This week we would like to introduce to you the newest member of the Magenta team, Jamie Flook.
Jamie joined us in February as a Financial Planner and is looking forward to getting to know you over the coming months.
We’ve asked Julie to take some time off from building the house, get out of her workwear and don her Magenta top again to help with a short Q&A with Jamie, which we’ve recorded, and you can watch below. Enjoy!
Alternatively, if you don’t wish to watch the video, you can read the transcript of this below.
Julie
Well, hello again lovely magenta clients, Julie here, and I want to take this opportunity to introduce to you a new face at magenta, who will be working with Gretchen and the team to help you and your family achieve all your financial goals and to help you pursue your passions as we have always done. So, I want to give a very warm welcome to Jamie, Jamie Flook, who as you can see is indeed a man, but who says he is very comfortable with wearing pink.
So, Jamie, how do you feel about being the first man to join the magenta planning team?
Jamie
Well, I am looking forward to the challenge. I think the ladies will certainly bash me into shape if they need to!
We know some people we look after prefer female advisers and some prefer dealing with a man. So, we’ve got all bases covered now.
And, oh, I’ve certainly made sure I’ve stocked up on my pink shirts!
Julie
And tell us a little bit about your career today where have you come from
Jamie
So initially I left school at 17, and went to work for AXA back in 2006, which was really quite close to the start of the global financial crisis. So that was an interesting time to be getting into the world of work in the first place, but particularly in financial services when that seemed to be a very hairy time for some of the participants.
Julie
And presumably during that time you were you obtained all your professional qualifications and so forth?
Jamie
I was at AXA for eight years. So I got my qualifications in that time, and I left to go backpacking for a year, which I’d saved up for. I came back, worked for another insurance company for a year, but didn’t really find that overly fulfilling. It was working with advisors rather than working with members of the public and the type people that we would advise. So, I sought out a trainee financial planner role, at a company based in Clifton, Bristol. I was there for four years, I got my Advanced Diploma, as well achieving chartered financial planner status. I was there for four years, and then the company was bought out by another local financial planning business. I was there for a year, and very recently I made the move to magenta.
Julie
And what actually drew you into the financial planning profession?
Jamie
That’s a really good question. So, like a lot of people at that age I would be lying if I said I even knew it existed and that when I first started work, it was always what it wanted to do. I wasn’t one of those people that grew up wanting to be a musician or an astronaut or anything like that. So, it wasn’t exactly a calling in that way.
But back in 2010 at AXA there was an internal vacancy for a trainee financial adviser and because I interacted with financial advisers already, in terms of helping them get the things of you from us, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what good financial planners did. But actually it turned out I didn’t really have the first clue and becoming a trainee I got a good insight into what it was actually like.
But the most important thing from all of that that I learned is that I can fall back on the fact that I really like talking to people, trying to understand them, and if I can, help them. And those things are a massive part of financial planning.
Julie
So it sounds like you’re very much a people person you want to get on with people and communicate well with others?
Jamie
Absolutely and that also goes for the people I work with; enjoying spending that time with them because, let’s face it, you spend a lot of your week with these people, your colleagues. So, it helps if you like them!
Julie
What do you love about financial planning in particular, now that you really understand what it’s all about?
Jamie
Well I’m probably be a self-confessed fanatic now. So, what I really love is how it changes people’s lives, genuinely. Sometimes it’s through having a series of conversations with a planner, and because they look at thing with a different perspective, and when they apply technical knowledge on top of that, that can help change someone’s life, and change the course of their future as well. So, I really love that there’s the ability to have that level of impact and help people.
And what I love as well is problem solving, strategising and working out the best course going forwards and being able to tie that ability in with being of service to others. That is something that I get a kick out of I suppose.
Julie
I think people don’t realise that we are actually very caring profession here in the in the financial services world. Now, tell me something about you personally, what do you get up to in your spare time when you’re not working.
Jamie
I’m a keen runner, I probably go about three times a week and I’ve signed up to do the Bristol half marathon later this year. I did one six years ago, and pretty much as I was dead on the tarmac after I’d finished, I vowed I’d never ever do another one again. But clearly enough time has elapsed that I’ve forgotten quite how bad that was and I’ve foolishly signed up for another.
I’m also a big rugby fan: I’ve followed Bristol bears, through the through the doldrum years we’ve had until more recently, flying high in the Premiership.
I go to music festivals every year and count myself as very fortunate to have been to Glastonbury eight times so far.
And I’m someone who loves learning, so I love to read and listen to podcasts. I’m pretty much committed to being a lifelong learner.
Julie
Okay, so what do you think you will bring to the magenta party?
Jamie
Well, I think first and foremost to bring enthusiasm and energy. I’ve got a real desire to get better at what I do and in certainly helping others as well. If I can help impart what I’ve learned and think about ways that the things that I’ve learned can be implemented or change the way we do things, if they need to change. From what I’ve seen at magenta so far, there’s very very little that does need changing, but if there are any tweaks here and there, I’d love to help out with those.
And wanting to help people. So, again, members of the team, but also for clients as well, helping them. That desire to help others will hopefully manifest itself in the team succeeding, and helping clients live their best possible lives while feeling secure and happy.
Julie
Marvellous. Well Jamie it’s great to get to know you and I know that our magenta clients will definitely be in safe hands with you, so I want to give you all my best wishes and for all our clients out there listening to this little video. If you would like to know a little bit more about Jamie then do get in touch, call us, email us, whatever you like. Jamie will be very responsive I’m sure, so for now thank you very much for listening, and Cheerio. Bye bye.