44. Sarah Lord Learns To Balance Home, Work and Play

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This week I speak to Sarah Lord, Chief Client Officer for Succession Wealth.

A comfortable upbringing allowed Sarah freedom to explore opportunities, from completing a medial biochemistry degree to working a ski season.

By a stroke of chance, Sarah found herself eager to pursue a career in the financial services. Now she boosts position number two at one of the leading firms in the advice sector.

Sarah explains to me how money is about the freedom of choice and the ability to have experiences. This attitude to money was influenced by her childhood and, in turn, one which she hopes to pass on to her own children.

An episode filled with humble perspective and contemplation on the full wealth of opportunities out there for the taking.

Episode Transcript

Jason Butler 0:05
Hello, and welcome to the Real Money Stories podcast. Real Money Stories is the only UK podcast which shares personal money stories of everyday people. So their insights can help you to be better with money.

My name is Jason Butler. And I invite you to join me as I have intimate money conversations with people from all walks of life. Whether you're just starting out on your money, journey, or world on the track, there's bound to be something you can learn from these stories about taking more control of your money, so you worry less and enjoy life more.

Jason Butler 0:03
Well, hello, and thanks for joining me on another episode of Real Money Stories. I'm your host, Jason Butler. And this week, I've got a really interesting match. I say this every week, I've got an interesting guest because I already have interesting guests on the show. But this lady's got a very good story and her insights I know you're gonna love. Mrs Sarah Lord. Hello, Sara.

Sarah Lord 0:23
Hi, Jason. Good to be with you.

Jason Butler 0:25
Yeah, good. Thanks very much. You're a busy lady. I know before we get into your backstory, do you want to just tell everyone what you actually do for your your day job?

Sarah Lord 0:34
Yeah, so my day job is I'm Chief client officer for Succession Wealth. And so essentially what that means is I look after everything to do with the client and the client journey. So proposition investment I chaired the Investment Committee and brand marketing client strategy proposition as I say, so definitely keeps me busy. So that's Monday I don't do the rest of the week anyway but

Jason Butler 1:06
now that we'll hear about your personal situation in a minute because I know you know you're you're very honest and open person about, you know the trials and tribulations and there's no such thing as perfection, which is what I love about you, you're always honest about things. So take us back to you know, this sort of your earliest bear in mind you're in financial services and you're doing this leadership position about people's money. Fascinating to know what your earliest memories were.

Sarah Lord 1:32
I think my earliest memories really relate back to my childhood and I'm looking forward to the weekend. And if my I'm one of three, so I've got two younger brothers, so if it would have been good, and then we got a little bit of pocket money, and and then we got our sweet money and we have a sweet shop at the end of the road and I think that is the kind of first real memory I have of kind of being given money that was my money that I could go and choose how I spent it. So whether I went to the sweet shop and got some sherbet lemons, or whether actually I was feeling like I want to get some more with the same amount of money and I got some magic gems and so that to me is kind of my first real experience of money saving my pocket money over and above the little bit of sweet money I got to spend at the sweet shop and then I think really, sort of the memories then continue from how my how my parents and how my family were with money and my you know I do what we do is financial planners, I think I certainly have spent a lot of time I'm kind of reflecting on my own journey, my own experience with money and how our experiences a young age can influence our beliefs and our behaviors around money. And therefore our role as a financial planner is to kind of understand our client's kind of journey with money from start to finish. So I often reflect on kind of my own experience as part of that.

Jason Butler 3:29
Now I know that was a similar thing about that. What do you choose for the money you have in your pocket? Right so you're a Maximizer when it comes to money as a kid I knew when it comes to sweets, you're looking for the best value for money. So that was the first bit what we call agency for you control you made the choices right? You were you were money was something that could get you something you wanted. So how did it then evolve your relationship with money?

