Ep #102: From Professional Musician to Financial Planner with Saki Kurose

Saki Kurose is an Associate Planner with Omega Wealth Management based out of Arlington, VA. She joins the show today to share her story of transitioning from a career as a professional musician to a career in financial planning. If you are a musician and looking to transition into a career in financial planning, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Listen in as Saki shares her story of immigrating to the U.S. and going all in developing her musical career, including why a musical career ultimately wasn’t the best long-term fit (and what interested her in the financial planning profession instead). We also discuss how she developed a niche in student loan planning, how she began running her own small business underneath an existing RIA, and her thoughts on how the profession can attract more women and minorities.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

Why Saki first pursued a musical career and how she pivoted to financial planning. (1:50)
What interested Saki in a financial planning career and the steps she took to get started. (7:35)
How she managed studying for the CFP as a freelancer. (10:25)
Why she eventually left the first firm she started her financial planning career in. (13:55)
How the industry can attract more women and minorities. (18:00)
Saki’s advice for new planners. (19:00)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“I wanted a career where I could continue to grow and learn new things, and that’s why I was attracted to a career in financial planning.” - Saki Kurose Share on X “It wasn’t my style to jump into an industry without having any technical knowledge.” - Saki Kurose Share on X “Being a freelancer for so long helped me be better with my time.” - Saki Kurose Share on X

Resources In Today's Episode:

Download your free copy of the New Planner Career Roadmap!

In this roadmap, you'll be guided through the details of various stages of your financial planner career, including position descriptions, licensing, skill and experience level requirements, and compensation ranges.