Latest / Financial Planner Life Podcast / Life Protection, Careers and International Opportunities at Hoxton Capital with new hire Adrian Benjamin and Sam Oakes

Transcript

Life Protection, Careers and International Opportunities at Hoxton Capital with new hire Adrian Benjamin and Sam Oakes · Financial Planner Life Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And today's guest on the Financial Planner Live podcast is Adrian Benjamin.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: You might remember Adrian Benjamin from two years ago when he came on the podcast, but today he shares why he has joined Hoxton Capital Management.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: I'm so pleased he's joined the business as a protection consultant, so today we're going to find out why he joined and what he's been up to in the last two years in his successful career within protection.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy the episode, adrian.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me today on the Financial Planner Live podcast.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: How are you?
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: I'm good.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Thank you, Sam.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Thank you for inviting me back for a second time.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Welcome back.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I mean, you've been on the podcast.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: How long ago now?
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: I think over two years ago, over two years ago.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Fantastic.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: So yeah, welcome back to the Financial Plan of Life.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: You are a protection specialist.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: We've been friends, haven't we?
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Now for about two years, and you even featured on the Just Covered podcast with Legal General.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: But there's a special reason I've invited you back today onto the financial planet life podcast because you're joining me at hoxton.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Yes, so this podcast is to announce you joining hoxton as a protection consultant.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: So welcome to the team.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: Thank you very much.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: It's brilliant to have you on board.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: Very good recruitment consultant, sam.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Well, I do try, I do try, but let's talk about it.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: You know you've been working self-employed as a protection consultant for quite some time now.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: So first off, what, why?
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: Why join hoxton?
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Why hoxton?
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Um good, question.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: I think they're a very forward-thinking, modern firm.
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: Um, I think they're very ambitious.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: I think their use of social media bringing you on board is is massive.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: Um, their wealth app that they've got, you know, is amazing.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: They've got an internal it team and they want to just grow as big as possible, like they've.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: They've bought a number of firms in the uk and they probably will continue to do that.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: And also the international appeal as well, having offices in dubai, which is the main office, new jersey, new york and then australia I think they've got some others as well.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really appealing.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Um, not just to do protection, but also, you know, you've got mortgages, you can be an ifa as well.
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: So there's like different roles and paths that you can, you can pick.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: So that was the appeal to me, and then obviously, you bribing me as well, bribing I don't bribe anybody, so that's really really good news.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Well, look, I'm really really pleased to get you on board.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: I you know, two years ago, I learned just how incredibly passionate you are about protection and you really do feel that protection isn't a product or service that is talked about enough within financial planning, which is why you pretty much hung your hat on that specific area.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: And I know you've done a lot of work on social media.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Uh, you've done a lot of work um training, developing and sharing.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: Why, uh, protection, um health care, cover all those things that often get pushed to one side.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: It's so, so important.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: So, what's happened in the last couple of years?
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: What's changed since the last time we spoke?
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: um, so the last time we spoke, quite a lot has happened.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: Um, I was really focused on social media to just bring awareness of myself and then also the industry.
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: Um, so off the back of the first podcast with you, someone messaged me on linkedin about how to get into protection and I just said, look, try and partner with someone.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: And he was working at Foot Locker at the time and he just rang up a mortgage broker and said same thing that I said look, if you've got a gap in protection and I'll help you with it.
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: And that's how he got in.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: And now he's in financial advisor at SJP.
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: Oh, right right so that just shows the power of this podcast that you know people do watch and then they do take action.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: Um, so that was great.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: Um, like you mentioned before, working with legal in general um, that was massive.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: On on their own um financial podcast, which is, which is quite big.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: Um, I actually got to win the dr marioness barnard award, um from scottish widows.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Um, with my contribution to the industry using social media.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: So that was a big one because, you know, working in a bank, you know, with my background, they don't give out awards to anyone.
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: So that was that was huge.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: And then also the firm that I was working with as well only being there 12 to 18 months, I went top advisor of 200 only 200 protection only advisors.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: So that to me again was was massive, just showing that working really hard, putting myself out there, people are receptive to it and it's got me to where I am.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: So I'm very, very proud of that.
