In this episode of Financial Planner Life, host Sam Oakes sits down with Andrew Spence, Co-Founder of Aspen, to challenge the industry’s most controversial questions - what we call the Marmite topics of financial planning. Aspen was born out of something deeper than disruption. After a personal health crisis led Andrew to reflect on the impact of his work, he decided to build a model portfolio service that put purpose, clarity & client outcomes first. Now, he’s leading the charge on topic...

Karen Berisford, Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the PFS, left a prestigious investment role at JP Morgan to build a client-first advice practice with St. James’s Place. She prioritised trust, time control, and service over scale-at-all-costs. In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Karen shares how she grew to £150M AUM without relying on social media or paid marketing. Instead, she focused on referrals and long-term, values-led growth. You’ll learn: How to transitio...

Is This the Best IFA Network? Sam Oakes Meets Sam Wallis – New Leaf Distribution Visit: reach out to new leaf - click here Welcome back to the Financial Planner Life Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build a meaningful and rewarding career in financial planning. This week, host Sam Oakes speaks with Sam Wallis, Managing Director of New Leaf Distribution, to unpack how this IFA network is giving self-employed advisers true branding freedom, community support,...

In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with Hannah Witty, Chartered Financial Planner at Foster Denovo, to explore her inspiring journey into financial planning. From working on superyachts to becoming one of the earliest Chartered female planners in the UK, Hannah shares the personal and professional hurdles she faced as a woman, a mother, and a leader in a male-dominated industry. We talk about her career beginnings, the impact of becoming a mother, navig...

Welcome to Day 2 of the Financial Planner Life Golf Day – where birdies, bogeys, and brilliant business insights go hand in hand. You can watch this episode on youtube or spotify! here This round sees Michael Yuille CFP™ (aka Mr #ChickenTuesday) and Sam Oakes take on Carla Brown (President of the PFS) and Guy Skinner (Citygate Financial Planning) in a best-of-seven match play showdown — with caddies, clubs, and competitive spirit fully loaded. What starts as a light-hearted game q...

🎥 Financial Planner Life Golf Day | Game 1: Vikash Kanani vs Paul Taylor Real Golf. Real Financial Planners, Real Finanical Planning Career advice. Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify - here Welcome to the first ever Financial Planner Life Golf Day, where the fairway becomes a forum for honest, unfiltered career advice in financial planning. 🏌️‍♂️ The Match: It’s Vikash Kanani (MD, Chatsworth Wealth) vs Paul “The Power” Taylor (Chartered Planner & Coach) in a competitive 9-hole ma...

How do you pass the CII RO exams and achieve the DipPFS? In this episode of Financial Planner Life, host Sam Oakes speaks with Gary Paul (Academy Relationship Manager, St. James’s Place Academy), John Smith (Qualifications/Technical Trainer, Redmill Advance) and Rebecca Bidwell, who passed the DipPFS in just 5 months. We answer the top questions aspiring advisers ask: What are the RO exams? → Six modules (RO1–RO6) that make up the CII DipPFS qualification.Which RO exam is hardest? → Mo...

How do you get clients as a financial planner without buying leads or relying on referrals? In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes interviews Jak Ali, Managing Director of J.A. Financial Planning Ltd, a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management. Jak shares exactly how he generates clients as a financial adviser using creative, confident, and relationship-based business development. He has built his entire client base without depending on lead providers or a legac...

Mortgage Adviser Explains Why She Went Self-Employed, and Will Never Go Back! 👉 “I left my job after 16 years, and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.” That’s what Carly Naylor, Mortgage and Protection Adviser at Foster Denovo, told me when we sat down to record this episode of Financial Planner Life. Carly’s been in financial services for over two decades. She started her journey in high street banking, moved into mortgage advice, and spent 16 years with one firm before maki...

