Ep #18: Finding Success by Failing Then Pivoting with Dave Grant

Dave Grant is the founder of Retirement Matters, a fee-only financial planning firm in Chicago, IL. Dave joins the show today to share his career journey, including how he found financial planning, his experiences in his first position, and why he left the firm to join a larger local competitor. He also opens up about how he handled the career crossroads he was faced with when deciding whether to join another firm or start his own.

Listen in as Dave discusses the changes he went through as he transitioned from employee to business owner, the niche he initially chose, and why it didn't work out. You’ll learn how he carried on through some tough times professionally, how his mindset shifted into pivoting to a structure that could generate the revenue he needed to support his family, and his best tips for job seekers.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

Dave’s background in teaching and how he got into financial planning. (2:22)
Why he left his previous firms and how it inspired his own. (6:37)
How he handled the transitions. (7:28)
The challenge in choosing a niche. (8:50)
Why Dave had to pivot and how he ended up doing that successfully. (11:30)
How he has used content and the value it has in business. (18:40)
How he has structured his business to be what he needs. (20:50)
Tips for new planners looking for a job or wanting to start a firm. (23:15)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“It’s a vision process that firm owners and senior planners have to go through to say, 'Let’s give up some short-term gain in order to deliver some long-term gain.'”- Dave Grant Share on X “I was literally changing everything possible, throwing it up against the wall and seeing if it stuck.”- Dave Grant Share on X “Things that are honest get a lot of readers because people want to see what’s going on in the real business.”- Dave Grant Share on X

Resources In Today's Episode:

Dave Grant: Website | LinkedIn
Caleb Brown: LinkedIn | Twitter
Dave's Financial Planning column
Yes, You Can Find A Financial Planner Even If You're Not Rich
New Planner Recruiting, LLC on YouTube

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.