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: And then also from a personal perspective as well, even though I am very big on protection, dealing with it myself as well.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: So under a month after we shot the episode, I was going through my dad's WhatsApps.
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: The other day he actually messaged me because he was getting more into social media and I think I put on my WhatsApp status the link that we did.
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: So he watched it and he messaged me saying, oh, finally, now I know what you actually do, which is kind of weird.
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: So I don't really talk about what I do with family and things like that.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: So it was kind of cool.
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Um, so this, yeah, so, but unfortunately he passed away when we were going to drive up to manchester two years ago.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Um, so, living with like loss and, you know, still working things like that, it's it was a lot.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: Um, and I'm also a very big advocate of mental health.
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: So when I do talk about protection to my clients, I always say use these services that they have, depending on the provider, it is really, really helpful.
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: And when I was going through that situation, it was actually one of my clients that said she was like how's everything?
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: I'm fine, you know, just looking after the family.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: She's like you need to look after yourself.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, I know, but I've, but I've got to look after, you know, my family.
• 5:45
  Speaker 2: She's like no, like next time I speak to you, like I want you to speak to a bereavement counsellor.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: So I pushed it down the road and I don't need it.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: And then she shouted at me the last time she spoke to me.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: And then my other friend as well, who lost his dad, shouted at me me, just see what's about.
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: I've got my own life insurance policy, spoke to um the bereavement specialist there and it's been the best thing ever.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Um, so, anyone that loses anyone I massive, massively encourage you to speak to a professional who's trained in that.
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: Um, I've been speaking to bereavement counselor for now for like over two years now and it's helped me massively.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: And anyone I speak to who's lost anyone, I always say you don't have to do it straight away whenever you're ready.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: Um, and I've done a podcast with vitality as well, just on dealing with grief.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: And it is stressful being self-employed because I couldn't stop working, because all that momentum I built I can't stop, like I still have bills to pay and also that was kind of my way of dealing with it, so I just kept on working.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: So the day after we buried my dad, I was at the NED getting the Dr Marinus Barnard Award.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: So I was just consistently working, had record months and that was kind of my way of dealing with it.
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: However, it's not burying my head in the sand.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: It was what I felt was right.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: And then, january 2023 I just not to have a breakdown, but I just needed to stop like going through all that stuff, not stopping knowing I'm going to be dad dealing with all that was was a lot.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: So I just wanted to get away from everyone and everything and just I said let me just get to the end of the year.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: So I actually flew to dubai in january 2023 and it was great for me to deal with it.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: Um, relax.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: Um.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: The family said, you know, just relax, don't do work.
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: So I didn't do any work, work.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: But you know me, I'm a mom networker, isn't it?
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: yeah so I put on um facebook and linkedin hey guys, I'm gonna be be in Dubai for a couple days.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: Anyone to meet up for a coffee.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Loads of people actually did, um, and I've got a friend who I met on a rugby tour in Vegas in 2013, so there's 39 of us that went to Vegas.
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: I'm sure that's another episode we can talk about, but the power of networking and he'd been in Dubai for seven years and I said look, can we just have a chat?
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: And we did.
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: He talks about how Dubai has been great for him and his family.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Um, and seven years.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: And I said look, can we just have a chat?
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: And we did.
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: He talks about how Dubai has been great for him and his family.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Um, and he said and I said is there anyone in financial services that you think I should speak to?
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: He referred me to someone.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: He gave me loads of advice and then he recommended Hoxton.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Um, and he's actually um.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: He had been recruited by Ollie Gorman, who was the king of recruitment in dubai yeah so, again, it's a small world.
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: So for me, you know, meeting my friend over 10 years ago on a rugby tour you know, having fun going out has actually introduced me to hoxton.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: So that's the actual way I kind of got in, um, and me being me hammering people on linkedin, I'm sure hoxton must be thinking who the hell is this guy messaging everyone?
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: Um, it was actually to work with hoxton to do wills and trusts, because that's a part of my business.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: I want to improve on and collaborate with someone.
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: Um, and then got to be into ollie and then and jacob as well.
