Throwing the Doors Open

Hi there.

I’m on cloud nine. 

It’s official. My firm’s registration with the State of Michigan came through and I’m ready to throw open the doors! I’ve been so excited for this for the last month that I can hardly believe that it finally happened. I’m ecstatic and elated, and also very nervous. I can’t hide behind the “I’m not open yet” shield that I constructed for myself, so now I actually have to start doing the real work, (not just the pre-work work). 

What does that mean? It means that I’m ready to start taking on clients. First and foremost, I let everybody know. I’m going to reach out to my network and tell everyone that I’m open. I get to check off the last boxes of “Wait until registration is completed” before doing that. The next few weeks I’ll be scheduling meetings and learning how my idea of this model actually jibes with the actuality of this model. 

What that looks like to everyone who has been rooting me on: I’m going to connect with you, and rely on your honest feedback about the process, how it works, and where you feel the value lies. There’s going to be a lot of changes, and I’m going to adapt my service a lot while I’m first getting started. That’s half the fun. 

There is still so much work to do. I doubt I’ll ever have a shortage of tasks to fill my plate. One of my friends said: “I imagine you’re going to be spending about 25% of your time doing planning work, and 75% of your time running your business.” I told him, “I hope it’s more like 50 – 50, but I know what you mean.” Managing the nuts and bolts of this thing, all on my own, will take a lot of time. I’ve been putting that time in, and now I’m finally able to do the other half of the business – the half I’m actually excited about. 

The biggest thing that I can lean on: I’m opening an Advice-Only firm. I’m doing this business the right way. While I need to sell myself, I’m not selling products anymore, managing anyone’s assets or trying to get them to move their money. I feel really good about this model, and I’ll sleep soundly. If you’d like to read more on that, check out my blog: Why I don’t manage money. 

I’m really confident that this model is going to turn out right. Feedback is welcome. Come aboard and help me shape it. 

I’m so excited to talk to you. There’s no charge for us to have an honest conversation about your situation. I’ll share my thoughts and you get to decide how you’d like to move forward. Don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at ian@entrustedstewardship.com. 

Thank you – I’ll try to be worth it. 

Until next time, God Bless.

Ian