Ep #97: Teacher Turned Financial Planner with Keith Wayne

Keith Wayne is an Associate Financial Planning Analyst at Mercer Advisors based out of Lynchburg, VA. He joins the show today to share how he transitioned from a 26-year career in teaching to become a financial planner. If you are coming from the education profession and want to successfully navigate the transition, this is an episode for you!

Listen in as Keith talks about what originally got him interested in teaching, the valuable skills the profession taught him, and where he finds similarities between teaching and financial planning. We also discuss how Keith found his first financial planning position, what he did to set himself apart and prepare for his new career, and his advice for others who are looking to take the leap from a comfortable career to pursue their true calling.

What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:

What got Keith interested in teaching initially. (1:40)
What he did not like about teaching and the most difficult situation he faced in his teaching career. (4:45)
How Keith got the financial planning bug. (5:55)
The transferrable skills from teaching to financial planning. (11:40)
How Keith knew what type of firm he wanted to join. (14:10)
What kind of reception he received from firms during his job search. (17:55)
Advice for other career changers. (20:40)

Ideas Worth Sharing:

“If you can manage a middle school classroom, you learn a lot of soft skills that can help you in financial planning.” - Keith Wayne Share on X “If you’re going to be an effective teacher, you’re also a lifelong learner.” - Keith Wayne Share on X “You have to take the leap before you’re ready.” - Keith Wayne 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.