The Difficult Lesson to Take Responsibility

Many years ago, I made a visit to my financial advisor to talk about how to grow my business.  I desired to take responsibility, so I wanted to take the best approach.  My logic was fairly straightforward.  If he was able to build a successful advisory company, he would refer me to the right people to help me with my business.

During the visit, he made a convincing sales pitch for me to use him as my business advisor, based on the successful clients he had in his firm.  I figured that his pitch made sense, seeing that he was working with some very wealthy and successful people, so I signed up with him.

I won’t go into all of the details of what happened, but it was clear after a couple of years that I had made a big mistake.  It simply wasn’t a good fit for either one of us, as I had limited experience in starting and growing my own business at the time, and he had very little experience with the market of my business.  What made the situation more difficult for me was the fact that it was a very costly decision that took a few years to correct.

Where I Failed

It would be very easy to blame this advisor for the mistakes he made with me, and the poor advice he gave me throughout the process.  The problem is, however, not the advisor’s fault.  It is my responsibility for choosing the path we took.  The problem is that I ultimately wanted for him to strategize and manage everything I didn’t know how to do.

It was easy for me to justify this logic by thinking that I was paying him a considerable amount of money to give me the best advice. But I made the mistake of thinking he would care for my business as much as I did.  I made a bigger mistake by assuming that he would provide me all of the answers I needed.  On the other hand, he made a big mistake.  He promising me that he would give me those answers, which was wrong.

I figured out in this process a key lesson that has helped through the years: no one is that good.

A couple of years later, I saw a considerably different approach that has made a big impact on my life.  A very talented attorney met with my wife and me.  He spent a considerable amount of time with us, explaining a strategy he was going to use for our wills and trust.   After he had explained how the strategy worked and how it would benefit us, he asked my wife if she understood what he had presented.  She responded, “We trust you and we know it’s all in order, so I’m fine with what you’ve said.”  His response surprised her: an emphatic “NO!”

He told her that he had not done his job well if she simply believed in what he was doing.  Instead, he said it was way more important for her to understand what he was proposing and why it would work for us.  So we spent some more time together until she could explain what he was proposing. More importantly, she could explain why it would be the right legal solution for us.  And now we’re a whole lot more smarter and wiser for the experience.

The Lesson Learned

The main lesson in this situation for me was this: take responsibility for yourself and your business.  As an advisor, I have a wealth of knowledge to share. I provide lots of help when it comes to starting and growing your own business.  I want the greatest success for you and for you to accomplish incredible things.  And I am committed to helping you realize your dreams.  It starts when you take responsibility.

The challenge, however, begins with you.  Take responsibility for studying and understanding what will allow you to reach your goals and dreams.  Gaining the advice of those who are more experienced and knowledgeable will definitely accelerate your progress.  But you must make the wisdom and knowledge you gain in your efforts as your own.  Embrace them and use them for your fullest benefit.

Keep reading our blog articles here on OnlineAdvisor.com.  Ask questions.  Post comments.  Keep learning and keep growing.  Make the resources, knowledge and wisdom you gather along the way as your own.  And never quit trying.  Never.

I wish I had this resource when I started my business – that’s why we’re here to help and support you.  Keep going and keep growing!