Why did you decide Momentum was the right programme for you join?

I needed accountability. Even though I consider myself to be a highly motivated person, I know there are plenty of times where I’ve sat at my desk, not feeling terribly focused and spent time to do a whole load of emails rather than tackle the work that I knew I should be doing.

Having worked with Karen already, I knew that one of her special skills was coming up with incredible “out-of-the-box” ideas. The danger of working by yourself is that you can get stuck with same-old industry thinking and this is particularly so within financial services. As I was forging my own path as a specialist financial concierge, working at a very senior VIP level with my clients, I knew I couldn’t take on the same marketing as the rest of my colleagues in my industry. I wanted Karen to challenge me and my thinking on an ongoing basis and help me strive for bigger things.

What key things have you worked on during your time in Momentum that have made a difference to you and your business?

The biggest return I have had from working in Momentum is the focus on planning. Karen gives me a simple, clear process to follow and has this knack of breaking the complex down into bite-sized chunks which makes a project easier to do and take action on.

Because we have to set aside time for planning at the start of each Momentum cycle and go into detail with our 90 Day Plan, it has meant that I don’t have to procrastinate when I’m feeling a little lost later in the month. I simply get my plan out and see exactly what needs to be done next to ensure I stay on track.

I must admit I was a little resistant to having to spend a whole morning working through our 90 Day Plans together, especially when I knew, in theory, I could do this in my own time. But it turns out that there is something about the collective energy of a whole group working together on the same process which means the ideas I come up with are far better and more concise than when I would have worked on this by myself. Karen’s clear direction and steps mean we all have the right mindset and end up with a very do-able and exciting plan to execute.

What is like working with Karen?

Karen has a gift of coming up with incredible ideas on how to present and market our businesses. As someone who was in danger of sticking to what everyone else does in the financial services marketplace, I knew I wouldn’t stand out or get noticed with my current marketing.

I have twice won City Wealth’s Power Woman of the Year Award in the Entrepreneurial category, twice won Women in Finance Awards Financial Adviser of the Year, and have been shortlisted for Chartered Financial Planner of the Year. I am a recognised leader in my field of expertise and I need to ensure my positioning and marketing reflect this so I continue to attract the clients I want to work with.

She has helped me re-think the events that I run and develop a real stand-out marketing brochure pack and follow up process that blows the standard PDF version out of the water, both of which have helped me get the recognition and authority to open doors and get introductions to some key influencers in my industry.