Sarah Lord 3:55
I think kind of my I came from Comfortable family and, you know, my parents in what was cost for that generation professional jobs. So my mother, ph armacist, my father, a dentist, and, and we were both we, my myself and my two brothers were fortunate enough to be privately educated. Um, and that for me kind of bought for, I think some real understanding around money because my parents clearly their investment was in, in us as children and, and giving us the best opportunity for kind of achieving our own potentials. We're all different and and, you know, paying three sets of school fees from sort of the age of seven, and then supporting us through university meant that my parents really didn't Watch the pennies as it were, because they have this commitment of our education. And so I think that how how I was brought up around money, you know, as I say, fortunate enough to have a private education, but at the same time to the for myself and my brothers to experience that my parents really had to save, watch the money. And we basically had quite a fruitful upbringing. And what I love about kind of that upbringing that I had, is I think it's really ingrained in me about not being materialistic. And actually the importance of family around the choices that you make with the money that you have, because my parents clearly made That choice as to that was how they wanted to spend the money that, you know, they were working really hard for. So I will be forever grateful for that, not only for the private education, but for the experience that I had as to how they approached money and what was important as to how they spent their money.

Jason Butler 6:23
Now, obviously, there's two views here. We have now looking back and there's the view you have at the time where you as you were going through school, or a teenager or whatever, and teenagers are well known for being living in their own world, right, you know, the only thing we really want having to make sacrifices and Were you really introspective.

Sarah Lord 6:51
I think it's definitely the latter as I've kind of got older, but I really realized some of the sacrifices that they made. For the benefit of the three of us, and I also think, um, you know, as a teenager, I'm going to a private school. And there was, there was some of my friends and there were people there that were families in very similar positions. But there was also families were, you know, and friends that I would pray with, and I would love going to their house because it was three times bigger or they had much bigger garden. And, and kind of almost that degree of peer pressure around money is what I remember, then, if that makes sense. So, you know, our gardens not as big as their garden or so and so's been bought that and you know, you go home as a teenager and say, I want one of those because, you know, as children, we use the word I want and when we kind of learn, as we go out that maybe I want is not necessarily better. phrase, and, and sort of that peer pressure around money is what I remember as a teenager. And not always being able to have what my friends were bought by their parents is something that I do remember vividly. So yeah, it's definitely as I've grown older, I more recognizing of the sacrifices that my parents made.

Jason Butler 8:29
Can you recall any of those what I call the trade off conversations I've had with my kids is just because someone else has got something or having something and I always sit down it's probably on finance, I'd probably up to there. You know, next thing debt and all that. Are you aware you Can you recall having conversations with them as a teenager or a young adult about kind of like the trade offs that you know, you can't have this for these reasons and, and actually, it's not necessarily gonna make you happy or be good for you.

Sarah Lord 8:55
I mean, I can kind of remember those conversations. As I suppose as I was coming out of school and going to university more when I was, I suppose able to make my own choices around money more than I was at school where basically I didn't really have any control over money as in it was my parents choices. And but you know, certainly I think one one conversation I can definitely remember is kind of when I finished my a levels, and some of this was around affordability, but it was also around I suppose,

beliefs,

desires, safety, but some have friends that maybe had more money. And parents were paying for them to sort of go to Spain or somewhere and having competed a levels. And I distinctly remember my parents sort of saying, Well, no, because, you know, we can't afford for you to do That and think about the brothers. And you know, afraid that sacrifice but we had a train attend. And because I have very fond memories of you know, we had a private education but summer holidays were camping in Devon and and the compromise conversation I had with my parents around affordability or should we say getting on an aeroplane or not once I completed my A Levels was very much. Well, you can take the trailer 10 and you can go to Devon, which, you know, again looking back there was that that was the conversation was around kind of my safety and with my friends, shall we say, but actually it was very much around affordability.

And

to be honest, they were right. We had just as good a time than if we traveled somewhere because ultimately it was about the friendships and the experiences that we were sharing Having kind of finished school and rather than necessarily where we actually were in the world

Jason Butler 11:09
and it's always a tricky time as a teenager or a young adult, where you've got this need for connection and acceptance and, and to find your way and not doing things that are not good in your financial world, you know, good health, you know, this is sort of makes you spend money, you haven't gotten things you don't need to impress people who don't really care. So that's always a challenge, isn't it? So? Okay, so you did the campaign holiday in Devon with friends and did you start to did that start to formulate your you know, what were your money beliefs at this stage? So what you were just about to go to you need in this stage, right?

