What 40 presenters said about the human side of financial advice
Have you ever glanced at an event programme that left you feeling somewhat overwhelmed? Imagine, for example, being a journalist tasked with covering an event featuring over 40 presenters, each given eight-or-so minutes to share insights on human-centred financial advice. This was the daunting challenge that faced your writer as he ported into the virtual part of the hybrid Global Financial Planning Conference (GFPC 2025) event, curated by PROPULSION.
The human element
The agenda was crammed with touchy-feely topics like emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and well-being in recognition of financial advisers being the human constant in today’s increasingly automated advice environment. Planning skills and technical product knowledge are non-negotiable to excel at financial advising, but mastering the soft skills gives you an edge in the adviser-client relationship realm. Today’s newsletter offers a brief summary of a handful of the GFPC 2025 talks.
Russell Ho CFP® was first up to talk about the human heart behind financial advice. He reminded advisers of their irreplaceable human value, and their ability to bring empathy and presence to adviser-client interactions. Addressing concerns over the impact of AI and generative AI on the financial planning profession, Russell noted that tech tools were great at data, but poor at reading emotion or supporting clients through loss. “ChatGPT is your Iron Man suit, but you are Tony Stark … the suit is only as good as the person inside it,” he said, encouraging the audience use emerging technologies as augment their advising and planning capabilities.
The real superpower in planning
According to Russell, presence is the real superpower in financial advising. He identified the real heroes of the profession as those who comfort grieving clients or help a struggling parent to find ways to cover future education costs, etc. “A hero is not someone who saves the world, but the person who is there through life’s hardest moments: listening, supporting and guiding,” he said. His brief talk served as a reminder that technology comes second to the trusted human behind the financial plan.
The second presenter to take to the stage was Jean Archary CFP®. Jean offered a personal and powerful reflection on embracing change, whether in life or your relationship with money. She offered a relatable, personal metaphor for the internal resistance clients face when trying to shift entrenched financial behaviours. “Changing [your clients’] money stories is not simply about teaching them how to manage their money,” she said. “It is about helping them change how they think, feel and behave with money.”
The balance sheet value of your employees
Your writer enjoyed the ‘It starts with your people’ presentation by Joy Truter, a business coach and reinvention consultant at Old Mutual Wealth. Joy reframed the succession planning discussion by acknowledging the balance sheet value of the employees in your practice. Succession is not about drawing up a contract or finding a buyer, but about whether your business can run without you. “If your business cannot run without you, it is not a business but a job with overheads,” Joy said. Powerful stuff.
Potential buyers are not just evaluating your profit line but assessing the people and processes that keep your practice running. A business that relies entirely on its founder to manage client relationships and operations is much harder to hand over, and thus harder to sell. “You want your team to be the vault of client trust,” Joy said, urging advisers to structure teams for both capability and continuity. The overarching message was that investments in people and systems help to build a sustainable practice which is more attractive to potential buyers.
Neli Mbara CFP® explored the link between self-talk and professional presence. She urged advisers to confront the internal narratives that shape their confidence. Drawing from personal experiences, she showed how stories rooted in childhood and culture end up dictating how you ‘show up’ in your career. “Our thoughts are not facts, they are habits [that] over time build a version of you,” Neli said. Her call to action was simple but powerful: do the work to rewrite the story that is holding you back.
Busyness meet business
‘Stuck in the urgent: reasons to stop being busy’ is a presentation title that will resonate with many FAnews readers. The frantic pace of financial advising, and pressure to onboard new clients while servicing a growing book, means that many intermediaries are rushed off their proverbial feet. Guy Holwill, CEO of Fairbairn Consult, argued that being perpetually busy was bad for your health, your relationships, and your business.
Drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs and Einstein, he encouraged attendees to carve out regular time to think, reflect, and create. And in a nice turn of phrase, he singled out creativity as an antidote to ‘sameness’ and a key differentiator. His talk made a direct comparison between chronic busyness and business stagnation. Guy warned that advisers who were caught up in perpetual fire-fighting seldom had the chance to rethink their value proposition. If you operate on an “urgent always wins over important” basis, then your practice is under threat.
Enter Gugu CFP®, who launched into a conversation under the label ‘Play Dough’. Gugu delivered a personal talk on integrating creativity into the somewhat rigid world of financial planning. Reflecting on her journey from food blog to finance, she framed wellbeing as a multi-dimensional pursuit that includes money. “Finance is how I serve others; creativity is how I serve myself,” she said.
A challenge was issued to advisers to embrace their identities and help clients do the same. Drawing a parallel between baking and advising, Gugu noted: “Dough is basic, but in the right hands it becomes something transformative; financial planning is no different.”
Listen, think and build connection
A confession to close this piece. Your writer only dipped into the first half of the programme, which means that those taking to the virtual podium after the lunch break had zero chance of featuring in this piece. And the 18 who presented before midday only had a one-in-three chance of a mention.
The message that emerged from a surface-level interrogation of a stacked conference content was that technical know-how is not enough to excel in financial advising. Today’s financial planning professionals are being called upon to be creative, to think deeper, to listen intently, and to build meaningful connections with clients in addition to staying informed on best practice and product.
Writer’s thoughts:
The more than 40 presenters at the Global Financial Planning Conference covered a range of human-centred topics. Do you find this kind of subject matter too touchy-feely, or is it just what the doctor ordered to carry financial advising through the AI age? Please comment below, interact with us on X at @fanews_online or email us your thoughts [email protected].
