Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Burns.

Hi Rachael, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

I started in the ‘traditional’ wealth management industry in 2007. I was perfectly happy working under the big investment firms and never had any aspirations of being an independent financial advisor. However, I was inspired to start my own financial planning firm while stuck home on lockdown in the early days of COVID.

I knew that I always enjoyed working with female clients, particularly those who had gone through a divorce or the death of a spouse. I felt that I could make the greatest difference in the lives of women who were in a vulnerable state. It never occurred to me that I could limit my practice to working only with clients in that niche. In the big financial firms, advisors don’t generally work with a specific niche.

Over the years, my life priorities were reshuffled as I had to balance my career and family. I got married and had twin boys. Early in my pregnancy, my husband was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor. I suddenly found more meaning in my work, and I identified with women going through difficult life transitions because I was going through one myself.

I finally took the leap and started my own firm, focusing on helping newly single women feel confident about their financial futures. I began offering financial planning, investment management, and divorce financial analysis tailored to the unique needs of women. It was the most rewarding decision I have ever made!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Business ownership is not for the faint at heart! It takes more time than you would think to get your business launched and profitable. It was a nerve-wracking couple of years in which I had to work crazy hours for very little pay. I had no regrets about launching my business, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so difficult or take so much time to get it up and running. All of that hard work was certainly rewarded over time, and now I have a lot more flexibility with my schedule.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?

I am a financial advisor for women going through divorce or the death of a spouse. I help them come up with a plan for their financial future that makes them feel confident and empowered. My services include investment management, financial planning, and mid-divorce financial analysis.

What makes me different than other financial advisors is that everything I do is completely tailored to the unique needs of women. Women have different questions, concerns, and challenges than the average financial advisor has expertise in. I can relate to my clients in a deeper way because I have a combination of personal and professional experience in their situation.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?

I was always pretty light-hearted and loved to have a good time, but I was still ambitious from early on. As I got older and found subjects I had a genuine interest in, I got more focused and productive. I was always interested in business and dreamed of generating passive income from laundromats or mini-storage. I decided to major in finance and became interested in investing after shadowing my dad’s financial advisor. It didn’t seem like a linear path at the time, but looking back, I believe I was always destined to end up in the career I’m in now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://trueworthfp.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/trueworthfp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trueworthfinancialplanning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelvburns/

Image Credits

Photographer: Alina Tyulu