Sarah Lord 11:40
Yeah,

absolutely. So I went straight from kind of school to uni. And,

and I think,

Unknown Speaker 11:51
I think from a very

Sarah Lord 11:52
young age, I've kind of I'm

never defined success by money and, and, and therefore that's kind of supported, shall we say my money beliefs. Um, so in the sense of, as long as I'm happy I'm feeling that that I'm doing enjoying what I'm doing and doing the best that I can kind of the money will follow if that makes sense rather than focusing on the money. So I just see kind of money for me is about being comfortable and secure and having, you know, now having my own children, and Lottie who's eight and having his five, it's very much about everything I kind of do now links back to

sort of my

young adulthood around.

doing it for a degree of security See,

money. I've always been a great believer that money doesn't bring happiness and money can facilitate what people believe makes them happy, but it doesn't ultimately bring the happiness. It's the experience of how you do or what you want to do that brings the happiness.

Jason Butler 13:22
I mean, of course, there is the alleviating misery and poverty, you know, because that's, you know, yeah.

Sarah Lord 13:27
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Jason Butler 13:29
It's great in that respect. Would you say beyond that? It's not necessarily, you know, saying get to the top of the ladder and he realizes actually nothing there. So, yes, interesting. So, you were How did you navigate union? I don't give anyone you always look very young to me. But I mean,

did you how did you fund the uni thing bearing in mind money was tight with mom and dad and they'd been investing.

So how did you navigate the whole finances? Because that's the baptism of fire for many young people, isn't it?

Unknown Speaker 13:56
Yeah, absolutely.

Sarah Lord 13:56
I mean, I was fortunate enough again, going back to My parents in the sacrifices that they made, and they, they did support myself and my brothers and I, for my parents, and I was the one that was on the payroll for the least amount of time because I needed three years at uni. And so, you know, I recognize I was really fortunate in that my parents did support in paying kind of the rent. And I think looking back now I they gave they gave me an allowance of 40 pounds a week, but that basically had to cover everything. You know, I think everything from you know, clothes, food, and going out and everything, um, but I was incredibly sporty. When I was at school, I played a lot of hockey and I played that regional level and they carried and played a lot of tennis as well. So to a certain extent that was a degree of distraction from say, shall we say, the typical student, nightlife. And don't get me wrong, had a good time. But also a lot to me was about

playing sport and focusing on that, and so didn't didn't maybe have as much time as others to kind of do and also I did a science degree. So, you know, I spent quite a lot of time in a lab and you know, it's all different depending on what courses you do, but, and I did also do some waitressing work to sort of supplement that allowance for my parents. And I took a student loan I think I recall for one out my three years and that that was I had I have a very dear friend whose family live in Singapore. And it was kind of an opportunity to go and spend a few weeks in summer holidays with her family over there. And so I took a student loan to assist with that. But apart from that, I sort of made ends meet through various waitressing jobs and, and the generosity and support of my parents. So really, you're saying you were really good value compared to your siblings, and by the sounds of it from your father's perspective? So I was absolutely because my brothers went on and did all sorts of masters and conversions, everything whereas I just did three years.

Jason Butler 16:45
So here's the thing. That's interesting is yes, this support continued from your parents, but you, you were careful with the money that you did. Have you supplemented with a bit of work, are you using sports as a way of avoiding having to sort of spend too much money on the paid stuff and you still have that money? action and sense of purpose and and still could study right? So that's interesting. So you came out of uni, then when you come out of uni, what's your big wish? We really focused on joining the corporate world starting a business, traveling the world writing poetry, what was your, what was your big thing when you finished your degree? Because you can be assigned to

Sarah Lord 17:20
know my degree is medical biochemistry. So how on earth was I doing? I will never know. But essentially all all I wanted to do, and when I was kind of in the latter year, shall we say of school, and my focus whilst I was at university was to get through university with a good degree and then go do ski season. That's all I want to do. And I didn't I genuinely had, like many people in our profession. I genuinely had Kind of no idea what I wanted to do. I obviously I came from a medical sort of family. And my father at one point was quite keen that I actually did go and studies and more and maybe kind of convert my medical biochemistry degree into dentistry degree and then kind of take over from him. I told him that I couldn't think of anything worse than looking down people's mouths all day. And, and I liked numbers. And I liked helping people. I thought I wanted to be an accountant, but then realized that that was probably not the vocation for me. And interestingly, when my mum kind of being a pharmacist, I sort of got an insight into what I can only describe as pharmaceutical sales. So kind of the drug companies and the reps going into the pharmacies and sort of saying you should be using our drug rather than some

else's drug. Um, and that kind of appealed, but I genuinely had no idea what I wanted to do. And apart from bumble around in a sense for, you know, a season at least, and again, this is where I'm so grateful to my parents and kind of the support that they gave me in those sort of early adulthood, and sort of years. And kind of the grounding that they kept me focused on was they were supportive of me wanting to do a ski season but if I was going to do it, then sort of try and do it. So I got some benefit out of it. So I, I am and they supported me to do not many people know this but me to do quantum blow training so that I could go and get a you know, should we say a proper ski season job rather than just a ski bum?

