Rooted Planning Group’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Leading with Culture and Intention
About the Guest(s):
Amy Irvine is a seasoned financial planner and the founder of Rooted Planning Group. With years of experience in wealth management, Amy has been instrumental in guiding her clients towards financial success through strategic planning and personalized advice. Her passion for broadening the representation of women in financial planning has been a driving force behind her career. Amy is well-versed in creating inclusive, team-focused environments that emphasize holistic financial well-being.
Becky Eason is an integral team member at Rooted Planning Group, who began her journey as an intern and has grown significantly within the company. Equipped with a solid academic foundation and a strong desire to learn, Becky contributes to the operational and client-based aspects of the firm, showcasing her dedication to personal growth and team success.
Episode Summary:
In this engaging episode of Money Roots, Amy Irvine offers a candid glimpse into the journey of her company, the Rooted Planning Group, from its formative years to its present-day status. Initially named Irvine Wealth Planning Strategies, Amy recounts the significance of renaming the firm to reflect its evolution and collaborative team dynamic better. Along with Becky Eason, Amy dives into the intricate process of building and sustaining a well-rounded business culture that not only supports growth but prioritizes emotional and personal development for both team members and clients.
Throughout the discussion, Amy emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balance between personal and professional life. Her reflections on time spent in Scotland highlight the necessity of mental breaks for rejuvenation and innovation. Amy underscores the critical role culture plays in team success, advocating for an environment where curiosity is encouraged and inclusivity is inherent. By sharing her experiences, Amy provides valuable insights for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to forge their paths with resilience and adaptability.
Key Takeaways:
- Emotional Impact of Rebranding: Amy describes the bittersweet emotions involved in changing her firm's name, reminiscent of a parent's feelings when their child leaves for college.
- Team Dynamics and Growth: As the company grew, Amy recognized the need for a brand and culture reflecting teamwork and inclusivity, moving beyond a singular focus on her leadership.
- Importance of Cultural Fit: Hiring decisions at Rooted Planning Group prioritize cultural fit and adaptability, ensuring a harmonious and effective work environment.
- Balancing Work and Personal Life: Amy shares her strategies for creating personal space, emphasizing the importance of physical activity in providing mental clarity and creativity in business.
- Inclusion and Well-being: Acknowledging different perspectives is crucial, and Amy's approach to company culture includes ongoing conversations about personal and collective well-being.
Notable Quotes:
- "As we were growing... I learned that culture needs to be protected, and having the right people as part of the culture is so much more critical and important."
- "We're one of those firms that, like, pivots. We pivot often."
- "I very much enjoy being outdoors, and I really love when I'm walking up a hill."
- "We can't talk about inclusion without talking about well-being."
- "No journey is a straight line... being nimble, I think, is probably the number one characteristic important when you're a business owner."
Resources:
- Explore more about the Rooted Planning Group and the financial services they offer on their official website.
Listeners are encouraged to explore the full episode for a comprehensive understanding of Amy Irvine's journey and insights into running a successful financial planning firm. Stay tuned for more enriching content from Money Roots, where money conversations are kept real, relatable, and rooted in your goals.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:This is Money Roots, the podcast where Amy Irvine and her team keep money conversations real, relatable, and rooted in your goals.
Speaker B:Let's grow together.
Speaker A:Hello, Money Root listeners.
Speaker A:Amy Irvine here today with Becky Eason on our team.
Speaker A:And we are continuing part two of the Rooted Planning Group journey, Turning the tables on me instead of me turning the tables on somebody else.
Speaker A:And Kate, if you haven't listened to part one, Kate and I talked about the formation of the firm.
Speaker A:We talked about how sort of she and I had a serendipity moment and can reconnected after years of kind of going our own paths.
Speaker A:And we left off at the point where Rooted Planning Group was still Irvine Wealth Planning Strategies for name purposes, which is still the legal name.
Speaker A:But we were starting to grow just a little bit and thinking about, well, what would represent a broader name than Irvine Wealth Planning Strategy?
Speaker A:So, Becky, if you want to take it away and ask any questions about that period of time, as you were actually joining at that point in time, which was a really pivotal time for Rooted Planning Group at that point.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So, you know, I remember a lot of those changes happening, but one question that I have for you is like, how was the emotional piece of changing your name?
Speaker A:That's a great question.
Speaker A:I was excited about that.
Speaker A:And at the same time, it's kind of like, I would guess that it's sort of like when a parent maybe sees their child go off to college and there's that moment of excitement and, you know, you're.
