Relationship

We, well I, try to be a lot for a lot of people. It is when a client, for the purpose of this story let's call him James, sits you down and talks to you about the definition of 'relationship' in his words and the immediate impact that this has. Now this was not coming from a bad place, it came from a place of concern and from the relationship we have had for many years.

You see, I was doing a a lot for a lot of people, yet not doing it well enough. I knew this but kept telling myself it would change. James saw this and he knows me!

James, called me and said that I needed to have a coffee with him as he wanted to talk to me about how I was going and our relationship. During our talk he told me that I needed to expect less from clients, needed to be fair on myself and that they too had an accountability to the relationship. He went on to add that a relationship is two-way, all parties need to work on it and if the relationship is strong, then all parties will.

This was one of those moments that are rare and require self assessment as what we do with a conversation, a moment like this, defines who we become and what we learn. James was right but in a way of not adviser client but deeper. Friends.

So, I hold my relationships with my clients very close. We are an intimate small financial planning practice, we intend to always remain this way so when we talk about our relationships, it will always be two-way, it will hold each of us accountable for we all have much to learn from one another. It will be financial and sometimes the emotional side that we are accountable for and enjoy being so for when we get this right, and we do, it defines us. It becomes a legacy.