So again, slightly protective, I think in nature, sort of making sure that I was doing the right thing. But at the same time hugely supportive to pay for me to do that in the summer after I finished university. So, again, yeah, very grateful for that experience

Jason Butler 20:21
must have been amazing from your hosts if you were brilliant. You know, I mean, Jesus, I mean, I never knew that about you. That's amazing. have you kept the skills? No.

Sarah Lord 20:33
I think it's fair to say that my husband now does the majority of cooking because his because of his degree was in international Hospitality Management so he did he did spend a fair bit of time in the kitchen as part of his kind of training so between us we can we can rustle up a man or they might share with her don't seem to think that mommy can cook but there we go.

Jason Butler 21:01
I'm getting this message that your parents are very supportive about improving your human capital. And this is something a lot of people who perhaps haven't built well for earning huge amounts at the moment don't realize is always investing in yourself to improve. That's the best investment you can make a new skill, new contacts, a new piece of knowledge, a different way of applying yourself. So that sounds to me like you were you were giving yourself options. And hopefully you've kept the scaling up, which I'm, I'm hoping to hear. So you did the ski season then Then how did you decide what you're going to do as a career? Did you just get for the money? Come on, come work with us.

Sarah Lord 21:38
Um, so I did my ski season and I realized that I quite like the life. And I've kind of I'm actually saying being a season air. And so I decided that I'm going for a winter season to summer season. And so then went and spent the summer in Cosica.

Working for Mark Warner and kind of head Chairman you have some Sidney's eyes or like that, and where I actually met my now husband, and and he was running the hotel, but kind of we were working out for Mark Warner, and

I'm originally from Nottingham.

Tom had done his degree at Nottingham. And so we basically settled back in Nottingham when we got back from Corsica. Tom was, you know, had always been very clear from a young age as much as father's disappointment, but he basically wanted to work in hospitality and kind of hotels. And, and, and so, when we came back to Nottingham, he was really clear. I just basically need to go and find myself a bar managers job and work my way up, whereas I was far less and less clear. And so I was wandering around, thinking watch lady, and in the Nottingham Evening Post

There was this article kind of in the business section, there was an article, it wasn't kind of an advert or anything. It was an article about this new company, setting up in this fantastic building in Nottingham and basically talking about financial advice. Now that company was intra alliance. And so I kind of read the article with interest and, and thought that's really quite interesting and kind of never really heard of that, and sort of financial advice and everything. And um, so naturally, just gave the, the guy that was leading the team there a call

and sort of said it sounds really interesting and got me jobs going. And so that's how I fell into our industry or profession as it is now. And literally by a phone call buying not really knowing What I wanted to do, um, so here I am

Jason Butler 24:04
a biochemistry degree.

Sarah Lord 24:11
He probably went well, it's got nothing to do with pensions for life insurance or anything like that. So, yeah.

Jason Butler 24:20
It's been a good effort. Right. So you went along and you did a few interviews. Did you know what you're getting into at the time? Or did it then transpire after you join

Sarah Lord 24:30
it kind of transpired after

after I joined and, and, you know, it was a great experience. Some of the people that are working with worked with them, it was kind of unsettling contiene was sort of going into inter Alliance if you remember back then and, and, and what is interesting kind of made them think about investing in yourself and kind of human capital and that side of things, because what I realized was Pretty soon after joining into Alliance

was

I actually wanted to be a financial advisor, as it kind of really was called then because financial planning wasn't the vocabulary, shall we say? And that's what I really wanted to do. But how I really thought long and hard about how, how to get the best training and experience to be the best I could at bat when the time was right. So I actually after, and also, I'd always wanted to work in London. So I found myself living at home with my parents in Nottingham wasn't quite that aspiration of working in London. And so I actually took the decision and it was a conscious decision that I'm sorry to say but I was going to use and abuse and life insurance company because they were doing fantastic training. Because back to that link with the fun pharmaceuticals

sales to a certain extent. So going in and selling your wares as it were to financial advisors, and also getting some great training and qualifications along the way. And so I interviewed with Scotttec in Nottingham. And it turned out but they didn't actually have a role. But they did have a role in Croydon, and and so I was accepted for the role in Croydon and I moved to Croydon thinking that was London and I kind of got to London and I realized that it really, really wasn't London.

