What does it take to turn your passion into a thriving business?
Rebecca Maxwell-Hyslop was not always a business owner – but she always had that entrepreneurial tick. She started her career as a trader at Credit Suisse. It was here where Rebecca found her passion – working with clients to secure their financial futures.
However, Rebecca explains that whilst the fast-paced trading floor was an exciting place to start her career, the long hours started to take their toll, especially when she started a family.
‘There was a culture of presenteeism in my previous role. I felt like I was missing out and had no flexibility,’ she tells the Academy. So, after a 20-year stint in banking, Rebecca made the difficult decision to take a career break to focus on her family: “It was important for me to assess what I was doing and why I was doing it.”
But her passion for helping others with their finances didn’t disappear – and neither did her entrepreneurial spark. So, in 2019 Rebecca decided to retrain with the St. James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy and has never looked back.
“The flexible model at St. James’s Place also appealed to me from the start. One of the things I love about the job is the variety - no day is the same. You really get the chance to flex your creative muscles when it comes to expanding your business, finding clients and helping them pursue their goals.”
Rebecca is now a successful business owner and shares her story on how trading in one career doesn’t mean giving up on your goals. She explains that the ongoing support – not just during the Academy training programme but also once you graduate and join the Partnership – allowed her to fulfil her goals.
“I’d always dreamt of owning my own business… launching a Practice under the SJP umbrella is the best of both worlds. You’ve got the freedom to develop a business as you wish, yet you have the support of a FTSE 100 company.”