Behind the Advice

Bo Banner has been chasing the thrill of competition from an early age. He spent a significant period of his youth competing in amateur skateboarding tournaments before shifting his focus to football. After four successful years on a scholarship at Central Washington University, he landed a pro contract with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. But a few years later, he decided to hang up his cleats and focus on a new career as a wealth advisor. Today, Bo works as an independent financial advisor in Whistler, BC. He and Brenda discuss his path to the CFL, the circumstances that led him to leave football behind for a career in finance, and how being a pro athlete prepared him for life as an advisor.

When it came to choosing a career, Samantha Sykes explored several different paths, from writing the LSAT with an intent to pursue law to spending three years at culinary school. But it was an impromptu conversation on a cruise ship that set her career as an advisor in motion. These days, Samantha is a Senior Investment Advisor and Financial Planner at Raymond James in Toronto. She and Brenda discuss a humbling mistake she made early in her career, her concerns about the rise of “finfluencers” and her advice for women of colour wanting to break into the advisory world.

Maili Wong has always embraced a challenge. Whether that was pursuing a career in neurosurgery, or, after shifting her focus to finance, moving to New York City to work on the trading floor of a prestigious Wall Street investment bank. But working in a building connected to the World Trade Center on the morning of 9/11 had a profound effect on Maili, forcing her to reevaluate her career path and consider what truly mattered. In this episode, Maili and Brenda discuss her decision to leave her successful Wall Street career, the impact of AI on the wealth advisory industry—both positive and negative—and the qualities she looks for when hiring the next generation of financial advisors.

Growing up, economic stress was a daily reality for Robyn Thompson. Whether it was tagging along with her parents to Money Mart for a cash advance or seeing them rely on welfare to cover basic needs, these struggles instilled in her a strong work ethic and a sense of financial responsibility that she has carried throughout her career. Today, in addition to her role as a financial advisor, Robyn is a seasoned keynote speaker and media personality, dedicated to providing financial advice to a broader audience. Robyn shares her journey from waitress to wealth advisor, why she sold her business, Castlemark Wealth, and how her experience with cancer inspired her latest career transition.

In the first episode of season two, Brenda speaks with John De Goey, a well-known advisor and author who isn't afraid to question industry norms. John's bold ideas and critical perspective have set him apart from most of his peers in the financial services world. With books like "The Professional Financial Advisor" and "Stand Up to the Financial Services Industry," he pushes for changes that better serve investors. John talks about his upbringing on a southwestern Ontario farm, explains why he thinks advisors paint an overly optimistic picture of the market, and outlines what red flags to look out for when choosing your advisor.

Money weaves its way through all our lives. It influences our choices, big and small, and charts the course of our future. And behind every piece of financial advice, there's a person with a unique story to tell. Host Brenda Bouw is back for season two of Behind The Advice, a Globe and Mail podcast about financial advice and the people who give it. From an advisor who kept their previous experience living in poverty a secret from colleagues and clients for years, to one who thinks the industry has become far too complacent, Behind The Advice gathers stories of trial and triumph, and digs deep into the moments that shape how advisors think about money, their clients, and the industry at large. Season two launches June 18th.

Adrienne Power is an Olympic sprinter turned financial advisor from East Jeddore, N.S. Raised by a family that fostered a love of competition, Adrienne excelled at sports from a young age and starred for the Dalhousie University track and field team while she pursued her commerce degree. Following university, Adrienne focused on track and field full-time, representing Canada at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She also competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, winning bronze medals in the 200 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay. After retiring from track at age 35, she returned to finance and now works as an advisor at Edward Jones in Bedford, N.S.Adrienne talks about dreaming of the Olympics from a young age, a life-altering event in her teens that shaped her views around money, and the qualities that she carried over from professional athlete to financial advisor.

Ivan Arturo grew up in Bogata, Colombia. After moving to Toronto in the early 2000s to learn English and study business at York University, he worked briefly in telecommunications until a chance encounter on a sales call put him on an entirely new career track.Today, Ivan is a certified financial planner with IAB & Associates Financial Solutions at Sun Life in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He talks about his journey to Canada twenty years ago, the most significant differences in how Canadians and Colombians think about money, and his efforts to promote financial literacy in Canada’s Hispanic community.

Kent Manderville is a former NHL hockey player who played over 700 career games for teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Philidelphia Flyers. But while some of his teammates enjoyed multi-million annual salaries, that certainly wasn’t Kent’s experience. Mostly a 4th line grinder, he strung together several short-term contracts with a salary closer to the league minimum. After hanging up his skates, Kent, who studied business while playing hockey at Cornell University, obtained his CFP and CFA designations. He now works as a wealth advisor in Ottawa, where his clients are current and retired professional hockey players. Kent talks about how he balanced sports and education in his early years, what he learned from being one of the lower-paid players in the league and the unique challenges of advising professional athletes.

Tiffany Harding moved out of her mother’s house as a teenager. By the time she was 16, she had her own bachelor apartment and was dividing her time between school and night shifts at a restaurant to support herself. Today, she’s a long-time financial advisor who’s worked for big and small financial firms such as Royal Bank, Manulife, and, currently, Richardson Wealth.Tiffany speaks about her unconventional and financially precarious childhood, growing up in an environment of both abundance and scarcity, and how her challenging experiences helped her relate to clients today.

Xin Lou's foray into the world of finance was a bit different. A self-proclaimed computer enthusiast, Xin became interested in investing during the first crypto boom in 2013. Fascinated with the technology’s potential, he and his friends started their own company, building supplies for the crypto-mining community. But after years of crypto volatility, Xin decided to pursue a more traditional path to finance. Based in Surrey, British Columbia, he’s currently a Wealth Planner at Coast Capital, and he previously worked at TD Wealth and RBC. Xin discusses what it was like to be involved in crypto during its early years, how his views on the sector have evolved over the past decade, and the impact that technology is currently having on the investment community.

Jackie Porter is a Greater Toronto Area-based financial planner with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. Her practice focuses on cash flow management and tax planning strategies for businesses. She also co-authored Single by Choice or by Change, a book that helps single women prepare for their financial future. But Jackie’s career trajectory is anything but typical. Jackie shares the events that led to her becoming financially independent at a very young age, her long and roundabout route to becoming a financial planner, and why she now considers her personal struggles to be a professional superpower.

Behind The Advice is a new podcast about finanical advice and the people who give it. Episode 1 launches Sept 26.