Are you ready to enter the new era of financial advising? As our industry and technology continue to evolve, those who have the mindset of an entrepreneur will be the advisors who continue to succeed as fiduciaries. An entrepreneurial financial advisor is one who sees him or herself as both a business owner and a counselor. Instead of selling products and telling clients how they should plan for retirement (hint: save more money!), an entrepreneurial advisor instead focuses on the big picture and becomes a source of advice and even inspiration for those they serve. Think you’ve got what it takes to evolve? Here are four signs you might be on the right track. 

You Understand Yourself

We all like to think we understand ourselves, but most people don’t even know what that means. Have you ever looked at one of your friends and thought, “Why in the world would they ever act like that?” Yeah, me too. Your friend probably has no idea how his thoughts and values correspond with his motivations and actions and how all of it does (or doesn’t) add up in the end. If you have truly done some soul searching and looked into areas like personality testing, values, critical thinking, and attachment theories, you’re way ahead of the crowd. This also sets you up perfectly to be an entrepreneurial advisor. 

You’re Aware of Your Leadership Strengths

Many of those who want to learn how to be a financial advisor never really stop to think about the leadership skills involved. They may think that because they want to be a sole practitioner, they won’t ever have to worry about a staff or a team. The truth is, we are all leaders in one way or another. As an entrepreneurial advisor, you will be seen as a leader to your clients. That is, you will if you conduct your business the right way! By being aware of your strengths as a leader, you can capitalize on your assets and use them as a way to bring value to those you serve. 

You Know Your Conative Strengths

Your conative strengths refer to how you best take in information, process, and act upon it. It involves your intentions and goals as well as how you instinctively plan to achieve those goals. When you know this about yourself, you can arrange your schedule and your plan of attack to best dovetail with your base strengths.

You Think as a Business Owner

An entrepreneurial advisor is one who gives behavioral-based advice instead of selling ‘retirement planning’ or ‘wealth management’. It’s also one who thinks of him or herself as a business owner rather than a financial planner. If you feel you got into this field to be of service to others and to build a business you can be proud of, then you’re definitely on the right track.

The future of the financial world belongs to the entrepreneurial advisor. If any of the above four signs sound familiar to you, congratulations! You’re at the front of the evolutionary pack! If you’d like to keep learning and growing more sign up for my free training –