Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role at More2life?
I cover just over 100 firms, totalling around 600 advisers nationwide.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I think the most important skill in this role is adaptability. No two firms or advisers will have the same needs, same personal goals, same interests, or same timescales. The requirement is always to support them in the best way possible, whether that’s growing their later life business or opening their eyes to new options and opportunities.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
Public speaking. I love doing it, but it never feels natural; some people make it look so easy.
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What’s the hardest part of your job?
This is going to sound cheesy, but I hate letting people down. That’s definitely the worst part. Sometimes, nothing can be done despite your best efforts, but it never feels nice.
What do you love most about your job?
Travelling to so many interesting places and meeting so many interesting people. I also really like the moment when I realise I’ve helped someone identify a new opportunity. It’s just a very good feeling and while my position is somewhat removed from the end customer, it’s always rewarding to feel like I’ve helped someone deal with a financial predicament.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
You can do anything you want so long as you dedicate yourself fully to it. I wish they’d taught that sentiment in school, as I’d be an astronaut by now.
How do you keep up to date with developments in the market?
LinkedIn, and keeping up to date with various financial publications.
What is the most quirky/unique property deal you’ve been involved in?
A self-build eco home that was built into the landscape, so the roof was flat and had a grass covering. The property was almost completely camouflaged into its surroundings so as not to disturb the natural landscape. It’s a nice idea but definitely not one for me – I’ve lost my house keys before, so I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be not being able to find my actual house.
What was your motivation for choosing this career?
It was more of a natural development – I started in financial services on the insurance side, moving from underwriting to intermediary sales, then into later life and began taking on more face-to-face activities at events and the like, and here we are. It’s actually very rewarding to be part of an industry focused on delivering the right customer outcomes. There are so many other industries out there that seem so unregulated by comparison. Integrity is a very important value to me.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
All forms of work-related stress aside, a high-net-worth estate agent sounds like it would be fun; I’d like to see how the other half lives.
What did you want to be growing up?
It depends on how far back we’re talking here. Apparently, my earliest future career aspiration was, according to my parents, to be a train. Not a train driver, an actual train. Once I was old enough to realise that being a sentient machine trapped on a set of rails would be nothing short of a nightmare, a filmmaker.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Telekinesis. It’s a bit more of a transferable skill than having eyes that can melt steel, which was my second choice, and probably safer.
What is your strategy for tackling challenges?
I think this depends really on the challenge itself, but in broad strokes, I think it’s always important to first step back and take stock of the whole situation from all angles. Is there a risk/reward element, etc? Establish what is at stake, what the roadblocks are, what steps need to be taken to overcome them and then decide on a plan of action. You can’t always win, and if not, find what is the closest next best option.
What is your greatest skill(s), either work- or non-work-related?
I’ve had some success with music and been featured by major YouTube channels, along with a couple of soundtracks, and have over one-and-a-half million plays on Spotify. I’ve also quite randomly provided music for Thomson Holidays, so you may have heard me while on a sun lounger and not known it.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
“Would I rather have four legs and no arms or four arms and no legs?” I didn’t answer, I just decided I wasn’t going to that pub again.
