ell us about yourself, your company, and job profile?
I work as the Senior Financial Advisor for Alpha Wealth here in Little Island. I’m from Cork originally and have worked in financial services here for about 6 years. At Alpha Wealth, we are an independent financial planning company and to put it simple; we provide financial advice to individuals and business owners and identify ways to save them money, make their money work harder and put provisions in place to look after their future and that of their families & businesses. I suppose the great thing about our line of work is it’s relevant to almost everybody, whether you are someone in your 20’s looking at buying your first house or someone in your 60’s gearing up for retirement. We meet many different people with many different stories and needs which is what I love about the job.
Who has inspired you in your life and why?
I suppose I draw my inspiration from all around me. I think it is important to surround yourself with the right people in life who want to progress and be successful and that in turn can motivate you even further. We don’t need to always look at the Bill Gates’ of the world to be inspired to do great things. My dad worked as a painter all his life, has been through crash and out the other end with a successful business and he is the hardest working person I know so I guess I learned a lot about the importance of hard work from him.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you have and why?
Although I’m not much of a social media or techy guy, I would probably bring a smart phone/tablet for Netflix and sports, good food & drink for 2 & 3 – it’s important to enjoy the simple things in life even if stranded on an island!
In a team environment, what role do you usually take on?
In Alpha Wealth each person brings their own role and strengths to the team and we work very well together. My own role involves me engaging with and meeting clients which is what I love about the job. It’s important to create and maintain relationships in business and in life.
What three things do you need to be successful in your job?
1 – Most importantly you need to look after your clients and have their best interests at heart. If you don’t, someone else will!
2 – It’s important to be passionate about what you do. You could call me a bit of nerd for finding finance interesting but I’m very fortunate to be in a job I love.
3 – You need to have long term goals as well as short term goals and always be aiming for the next level. Otherwise you are just going through the motions.
How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?
Although I see first-hand the importance of money in my job, it’s important to realise that this does not always define success. As mentioned already, I have long term goals, both professionally & personally, so once I reach these, I will be successful in my eyes however sometimes it can be hard to strike a balance between being ambitious and being happy with what you have. I guess success for me will be looking back on my life & career in my older years and feeling happy & fulfilled with what I have achieved and what I have left behind, providing a comfortable life for your family etc.
Which of the two animals would you say you are most like — a sheep or a wolf — and why?
A wolf – I like to keep to myself and keep a small circle of people I’m close to. I think it’s important to question things and set out your own path and beliefs rather than follow others, even more so in the world we live in today which is dominated by social media.
