Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cathryn Porter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cathryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

When I first started in the finance industry, it was a bit overwhelming. I was working as a clinical manager for an Orthopedic practice. I just had our second child, Mason, and the pandemic started not even three weeks after. I was on maternity leave still, and I was approached with an opportunity to start working at Bradford Financial Advisors and create a new career and legacy for my family. The leap of faith, and support from my family both played critical parts in my decision. I knew I wanted to do something more with my life and create a more successful and stable environment for my family. My husband has to retire one day… I started with Bradford Financial Advisors in March of 2020, and continue to grow our practice today. Working at Bradford Financial Advisors has been an incredible journey that I plan to continue. We are working on expanding our practice to include a second location, as well as in house bookkeeping and tax preparation, along with our financial planning. The thing I love most about our practice, is that we are independent, and not tied to a specific product. We truly work in the best interest of our clientele and create the best possible portfolio for their situations. Our options are almost endless. We do not charge commissions or financial planning fees with portfolio management, as we take our fiduciary roles to the next level and educate our clients on everything possible.

Cathryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As previously mentioned, I switched my career path quite late in life. Married in 2016, first son in 2017, second son in 2020, and a career change in 2020 at the age of twenty-nine. I was terrified, excited, ready, yet nervous. There was not one emotion I did not experience during my transition. The first year was HARD to say the least. I knew absolutely nothing about the financial planning world, I managed an Orthopedic practice and had no experience with investing or financial planning. I felt like a complete outsider, and lost puppy. I went back to school, and just recently received my Bachelors in Science for Corporate Finance and Accounting. Not only did I go back to school, I also studied the industry from sun up to sun down and took my registration exams within the first two years. I struggled, I cried, I laughed, and I succeeded. I can honestly say that I do not regret the move, and I look forward to what the future holds for my family and myself.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the most difficult hurdles I had to overcome in my life, was to learn telling people, “no” is alright. I was always raised to put others first, and unfortunately that can create a world that should be avoided. Putting others first is not something I ever have regretted, however, by learning to put myself first, I have created a legacy for my family, inside a world that I am proud to show my children. I still care for others, but I found making time for myself and my family, is more than alright.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of the most effective strategies I have found to grow my clientele is actually quite simple. Referrals. There isn’t a single lead that is better than a referral from other clients! It shows that not only am I doing a good job, but I am making the clients happy enough to send others my way!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bfadvisorsllc.com
• Facebook: Bradford Financial Advisors