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: So from the first episode we did two years ago about messaging people on linkedin and creating a role, hoxton weren't really advertising for us, you know, self-employed protectionally advisor, it's just happened organically, um, and that's why I'm a big fan of linkedin and networking, speaking to people, and that's that's how we got there.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: So if I hadn't been out for drinks in vegas, none of this stuff, none of this stuff would happen.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: So that's, that's the actual truth of how me getting toxin was through vegas that's mad.
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so what happens in vegas doesn't always have to stay in.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: Correct and it could actually end up in Dubai.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, having conversations with people and enjoying the business, that's really, really good.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: I'll tell you what.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: There's a little bit more serendipity in this one, and Chris Ball, ceo of Hoxton, was on my podcast.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: You've been on my podcast and Jonathan Jay's been on my podcast.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: Isn't that funny?
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: It's a lot of good people.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: They're a lot of good people.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: They're a lot of good people.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: So I wonder who else who's been on my podcast is going to potentially join me on my journey and join me there at Hoxton?
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: And there are a number of people in the pipeline that there might well be, and guess what.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: They have been on the podcast and it goes back to this whole marketing, doesn't?
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: It whole personal brand thing.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: When you do build a really strong personal brand and you build a really strong network on linkedin, it does come back to you.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: So what you put into it might not feel it's happening, it's not working, but one year, two year, three years down the line it can massively impact your life in such a positive way because it's done that to me and it's done it to you.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Just want to go back on what you talked about the last two years.
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: I'm really sorry to hear about your dad.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: That's horrible and part of life isn't.
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: It is people die and there's a big part of why you're passionate about protection and what it does for families and security.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: It actually brings in life right?
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: You do my own life protection and when I said you always buy in a house, you didn't.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: You do my own life, life, life protection and you, when I said you, I was buying a house, you were like get life protection in place.
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: And even at the time I was like, you know, I was stretching myself on the mortgage and you don't think about the actual protection side of it.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: Is so important.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: But we just had a conversation about it, didn't we?
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: I'm moving over to dubai.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: I need to make sure that I'm covered income replacement, critical illness is it all in place?
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Because I want to know that if anything happens to me, my family are looked after.
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: So protection, being the fundamental framework for financial planning, we look at protection first.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: You look at pensions have you got enough to retire on?
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: When do you want to retire?
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: And anything that's left over is investments is hugely important to hoxton, which is why they brought you in to be able to start developing that in the uk.
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: Because you're starting in the uk, aren't you?
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: You're not, yeah, you're starting in the uk.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: The very fact that they've got an international cross-border presence is positive for you because it gives you future opportunity if you want to move to dubai, which possibly could be in your yeah, you never know, never know, right, yeah, we see how we say how we get on.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: I might convince you.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Eh, mind you, it's hot over there at the moment.
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: Um, that could be an option for you, right?
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: You never know, but it's nice being part of an international firm that gives you those, that gives you those options.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: You talked about mental health within that as well, which is obviously I'm a massive mental health advocate.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: You know, big, big fan of, um, any kind of talk therapy.
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: You've experienced that bereavement, counseling and it's had a hugely positive effect on on yourself.
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: And thanks for sharing that, because there'll be people listening who'll go.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna do that now.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: But people listening, maybe you don't realize that it could actually be part of their policies.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, correct, so talk to us a little bit about that then.
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: So, how come it is part of the policy?
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: Then I thought it was just life cover.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: Good question.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: It's just a value add.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: So I feel a lot of insurance providers do want to show like you're not just paying your money every month and you're not getting any benefit while you're alive.
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: There's that.
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: There's health reviews, nutritional advice.
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: It depends on the provider you're with.
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: But if anyone is thinking, do I have it or not, just check and if you're not sure, speak to your broker and they'll should be able to to point in the right direction.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: But, like I said, pretty much all providers do offer some find some sort of form of, like mental health bereavement support um, not all of them, but just just double check, but they are.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: They are getting much better at it fantastic, yeah, yeah, well worth noting and also kind of another usp.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Isn't it really for advisors to be able to offer um protection to their clients?
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Not only are we looking after you and your family if an illness or a death happened, but what we often do is overlook mental health, isn't it?
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: And I remember when I spoke to you about saying that my policy, that I was concerned.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: Like you know, I have had some mental health problems in the past.
