This week brought about Kim’s 10-year anniversary with Verve, making her the fifth 10-year alumni at Verve today. Naturally this has led to some reminiscing within the business.
When I joined Verve (then Para-Sols – and only just at that!), it was basically me and Cathi in a box room figuring out what paraplanning was and could be. We did everything paraplanning, from sitting on the one shared phone to providers for information, right through to report writing and cashflow. We were all rounders, and we were bloody good at it.
Those were stressful times. Often having over 10 cases on our list A DAY but they were also some of my favourite times too. Cathi and I have this almost magical ability to be able to laugh in the direst of circumstances and it’s truly what I believe has gotten us through those times in business that have seen other firms fluster. Covid, recessions, terrible terrible terrible housing markets, quiet periods at work, busy periods at work, life, marriage, death. We’ve faced it all with (often inappropriate) humour and had the best of times, during the worst of times. It’s probably why our podcast won an award, which surprised us both, as for a finance podcast, it was minimal on the finance but maxed-out on the laughs.
This aside, we very soon had more clients than hands and had to hire to keep up with demand. That has been a theme throughout our Verve lifespan. We’ve always (luckily) had a lot of interest in our services and the issue was always finding great people to work here (which again, we luckily have – as shown by our 10+ year alumni).
The ability to pivot our services led us to building the business out into compliance, training and technical services – something we’re incredibly proud of. It has helped us protect our team in times of service-specific downturns and not just meeting our mission to support advisers to give good advice. I was sceptical of compliance being a paraplanner (we’re age-old enemies) but now I love it (with a capital L.O.V.E) and really appreciate the difference it can make when it does good in the world.
Externally the change into more holistic planning from advice selling has been huge and has driven the role of the paraplanner from a ‘what’s one of those?’, to a nice-to-have, then to an essential in any advice business. I’m proud to say we did a lot to promote and support that (along with others in the industry) and I’d hope our legacy is that paraplanning will continue to thrive and evolve long after we’ve gone.
I guess the biggest difference between now and then is that while it’s still Cathi and I doing a lot of jobs / tasks / innovating with a fervent passion, it’s usually less of the actual paraplanning, though you will still find me writing reports at busier times or doing file checks and creating templates (once a paraplanner, always a paraplanner...). That all-rounder part never leaves you and I wouldn’t want it to, but now I can also be found creating efficiencies, innovating with technology and basically trying to make any paraplanner / file checker / technical person / geek / dork / poindexter lives easier. That’s my own personal goal.
I can’t tell you what the next ten years hold because with Verve you can just never tell. And you know what, that’s what makes it the best.
Seeing as I'm about to share some throwback headshots, I should probably share mine too. Let’s hear what some of our other 10 year alumni have to say about their time with Verve...
What’s the biggest difference between then and now?
The depth of knowledge in the business. We have spent so many years building up so much experience and skill, and it’s incredible to have all that resource to tap into.
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen internally?
Dextera! We run the entire business from it now. It helps our clients know exactly what Is happening and when, and it gives us phenomenal insights. It was a long time in the building – but I don’t know what we would do without it now!
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?
It’s got to be the pandemic impact, and the good, the bad and the ugly that came from that. To name some of the positives; flexi and hybrid working, better use of technology, and a wider range of options to deliver service and insights to clients.
(was Client Relationship Manager)
What Is your favourite memory from your time at Verve?
I think one of my favourite times was when we branched out from Para-Sols and started Apricity. Even though we didn’t know at the time exactly how Verve would look or what was to come, for me it was the start of a new exciting path for us of diversifying and growing as a company - and it felt like a big, but exciting challenge to be part of getting that off the ground! There was a real vision to make some positive change in the compliance space.
What is the biggest difference between then and now?
Probably the amount of staff we have now! The team was quite small when I started and most of that small team is still here now – so that feels special. Even though the team seems huge in comparison to the early days, the genuine people Verve attracts, friendships and the ability to work hard and have each-others back when the going gets tough alongside a good dose of humour has never changed.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the industry?
A load of new talent! There’s still a long way to go in creating new opportunities for new advisers but it’s great to see a lot of new initiatives for trainee / younger advisers and financial services professionals coming through who are genuinely passionate about wanting to do the right thing by the clients.
(was Trainee Paraplanner)
What’s your favourite memory from your time at Verve?
Apart from winning the Para-Sols go karting grand prix in c.2016, I think it was attending Evolution 2023. It was a fantastic event and really showed how far the company had come in my time here. Having been around since the first ever exhibition Para-Sols did, and the fun that was had prepping for that (a time before couriers!), to see such a massive event in London with so many delegates was fantastic.
What’s the biggest difference between then and now?
Going from working in such a small office with 4 or 5 people and increasing in size over the years to now working in my fourth office since being here with a team of 50 plus and still counting...
What’s the biggest change you’ve seen internally?
I have seen entire new companies being created within Verve, as well as new services being created, but the biggest by far is launching our very own tech ‘Dextera’ which has helped to revolutionise the way we work.
(was Trainee Paraplanner)
What's the biggest difference between then and now?
We were a couple of tiny little offices when I first started. Now we have consolidated into a single office and fill up a full conference room when we go off site...
What's the biggest change you've seen internally?
The sheer number of people we have, and now having specific people that specialise in certain different areas, not just within financial planning!
What's the biggest change been in the industry?
Pensions, they’ve gone back and forth constantly over the last 10 years.
