Dont Shoot The Messenger

The financial advice profession has a talent problem. Experienced advisers are approaching retirement, firms are struggling to attract younger talent, and artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape many of the entry-level roles the profession has traditionally relied upon. In this episode of Don't Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball sits down with Hannah Moore, founder of Guiding Wealth and...

How do you build a successful financial planning business? In this episode of Don’t Shoot The Messenger, Chris sits down with Guy Skinner, founder of Citygate Financial Planning, to discuss how he built a thriving financial planning firm, won 139 clients in his first year, and why most planners underestimate what it really takes to run a business. Guy shares the lessons that shaped his approach to...

David Swanwick is Head of Client Communications EMEA at Dimensional Fund Advisors, but he didn't start there. He began his career in banking, moved into independent financial advice in Brisbane, helped merge 14 firms into a single national group managing $10 billion AUD, then made the leap to London to join Dimensional in 2011.  Whether you use Dimensional or not, this episode is packed with...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris sits down with Paul Taylor, a financial planner turned coach who has spent over 25 years working with business owners and entrepreneurial families. After building a £100m client book, Paul stepped away to focus on what he believes is the most undervalued skill in the profession: Communication that actually drives action. In this episode, we cover...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball sits down with Alan Smith, Founder and CEO of Capital Asset Management, to unpack what it really takes to build a successful financial planning business. Alan started his firm over 20 years ago from a small office in Victoria. Today, he is widely recognised as one of the most respected voices in UK financial planning. They cover: - How Alan...

When I started Hoxton Wealth in 2018, we had $35 million of assets, five people, and two small offices. Today the business manages over $4 billion for more than 10,000 clients globally, with licences and offices across multiple jurisdictions. But the journey from there to here was not simple. In this episode of Don't Shoot the Messenger, I sit down on my own to walk through the full story of...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger , Chris Ball sits down with Don Bennyhoff, former Vanguard investment leader and one of the key architects behind the widely referenced “Advisor Alpha” research. Don spent nearly 23 years at Vanguard, helping redefine how financial advisors communicate their value beyond portfolio performance. He later served as CIO and Investment Committee Chair at a $...

Behavioral finance legend Carl Richards explains what great financial planners actually get paid for, and why human connection is becoming the most valuable skill in advice. In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball sits down with Carl Richards (author of The Behavior Gap and The One-Page Financial Plan, and former New York Times “Sketch Guy”) to talk about the real craft of advice:...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris sits down with Adam to break down what it really looks like to start in advice from scratch, build a client book, and make the leap from a network model into a larger practice without losing your entrepreneurial edge. Adam joined Hoxton Wealth in March last year and brought over a significant book of business. He started with no prior experience,...

Why does property feel easier than stocks for so many people, even smart, high-earning professionals? In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris sits down with Lámidé Elizabeth, an ex-investment banker turned entrepreneur and investor to unpack the real psychology behind property vs stock market investing. We cover: - Why property feels more “understandable” than stocks - The psychologica...

Pete Matthew is the founder of Meaningful Money, one of the most established personal finance platforms in the UK. What started in 2010 with a cheap camera and a simple idea has grown into: Over 10 million views 145,000 subscribers Nearly 700 videos A business generating consistent enquiries and long-term client trust In this episode of Don’t Shoot The Messenger , Chris Ball sits down with Pete to...

In this conversation, Chris sits down with Jamie McNish, Regional Director at Hoxton Wealth London, who previously led an £11 billion office with over 250 advisors at St. James’s Place (SJP). Jamie shares hard won lessons from decades working across Tenerife, Madrid, Dubai, Singapore and the UK, and what he looks for in truly exceptional advisers. In this episode, you will learn: Advisor performan...

Will AI replace financial advisers, paraplanners, and investment analysts, or just change how the best ones work?  In this episode, Chris and JJ explain exactly how AI is reshaping financial planning careers and what you need to do to stay ahead. In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris and JJ cover how AI is already being used inside a $3.5 billion advice business, and what it means fo...

Most financial planners say they want more clients… …but they’re still relying on referrals, cold calls, and hope. In this episode, Chris sits down with Alan Turner, Group Marketing Director at Hoxton Wealth, to break down the exact advertising and marketing system that helped the firm scale across the UK, UAE, USA, Australia, and beyond. They cover: - Why ads matter now more than ever - How to st...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris and Jacob have one of their most honest conversations yet, about tough times. Because behind every success story, there’s usually a stretch of life that felt impossible. The late nights. The setbacks. The near-misses. The moments you almost gave up. Chris and Jake open up about their own struggles, from sleeping on floors and living off takeaway...

What does a day really look like for a financial advisor managing £250 million in assets? In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball (CEO of Hoxton Wealth) is joined by Jonathan Jay (JJ), Head of UK Operations of Hoxton Wealth, for a behind-the-scenes look at the daily structure, mindset, and systems it takes to build and manage a quarter-billion-pound book of business. From early mo...

Artificial intelligence isn't just changing financial planning, it's revolutionising it from the ground up. This candid conversation explores how AI is transforming daily operations for advisors and reshaping client relationships in ways previously unimaginable. We dive into practical applications that are already delivering results: dictating meeting plans during commutes, creating trai...

Is the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) qualification worth the significant time investment? In this revealing episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to achieve financial planning's highest credential and whether it actually matters for your career success. For those considering the qualification, this episode offers invaluable insights into the potential salary uplift (with charter...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball sits down with Bobby Sahota, a top-rated UK financial adviser with over 20 years of experience, £160m AUM managed, and a track record of mentoring, endurance challenges, and charity work. Bobby shares: - How prospecting has evolved from high-volume cold calls to trust-based relationships - Her top strategies for building a client base from s...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball sits down with Jake, Hoxton Wealth’s Global Advice Manager, to break down one of the most underrated drivers of success in financial advice: tracking your numbers. Together, they cover: - Why tracking activity and results is the fastest way to grow your business - The exact metrics Hoxton advisers track daily (and why) - How data has helped...

There were only 174 financial advisers under the age of 25 in the entire UK in 2024. Yes, you read that right. In this episode, Chris Ball sits down with Sam Oaks to unpack a growing problem that’s been swept under the rug for too long: the advice gap. Why are young people avoiding a career in financial planning? What’s stopping them from entering one of the most meaningful, high-earning professio...

 Ithis episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball and Sam Oakes dive into the brutal truths of running a business. We talk: - Why anger almost wrecked our businesses - How alcohol was killing our productivity - The cost of hiring the wrong people (and how to do it better) - The dangers of perfectionism and launching too late - The importance of coaching, mentors, and extreme ownership No flu...

In this episode of Don’t Shoot the Messenger, Chris Ball and Sam Oakes dive into the REAL truth about sales, especially in financial services. Chris Ball shares his personal sales journey, from being terrible at selling to building a £250 million+ business through relentless prospecting, learning from mistakes, and developing a simple, repeatable sales process. We cover: Why sales isn’t a “dirty w...

In this episode, Sam and Chris open up about their different parenting styles, from discipline and structure to emotional safety and open communication. They dive into real conversations around: - Teaching values like kindness, respect, and accountability - Navigating screen time and digital exposure - Talking to kids about money, alcohol, and mental health - Encouraging creativity and entrepreneu...