The Plannex Podcast

How do you build a financial planning academy that actually works? And why are most firms still getting the talent pathway wrong? Rob Atherton returns for part two to unpack what it really takes to develop new advisors, why employed pathways must become the norm and what's holding the profession back from solving the talent crisis. Adam Carolan and Rob discuss mentorship, attrition rates, the real cost of training and why treating academy building like a tick box exercise is failing both firms and new entrants. Rob explains why every other profession trains people properly except financial planning, how Melbourne Capital Group built their employed academy without reinventing the wheel and why business owners need to stop fearing the investment. They also explore what holistic financial planning actually means, why it takes a year to properly serve a client and how smaller firms can create their own development pathways without massive budgets. From the role of private equity to invisible academies that aren't marketing themselves, this is a candid conversation about what needs to change if the profession is serious about attracting the next generation. Rob also shares why raising Malaysia's profile matters, how visa pathways work for international advisors and what expatriates should expect when moving overseas to build a financial planning career. The episode ends with Adam sampling durian for the first time. It does not go well. More from Plannex: Connect, learn and grow with the financial planning community. 💬 Join Plannex Connect: https://plannex.co.uk/connect/ 📚 Explore Plannex Training: https://plannex.co.uk/app/ 🚀 Grow your firm with Plannex Scale: https://plannex.co.uk/scale/ 🎟️ Discover Plannex Live: https://plannex.co.uk/live/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/plan-nex Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plannnex?igsh=MWluaXAwcmk4NjB3bQ%3D%3D Subscribe for more conversations from the Plannex Podcast.

Building a financial planning career overseas brings a different set of challenges to setting up in the UK. What does it take to transition from British financial planning into the cross-border space, and how do you rebuild trust in markets where the profession still carries a stigma? Adam Carolan speaks with Rob Atherton, who moved from running UK advice firms to leading the advisory team at Melbourne Capital Group in Malaysia. They discuss the technical and lifestyle transition, why UK advisors need to leave their ego at the door, how holistic financial planning translates across borders and the regulatory and cultural differences that shape client expectations. Rob also explains why international financial planning is not the Wild West, how Melbourne Capital Group operates to UK standards in a Malaysian regulatory environment and the questions expats should be asking before working with an overseas advisor. From cashflow modeling in multiple currencies to building an employed academy and attracting the next generation of cross-border planners, this is a practical conversation about what it really takes to build a professional advice firm outside the UK. Subscribe for part two, where Rob and Adam discuss academies, training pathways and bringing new talent into international financial planning. More from Plannex: Connect, learn and grow with the financial planning community. 💬 Join Plannex Connect: https://plannex.co.uk/connect/ 📚 Explore Plannex Training: https://plannex.co.uk/app/ 🚀 Grow your firm with Plannex Scale: https://plannex.co.uk/scale/ 🎟️ Discover Plannex Live: https://plannex.co.uk/live/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/plan-nex Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plannnex?igsh=MWluaXAwcmk4NjB3bQ%3D%3D Subscribe for more conversations from the Plannex Podcast.

What happens when you hire someone to run the business, but keep stepping back in? After Alan Smith’s appearance last month, his COO Chirine Harb joins Adam Carolan to share her perspective on running Capital. She explains how she and Alan learned to challenge one another, clarify who communicates decisions and give each other space to do the work they do best. They also discuss building client-service teams, making existing processes easier to follow and understanding what is happening when people become stretched. Chirine shares how she assesses new technology and uses business data to test whether an ambition has a workable plan behind it. A conversation for financial planning firm owners, operations leaders and the people making the business work behind the scenes. More from Plannex: Connect, learn and grow with the financial planning community. 💬 Join Plannex Connect: https://plannex.co.uk/connect/ 📚 Explore Plannex Training: https://plannex.co.uk/app/ 🚀 Grow your firm with Plannex Scale: https://plannex.co.uk/scale/ 🎟️ Discover Plannex Live: https://plannex.co.uk/live/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/plan-nex Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plannnex?igsh=MWluaXAwcmk4NjB3bQ%3D%3D Subscribe for more conversations from the Plannex Podcast.

What changes when you move from fund management into building your own financial planning firm? Stewart Heggie joins Adam Carolan to discuss the work behind setting up Heggie & Co and why he chose to focus his message on fund managers. He explains how his own search for financial planning helped shape the idea, what he wanted from a network and why getting the infrastructure ready took more work than he expected. They also explore LinkedIn, the first-year goal of working with 20 families, the psychology of fees and the role of human judgement as AI becomes more capable. It is an honest account from the start of the journey, with decisions still being tested rather than a finished formula for success. Business experience and opinions are discussed; this is not personal financial advice.

How do you move into financial planning when you already have an established career? And what happens when the relationship skills come with you, but the technical confidence needs time to catch up? Adam Carolan is joined by Oliver Jones from Five Wealth, who moved into the profession after nine years at Handelsbanken. Ollie talks openly about the decision to leave banking, weighing a lower initial pay package and what it felt like to take part in his first financial-planning client meetings. They also get into studying alongside a new job, setting exam deadlines, learning through real client examples and finding experienced people to learn from. For anyone considering a career change, or helping someone make one, this is a practical look at the transition beyond the job offer. Ollie describes his position at the time of recording. His experience is one route into financial planning, rather than a template for everyone.