Why I became a financial adviser: Isla Brown’s story

What was your route into becoming a financial adviser?

I started out as an employment lawyer in Glasgow. When my husband got his dream job in London, I planned to move too, but at that time, the job market in employment law had slowed down.

After a couple of years of weekend commuting, we decided something had to change. I had my first child at 28 and took a career break. I still did bits of work from home – mainly in HR – but like many people, I found that taking time out of your career can really knock your confidence.

It’s something I still hear from lots of women: that feeling of “maybe I can’t go back”. That experience is one of the reasons I now specialise in working with women.

The move then into financial advice came about in quite an unexpected way. During lockdown, I retrained as a Pilates teacher. One day, I was teaching a class and got chatting to someone who worked in finance.

“It takes time to rebuild that confidence when you’ve been out of the workplace. But once I settled into it, I realised those years hadn’t set me back.”

I mentioned I’d always been interested in the area but assumed I was too old to start again. She was very quick to challenge that and said, “Absolutely not, we need more women in finance.”

Not long after that, I saw an advert for the St. James’s Place Academy and thought, why not?

What was it like returning to work and starting a new career?

The biggest challenge wasn’t talking to people – I’ve always enjoyed that. It was having the confidence to position myself professionally and say, “I can help you with this.”

It takes time to rebuild that confidence when you’ve been out of the workplace. But once I settled into it, I realised those years hadn’t set me back – instead they’d actually given me a broader perspective.

“Representation matters. Some clients feel more at ease speaking to another woman about money, particularly if they’ve had difficult experiences in the past.”

You now specialise in working with women. Why is that important to you?

Many women want to feel comfortable and confident before making financial decisions. That’s not a weakness; it’s often about wanting to understand things fully and make informed choices.

I work with a lot of women going through major life transitions – such as divorce, inheritance, starting a business or becoming self-employed. At those moments, having someone who listens and explains things clearly can make a real difference. 

I think representation matters. Some clients feel more at ease speaking to another woman about money, particularly if they’ve had difficult experiences in the past.

How do you make financial advice feel more accessible?

A big part of it is removing the idea that you need to be wealthy to get advice. I describe myself as a “financial stylist” because, in a way, that’s what the job is about – tailoring things to suit your life. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. 
 

“I value the flexibility. There’s also a real sense of purpose.”

I focus on the life someone wants to live. Then we work backwards from there to build a plan that supports it.

What do you think you bring to the role as an adviser?

My career hasn’t followed a straight line, and I think that’s actually been a strength. I’ve worked in different environments and met lots of people, which has helped me understand how varied people’s needs and priorities are. 

What would you say to anyone thinking about becoming a financial adviser?

Just go for it. I value the flexibility. Being self-employed means I can structure my work around my life – whether that’s family commitments or working at different times of the day. There’s also a real sense of purpose. You’re helping people make decisions about their future, and that’s incredibly rewarding.

Inspired by Isla's journey? Discover how you could build your own career in financial advice.

If you’re considering a career change and want to explore the opportunity, click here.