Ep #108: Finding Success by Transitioning from AUM to Monthly Retainers - The Career of Helen Ngo

Helen Ngo shares her experience working her way into the financial planning world and starting her own successful business by the age of twenty-six. There’s a whole lot to take away and apply to your own business plan, whether you want to start a business or you're already in the process.

Starting out in a male-dominated field definitely didn’t make Helen shy away from business; it actually gave given her the motivation to quit an aging practice and start her own unique, passion-driven firm. She talks about everything from getting her CFP certification to the beginnings of her business. She started out by getting clients through knocking on doors, and now she is starting to face scaling issues that demand she re-work her pricing and marketing.

Part of Helen's scaling is shifting her focus from AUM to charging an hourly or monthly rate. She elaborates on how this is a more effective way to generate a reliable income, as well as focus her attention on what she is best at and most enjoys. Helen is inspiring and informative and leaves us with some great takeaways, including what she wishes she knew when she started out.

Listen to the Full Interview:

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What You'll Learn from This Episode:

• Why Helen took interest in the financial planning field and her journey from student to business owner.
• Why the financial industry is transforming from investment first to planning first.
• The unique offering that was missing in the financial planning industry, which Helen was able to offer herself and her clients.
• Why she started with an AUM fee structure, and why she is now focusing on hourly and monthly clients (and moving away from a focus on investing).
• The scaling issues and growing pains a young business goes through and how Helen is tackling them in her own way.
• Why she does not plan to hire other financial planners to help her business grow.
• How she plans to generate passive income and reach out beyond just her face to face clients.

Featured on the Show:

• Capital Benchmark Partners
• Raymond James
• CFP Board
• TD Ameritrade Conferences
• NAPFA
• UGA Financial Planning
• Emory University Financial Planning
• When She Makes More: 10 Rules for Breadwinning Women by Farnoosh Torabi