaces candidates that fit your intent, not just your keywords.

After sitting down with Siadhal Magos, Metaview’s CEO, it’s clear that this isn’t just another sourcing tool; it’s the start of truly autonomous recruiting.

And right now, they’re running their best offer yet.

🔥 Sign up in November, and Metaview will double your seat count for six months.

If sourcing still eats hours of your week, it’s time to see what a genuine AI recruiter teammate can do.

You can get this offer & try it out here: https://lnkd.in/ebzn98nM

Because the future of sourcing isn’t about writing better Boolean.

It’s about removing the filters altogether.

#Recruitment

Need Video or Podcast production?

I started Financial Planner Life to help close the advice gap in the financial planning profession.

What began with a £500-a-month marketing budget turned into one of the most-watched and listened-to podcasts in the profession.

Today:

• 50,000+ followers
• 10 million+ impressions a yr
• 400+ podcast episodes produced
• Thousands of social clips produced
• 50+ hours of content watched every day

Still blows my mind that every second of the day, someone, somewhere is watching or listening to me.

Along the way, I’ve created content for brands like Legal & General, St. James’s Place, Foster Denovo, Hoxton Wealth, the Personal Finance Society, and others. We help them attract top talent and new clients, build trust, and grow brand visibility through story-driven content.

We also work with CEOs and founders to build personal brands that position them as experts and open the door to new opportunities.

That’s what we do at Financial Planner Life Productions.

We create podcast and video content that builds real trust. It’s called social proof.

We work with financial services companies and financial planners who are serious about:

• Attracting and keeping great people
• Building a brand that stands out
• Creating trust with current and future clients

Because most buying decisions happen before the first conversation:

• 72% of clients want to feel confident in your expertise before they get in touch
• 80% check your website, social media or personal brand before contacting you
• Most people engage with 3 to 5 pieces of content before they make a move
• And 53% of clients say poor communication is the number one reason they leave a financial adviser

If your face, voice or client stories aren’t part of that journey, you’re missing a key moment.

What we produce:

• Branded podcasts
• YouTube video series
• Client stories and testimonials
• Career journey videos
• CEO and founder branding content
• Company and product explainers
• Educational content
• Docu-stories
• Social clips, trailers and short-form edits across all platforms

Whether you want to build a brand that recruits while you sleep or create a content system that earns trust 24/7, this is how you attract the right people and the right clients in 2025.

And if you’re wondering whether this works outside the financial planning profession  the answer is yes.

Any advice-led business grows faster when its people show up as its best marketing asset.

Want to see what a social proof strategy could look like for you?

Send me a message and let’s have a conversation.

Sam Oakes

I’ve never seen so many Blue Tits in all my life!

I’ve started sea swimming in Clevedon Marine Lake, mainly for the dopamine hit. 

I’m lasting around 10 minutes at the moment - chilly! 🥶 

Every time I go down, there’s a big community of women of all ages known as the Blue Tits (brilliant name). In fact, my mum is part of the club in Dorset.

There are a few men dotted about, but we aren’t really connecting.

So, putting it out there chaps… if you’re local to me and fancy a dip in Clevedon Marine Lake, I head down around 7am. Drop me a DM.

Maybe we can start our own community swim and call ourselves… the Blue Balls? 🔵🔵

Have an awesome day!

Brand Builder in Financial Planning 🚀 Financial Planner Life Podcast Host 🎙️ Apple Top 10 📈 60,000 Followers ⭐️ 130k+ Listeners a Year 🎧 Video & Podcast Production For Financial Services 🎬 Talent Attractor 🧲

Great to see the Financial Planner Life in the Apple top 10 careers chart ( again )  this morning. 

What started out as mission to attract new blood to the financial planning profession has become arguably the largest open financial planning careers community in the Uk 🇬🇧 

✅ 60,000 followers across all platforms
✅ 10,000 listens and views a month
✅ 100 hours a day of listens and views
✅ Millions of impressions on socials 
✅ Tens of thousands of engagements
✅ We’re in the top 5% of podcasts globally, for listens and views in the first 7 days of an episode release.

Not bad for such a small niche!!!