Speaker A:You're seeing this thing develop into something that is greater than, you know, the little kid that you had and the guidance that's there.
Speaker A:And at the same time, it's a moment of sadness because it's.
Speaker A:It was my baby's name.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It was my baby.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And it was becoming more than just mine at that point, which, again, is exciting.
Speaker A:And at the same time, like a.
Speaker A:Oh moment.
Speaker A:Now, years later, you know, looking fast forward to today, I just.
Speaker A:I can't even imagine not doing it.
Speaker C:Yeah, it's really good insight.
Speaker C:I imagine that a lot of people, you know, businesses do become a huge part of who you are.
Speaker C:But, you know, what was like, do you remember a time and point when you said, like, I need to make this change?
Speaker A:As far as, like, the name change or the.
Speaker A:Yeah, the name change.
Speaker A:I remember.
Speaker A:You know, it was after you had come on board.
Speaker A:And for those that don't know, Becky joined us as an intern.
Speaker A:She needed to finish up her internship with the college that we all went to.
Speaker A:And there's like a semester long internship.
Speaker A:And she did half of it in the tax office and half of it with us.
Speaker A:And you know, so Kate had come on board, Becky had come on board, and at this point in time, Carrie had also come on board.
Speaker A:And we were also, we also had Kim at that point.
Speaker A:And even Matt and I, I looked at it from a standpoint and said, well, by having the name Irvine in there, it, it, it doesn't, it's not a team.
Speaker A:It, it makes it look like I'm the only person that can help a client.
Speaker A:And for those of us that, for those that have worked with us for a long time, you know that it, it takes a team to give the service and the quality of work that we really want to give to our clients.
Speaker A:And so I knew that we needed to think about our brand and think about the way that we came across so that people understood this wasn't the Amy Irvine Show.
Speaker A:This is the team of people that are coming together to really help provide guidance in people's financial lives.
Speaker A:And, and for those that know me really well, you know that there's, there's all sorts of emotions that go into working with a financial planner.
Speaker A:I mean, it's, it's not.
Speaker A:Money is very tied to emotion and very tied to our history.
Speaker A:And there's so many studies that have been done that say that we, we make decisions around money based on our own belief system.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A: would say in July, August of: Speaker C:You keep mentioning team and how that's such a core part.
Speaker C:You know, what was like, how did you make decisions on how to grow the team and what roles needed to be added?
Speaker A:Oh boy, that's a great question.
Speaker A:Some of it was as we were growing, some of it was a journey myself, you know, it, it was, I could see that there was something that needed to be done about something, you know, and it was like, okay, well, this person, whoever it is, this person can do this kind of role.
Speaker A:Initially, it, it was about bringing in people to help grow the business.
Speaker A:But it turned to it very quickly.
Speaker A:I learned the lesson that culture needs to be protected and having the right people as part of the culture is so much more critical and important.
Speaker A:And so it went from growing.
Speaker A:I mean, I've always had a mission to have, you know, more women in the profession.
Speaker A:You know that Becky, like, that's always been one of my huge missions.
Speaker A:We, we have such a small percentage of women in financial planning that, you know, I.
Speaker A:I still have that mission, but culture has become the really critical thing.
Speaker A:Meaning I attended a session when I was here in Napa, which is where I'm recording at the moment, and they were talking about culture.
Speaker A:And there's nine different divisions of culture that again, this is why I love going to conference.
Speaker A:That when I thought about where we're at in our firm and areas that we have as part of our culture that have just happened, they're really.
Speaker A:They just sort of fell into place.
Speaker A:Fortunately, then there's areas that I was like, oh, wow, we could, we could probably do better.
Speaker A:And in some of these areas of culture, it's that awareness piece.
Speaker A:And I think the roles that people play evolve as well.
Speaker A:I mean, when you first joined us, your role was you were fresh out of college and your role was to learn, right?
Speaker A:I don't know if you remember, but I do.
Speaker A:And I said, you know, just be curious.
Speaker A:Ask questions all the time.
Speaker A:Ask questions.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And that was your job?
Speaker A:It was, yes, to assist us with some of the customer relationship work.
Speaker A:It was to assist with some of the data entry.
Speaker A:It was assist with, you know, some of the paraplanning.
Speaker A:But it was to be curious, it was to be inquisitive.
Speaker A:As we've hired other people, their initial roles have changed over time based on things that they like to do, based on things that they don't like to do.
Speaker A:And because we're a small company, it's so easy to pivot with stuff like that.