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Is that going to affect my um?
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: Uh, should I have to admit it is.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: There is there.
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: You know what happens if I make a claim and when my premium go up.
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: Are they a bit more flexible these days around?
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: yeah, definitely, which I'm proud of they are.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Every case is different but they are getting much better at it and I've had, you know it's common.
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: I've been doing this job for four years now.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: It's the amount of times I speak to people who have, you know, stress, anxiety, depression, or I take time off, work or take medication, like it's very common and I'm happy that the providers aren't looking at it as a negative thing.
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: I've also had a friend who tried to attempt suicide, um, and he came to me for protection, um, help, and I said I can try.
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: You know it might be a no, but let's try and two providers said, said yeah, well, it was rated and it was expensive, but they said yes, they didn't.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: They didn't say no.
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: So then that's another massive thing as well if someone's you know attempt to take their own life, you can still get cover.
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, um.
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: So yeah, that's the bit about the industry.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: Again, it's not a sexy, glamorous topic, but it's important because it's stressful.
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: Um, and, like I said before, with me, I couldn't stop because I didn't want to really sit and think about what happened.
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: I'm like just go on as normal and I can't stop because you know the bills are coming out and I don't want to lose momentum.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: But I had a breaking point in january.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: I have to get out of it.
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: And I picked the buy because it was kind of close and everyone been talking about.
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: I was like I might as well just go, I'm just gonna go by myself.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: Um, so it's weird how something negative changed everything.
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: Um, and the amount of people that met with me for a coffee or drink was huge.
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: Some people I didn't even know.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: And I actually got a job offer out there as well from another ifa firm I won't mention, but it's still great that that could happen.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: You know I can just message someone and we spoke in their office for a good hour, hour and a half, um, and this was the the coi with the firm.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: So really senior guy and I was just telling everything that happened.
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: He said if you ever want to come, just let us know.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: We've got a seat for you, which is great.
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: You know, that's beautiful.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: Did you find Dubai had an energy about it of people wanting to help each other and wanting to get ahead?
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I found that.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, dubai is great, especially the expat community.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: We all want to help each other.
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: It's scary moving abroad.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: I lived in new york when I was 22 doing investment banking.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: It is scary.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: It's a new culture, it is very fast paced, it is very expensive.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: It can be lonely and scary, but everyone helps each other.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: You know, that's what I really loved about dubai there's always a brunch going on or a or a boat party.
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: You know, everyone pretty much speaks English, it's safe, it's great.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: I think it's a really good place to build your network.
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: It might not be for everyone and, again, the stigma that Dubai had, I kind of was like I don't want to spend loads of money and you know it's kind of superficial, but it doesn't have to be like that.
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: It's like, anyway, we're in Knightsbridge at the minute.
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, everyone can shop at knightsbridge.
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: You know, there's nothing wrong with primark yeah there's always something for everyone and I think dubai has that.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Um, I think it really wants to develop itself into, you know, a global powerhouse, which is which is doing and it's just getting better and better, and seeing development of that country over the past 10, 20 years is massive, and what they say they're going to do, they, they actually do it and you know people are flocking there and they're thousands to, to go and live there yeah, I think you've got to be careful with dubai if you are drawn into the dubai lifestyle and you can't afford the dubai lifestyle.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: You know there's so many stories of people going to buy and leaving to buy in more debt than they were, than they went there.
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: So I think if you live by your means, you'll be okay.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: I mean, it is expensive, you know rent is expensive.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: That's one thing that's caught me is that you know I'm probably looking at anywhere between three and a half to four thousand pound a month in rent.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, school is about fifteen thousand pounds a year.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Yes, you're not paying tax, but there are increases in, um, some of the costs that you are paying for.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: So it's just worth, I think, taking those types of things into consideration.
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: Property is shot up, whether that's renting or whether that's buying, so it can be quite, quite tricky.
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: So I think, like when I looked at it, like realistically, I think, to have a nice lifestyle for a family of three was like a hundred thousand sterling was my kind of thinking.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: So I based it off of the minimum of that and then made them pay me 10 times that.
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: But no, I based it on the minimum of that and I thought that was quite realistic and I did a bit of research around it as well.
