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Written by: Erin Botsford, CFP®
There’s a certain kind of confidence that only comes from time in the field—long days, hard seasons, and lessons you don’t forget.
Looking back on the first decade of my career, sure, I learned how to grow a business, but I also learned who I needed to become to lead one.
Here are five lessons I’d pass along to any advisor who’s building something bigger than themselves:
1. Hunger will take you further than talent. After my father died suddenly, my family went from middle class to broke. I got my first job at 11. We had no choice but to work. And when you grow up that way, the hunger to create stability never leaves you.
That drive became the foundation of everything I built. I wasn’t smarter than the advisors around me. I just couldn’t afford to fail. That kind of motivation is underrated. If you feel it, use it.
2. There’s no graduation from prospecting. Early on, I assumed prospecting was temporary. That once I built up a client base, new business would just show up.
It doesn’t work that way.
The advisors who stay in demand are the ones who stay visible, consistent, and proactive. You don’t have to cold call forever but you do have to keep connecting, sharing, and staying top of mind. Prospecting isn’t a phase. It’s a mindset.
3. Your attitude is a business asset. Scarcity makes advisors anxious. Abundance makes advisors generous. Gnerosity is magnetic.
I was lucky to have a mentor in my early years who shared everything with me. He didn’t see me as competition. And that mindset shaped the way I treated others throughout my career. When you believe there’s enough business to go around, you stop hoarding information. You start building relationships. And the opportunities follow.
4. You’re a business owner, not just an advisor. This one took time. For years, I operated like a high-performing salesperson with a good book of business. It wasn’t until I stepped back and looked at the systems, structure, and people I needed to scale without burning out that I finally became an owner.
If your business only works when you’re in the room, it’s not a business. It’s a job.
5. You have to care deeply. About your clients. About their money. About their outcomes.
I learned this the hard way. My husband and I lost our entire savings because a stockbroker put us in inappropriate investments and didn’t seem to care. That experience shaped my entire philosophy. I never wanted a client to feel what I felt: overlooked, confused, unimportant.
Financial advice is personal. Treat it like it is.
If you’re early in your career, I hope this gives you something to build on. If you’re further along, maybe it’s a reminder of the mindset that helped you get here and the one you need to carry forward.
Success isn’t just what you do. It’s how you show up.