But, you know, the time that I spent at Scottec was fantastic. And, you know, some people sort of question the amount, the number of qualifications and everything that I

Got but I spent those earnings she was a formative years of my career. And I've kind of talking about money with people, you know, when I was with IPS or colleagues when you're looking at quotes and things like that. I'm basically trying to

improve my knowledge the whole

time. And it worked quite well because tom tom eventually moved on to Croydon and hit it. Basically, being a food and beverage manager meant that he worked the most antisocial hours ever, and was working most weekends. So I basically sat by myself and learning and studying and I'm doing kind of exams that sort of each sitting as it were, so that I was building investing in myself to ultimately kind of delivered to myself what the goal was that I set out to do, which is to say was to use And abuse and life insurance company for kind of knowledge, training and experience before kind of going back over the fence as it were into the independent space and into ultimately being able to help the end user, I asked clients with their own money and their own personal sort of money, decisions and choices.

Jason Butler 28:28
Well, you say using the views, I think you're probably doing yourself a disservice. You gave lots of value to them.

Sarah Lord 28:34
Yes, yeah, of course. Absolutely.

Jason Butler 28:39
Because I have an equal gender balance on the on the show. So every other episode is a man or a woman, and particularly in financial services, and particularly as now gender and the whole pay gap. I don't get into a big debate on that, but it was still back then quite male dominated wasn't even whether it was a product provider or service provider or the advisory side How did you navigate that kind of the expectations of gender and how far you could go and what your relevance were? Or did you not even notice it? ahead of the time, a group of people you're working with? Um,

Sarah Lord 29:12
yeah, it's a really interesting point because I kind of feel that I'm somebody who, you know, I kind of often get asked it because now we are still, you know, the balance is changing, but we are still sort of a male dominated profession. But it's, it's what I've always known. And so, you know, from the day I first sort of walked into the office and into our lines, that's what I've always know. So I haven't necessarily seen it as a difference or kind of something to be, I suppose consciously aware of. But the interesting thing for me was Scott tech, so

Tom, is a big golfer, and we used to have, shall we say debates as to what I thought of golf in the Tom would be, You know, I can't see the point of going for a walk unless I've got some clubs on my back. And I kind of wasn't at that stage I you know, as I said earlier, I was very sporty and I played hockey at a high level. And but I still just couldn't kind of grasp the concept of golf. I'd rather play tennis and or go for a walk in the countryside. But anyway, what I really noticed it's got a I was in the cruzan office at the time, I was the only female consultant and broker consultant. And probably about every four to six weeks, I can look around myself and realize that was the only broker can Carter's consultant in the office and think, well, where are they? And then it seemed dawned on me after a couple of those sort of moments that they've gone for capture on the golf course and I thought,

possibly, sort of team and, you know, I'm part of your team. So, um, I kind of

thought Well, bye You excuse the expression, if, you know if you're going to go and play golf, I'm going to learn how to play golf and I can come with you. And so that kind of that, that is something that will always stick with me because that was the trigger to make me kind of go, Yeah, actually there might be something in this golf thing. Because if it means I can actually sort of do something that others in the profession are doing, or they're kind of having, shall we say meetings on the golf course. Then I'm going to play that game to quite literally. And so that's the only time that it's really been marked. And again, similar thing happened to me, particularly around golf. When I was living and working in Dubai, that whole kind of perception that golf

and and I yeah, sort of the main GM hate golf, shall we say for capture or as sort of Have a meeting or a way of doing business. And I certainly took a few and male financial advisors in Dubai by surprise when I pitched up and to play as well. So I think the only time that I've really noticed it. Other than that, as I say, it's basically what I've gone through my career with. Um, there's definitely different ways in which kind of, and I may, as a female approach things and say, a male colleague,

but ultimately,

my view, certainly around financial planning and kind of our profession. We're all here to help our clients and help our clients with their understanding and their relationship with money achieving that achieving their life goals. And we all have different styles as to how we do it. But as a profession, we have to know that and accept that we're different but ultimately

Our goal is a united goal and helping our clients with their own personal finances.