Speaker A:And that's a part important part of culture too.
Speaker A:Because if you're doing the work, if you're doing, 90% of the work that you're doing is actually enjoyable work.
Speaker A:It does make the other 10% tolerable.
Speaker A:So it changes over time and certainly has evolved.
Speaker A:So I don't think anybody that's on the team right now that was originally brought in is actually doing the job that they were originally hired for.
Speaker A:Except maybe Muriel and.
Speaker A:And Donna.
Speaker A:Like those would probably be the only two.
Speaker A:But even Muriel's role has changed.
Speaker A:Like she's taken on some additional responsibilities and Mary took some of the responsibilities that Muriel was, you know, originally hired for.
Speaker A:Because there were things that Mary is so fanatically perfect at and Muriel didn't like doing and there were other things that Mary was doing that Muriel absolutely loves doing.
Speaker A:So I think it's.
Speaker A:When you hire people, I guess maybe that was a long winded answer, but I think it's so important that when you hire people, you hire them for fit.
Speaker A:And by fit, I mean are they the.
Speaker A:The cultural fit for the firm?
Speaker A:Can they pivot?
Speaker A:If you're a pivoting firm, like our firm pivots all the time, you know, can they.
Speaker A:Can they handle change?
Speaker A:Can they look at the work that they're doing and be honest and open about what they enjoy doing and what they don't enjoy doing?
Speaker A:Can they be giving you suggestions on things that can be improved upon?
Speaker A:Do they genuinely enjoy spending time together?
Speaker A:And that, to me, is probably the number one thing that I think is important in building a team, is that would I hang out with them if I didn't work with them?
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:That to me, is so important to know that there is that.
Speaker A:I call it friendship, but it's a sense of family and some protectionism and just knowing that we're going to all watch out for each other and we're going to be very inclusive of different ideas because we do have a diverse group of ideas on our team, and it's okay that we don't always agree, and we like to learn from those different ideas.
Speaker A:So I don't know if I fully answered your question, but it evolves, maybe, is the easy answer.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:And, you know, as the owner and manager, how do you create a space where you can manage the different, like, opinions that everyone brings to the table?
Speaker A:What have I tried to do?
Speaker A:I mean, maybe you'd be better at answering that question than I am.
Speaker A:From your perception.
Speaker A:Being a very opinionated person myself, which can dominate a topic, sometimes I try to watch the facial expressions that people have when I share my opinion.
Speaker A:And if I see a glimmer of something, I don't want to call somebody out on it in a meeting necessarily, but I will then go back to them and say, hey, it looked like you had something you were feeling that you weren't saying.
Speaker A:It's okay if you disagree with me.
Speaker A:Tell me what you were thinking.
Speaker A:Because especially in today's world right now, you know, there's a lot of charge going on and.
Speaker A:And how I feel may be very different than anybody else on the team feels.
Speaker A:And I think it's really important that people understand I value their beliefs, even if we don't agree, because that different perception and perspective may be how a client perceives things.
Speaker A:And it's really important to understand that.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So, you know, it sounds like creating a nice, safe space to come and talk to and listen and advocate for each other.
Speaker A:I think using those words, like, what are you thinking that you're not saying out loud and then.
Speaker A:Yeah, just trying to listen.
Speaker C:Yeah, that's great.
Speaker C:And you mentioned, like, you know, training or, like, hiring people, and how have you learned how to juggle training and also doing the work that you're currently doing?
Speaker C:Because we all know that a new hire takes a lot of time.
Speaker A:Well, I think you all, as part of the team, are such a critical part of that anymore, because that is.
Speaker A:That is a tough.
Speaker A:That is tough.
Speaker A:It is because.
Speaker A:Because of my client responsibilities.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's trying to bring people into.
Speaker A:Here's something that I'm going to be working on.
Speaker A:Why don't you work on it with me so that the work still gets done, but then that's the training piece as well.
Speaker A:And, gosh, I'd have to say, you know, at this stage of the game that you and Kate and Mariel are.
Speaker A:And Mary are part of that training process, you're just as critical at it and involved in it, especially in a small firm as I am.
Speaker A:And I think the longer I've been at the firm and the more my role is about the cultural side than it is the physical training.
Speaker A:Because there's things at this point in time I don't even know how to do, which is fantastic.
Speaker A:You know, it's.
Speaker A:It's been delegated out to a person who's either enjoying it more or better at it, just altogether.
Speaker A:So when people come to me and ask me questions, I'm like, theoretically, here's how I would do it.