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: So I think it's important that you are kind of realistic and also, if anyone's listening to this and thinking I'll just go over to Dubai and wing it, don't go over to Dubai and wing it.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: There's loads of people that do that and I would secure a job before you go, because there's plenty of people that go out there thinking they can get a job.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: It's actually a really competitive job market out there unless you've got a skill set that's needed and required.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: So that's a bit of my advice on that side of it.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: But in respect to the city, it's actually kind of cool because it's got beaches.
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: I'm not a big drinker at all, so I don't go out and party and all of that.
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: So not a big boo I'm not.
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: Don't drink at all, so I don't go out and party and all of that.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: So from an expense perspective, I guess, in kind of like, my expenses will be things like um, I'm really looking forward to going to like amman, you know, and going on some different holidays that are a bit closer by.
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, the indian ocean got india three and a half hours away.
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: You know, as a family, we want to spend time traveling.
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: That's some of the things that we want to do.
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: Could I ever see myself going back to the uk?
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: I don't think I'd ever want to go back to the uk.
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: I've got my flat, my house here that I'm renting out, but I like the idea of maybe buying and building a house in southeast asia or something like that.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: Um, so it's kind of it's an adventure and I'm excited by it.
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: I'm not trying to sell the dream to you so you come over as well.
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: You do what you gotta do in the uk.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: But that's the beauty of hoxton, yes, isn't it?
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: Options, options on an international scale.
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: So you were a big, you're a big ambition.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: So you're a top advisor out of this 200 in the firm that you were in right, that's, that's amazing.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: Winning awards left, right and center.
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: Social media, and I remember you were like I'm gonna get myself on social media, I'm gonna push forward with this.
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: How did that go?
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: Did you find that the social media energy and effort you put in, did it pay off?
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: 100% yeah.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah 100%.
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: It takes a while.
• 19:42
  Speaker 2: It's not a case of you post once.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: You're going to get a client.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: You've got to be consistent.
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and people are watching.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: Like you said, people might watch you for a year and two years just to see if you're a real person.
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: They're scared that you're just going to run away because so many people do that.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: They're here one minute and they're gone the next and it's helped, and I just think it's a part of business.
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: It's marketing, and the people that don't do it and the firms that don't do it, they're going to get left behind.
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: Now look what you've done from your past podcast four years ago of how it was and the quality, and look what you've got now.
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: You never would have thought that four years ago you'd be doing this and now you're in a position where you get to do what you love and interview people and travel the world because of it.
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: That's the power of social media.
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: Social media is whatever you want to get out of it, the platform that you've got.
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: The reason why everyone loves it is because it's real and people have learned something, or they've managed to speak to someone, they've networked, or they've managed to get a job in something that a lot of people don't even know exists.
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I know there's a lot of commentary on, especially linkedin about our industry and, yeah, there are negative parts of it, but there's loads of positives as well.
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: Um, especially getting younger people into it they just don't know it exists.
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: So when I was in uni, I just wanted to do banking and I did investment banking, corporate banking, retail banking, consulting.
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: I'm I've done it, but I don't want to do it anymore.
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: I had the opportunity.
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: But if someone came to me at 22, what I know now, like hey, maybe you should be an IFA?
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: It's completely different, because when you say what is an IFA?
• 21:07
  Speaker 2: What would you say?
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: An IFA, the stereotypical IFA, what do they look like?
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: What's their age?
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: What me, yeah.
• 21:14
  Speaker 2: If someone says they're an IFA, what do you immediately think?
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: Oh, white guy, middle age glasses suit, yeah Right, which is that's pretty much it.
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that is fine.
• 21:23
  Speaker 2: And I'm the polar opposite and loads of people you've had on this podcast are the polar.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Get into it.
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's amazing.
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: And I love this industry because I work from home.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: I get to spend more time with my family, I can work around them.
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: I can't do that in the bank, you know.
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: I've got beer at certain time in the morning, I'm leaving certain time of night and I've got to go drinking.
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I have to.
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: You know, that's part of the job description where this is different.
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: I can I get to work around my family and I think a lot of people would like that.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: What I love about this industry is you get paid to be you.