We’ve gone on to produce in-house podcasts and video content for multiple  financial services companies from the UK to Dubai 🇦🇪🎥 

We have exciting plans in 2026, with 1 major sponsor already lined up ( need 1 more ) a cracking client in Titan Wealth  and even talk of going stateside 🇺🇸👀

But as I relax in the bath this morning, I can’t help but think I’m only just getting started, and the best is yet to come. 😌

If you’d like to appear on the Financial Planner Life Podcast or know someone who should, give me a shout! 🎙️we have a limited number of slots
For 2026, and it’s a hell of package!!! 

Have an awesome weekend and get outside 🌳

Hannah reached out to me to chat about how to become a financial planner after watching the Financial Planner Life  podcast. 🎙️

We hit it off straight away and it did not take long to realise she had some incredible skills that could make a huge impact in my business. 💪

Fast forward. Hannah is now my operations manager and she is doing an amazing job.

But here is the best part.

I am fully supporting her to become a financial planner because that is her long-term career goal.

Financial Planner Life has covered the cost for her R01 and we will continue supporting her through the rest of the qualifications. 

And our brand new sponsor Redmill Advance - Adviser CPD & Exam Support  (more on this soon), has stepped up to provide her with complimentary training and exam support. Absolute legends.

Both of us are seriously excited about her journey. 

We are already planning how we can continue working together once she is fully qualified to build the best IFA practice we can!

Hannah Wooldridge  is is also keen to start her career with a media presence, so to build the confidence and skillset she will be sharing her journey in 2026 on the podcast too, so make sure you give her a follow! 🎥 


And if you have any advice, hints or tips or want to offer further support to Hannah drop a
Comment below.  👇 

With the FPL community behind her, she’s destined for success!

Shout out to the wifey Keri-ann, she’s the one that looks after ongoing brand design and came up with the branding for Financial Planner Life 💪💚

She’s a natural creative, and is also studying to be a trauma release practitioner. ❤️‍🩹🙏🏻

She’s soon to be reaching out to some targeted financial planners and business owners about the benefits of coming on the podcast in 2026.

Sun is shining in the mendips today ☀️ hope you all have an awesome Sunday funday. 😎

Only 18% of financial advisers in the UK are women.

That stat has barely budged in years, but Tammy Salmon and Emma Layton BSc (Hons) DipPFS are doing something about it.

In our latest LinkedIn article, we spotlight how they:
✅ Pivoted careers through the St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy
✅ Built a flexible, female-led advice firm with family at its core
✅ Use hyper-local marketing (yep, Facebook groups!) to win new clients
✅ Are showing up as visible role models to inspire the next generation of female planners

This isn’t about box-ticking or token gestures.
It’s about rewriting the rulebook and showing women that a meaningful career in financial planning is not only possible - it’s thriving.

🔗 Read the article now and share it with someone considering their next move.

View newsletter: The Financial Planner Life

In the UK today, just 18% of regulated financial advisers are women. Let that sink in for a moment. At a time when the financial needs, goals, and dec

Open article: Why Women are the Future of Financial Planning by Sam Oakes • 7 min read

Why Women are the Future of Financial Planning

🚫 No cold outreach. Just consistent referrals.

On this week’s episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, I sat down with Rosie Hooper FPFS, Chartered Fellow at Quilter Cheviot, and one of the most emotionally intelligent financial planners I’ve ever met.

Rosie made the shift from corporate financial planning to private client advice.
She brought her technical expertise with her, but it was her human-first approach that helped her build a referral-only business.

No cold calls. No networking events. No heavy marketing.
Just meaningful relationships that lead to consistent, high-quality referrals.

“If you focus on truly looking after your clients, you don’t need to go hunting for business. It finds you.”

We also talked about the health and wealth seesaw she uses to help clients step back and see the bigger picture.

It’s not just about building wealth. It’s about knowing when to stop chasing and start living.

Here’s what else we covered:
✅ How to turn one great client into five
✅ Why confidence matters more than any exam
✅ The power of “menchoring” (mentoring meets coaching)
✅ Building future planners from within
✅ And why the best advice has nothing to do with money

If you're building a career in financial planning or mentoring someone who is, this episode is 45 minutes of gold.

Find the full episode now on:
🎥 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e7_e8GGX
🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e-HzkHrp
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eNFYJpsy

Only 18% of financial advisers in the UK are women.
That stat hasn’t moved much in years.

But what’s really holding women back from joining - and staying - in financial planning?

In this week’s episode, I speak to Tammy Salmon and Emma Layton BSc (Hons) DipPFS from Salmon Financial Planning, based in Bishop’s Stortford.