Speaker A:But I don't know if that is the best way.
Speaker A:Let's talk to Becky, or let's talk to Katie.
Speaker A:Let's talk to Mary.
Speaker A:And I think that's what I meant earlier about.
Speaker A:You know, we're.
Speaker A:We're one of those firms that, like, pivots.
Speaker A:We pivot often.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So the question is, well, this is how it's done, but is that how it should be done?
Speaker A:And wait a minute, should we even be doing it anymore?
Speaker A:You know, it's.
Speaker A:Technology has increased.
Speaker A:The firm has changed a little bit.
Speaker A:There's just things that change.
Speaker A:And that's why I love it when somebody new comes in and they're curious because they'll ask those questions.
Speaker A:And I think we all sit back and go, huh, well, this is why we used to do it.
Speaker A:Is that really why we are doing it now?
Speaker A:So I think the balance of it, like, we're going to be hiring somebody new here coming up relatively soon, and thinking about the training we've built over time.
Speaker A:Like, here's sort of a schedule that's evolved, right, because of mistakes that we've made.
Speaker A:Certainly I have made about not providing enough time for training, about not providing a well developed schedule for somebody, you know, really people that have this, okay, I want to come into my job and I want to know how to do my job in two weeks.
Speaker A:It's just impossible, right?
Speaker A:And our.
Speaker A:Our.
Speaker A:Our industry, our firm, it's impossible.
Speaker A:It's like six to nine months before you come into your role and you're like, hey, I actually know what I'm supposed to be doing every day.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It just takes time.
Speaker A:And, and so the balance side of it is, like, on our team, we have office hours every day, right?
Speaker A:So we.
Speaker A:We built that into the schedule to make sure that that training could be there and the availability was there.
Speaker A:We have our team meeting, we schedule out certain things like, Becky, you and I work on compliance.
Speaker A:And we have that time that we actually build it out.
Speaker A:So I can give you some guidance on what needs to be done that you have questions on and help educate you.
Speaker A:And when it comes to, like, the portfolio, it's setting that time aside and thinking about it from a grander perspective of, hey, what should we be thinking about?
Speaker A:From both an economic as well as a holdings perspective.
Speaker A:So I think, you know, having those conversations and having lots of questions and the why behind things is.
Speaker A:Is a big piece of the training.
Speaker C:And then, you know, with all of the time that you are spending in the business and on the business, how do you create a space between work and your personal time?
Speaker A:So this is a new thing for me.
Speaker A:So when I share this, this is.
Speaker A:This is something that has evolved more recently, honestly, due to the vacation that Brent and I took last fall when we went to Scotland for three and a half weeks and I was offline and realized how charged I was when I came back, it was like I.
Speaker A:I had a chance to decompress.
Speaker A:I had a chance to.
Speaker A:To let my mind really wander away from the business a little bit.
Speaker A:And what I realized was that I, I very much enjoy being outdoors, and I really love when I'm walking up a hill.
Speaker A:And so for me, having building in those breaks of I'm gonna go for a hike and I'm gonna challenge my body in a way that.
Speaker A:And this is a harsh word, but forces, right, In a way that distracts me for lack of a better word, or forces me to be more physical and let my brain rest.
Speaker A:And what I found that is I can show up better, both at the client level and at the support level of, like, running the firm, if I at least take, you know, 24 to 48 hours to just allow myself that space.
Speaker A:And so that's a newer thing.
Speaker A:Like, I really have been trying hard to do that work, self work, because that's what I want you all to do.
Speaker A:Like, I don't want you to work seven days a week for months on end, because then you're not coming to the table fresh either.
Speaker A:And if I don't want you to do it, I better not do it.
Speaker A:So I would say that's a newer thing within myself and within me is to say that because when it is your baby, when it is your child, you know, it's a passion of love at the same time.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:But, you know, Becky, as a mom, when you have those little breaks from Amelia, you cherish the time back, right?
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:If you're gone for a day or something, or you're gone for a couple of days and you come back and your brain is fresh and you're, you know, you're, you're feeling that revitalization.
Speaker A:You're, you're enjoying the moment more and you're, you're more patient and you're, you know, you're, you're there a bit more.
Speaker A:So I, I would say that it's a newer thing, and that's an area of growth that would.
Speaker A:You remember when we had Amy Mullen come in with money quotient and do our training last June, and one of the things that we did was called the wheel of life, and it's like a satisfaction wheel of life satisfaction.