Jason Butler 33:06
So tell me about the how you ended up in Dubai What happened there? So you've got a number of years what what what was the reason for you to go there then?

Sarah Lord 33:17
So I'm

reason to go to Dubai was and not the best timing, but actually, it at the time was not the best timing, but with hindsight was probably one of the best things that we could have done. So after psychotic I spent a few years working at PRC, which was fantastic and IFC

no PRC was the employee benefits and was then acquired by what was well as think was acquired by access PRC was also acquired by AXA, at which point I believe

Jason Butler 33:59
left and went to see join. Sorry, so, just so anyone doesn't understand because a lot of people who don't know financial services, so these were companies, services businesses that kind of got bought and absorbed and yes, but a few came along with it. They didn't realize they were acquiring Sarah Lord as well.

Sarah Lord 34:16
All right, absolutely, yes. So, ultimately AXA, which I think you know, is a large brand name as it were was acquiring a fair bit at the time so and as part of that acquisition of the business PRC that I was in, I didn't stay really within that business and chose to go and work for another predominately stock broking business. And was was really excited about the opportunity there until six months, six months into the roll. My husband says I've got a fantastic opportunity to go and work

in Dubai.

Now for his career, it was absolutely the thing that he had to do. At the time, he was a hotel manager working for intercontinental hotels, and running on the hotels. And as part of that group, and the opportunity to go and work in Dubai in kind of their, shall we say, flagship global flagship hotels was just an opportunity to get turned down. So threw me into a bit of a quandary as to what I should do. But I've always fancied sort of running my own business

as well.

So

my husband set off to Dubai,

and I remained in the UK for a few months and sort of plotting My Next Move, and basically my next move was to set up my business called the wealth consultancy with the vision that I would continue to To serve as my clients that I had accumulated or been working with for a few years here in the UK, and then also to work with clients in the Middle East as well. So essentially have a business that was UK and UAE focused. The problem with that was

it was basically at the height of the credit crisis and the financial crisis. And so if you remember back to 2008 2009, so my husband moved out at the end, and kind of 2008

and

kind of in 2009, when it was all rather challenging for everybody. And that's what I did. And that was probably one of the

stupidest

but bravest and most sensible at the same time. Things that I have ever done in kind of taking the risks to set up the wealth consultancy with the vision that I had,

but

not really knowing which direction it was going to go, knowing that there was an opportunity to do it, but grounded on my beliefs to I make a difference. And, you know, if if, if I had been in it was the belief in myself in the sense of, I believe that I had some really strong client relationships from kind of the work that I'd done to date with my clients. And if they sort of voted with their feet and joined and, you know, continued to enjoy my services through the wealth consultancy. I could I could make it work. It was viable from day one from kind of a UK perspective. No, it was going to be tight and tight. Have a nice cup of coffee accordingly. But it was going to be viable. What I hadn't planned for was just and some of the red tape and kind of saying some of the nonsense that comes with Dubai and trying to do run through the financial services business in Dubai. And so ultimately, the way round that was, again a bit like there's a sort of a track record with my career, a new business Killick stockbrokers and based in London was had an an office out in Dubai. So I picked up the phone to them to see when there was something that we could do to come together as far as kind of, they have the licenses that I needed to operate. I potentially had To try and yeah, basically, yeah, using their licenses, but effectively bringing them clients as well in the sense of, from a financial planning perspective, if I'm doing some financial planning with clients, then some clients would need an investment strategy as part of that. And they could provide that solution to those clients. And say, it was a really, really, really tough six months and learn a lot about myself, learn a lot, particularly around my drive and my beliefs and kind of what I was passionate about. And, you know, as I say, really, I'm passionate about helping people sort of achieve what they want to around kind of their life supported by their finances, and how I could help people do that in a really transparent way. Because I think it's fair to say that the financial services market in the Middle East in particular in the offshore market, but the Middle East in particular is not particularly transparent around the cost of advice

Jason Butler 40:05
on Wild West. Yeah, I wrote an article about four years ago and it's still using that article I wrote is called the wild west or the cowboy world or something, because they've just, as you say, they make they make Robin Hood look like a same. Yeah, yeah.