👉 Tammy shares how she left a rigid corporate model behind to build a family-first advice firm that champions women.
👉 Emma opens up about redundancy, retraining via the St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy, and becoming a qualified planner through mentorship and support.

We dig into:
🔹 The motherhood drop-off in advice careers
🔹 Why visibility of women in leadership is key
🔹 How local, community-led marketing beats big budgets
🔹 Creating a culture where women can truly thrive

This one’s honest, inspiring, and packed with insight for anyone hiring, mentoring, or entering the profession.

Find the full episode now on:
🎥 YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eXq7n_nV
🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eBUxVjZc
🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/evRqVeqb

Another week another top 10 placement for the Financial Planner Life 🔥📈


thanks for sharing your story Rosie Hooper FPFS

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

Financial Planners: are you thinking too big to win local?

James Westpfel DipFA didn’t need a podcast, personal brand, or 50k LinkedIn followers to build a thriving client base.

He needed a library café, a table, and a sign that said “Free Financial Advice.”

After 22 years in high street banking, redundancy pushed James to requalify at 42 and step into financial planning.

He chose self-employment.
Built trust one coffee at a time.
Turned a community hub into a client pipeline.
40+ clients.
Zero ad spend.

📍 Hyperlocal lead gen that actually works.

In the latest Financial Planner Life newsletter, we hear from James about:

✅ Starting a second career at 42
✅ Building a financial planning business from scratch
✅ Why being part of your community beats online hype
✅ The decision to return to employment with Foster Denovo
✅ How a strong support team helps you do your best work

A stable career can feel like a fortress until the doors close. James Westpfel DipFA spent 22 years working his way up in a building society. From cas

Open article: How One Financial Planner Turned a Community Library into a Client Pipeline by Sam Oakes • 3 min read

How One Financial Planner Turned a Community Library into a Client Pipeline

With 2026 coming in faster than 3I ATLAS, it was time to catch up with the boys.

The diary for Q1 is already looking packed for Financial Planner Life  X LRB , and we’re fired up.

This week’s focus:

How do we keep adding premium video and podcast value to the financial planning and wider FS sector - while building serious social proof that supports our clients not just in 2026 but also for years to come?

We covered:

👉Maximising what YouTube can do for FS brands

👉Squeezing more value out of every podcast episode

👇
Bringing in YouTube strategists to create client-focused content

And here’s the stat that should make every Financial planning business sit up:

👉 The fastest-growing demographic on YouTube is age 50+ the same demographic most financial planners have in their client books.

They’re not just watching on phones… they’re watching on TV. 📺 

So production quality matters. Sharp messaging matters. Consistency matters. 🎬

2026 is the year video grows up in financial planning.

Drop me a DM to discuss YOUR video and podcast strategies.

💰 Could You Have a Lost Pension?

There are millions of forgotten pensions in the UK worth on average  £9,500 each. You might have one.

Here’s the simple way to check 👇

1. List your old jobs
Write down everywhere you’ve worked.

2. Search your paperwork
Look for old pension letters, emails or statements. Check if you ever “contracted out” of the State Pension.

3. Update your details
If you find any pensions, make sure they’ve got your current address and email.

4. Missing one? Trace it
No paperwork from a past job? Use the Government’s Pension Tracing Service or contact the old employer.

5. Contact the provider
Ask if they have a pension for you, how much is in it, and get an up-to-date statement.

Still confused head to National Pension Tracing Day!!  ( hints and tips link in the comments )  


🎉 Find one? That’s your money. Claim it!

From a small town in India to $500K bonuses as a trader in London. 

Kanishk Swarup was winning in trading, until he realised most traders (including him) didn’t have a financial plan.

He grew up in Jamnagar, Gujarat, where money talk was normal at the dinner table.
That early curiosity led to a scholarship at LSE, and then onto the trading floors of Credit Suisse and JP Morgan.
He thrived. But behind the success?

✅ Burnout
✅ Family pressure
✅ A growing feeling that he was meant for something else

While others spent their bonuses, Kanishk managed his.
And when colleagues started asking for advice, he started helping.
That’s when the lightbulb went off 💡

Today, he runs Compound Wealth Planning with £70M AUM after building from scratch through the St. James's Place Financial Adviser Academy.
His story proves:

There is life after trading.
And financial planning might be the best-kept secret in finance.