Speaker A:And when we were going around that wheel of life, you know, you do it really quick for people that have done this, they know, but for other clients that might be listening to this and haven't done it yet, don't worry, you will.
Speaker A:But it's, it's you kind of rank where you're at in your level of satisfaction.
Speaker A:And there were a couple areas that I wasn't unsatisfied with, but I wasn't certainly at the very top, right?
Speaker A:And work was one of those that's like, okay, I, I paused for a moment when I came to that spoke, because the work that I do is highly, highly satisfying to me.
Speaker A:But the amount of work I was doing, meaning the number of hours I was doing it was blocking me from some of those other areas that I had really low satisfaction.
Speaker A:So I had to look at it and be thinking about, well, how do I.
Speaker A:Level of satisfaction with work, the answer was simple really.
Speaker A:It was reduce the number of hours so that when I come to work I fully show up and that will allow me to increase my free time to do more of the non work things.
Speaker A:Also one of the areas that was interesting to me was it was community.
Speaker A:I actually ranked community really low on the wheel of life.
Speaker A:Not because of, I wanted to get more involved because I was over involved.
Speaker A:And it was again, you know, where, where was that personal space getting eaten up and.
Speaker A:And those were the two things that I focused on.
Speaker A:So balancing well, I also don't believe that you can fully like I.
Speaker A:When people say I have a balanced life, I'm like, tell me about that.
Speaker A:Because I think there's moments where you are more focused on work and there's moments where you have to say I've got to let that go and I've got to focus on something other than work.
Speaker A:I've got to focus on this time with my husband.
Speaker A:I've got to focus on this time with my family.
Speaker A:That is, I guess, balance.
Speaker A:But I don't, I think going into anything and saying, well, I'm 50, 50 today to me, I have not figured that out.
Speaker A:My only way to have some balance in my life is to say I have to compartmentalize.
Speaker A:And my compartmentalize is I need to block time to go do these things.
Speaker A:And when I'm doing those things, I just need to focus on those things.
Speaker A:I need to let.
Speaker A:I need to check things at the door, quote, unquote, to a certain extent.
Speaker A:Now I will admit that when I'm hiking, sometimes the best ideas come to me because I wasn't intentionally thinking about work, but it was like, oh, well, that's would probably work for this problem that we've been having.
Speaker A:Or you know, and it's not intentional.
Speaker A:It's not like I'm not, It's not like I'm trying to solve the problem.
Speaker A:It just my brain space opens up and you know, solutions come to me.
Speaker A:So is that balance?
Speaker A:I guess, you know, I.
Speaker A:But I do think carving out time and saying, you know, it's important to really do what you're passionate about.
Speaker A:It will bring yourself to the table more.
Speaker C:That's really great advice.
Speaker C:It's definitely important to take care of yourself.
Speaker C:That way you can help others.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I'm curious, Becky.
Speaker A:I'm kind of putting you on the spot just a little bit.
Speaker A:But I'm curious from somebody who has watched my journey.
Speaker A:I mean, you've been there really since the.
Speaker A:I would Say, the ballooning of the company.
Speaker A:As you've watched my journey, are there any lessons that you would take away, or is there anything that you've seen change that, you know, you think, wow, that was.
Speaker A:That was a good change, or, you know, that that's something that you've seen progress on.
Speaker C:I mean, we certainly make changes on an ongoing basis, but, you know, some of the changes may be overwhelming to start with, but then it's explained, you know, and we can see the greater benefit of why we're making those changes.
Speaker C:So I think, you know, for any business owners listening or those who are thinking about becoming a business owner, make sure, you know, be upfront about changes and explaining the why behind them.
Speaker C:Because, like, Amy, you do a great job of explaining why we need to make those changes or should, but also being receptive of, you know, the team coming back and saying, well, maybe now's not a good time for that.
Speaker C:And, you know, listening to us to, like, why we may not think so or what.
Speaker C:We may.
Speaker C:What kind of support is needed to help us understand.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, I'm glad to hear that.
Speaker A:And I.
Speaker A:I think on the opposite side as a business owner, that last piece, listening to where the concerns are.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And creating that safe space because, you know, we know we can always come to you, but I know there's a lot of employees out there who don't feel like they can approach their bosses because they're intimidated or they know they're just going to be rejected.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Safe space is important.
Speaker A:And that's part of that.
Speaker A:That culture, you know, that I was talking about, those nine divs that I was talking about is some of the terminology that I really liked.
Speaker A:Uh, you know, it.
Speaker A:One of the things that I wrote down when I was listening to this, the speaker, is we can't talk about inclusion without talking about well being.