Sarah Lord 40:20
So yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Jason Butler 40:22
So I'm interested. I'm just trying to think here is what would you if you think back for all that, you know, bear in mind, you obviously have a lot of client experience a lot of work. So in other words, not just your own life experience, but also the experience of working with clients. Knowing what you know, now, what would you tell your 18 year old self about kind of about money, and how to think and feel and act and use it?

Sarah Lord 40:49
I think that the one biggest thing that I have learned along this journey so far and working with clients with

money and With their money as it were, and their life experiences, and one of the beliefs that is so strong inside me now, but definitely didn't exist when I was 18 is never to judge. And so, you know, don't judge people for how they want how they choose to want to spend their money, if that makes sense, but help people so as an 18 year old, kind of don't be too judgmental, going back to my kind of childhood memories of people having bigger gardens, my friends have bigger gardens or having things that I do have, don't judge them for, for that, and equally don't judge people, if for how they how they choose to spend their money, and make choices based on what feels right for you. Be clear on kind of what I'm what is really important to you as a person Because I think that's one thing that I have certainly learned over the last 20 years, is being clear as to what is important to me and standing true to my own values the whole way through. And if someone wants to just me for that, then fine, but I won't judge them back. Because that, to me is how I am most effective as a financial planner, is by listening to

clients by listening to

how they want to make their choices, and helping them understand their choices, but never judging them.

Jason Butler 42:42
And how do you if we just pretend that you're, you're 90 years old? And you're looking back

over your life, how do you want to how do you how will you judge that you've been successful in using money in a way which is in tune.

Sarah Lord 43:05
I want to say that I've,

I've kind of thought about that because I don't want to wish my life away. But at the same time, I would say that I have given that some thought and it comes back to my childhood, and why I do what I do today. And I do it for my children, and for my children's future and my children's, my children achieving what they to their true potential, and helping them along the way. And that is because that is the wonderful childhood experience that I had. And and so kind of 90, I'd like to think that I'm a grandmother, and with, you know, my children having their own children and my children being happy and successful in whatever path of life that they choose, and being comfortable. In the choices that they have made, and that that is kind of what I'm about, if that makes sense. And that is, that is what success is for me. And it's around the family success and having some really good memories along the way and having some really good kind of experiences to share as a family and and enjoy as a family. Yes, money as a facilitator, but I think what I've definitely found out you know, over the course of last three to four months of lockdown is and it's been a really good sense check of actually just going out for a long walk with the family and having fun and a weekend is just a great way to spend time

and being present.

And being present to enjoy those moments so that my children are given the best opportunity.

Jason Butler 45:09
Absolutely. As you say, your life is very precious is something you know, is only so much time we have but there's plenty of abundance and as you say, you use money wisely to, to ensure that when you look back you you say I'm glad I did not I wish I had. So that's fantastic. Now, if anyone wants to find out about your business succession, what do they do? Can you just use their website? And you can go? Yeah, absolutely. Um, website which is successionwealth.co.uk. And or we also have a LinkedIn profile as well for the business. So again, succession wealth,

Sarah Lord 45:48
where we provide an overview of what we do.

Jason Butler 45:50
Yeah, and I know you've got people all around the country. So you're a nationwide firm and because you're the experienced director, you really do advocate for making sure that the service the advice Everything that the whole experience is is enjoyable for people and not this kind of like pulling out teeth like some people imagine taking advice. So, you know, thank you, Sarah, I really wish you luck with the future. I hope that when you're 90 you're still skiing. Right? I'm still hoping for you. So when you are sad, am I am I was escape what was Jason right. So I hope you can. Thank you very much. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Really appreciate it. And very good luck with helping change people's lives for the better through helping them with the money. Thank you for your time.

Sarah Lord 46:36
Thank you very much Jason, too.

Jason Butler 43:30
Thanks for listening to Real Money Stories with me, Jason Butler. If you'd like what you hear, please do tell your friends. And more importantly, please rate us on your preferred podcast app, because it really does help us get the message out there. So until next time, good luck with your money journey.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai