This post isn’t necessarily a post about financial planning, but it explains my experience from spending 3 days with a bunch of financial planners. As I mentioned earlier this week, I was in Chicago from Sunday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon for the NAPFA Summer Leadership Meeting. I was fortunate enough to meet with many successful fee-only financial planners who are passionate about NAPFA’s mission as well as NAPFA Genesis’ mission.
NAPFA: We provide networking opportunities, education, business development, and advocacy to promote the professional success of fee-only, comprehensive financial advisors.
NAPFA Genesis: NAPFA Genesis is a community if next generation advisors that exists to facilitate professional growth, engage future leaders, and ultimately impact the profession.
Although we’re all in the same profession, and many of us target the same potential client base, the members of NAPFA function as a team rather than as competitors. Everyone I spoke to was willing to offer their advice, tips, and strategies that they use in their practice, even though I could potentially be considered a competitor. NAPFA leadership is a close-knit group working together for the greater good.
I’ve been a member of multiple professional organizations and I’ve never experienced this sort of teamwork and collaboration in any of them besides NAPFA. There are organizations and associations for everything – probably including for your profession – I recommend finding one that you feel aligned with and getting involved. I’ve found that you’ll make friends, learn a ton of things, and find valuable resources and contacts.
Another huge benefit of attending the Leadership Meeting for me was just being around people who are so passionate about what they do and always acting in a fiduciary manner. It energizes me to continue learning, developing my skills, and doing whatever I can to grow and become better every day.
I hope that everyone who reads this can find a group that they feel connected with and that can provide as much value to them as NAPFA, and the Genesis Committee, already has to me in the short time that I’ve been a member.
