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AK, Founder / Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning: Advize Career Interview
A career path shaped by water polo and a Craigslist ad led to a fulfilling career as a Founder/Wealth Advisor.
Buena Vista Financial Planning's leader reveals a day filled with client meetings and back-office tasks, emphasizing the crucial skills of genuine empathy, strong organization, and authentic communication.
The role's rewards include witnessing clients' long-term progress and the collaborative spirit within the industry, while challenges involve emotional tolls and market uncertainty.
Success in this field, the interviewee explains, hinges on prioritizing client well-being over sales, a lesson learned from a busy college experience and a childhood shaped by divorce.
The interviewee's journey highlights the value of diverse career paths within financial planning, including entry-level roles in client service or paraplanning, and underscores the power of strong client relationships built on genuine connection.
This career offers an opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives, a testament to the profound impact a career in financial advising can have.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
AK Mashhoon
Founder / Wealth Advisor
Buena Vista Financial Planning
Cuesta College and Cal Poly, SLO
N/A
Business Management & Admin
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Finance
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
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Career Path of a Founder Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning
AK's career path was initially driven by a desire to play water polo, leading to a business degree with concentrations in accounting and finance after initially pursuing engineering. After initially rejecting a perceived "multilevel marketing" style financial advisor role, a Craigslist ad ultimately led AK to their current position as a Founder/Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning, following further education and a period working at an insurance company.
Main Responsibilities of a Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning
AK's main responsibility as a Founder/Wealth Advisor is not just "investing clients' money," but acting as a "thinking partner" to help clients navigate life's significant financial decisions and challenges, requiring approachability and a non-judgmental approach to support clients during vulnerable moments like "divorce" or "job loss." This holistic approach leverages AK's financial expertise to help individuals and families achieve financial well-being.
A Day in the Life of a Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning
A day in the life of AK, a founder and wealth advisor, varies greatly, with "every day different," but typically involves 30-50% client meetings (in person, via Zoom, or phone) and the remainder focused on collaboration with their assistant, preparing for meetings, and back-office tasks like "analyzing pay stubs and tax returns." Unlike many early-career professionals who focus heavily on business development, AK's current role is largely client-centered due to a conscious decision to not grow the business further.
Most Important Skills for a Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning
For a wealth advisor, the most crucial skill is a genuine love for people and a commitment to helping them, ensuring "you wanna help". Beyond that, strong organizational skills and authentic communication are vital for building trust and fostering client relationships, as client retention often hinges on advisors following through on commitments rather than investment performance.
Favorite Parts Of Being A Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning
After 17 years as a Founder/Wealth Advisor, AK finds the most rewarding aspect is witnessing the "long-term progression" of clients' lives, from celebrating births and college planning to experiencing life's challenges alongside them, viewing the role as an "honor" to be a part of their families' journeys.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning
AK's biggest challenges as a Founder/Wealth Advisor include the emotional toll of client loss—"it hit me like a ton of bricks"—and the inherent uncertainty in financial markets, requiring skillful communication to align couples with differing perspectives and manage anxieties around unpredictable events like job loss and fluctuating investment performance; the advisor focuses on proactive planning to mitigate these anxieties, urging clients to consider, "What are we gonna wish that we would've done three to five years from now?"
Favorite Parts of Working in the Financial Planning Industry As a Wealth Advisor
AK, Founder and Wealth Advisor at Buena Vista Financial Planning, appreciates the collaborative and helpful nature of the financial advising industry, finding "a lot of helpers, people who just wanna help people". This contrasts with initial skepticism, evolving into a recognition that a focus on client well-being, even at a potential financial cost, is key to success and a defining characteristic of the best practitioners.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Financial Planning Industry, According To A Founder And Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning
Buena Vista Financial Planning's founder and wealth advisor AK identifies two contrasting archetypes who succeed: "narcissists" who prioritize sales and those who prioritize genuine care for clients, the latter often initially hesitant due to self-awareness but ultimately proving highly impactful. This dichotomy highlights a tension between transactional and relational approaches within the financial advising industry.
What A Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Financial Planning Industry
AK, a founder and wealth advisor, wished for more upfront education on diverse career paths within the financial planning industry, specifically highlighting the possibility of independent practice ownership and the challenges involved. The experience taught them the value of seeing "case studies of how [successful practitioners] got there," emphasizing the importance of honest and sustainable practice building.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Wealth Advisors
Entry-level financial planning positions typically involve "client service or paraplanning," with paraplanning offering valuable experience in "tax planning and retirement planning," while client service builds crucial client communication skills—a vital aspect of the industry. Although advisor roles exist, the interviewee cautions against those focused solely on insurance sales, suggesting alternative entry points are equally valuable and shouldn't be underestimated.
Significant Career Lesson From a Founder at Buena Vista Financial Planning
AK, a founder and wealth advisor, learned that strong client relationships are invaluable, stating that the connection "is real, it's...so strong" that a significant career shift—from a large firm to independent practice—caused minimal client disruption. This experience underscored the importance of investing in genuine connections, exceeding AK's expectations and demonstrating the power of relationship-building in the financial services industry.
College Experiences That Helped A Founder And Wealth Advisor At Buena Vista Financial Planning Succeed
To prepare for a successful career, AK suggests a busy college experience involving multiple jobs and demanding extracurriculars like water polo, forcing prioritization and resilience. This approach, including deliberate choices like waiting tables to improve interpersonal skills, helped develop the ability to "get a lot of stuff done" even with limited time, a skill directly applicable to their career as a Founder/Wealth Advisor.
How Identity Influenced a Wealth Advisor's Career at Buena Vista Financial Planning
AK, a founder and wealth advisor, initially viewed their childhood experience with divorce as a negative, believing it "meant that you were kind of broken." However, navigating relationships between two sets of parents unexpectedly fostered strong empathy and relationship-building skills, proving invaluable in "navigating just human relationships" with clients and colleagues, and helping them "make sure they're on the same page."
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