Continuing education isn’t just a required element of my profession; it’s also a passion of mine. Alongside fulfilling both regulatory and firm requirements each year, I regularly engage with one or two product partner representatives monthly. These engagements range from one-on-one meetings to educational lunches or webinars. Additionally, I maintain regular contact with CPAs and Estate Attorneys to stay abreast of strategies they employ that could benefit my clients. Furthermore, every Monday, I participate in Zoom meetings with several Edward Jones® financial advisors in my region to discuss current market and economic conditions, as well as new rules, regulations, and case studies. Most recently, we delved deep into understanding the mega backdoor Roth strategy.
As the owner of a mid-sized recruiting firm, I'm often investing in my own growth as a company, and I've found that a lot of the same ideas that fuel my personal investments can be reworked for my business. For example: much like a mutual fund, it pays to pair up with others. Recently, I wanted to invest in a larger office space, but my dream location was a little out of reach. By applying the same principle I do when investing in funds, I was able to come up with a strategy: a tenant with a sizable down payment. We split the initial costs in exchange for a long-term lease in the building. The lesson here is that continuous learning isn't always about new techniques. Sometimes, you need to rework your existing knowledge, and be willing to apply it to a fresh scenario. Rob Reeves CEO & President, Redfish Technology https://www.redfishtech.com/fintech-recruiting/
I approach the task of continuous learning in the ever-evolving field of investments by staying up to date on the latest industry news, reading books and articles, and attending conferences and workshops. I also make sure to surround myself with a diverse group of colleagues and mentors who can offer different perspectives and share their own experiences. A recent learning experience for me was attending a workshop on impact investing. This is a relatively new field that focuses on investing in companies that have a positive social or environmental impact. The workshop helped me to better understand the principles and strategies behind impact investing, and how it can be integrated into a broader investment portfolio.
Continuous learning for me is a blend of curiosity and determination in the investment field. Just like I learned about the concept and application of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), which is transforming the financial sector. It required me to understand smart contracts and the Ethereum blockchain. This learning experience reaffirmed my belief in the importance of staying updated in a fast-changing landscape like ours.