👇 Read the full story in our latest newsletter.

He used to earn $500,000 bonuses managing multi-million dollar positions at Credit Suisse and JP Morgan. Today, he manages £70 million of client asset

Open article: 🎙 From Trading Floor to Financial Planning: Why Kanishk Swarup Chose a Different Kind of Wealth by Sam Oakes • 5 min read

🎙 From Trading Floor to Financial Planning: Why Kanishk Swarup Chose a Different Kind of Wealth

Awesome episode going live tonight! 🎙️🎥

I 💚 this career story.

Hear how Tammy and Emma lean into hyper-local and online marketing to generate leads! 😎

We dive deep into both the challenges and rewards for women who pivot into the financial planning profession from other careers. 🙋‍♀️

These ladies are reinventing what it looks like to be a happy, successful mother AND financial planner.

We just need to rip up the old rule book and embrace new ways of working - because unless we do, we’ll never move past only 18% of financial planners being female. 

Follow Financial Planner Life on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.

Are financial planners underestimating the power of going hyper-local?

We hear a lot about digital marketing, personal brands, national reach.

But what if the biggest opportunity is right on your doorstep?

This week on the Financial Planner Life podcast, I spoke with James Westpfel DipFA, a financial planner at Foster Denovo, who built 40+ client relationships from one place:

His local community library.
No lead gen funnels.
No big paid strategy.
Just trust, presence, and being the person people already knew.

James spent 22 years as a building society branch manager.
He was the guy people turned to when they had a money question.

And when the local branches shut down, he stepped back in.
Not behind a desk this time, but at a table in a community-run library that doubles as a café, social hub and safe space.

People now call him “The Library Guy.”
And it works.

✅ 40+ new clients from one weekly pop-up
✅ Community trust built the old-fashioned way
✅ Word-of-mouth marketing that actually converts
This is hyper-local in action.

It’s not about shrinking your goals.
It’s about building deep roots where you live, work and show up.

In the episode, James also shares:

✅ His transition from redundancy to retraining at 42
✅ The challenge of going self-employed and why he eventually moved into an employed role with Foster Denovo. 
✅ How Foster Denovo helped him keep his community presence while scaling up
✅ Why financial planning should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy
✅ How he’s building an advice career that’s full of purpose, not pressure

If you're in advice and thinking, How do I grow? this one’s worth a listen.
It’s a real story of reinvention, relevance and relationships.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple or YouTube

There is a quiet moment in every creative career where you realise
“I can genuinely help people… and they are willing to trust me with their brand and money.”

It is terrifying at first.

You build a skill. You practice. You second guess yourself. You put yourself out there anyway.

And then one day a paying client leaves a review that stops you in your tracks.

That is the moment it clicks.

Not because of the praise, but because the thing you have worked so hard on has actually changed someone else’s world for the better.

That feeling never gets old.

It is fuel.

It is proof that the scary leap was worth it.

If you are building something right now, a service, a business, a craft, keep going.

Take the risk.

Say yes before you feel ready.

Someone out there is waiting to write that review about you too.

Thank you Mark Hobbs, Daniel Hobbs and the New Leaf Distribution team, genuinely the best IFA network in the UK. 🇬🇧 from Financial Planner Life  x LRB  

🙏🏻

In this week’s Financial Planner Life newsletter, we go inside the mindset of a referral-only financial planner.

Rosie Hooper doesn’t cold call.
She doesn’t spend her evenings pitching at networking events.
She focuses entirely on delivering an exceptional client experience, and the referrals follow.

This edition explores how Rosie:
✅ Built a referral-led career from the inside of a national firm
✅ Uses the health and wealth seesaw to reframe financial advice
✅ Supports future planners through coaching and “menchoring”
✅ Embraces AI to give clients more of what matters, time!
✅ Advocates for access to advice for those who need it most

Her story is a powerful reminder that trust, service, and emotional intelligence still sit at the heart of this profession.

This week on the Financial Planner Life Podcast with Rosie Hooper FPFS, Quilter Cheviot. When was the last time you picked up a new client and thought

Open article: Inside the Mindset of a Referral-Only Financial Planner by Sam Oakes • 5 min read

Inside the Mindset of a Referral-Only Financial Planner

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taplio

The Battle

Hishem Azzouz

Sam Oakes

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Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Hishem Azzouz's LinkedIn Performance

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