Cutting Edge: Champion Strategies from an Athlete-Turned-Advisor

Advisor or athlete – drive and dedication matter

Before I became an Advisor, I was an athlete. As a six-time national figure skating champion in Finland, I had the opportunity to travel the globe and learn from some of the sport’s greats. That, in fact, is what brought me to Canada. In the late 1990s, I moved to Barrie, Ontario, to train with competitors like Canadian figure skating legend Elvis Stojko. And about 10 years ago, another Canadian champion, Jennifer Robinson, helped set the stage for my career as an Advisor. She introduced me to a friend who ran an investment firm, and he was generous enough to take me under his wing. The rest, as they say, is history.

While figure skating is still a major part of my life, I’ve been able to carry over many lessons from sports into my Advisory practice. I volunteer as a coach three times a week, and whether I’m working with a young skater or an investor, my job is the same: to give the best advice possible from a place of knowledge and experience. Sports also teaches kids important skills that they can take with them all their lives, like drive and dedication. A famous Canadian coach of mine used to say this about practice: “Be the first one in and the last one out.” That’s stuck with me ever since because it’s equally applicable to the world of wealth management. If you’re dedicated and put in the work, your clients will notice and be more inclined to trust your advice.

Servicing high-net-worth clientele

Through both my sports background and my Finnish heritage, I’ve been able to make connections that have contributed to my unique list of clients. Ex-athletes make up around 10% of my book, and they include former Canadian champions, athletes from other countries, and hockey players. Building a personal relationship with these clients is natural because we have something in common. And in my experience, ex-athletes understand the long-term. They know not to expect results overnight. Investing is a process, just like sports, and we as Advisors expect performance results to mature and improve over time much as any athlete would.

I also advise a number of major real estate developers in Toronto and Barrie. In fact, there are quite a few developers from Finland that have come to Canada, and I’ve been fortunate to cultivate referrals from many of them. Because of the high-income individuals in my book, I have found the average size of assets under management is relatively high. But for me, it doesn’t matter if you’re a $10 million client or a $10,000 client—I always strive to provide the same exemplary level of service to everyone.

The value of teamwork

I’m a huge team player, which is part of the reason I joined Wealth Achievers—a registered trade name of Investia Financial Services Inc.—from IG Wealth Management in 2020. From the start, Jason Miller, my friend and the founder of Wealth Achievers, and I had the same philosophy: on a fundamental level, we just want to do the right thing for people. With the help of our team, we’re able to manage separate books of business while backing each other up—if, for instance, one of us can’t be at the office or something has to be taken care of in a hurry. And, like any great team, we each have our separate skills and roles which I think is a real strength. The support is what allows me to focus on what’s most important: working with clients, educating and advising them on their finances, and seeking out new business.

That said, building a winning culture isn’t always easy—it’s only natural that you’re going to have disagreements from time to time. When I was on the Grand Prix figure skating circuit, I’d spend about five months of the year on the road traveling to major tournaments like the European and World Championships. I’d stay at hotels, which sounds exciting, but which can become very tiresome, and I’d have no choice but to learn to get along with the people around me, some of whom were my competitors. The lesson I learned is that, whether in sports or business, you simply have to find common ground—otherwise, you’re going to be one lonely soul.

Building a lasting connection with clients

Oftentimes, after I’ve handed a prospective client my business card, they’ll go home and Google my name. Then they’ll call me up and ask: “Hey! Are you that guy on Eurosport?” My situation is unique, of course, but that kind of immediate familiarity gives clients a sense of trust right off the bat.

Surface-level familiarity isn’t enough, though. To be able to successfully advise a client, you need to understand their goals, be able to anticipate their concerns, and know what their endgame is. I touch base with my clients constantly, and make sure to schedule longer meetings with them at least three or four times per year, either in person or virtually over Zoom or Teams. We also send out a weekly newsletter. Most importantly, my clients know that I’ll be there for them whenever they need me. Often, clients will call just because they want to come in and have a chat over coffee. Other times, a client will drop by my office in Barrie on their way up to the cottage. We may not even discuss their investments. It’s all about comfort, because Advising is, at its core, a business of personal relationships. Getting to know each other is the foundation of any successful Advisor-client partnership.

Like so many others, the pandemic has obviously had a tremendous effect on my business and the way I interact with clients. As a small team, we’ve been able to run a very tight ship at the office in terms of health and safety protocols like sanitization and mask-wearing. This has allowed us to continue to see clients in-person on a limited basis, which has been especially beneficial for elderly clients, some of whom aren’t comfortable with virtual conferencing technologies. That adaptability—tailoring our service to the individual—is one of our ongoing strengths. Some clients would just prefer to look you in the eye and sign documents right in front of you rather than on a computer, and that’s something we’re happy to accommodate as long as we can do so safely.

Let the experts be experts

As Advisors, there are times when we need to put our egos aside and not try to be jacks-of-all-trades. I had a recent conversation with someone who asked: “Do you think the head coach of the Maple Leafs is coaching the goalies?” And I said no, because they’ve got a goalie coach for that. I view myself as something of a head coach—an overseer, someone who concentrates on the big picture—and am happy to let others contribute on their areas of expertise. If you know your own strengths, you can rely on your colleagues’ strengths, and everyone will benefit.

For ideas to grow your practice, contact your BMO Global Asset Management Regional Sales Representative today.