If you’re a newly Level 4 Diploma qualified financial adviser with or without CAS status, an experienced financial planner wanting to run your own practice, or a mortgage broker looking to expand into financial planning, this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast is a must-listen. This week, host Sam Oakes speaks with Mark Hobbs, founder of New Leaf Distribution - an IFA network that supports advisers at every stage of their career. From helping mortgage brokers future-proof their in...

What if your advisers could serve 20–30 more clients, save 45 minutes per meeting, and reduce suitability report time from 3 hours to 10 minutes - all without hiring more support staff? That’s what Saturn AI is already delivering for over 600 financial planning firms ( 1600 Advisers ), and in this episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with co-founder Rohit Vaisha to explore how. But this isn’t another “AI will replace advisers” narrative. Saturn’s mission is...

Thinking about a career in financial planning? In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Miriam Murphy joins Sam Oakes to share her powerful career switch story, from Executive Assistant to qualified financial planner, with support from the St. James’s Place Academy. Miriam opens up about her early money mindset, paying off debt, buying a home, and how mentorship from Rob Gardner helped her see the potential she hadn’t yet recognised in herself. If you're considering becoming a financial pla...

Wayne Griffiths | One Financial Solutions | Financial Planner Careers In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes sit down with Wayne Griffiths, Managing Partner at One Financial Solutions, to explore how he’s creating meaningful, supportive career paths for self-employed financial planners. We also dive into the ongoing debate: what’s better, restricted or IFA? Wayne shares his honest views and explains why the best advice always comes down to trust and intention—n...

From Admin to Self-Employed Financial Planner with £10M AUM by 26! In this episode of the Financial Planner Life Podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with Lawrence Bearman, a 26-year-old Chartered Financial Planner at Westminster Wealth Management who's gone from admin assistant to managing £10 million in assets, all within his first year of self-employment. We unpack: Why Lawrence chose to go self-employed with just £3M AUMHow he tripled his assets in 12 months without cold calls or networking...

From Critical Illness to £60M Practice: Russell Cook’s Story of Resilience, Mindset and Career Growth at Foster Denovo In this special partnership episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast with Foster Denovo, we speak with Russell Cook — a senior partner, self-employed financial planner, and two-time survivor of life-threatening illness. Russell shares how he built a thriving £60 million practice advising 120 clients, despite facing a rare blood cancer diagnosis and later, a brain tumour....

In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, host Sam Oakes reconnects with Emmanuel Asuquo, a leading financial planner, TV personality, and social media educator. Emmanuel was Sam’s second-ever guest when the podcast launched, making this a special full-circle conversation. They dive deep into Emmanuel’s journey from growing up on a council estate to becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable financial planners, using platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube to educate and ...

In this episode of the financial planner life podcast, Sam Oakes sits down with Katie, a former Army officer who transitioned into a successful financial planning career with the St. James’s Place Academy. Katie’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and building a business that fits around life’s big moments, including becoming a mum mid-way through growing her firm. We cover: ✅ How military skills like leadership, discipline, and resilience translate into financial planning ✅ What it’...

Jeri Williams on Scaling a Business, Letting Go of Control, and Building a Life with More Freedom In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Jeri Williams, the powerhouse behind Smooth Accounting in the UK and now Smooth Dubai. Jeri shares how she built a business that runs without her, the mindset shift that allowed her to finally let go of control, and why protecting her time is now non-negotiable. We dive deep into: ✅ Why she expanded into Dubai - and how it’s t...

In this episode of the Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with Aleem Nijabat, a self-employed financial planner who built £12 million in AUM without a client bank, without leads, and without a background in finance. Aleem started during lockdown, working alone from his bedroom. He had just qualified, had no clients, and relied entirely on cold outreach through LinkedIn to get started. This conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone considering a self-employed career...

In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes is joined by certified money coach Dennis Harhalakis to explore the powerful emotional side of money - and why financial planners can't afford to ignore it. Dennis shares how our earliest money experiences shape the way we think, feel, and act around money as adults. Whether it’s shame, fear, scarcity, or self-worth, these emotional drivers often get in the way of good financial decision-making. We discuss: Why childhood money stories...