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.
Career Exploration, Overcoming Challenges, Job Search, Financial Planning, Career Development
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
Video Highlights
1. AK's initial interest in engineering and subsequent shift to business and finance due to his analytical skills and love for people.
2. His negative experience with the initial financial advisor jobs he interviewed for, which led him to explore other avenues before eventually finding his way back to the field.
3. His persistence in pursuing his interest in financial planning by taking CFP classes while working for an insurance company, demonstrating his commitment to the field despite facing setbacks
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
Gibson. So, in college, I initially wanted to play water polo. I went to Quest College, thinking my strengths in math and science might lead me to engineering, which was a big field there and at Cal Poly.
However, after taking Multivariable Calculus, I realized engineering wasn't for me. Around 1999 to 2001, the .com bubble was bursting, so I took a business class. I wanted to understand that side of the economy.
Questa offered a business class, and I found accounting came easily to me. I then transferred to Cal Poly to finish my degree in accounting.
While nearing graduation, I realized I didn't want to be an accountant. The field felt too similar to my engineering classes. I started taking more finance classes and had instructors who really sparked my interest.
I ended up majoring in business with concentrations in both accounting and finance. A professor told me I was analytical but loved people, suggesting I'd be a great financial advisor.
I was stressed about my next step, but decided to pursue financial advising. I interviewed for several positions, but the interviews felt like multilevel marketing meetings. They seemed more focused on sales ability than genuine care for clients.
It wasn't what I expected, so I left that path. I started working for an insurance company. It was disheartening because I still loved financial planning. I took Certified Financial Planner (CFP) classes at night to keep learning.
During the CFP program, I replied to a single ad on Craigslist for an independent financial advisory practice. That's how I ultimately entered the field.