How the UK’s Youngest Financial Adviser Built a £10 Million AUM Business Before 24 | Romany Youell

Romany Youell, Founder of The Finance Woman, qualified as the UK's youngest ever financial adviser at 18 after dropping out of college at 16. By 24 she had built a £10 million financial planning business. But the journey between those two moments nearly broke her.

In this episode of Financial Planner Life, Sam Oakes sits down with Romany to hear the full story. How she grew up going to client meetings with her dad from the age of 11. How she dropped out of college at 16 and qualified as a mortgage adviser before most of her peers had finished their A-levels. How Quilter Financial Adviser School made a one-year exception to let her in early. And how, after becoming the UK's youngest financial adviser, she spent two to three years being told she would never succeed because she was a woman and nearly walked away from the profession entirely.

The turning point came at a women in business networking event she almost cancelled. Six women around a table. One conversation. And the moment she realised it was not just her who did not fit into the industry. There was a whole community of people being left out of it. She went home that night and set up The Finance Woman.

This is an episode for anyone early in their financial planning career who feels like they do not belong. For anyone who has been told they are not what the industry is looking for. And for anyone who wants to understand what it actually takes to build a financial planning business from scratch.

The episode's key takeaways:

• How Romany dropped out of college at 16 and qualified as the UK's youngest financial adviser at 18
• What it was like growing up watching her dad build a mortgage business from his bedroom
• Why Quilter Financial Adviser School made a one-year exception to let her in early
• The comments she received from other advisers about being a woman in financial planning
• Why trying to change her accent, wardrobe and language to fit in made things worse
• The networking event she nearly cancelled that changed the direction of everything
• How one conversation with six women led to The Finance Woman being born
• How she built a £10 million financial planning business before the age of 24

If you are building a financial planning career and feeling like you do not fit in, this is the episode to listen to.

If you would like to find out more about Romany's work or get in touch, visit www.thefinancewoman.co.uk

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