Joel Runnels-Moss had experienced a strong and varied career in the corporate world before he started thinking about becoming a financial adviser.
During his career he had worked in mortgages, banking, insurance, and wealth management with big organisations including Lloyds and Schroders. But over time Joel realised he was craving a new challenge.
Joel found he was encouraging colleagues in the teams he managed to reflect on their role when things weren’t working. Increasingly, he felt it was time to act on his own advice.
While his career had been successful, Joel felt constrained by the limitations of large organisations. Client segmentation rules restricted who he could support, and constant changes in senior leadership made it difficult to build lasting relationships and maintain consistency.
Joel increasingly felt he had outgrown the corporate structure.
Joel says, “When something isn’t working, sometimes it’s you that needs to change.”
What stood out about St. James’s Place (SJP) for Joel, was the breadth of the proposition and the opportunity to build something of his own.
The move wasn’t without risk. After 20 years in established corporate roles, Joel joined SJP with no clients, no staff, and an empty calendar, something he hadn’t experienced in decades.
But this blank canvas and new start created the excitement and opportunity Joel had been looking for: the ability to build a business that reflected his ambition, rather than operating within someone else’s structure.
For Joel, one of the biggest surprises joining SJP was the culture.
He expected to feel competition, but instead Joel found a collaborative environment where others were willing to share insights, advice, and even practical support in building a client base.
He says: “I didn’t understand why people were helping me when I was technically a competitor. But the reality is there are more clients out there than advisers.”
This “spirit of the Partnership” became a defining feature of Joel’s experience, providing reassurance in the early stages of his business, and ongoing support as it grew.
Unlike his previous roles, where location and structure were often dictated by the organisation, Joel has been able to build a business rooted in his local community.
Today, the majority of Joel’s clients are based close to where he lives, allowing him to develop deeper relationships and a more connected network.
This combination of local focus and personal autonomy in how he works, has enabled Joel to grow his business at a rate he hadn’t previously imagined. He has been able to unlock opportunities that weren’t possible in his previous corporate roles.
Joel’s move from the corporate world into running his own financial advice business has also created opportunities beyond immediate business growth. Joel has been able to bring his family members into the business, something that wouldn’t have been possible in his previous roles.
Looking ahead, the Business Sale and Purchase (BSP) model offers an additional layer of flexibility.
BSP enables advisers to buy and sell client portfolios within the Partnership, creating opportunities to accelerate growth and also to plan for the future.
For Joel, it represents a structured way to grow further when the time is right, while also providing a longer-term pathway to realise value from his business in the future.
Rather than rushing into it, Joel has taken the opportunity to build his own foundations first. By working with other Partners, he has effectively been able to “try before you buy”, gaining real insight, building trust, and developing the confidence to explore new opportunities over time.
Joel is now three and a half years into his journey with SJP, but he continues to grow and develop.
He says what stands out most is the flexibility of the role: the ability to operate independently, while having the reassurance and backing of a strong network and support system when needed.
“Culture breeds community. You can always pick up the phone and there’s someone there to help,” says Joel.
For advisers in the corporate world considering a change, Joel’s story highlights a clear alternative:
At St. James’s Place, it’s not just about joining a business, you’ll be forging your own path. Whether you launch your own business or join and develop within an established practice, you’ll always be backed by the support of the wider Partnership.
