Rose Was Offered to Buy the Financial Advice Firm She Joined at 18, She Started Her Own Instead!

Learn more about The Openwork Partnership  How do you move from employed administrator and paraplanner to self-employed financial adviser, business owner and appointed representative of The Openwork Partnership? In this Financial Planner Life podcast, Sam Oakes speaks with Rose Hawkins, founder of Pebble Rose Wealth, about financial adviser training, self-employment and building a financial planning business within The Openwork Partnership network. Rose joined the first Openwork Partnership Route to Principal cohort intending to buy the practice she had worked in since she was 18. A succession plan was being discussed, funding was available and an established client bank was waiting. Seven modules later, Rose changed direction and launched her own company. In her first 12 months as a self-employed financial adviser, Rose generated £4 million of assets under management through accountant introductions, Openwork mortgage adviser referrals and recommendations from existing clients. Rose explains why she became an appointed representative of The Openwork Partnership rather than establishing a directly authorised financial advice firm. For employed advisers, paraplanners and IFAs comparing a financial adviser network with going directly authorised, this is an honest account of the support, opportunities and responsibilities involved. OPENWORK PARTNERSHIP SUPPORT Rose discusses: • Openwork Business School and CII exam training • Route to Principal and Partnering for Growth • Partnership Development Managers • Supervisory, quality and regulatory support • Adviser introductions and network referrals • Mortgage, protection and wealth opportunities • Marketing, technology and acquisition funding Rose began at 18 through an apprenticeship, working four days in administration and studying for one. Administration became paraplanning. Paraplanning became responsibility for a client bank. She then gained her Openwork wealth licence, achieved competent adviser status and became self-employed. The episode explores how administration and paraplanning build technical knowledge, confidence and client experience. Rose also shares the reality of running a one-person practice while finding clients, marketing the business and working towards Chartered Financial Planner status. KEY TAKEAWAYS Employed to self-employed financial adviser Appointed representative network versus directly authorised IFA How Openwork Route to Principal changed Rose’s succession plan Building Pebble Rose Wealth instead of buying a practice Generating £4 million of AUM in 12 months Support available through The Openwork Partnership Administration and paraplanning routes into financial advice CII gap fill, Chartered status and mortgage licensing Partnering for Growth and Rose’s expansion plans Walking away from buying an Openwork practice Starting a financial planning apprenticeship at 18 Thirteen years in an Openwork advice firm  Administrator and paraplanner to financial adviser CII Level 4, AF exams and Chartered status Rose’s career within The Openwork Partnership Openwork Business School training Credibility as a young female adviser Women in financial planning careers Openwork wealth licence and competent adviser status Employed to self-employed financial adviser Openwork Route to Principal The module that changed her business plan Starting a financial planning business Openwork support for an appointed representative Running a one-person financial planning practice Generating £4 million of AUM in year one Mindset for self-employed advisers Adding an Openwork mortgage adviser licence Family financial planning and generational wealth Openwork Partnering for Growth ABOUT THE OPENWORK PARTNERSHIP The Openwork Partnership is one of the UK’s largest and most established financial advice networks, with almost 5,000 financial advisers across more than 800 firms and a history spanning over 50 years. It supports appointed representative firms and self-employed financial advisers with authorisation, oversight, training, technology and business development across wealth, mortgage and protection advice. The Openwork Partnership is a trading style of Openwork Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Join The Openwork Partnership: 👉 https://bit.ly/Openworkjobs ABOUT FINANCIAL PLANNER LIFE Financial Planner Life shares UK financial adviser careers, IFA business stories, paraplanning, financial planner training, self-employment and appointed representative opportunities. Financial Planner Life is sponsored by Redmill Advance Whether you're starting out, already qualified, or building a training academy, Redmill Advance delivers expert-led learning, exam support and CPD from Level 4 to Chartered. ✅ Trusted by top UK firms 👉 www.redmilladvance.com/fpl Be sure to follow Financial Planner Life on YouTube for extra content about  career development within Financial Planning.  Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? Reach out to [email protected] Reach out to [email protected] in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production.