Speaker A:And powerful.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:That was powerful.
Speaker A:And I looked and I've got it.
Speaker A:I've got it written down because I thought, okay, we need to talk about that as a firm.
Speaker A:Like, I've got to go back to work.
Speaker A:And I've got to say, what is well being?
Speaker A:What is well being to you, Becky?
Speaker A:What is well being to Kate?
Speaker A:What is well being to Mariel?
Speaker A:What is well being to Mary?
Speaker A:What is well being to Brent?
Speaker A:Like, what does that mean to you?
Speaker A:I can't define that.
Speaker A:That's your well being.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But when we think about in that culture, that, you know, and being a very inclusive culture, we've got to talk about that.
Speaker A:And that's an area that I think about a lot for you all and myself as well, but I don't know that we've actually ever def.
Speaker A:Find it and it changes over time.
Speaker A:But what is well being?
Speaker A:What is well being today?
Speaker A:What is well being in six months from now?
Speaker A:What is it in a year?
Speaker A:It's not something that it's a one and done conversation, but it's something that I think that's an area that I want to explore more is defining what is well being and how do we make sure that we create a culture for our clients and for our team to have that, that well being.
Speaker A:So that is my next mission, is to spend some time working with our clients and with our team, defining their definition of well being and trying to figure out how that integrates with their culture, our culture, their lives, and how we can support them in any way, shape or form.
Speaker A:So again, you know, it's just.
Speaker A:This is why I like to go in a conference every once in a while because you hear a blip and your mind just starts to, you know, your mind starts to explore.
Speaker A:And it's not like I've been unaware of people's well, beings, but it's, it was the way it was said, the emphasis of it and me being receptive and open and listening to what, what was behind that comment and thinking about, huh, what is our team's well being?
Speaker A:How do each person, how does each person define it?
Speaker A:That is the piece that I think is so critical to creating that right culture for people.
Speaker A:So I know that we've gone a little over for this recording.
Speaker A:Becky, any other final questions that you'd like to throw at me or anything that I didn't answer fully that you asked me?
Speaker C:No, just excited to see where the next 10 years goes.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, you know, I, I think that it's amazing to me that 10 years have gone by and for all of you that are listening, this podcast has been in production for, gosh, going on eight years, I think at this point in time.
Speaker A:So it's been a long time.
Speaker A:So you've listened to parts of my journey, you've seen this podcast pivot over time.
Speaker A:It's been an amazing 10 years.
Speaker A:I've made lots of successful failures, lots of mistakes.
Speaker A:We've pivoted a ton within our business.
Speaker A:And I think that that's the biggest lesson that I hope people take away from listening to this two part series is that no journey is a straight line.
Speaker A:It is full of bumps, it is full of mountains and valleys and tears and Hugs and losses and gains.
Speaker A:And, you know, we wish that it went straight up, but in reality it does not.
Speaker A:And I think that's true of everything in life, is that nothing is a straight line.
Speaker A:It looks nice and straight when you, you point, you know, when you plot it from A to Z, but between A to and Z, you know, there's, there's quite a bit of, of bumps.
Speaker A:And so being nimble, I think, is probably the number one characteristic I think is important when you're a business owner.
Speaker A:And then number two, and very, very, very close behind is being curious as a person about other people and the team that you work with and not be.
Speaker A:I'm not saying be nosy.
Speaker A:I'm saying being curious, being supportive and curious about what they find successful, what their definition of success is and what they enjoy about the place they work.
Speaker A:And, you know, if you're working with.
Speaker A:In a service industry like we are, if the team is happy, it's going to translate to happy clients.
Speaker A:So that's my final bits of wisdom.
Speaker A:And Becky, thank you so much for taking the time to interview me today and for being such a part of this journey for, you know, so many years.
Speaker A: I mean, again,: Speaker A:So it's been a quite a journey and we're so thrilled to have had you and, and see you develop.
Speaker A:I mean, from somebody who walked out of college with a very significant amount of knowledge to where you are today is just incredible.
Speaker A:We're so lucky to have you on the team.
Speaker C:It's been a very exciting journey, that's for sure.
Speaker A:Well, thank you, everyone.
Speaker A:We'd love your feedback.
Speaker A:Any ideas that you have for podcast episodes, please send them our way.
Speaker A:And we thank you so much for being on this journey with us.
Speaker B:Thanks for listening to Money Roots.
Speaker B:Until next time, keep your finances grounded and your future growing.
