There are so many different things professional money managers call themselves. Financial Advisor. Financial Consultant. Wealth Strategist. Finance Guru. The list goes on! Most of these titles boil down to a simple concept. To use skills learned in money management and personal finance to help clients reach goals and live fulfilling lives through managing risk. This profession is about so much more than just knowing the numbers and being able to do “fancy math.” It’s about being able to understand what a client needs, hearing their problems in their own words, and coming up with solutions that are personalized to them. To be a successful financial consultant, I believe that you must love what you do, enjoy working with others, and have a drive to want to help others. This week, let’s take a break from the financial posts, and give you some background on myself and why I chose this career.
Love of Learning
I’ve always loved to learn new things, regardless of whether it’s in a personal or professional capacity. If I find a new topic interesting, I usually want to do two things: read and learn as much as I can about it and then talk to people about it! This really came to the forefront when I met the woman who would later become my wife. In building a foundation for our future, I really loved learning about financial concepts, even if I did them horribly! I remember opening a brokerage account with a tax refund we had received, excited to invest money and “set us up for success!” I also remember being TERRIBLE at picking stocks! This drove me to learn more about how investing works, and pushed me to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Wright State in Finance and later, an MBA from Ohio State. Along the way, I’ve met some amazing mentors who have helped me cultivate that love of learning into a career where I learn something new every day. Every client meeting gives me another opportunity to look at a client’s situation, learn about different ways to approach the issue, and apply a solution that meets that client’s particular need.
Customer Service
Aside from a short period of time working in a direct mailing facility (ask me about it sometime!), my entire career has been spent in a customer service capacity. I’ve loved the interaction with people and the satisfaction that comes from being able to meet a need for them. There are so many horror stories about “working in retail,” and I definitely have my share of interesting stories from working at GameStop as a store manager (disclaimer: I own no shares of GameStop!). Looking back though, I remember so many great customers that have come into my stores to get a new game or a Christmas gift. It was at this company that I realized that I loved working around people and needed to find a career where I could focus on that specific skill set.
Helping Others
Working in customer service is all about helping others, but I didn’t feel like I was making a meaningful contribution to my customer’s lives. While a great Christmas gift idea is meaningful, it may not make a huge impact. There are so many people out there with financial problems or challenges that may not have the time, energy, or knowledge to make the best decision. Working as a financial consultant gives me the opportunity to add meaningful, lasting value to my client’s lives, helping to act as a “coach” to give advice and encouragement as we meet their challenges together. The reward from this career comes from being able to look at a client I’ve worked with meet a goal that they’ve set for themselves, whether it’s sending a child to college, taking that first vacation after retirement, buying that first house, or any of the other endless things that come up during life. It’s the feeling that what I do MATTERS to others that brings the best out in myself.
Being a financial consultant at Resolute Wealth Management helps me to engage myself in my career by keeping me learning new things and ideas, while working with a wide variety of clients and being a trusted voice to help them reach goals and live their best lives. I am excited to work with professionals who have the same passion and care for clients that I do. Thanks as always for taking the time to read the blog this week! I would love the opportunity to sit down and discuss how I can help you improve your financial picture. I specialize in creating focused plans for clients planning for retirement as well as managing those retirement plans to make sure my clients enjoy the retirement years to the fullest. I also work with a variety of other financial issues. If you would like to schedule a free consultation, please call the office at the number below, or click the link to schedule a virtual or in-person meeting (or phone call) by setting a time that works for you! I would love to hear from you! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Best wishes,
Mitch Bodenmiller
(937) 424-3269
To Schedule a Meeting: Visit my Calendar and set a time!
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