• 22:00
  Speaker 2: That's amazing.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: You know other roles.
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: You might have to put yourself in a box or tone yourself down.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: I've had that where someone said, tone it down or this and that, and I'm like, well, I don't want to be there if I have to change who I am that, and I'm like, well, I don't want to be there if I have to change who I am, yeah, and that's what I love about this industry.
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, nice, even allowing you to be that authentic individual that you actually are.
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Training and development is also a passion of yours.
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: Do you want to be able to pass on your knowledge of protection, how to position protection, how to work with clients around protection Is that something you look to champion when you're at Hoxton?
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, if I've got time for it, it's definitely something I want to do, particularly around the protection side, because some people don't necessarily understand it or don't want to have the conversation.
• 22:40
  Speaker 2: So if that's something that I've got capacity for, I'll definitely work with you Financial Plan Life on that, because once people know that they can do protection, it's an easy way to get in.
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: It helps with a lot of other things as well.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: Um, investments is is the glamorous, sexy thing, but it can take a long time where you know you can do a policy and it's live in a week.
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: So if you're going to build a business, protection is great for cash flow.
• 23:02
  Speaker 2: Again, mortgages take some time.
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: So to do a mortgage you can't do mortgage in a day.
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: Protection you can do that.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: So that's that's why I think it's not really utilized enough well, hoxton, havexton have actually got something called the Pathway, so it's an academy and it takes anybody from no experience all the way to becoming a financial planner, whether they want to be a financial planner in the UK or they want to be a financial planner in Dubai.
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: Right, it's not a self-employed academy, it's an employed one.
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: So we can take people no experience experience all the way through um without the pressures of self-employment.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: But, as we've always said and you and I agree on this right, a great way to make money quite quickly or a great, great way to get in front of clients and a great way to start experiencing uh, needs-based um solutions, um product sale is protection.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: So it's wonderful to have yourself there with the expertise and knowing that you're in the business and the level of success you've had around protection and your passion for it and your passion to share it, for me is like it's a no-brainer.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: I'm glad you're in hoxton because if I ever want to talk to somebody about protection, you're the man I would talk to, and if I ever wanted to push some information or content out around protection, then now I've got you in the business.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: If I want to create some content around protection, we've got you in the business and you're um, dare I say it now a bit more media trained.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: You know what I mean, so you know there's lots of things that we can create.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: So for, me from a creative perspective.
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: It's really exciting having you in the business.
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: Obviously, I think you're a fantastic guy, um, and I think you're gonna do incredibly well here here at hoxton, mainly because you've got the right attitude.
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: You know you've got the need to achieve attitude.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: Things don't come easy right.
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: That's why you chose self-employment.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: You don't want the easy route, um.
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: You just want an environment that's going to be able to support you correct, correct?
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: You want to get us booked up to be able to support you.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: You touched on things like the app Fantastic 25 odd app developers I've met Unbelievable and they're building that app out more and more and more and more.
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: Content creation, social media, marketing all the things that you value we're investing in.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: They've obviously brought me on board.
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: We're creating Expat Life, which is going to be your podcast and youtube all about being an expat in all the different countries that we're in.
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: So we're really looking forward to building that educational content.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: I won't won't talk about who I'm talking to at the moment, but he's a top educational content creator for financial services like financial coaching.
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: So fingers crossed we can get that individual involved and incorporate that into the app and the youtube channel again, to be able to kind of raise awareness of the power and the benefit of good financial planning on our well-being.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: Chris has huge aspirations as a leader of that business.
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: Working with him has been really, really good for me, like having somebody I can turn to talk to and be coached by the level of expertise that that individual has is huge for me.
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: Do you know how it's huge for me?
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: They're a young company, you know, six years in the making, and chris is 37 years old, running a company with nearly 2 billion under management.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's incredible.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: The team around are young, enthusiastic.
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: They're not building up for an exit right this second.
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: You know they're growing a business and seeing where is this going to go.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: So that growth mindset and a very complex business multi-jurisdiction to me is just like, yeah, this is going somewhere.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: I'm well up for this.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: I'm glad you're on the journey and, um, really really looking forward to working with you.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: Okay, thank you, you too.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: Cheers, adrian, thanks.