This advisor wishes she had joined an advice-only firm earlier in her career

In the Behind the Advice series, Globe Advisor asks advisors about their relationship with money from a young age, the lessons they’ve learned over the years, and how those experiences shape the advice they give clients. Behind the Advice is also a podcast: Season Five is now available and you can find all the episodes here.

Isabelle Bernier, a financial planner at Objective Financial Partners Inc. in Montreal, talks about her first visit to an advisor’s office when she was 10, her recent leap to an advice-only firm and why she thinks Sherlock Holmes would make a good advisor:

Describe your upbringing and experience with spending money.

I grew up on Montreal’s South Shore as an only child. My parents were both teachers. My dad left teaching in his early 40s and became a real estate investor. My parents were very frugal, especially when my dad started his new venture and we were living on my mom’s salary.

I learned early on that I had to earn money for any discretionary purchases through chores, including helping my dad with renovations. I was also a swimmer and in my mid-teens I started working at the local swimming pool and eventually taught swimming and CPR.

Was there an early experience with money that influenced how you work with clients?

When I was 10, my parents started bringing me to investment meetings with their portfolio manager instead of leaving me home alone. I remember their advisor being wise, patient and empathetic with his clients.

I also remember being mesmerized by the colourful charts and graphs he would show my parents to explain their financial plan. Most kids might have found it boring, but I was fascinated. I could’ve listened to him all day.

What did you want to be growing up and how did you get into financial services?

I was a competitive swimmer and wanted to compete in the Olympics. But once I realized that was unlikely, I became more interested in finance. I remember one of my CEGEP teachers was very engaging, telling stories about the stock market, companies and how human emotion can sometimes drive investment decisions. I was hooked.

I went on to get a bachelor’s degree in finance and international business from McGill University and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Sherbrooke before getting my first job in the investment industry. I worked at Investors Group and Desjardins before joining Objective Financial Partners in July.

What’s one of the best career moves you’ve made to date?

Leaving the big bank and joining Objective Financial Partners for an unbiased, flat-fee, advice-only financial planning career. It enables me to work more closely with my clients in a more entrepreneurial way. It also gave me the work-life balance I craved, including the flexibility to follow my son as he trains as a pro soccer player. Now that I’ve made the jump to this style of financial planning, I will never go back.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career so far?

About five years ago, I went to a financial planning seminar in which the presenter talked about the importance of advisors connecting with clients as human beings. He also stressed the importance of advisors maintaining work-life balance so they can be mentally prepared to work with clients.

It really sparked something inside me. I realized then I was unhappy with the kind of work I was doing. I knew I needed to do something different. It took me a few years to make the move because I wanted to be sure before making a big change.

What advice do you wish you received early in your career?

I started working at 23. I wish someone had told me it’s okay to try different things, gain multiple experiences and not stay in one place too long if it’s not for you. If I had done that, I would have made different choices earlier in my career.

What’s your advice for someone who wants to be an advisor?

Besides staying informed as an expert, I would say develop your social skills. You need a special temperament to work with clients. You need to be patient and to be a good listener.

Also, learn everything you can about behavioural biases that can impact clients. Managing client emotions during market downturns and stopping them from making impulsive financial decisions is one of the hardest parts of the job, but it can also bring the most value to clients.

Name one famous person or fictional character who you think would make a great financial advisor?

Sherlock Holmes. He sees everything, from the tiniest elements to trends and opportunities, before anyone else. Also, he’s not the type of guy who panics for no reason; he’s always logical in his recommendations. One of his quotes is, ‘It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgement.’ That’s good advice for advisors and investors.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Are you a client-facing financial advisor looking to share your experiences with money growing up and your thoughts on the industry today? For more details and to be considered for an interview for Behind the Advice, e-mail: bbouw@globeandmail.com