Ep #42: Taking Control of Your Career with Brandon Odell

Brandon Odell is a Partner at Ensemble Practice, a consulting firm that specializes in financial planning firms. He joins us today to discuss his career path, going from an engineering major to consulting for financial advisory firms, and the education and skills combinations that are critical for growth in the industry.

Listen in as we talk about why Brandon decided to pursue an MBA and his perspective on whether he thinks an MBA is helpful for a new planner’s success. You'll learn what compensation looks like for many new planners, where the trends in compensation are going, and why the initial compensation value is not the only thing to consider when it comes to new opportunities.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

How Brandon got started in consulting for financial advisory firms and why he pivoted from engineering to financial services. (1:50)
Why he decided to pursue an MBA and whether he recommends it for all new planners. (6:20)
His journey from MBA to Moss Adams to a FinTech company. (15:20)
What it’s like working at Ensemble Practice. (19:00)
What compensation looks like for new planners. (22:30)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“I’ve always believed that education is a ladder to where you want to go.” - Brandon Odell Share on X “What do I need to be better and who is my audience?” - Brandon Odell Share on X “Growth is the momentum that provides opportunities.” - Brandon Odell Share on X

Resources In Today's Episode:

Brandon Odell: LinkedIn
Ensemble Practice
Moss Adams
Adam Grant
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant
Tamarac
Mark Tibergian
Philip Palaveev

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.