Deciding to become a financial adviser was not a career step that Amanda Redman took lightly. In fact, she called it a "significant" step - a leap of faith almost.
But the founder of Tonbrige-based Amanda Redman Financial Planning, and who was named as the Best Woman in Financial Services at the national Best Business Women Awards 2020, says she has never looked back wistfully on her previous corporate career.
She says: "I was previously a European marketing director with a 21-year corporate career, so when I knew I wanted to pursue a new path of helping people on an individual basis, it was a very deliberate and well-researched move into the industry.
"I took a significant step when I chose to completely change my career and re-train as a financial adviser, and it was not one that I took lightly."
So what prompted this move?
Redman says: "It was a desire to advise, inform and support women like myself: professionals, who are working mothers and have a lack of time (and often inclination) to manage their own personal finances.
"In an industry with a historically low percentage and representation of women, I felt I could make a positive and tangible difference to people’s lives.
"By being relatable and empathetic to their circumstances, I build strong, supportive relationships that gives them confidence with their money, enabling them to take control of their financial future."
Pursuit of professionalism
Redman expresses her gratitude for the wealth management firm that supported her company, Amanda Redman Financial Planning. She says: "They provided the support, training and professionalism needed to help me develop and grow as a financial adviser – at the start and ever since.
"Now, I am skilled in giving high-quality advice across a range of needs, including complex and high-net-worth situations.
"After five years, I passed the advanced Chartered Insurance Institute exams and became a chartered financial planner, enabling me to focus on creating plans for clients that give them confidence in their financial future, to live their best possible life.
According to Redman, being self-employed is good for women as it means there are "no tangible barriers to entering the profession on this basis" - it's purely a "meritocracy where earnings are created through your own skills and hard work".
But she acknowledges that traditional beliefs and expectations can cause barriers in women’s minds as to whether they will ‘fit’ or succeed in the financial services industry.
Therefore, she is keen to promote her profession, because "as a career it can provide high job satisfaction alongside the flexibility to work the hours you want to, aligned to your clients’ needs.
"Ultimately, the more women who enter the profession, the more representative it will be of the clients we serve – and with it, the stereotype of older, white male advisers should lessen."
