When we meet someone in real life, we ask questions to get to know them better. We listen to their anecdotes, ideas, opinions, and beliefs.
We try to unearth their story, and to tell our own. The end goal is to connect.
In business the rules don’t really change. We want to make real connections with our clients to help them at every stage of their journey. So here is the first piece of our ‘Getting to Know Us’ articles.
It’s hoped that by getting to know us a little more you’ll develop trust in us that we can help you plan your financial future. So, if you’d like to learn more please get in touch.
Getting to Know Amanda Cowie…Chartered Financial Planner and RL Wealth Director:
- Describe a typical working day: After an early morning fitness regime I get into the office around 8.30am. Firstly, I answer any client queries that have come in from the previous evening. As it’s January (tax return filing deadline month) a lot of these queries are on tax returns, so I spend time liaising with our Tax Department too. I then pop a call in to a potential new client following his recent website enquiry and chat through his circumstances, identifying where he needs some advice and arrange a face to face follow up meeting. I then prepare for a client meeting, which involves updating our cashflow planning software to check where the client is in relation to their plan, check how their investments are performing and look at potential changes to their risk preference and portfolio. After that meeting I then call a longstanding client regarding her mother’s estate, (we look after the whole family), to arrange to go out and help with the information needed for probate and discuss what the family want to do with distribution of her mother’s investments. Finally go back to our Head of Communications with response to a potential article in a local glossy magazine and write a blog on top tips for financial planning in 2020.
All in a day’s work! A very varied role!
- What did you want to be growing up? When I was very young, I used to read all of the time, so I wanted to be an author – I probably hankered after being Jo March in Little Women! Then a primary school teacher. The lure of a salary enticed me away from going to University so I ended up in banking – I could see a career path where I could do exams and be paid at the same time. I stayed for 24 years, 10 of those years in Corporate Banking, which were great.
- What has been your career highlight? As everyone knows, the banking industry went through some tricky (!) times around 2007/2008. I decided at age 40 that I couldn’t bear another 20 years in an industry that had changed so much, for worse not better. So I looked at a career change and started doing my Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning when I was still working in the bank with a view to a move. It was pretty tough working full time with two little girls but I just focussed on my exit plan! Making the move to Robson Laidler Wealth in 2012, becoming a Chartered Financial Planner in 2015 (more exams) and becoming a Director in 2016 would be the highlights. After such a long time working, I finally feel that I am where I want to be in my career.
- What makes you tick? Good relationships are really important to me – at work, with my team and clients and at home in my marriage, and with family and friends.
- How do you achieve a good work/life balance? I have a fantastic team at Robson Laidler Wealth – everyone does what they need to do. This enables me to have Fridays off and I manage to fit in a game of tennis. I’m always talking to clients about what makes them happy, usually it’s not about more wealth, it’s about having the life they want. It’s so important that I walk the talk myself, by having a happy life outside the office it helps me enjoy my work more.
- Tell us something about you nobody would know: When I was four I told my teacher that I had a baby sister so she congratulated my Mum on the new arrival. I actually had a new baby brother but didn’t want one!