Ep #116: Characteristics of a Rockstar Intern with Matt Benson

Matt Benson is the Founder of Sonmore Financial based out of Chandler, AZ, and he joins the show today to share how he got started in the financial planning profession, why he hired an intern after starting his own firm, and why that intern is a rockstar. If you are seeking an internship or entry-level role in a financial planning firm, then don’t miss this episode!

Listen in as Matt talks about how he knew he wanted to pursue a career in financial planning while in high school, as well as what skills his mentors encouraged him to develop to achieve this goal. We also discuss how he built his network in a new area, how he paid his way through college by selling books door-to-door (and overcoming the fear of rejection!), and why he ultimately decided to start his own firm.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

How Matt got into the financial planning profession. (1:50)
How he learned to keep going through rejection. (5:00)
How he leveraged networking to grow his career. (8:45)
Why Matt left Vanguard. (11:00)
Why he decided to start his own firm. (14:40)
How Matt found and hired his rockstar intern. (17:40)
Why his intern has rockstar characteristics. (19:40)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“You’re going to be a hungry financial planner if you don't know how to sell.” - Matt Benson Share on X “There are two components that make a financial planner: one is the sales ability, the other is the technical ability. ’” - Matt Benson Share on X It’s sales 101: you have to have a positive attitude when you’re in front of a prospect.” - Matt Benson 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.