Succession Matters

Give me a bit of a background on Succession Matters?

Sure. Succession Matters are risk specialist business. So unlike a holistic wealth management company, we specialize in personal risk for people, personal insurances. And also we do estate planning and we do claims advocacy. So our overall vision is protecting families, securing legacies, and being there when it matters most. So we go from the start of protecting families through their estate. If they, you know, have a claim, we're there to help them. We're with them every step of the way, and we have amazing success.You know, we have a beautiful client base. We match our clients to both our advisers. We deal with small business, self-employed, families, and then older people who are are wanting to make sure that their will reflects their wishes at the end when it matters to everybody. So that's what we're about. The business has been going some 20 plus years. And the growth in the last few years, since Lucas joined the business, Adam was his sole business, sole director. Lucas come on board and is now a partner, and it's allowed the business to grow. And that's where we had the problem trying to find staff and where VA Platinum came in to be a partner with us.

And I hear you're retiring. So how long have you been with with Succession Management?

Gone 6 years. Okay. So, yes, I've been in the industry pretty much all my working career, which will be 50 years to the week when I retire. So and I've said it to Adam and to Luke numerous times, Succession Matters, their business model, the care that we have for our clients- it's been my favorite place, you know, my favorite place to work.

And, obviously, like you said, success matters. It's all in the title. So, talking about VA Platinum and your experience, obviously, you've been working with us for 2 and a half years now. You started with 1 VA to begin with, Rona, who is absolutely incredible. I would love to know your initial thoughts and feelings about outsourcing, and what you think has changed your view on it, to where you are today. Because, obviously, just like to share that you have recently added a new VA as well. So you've got 2 beautiful staff in the Philippines with us. So if you wanna give us a bit more of an idea on your thoughts and feelings to begin with.

Sure. Look, I'll be honest and I've said to you and to Tash when we were dealing, I thought, oh, no. It can't work. It's not, you know, we need somebody in the office. It won't work. I can't see it. Having spoken through industry functions, a couple of other businesses who had gone down the the virtual assistant path, I thought, oh, maybe maybe we'll give it a go, just there in the back of my mind.We desperately needed another staff member and tried everywhere to recruit locally through many different sources, you know, obviously Seek through putting the word out in the industry, other friends. We had no success.I can honestly say we didn't even get any applicants that were even halfway what we needed. And then another business associate that, at a meeting, through the traps, said about VA Platinum. The guys came back and said, look, let's give it a try. And I said, okay. So I actually I guess I interviewed 3 different companies. VAP was one of them. And I'll be honest, all offered very similar business model.There was something about VA Platinum that resonated with me. I think that was the care that they give to the staff in the Philippines, in the office there. The staff well-being, I thought was great, and the community good. You know, the giving back, through B1G1. And that's something that to me is very passionate. One of my daughters actually works in that field. That's what she does. And I thought that was the difference was the caring and the care of staff.And so I thought, right, let's take the plunge. Gave all the details of what we were looking for to VAP, had a couple of really, really good, recruits presented. Both were great. And again, there's just one little thing that makes you choose, and it was through the DISC profiling that you had done. And I said, yeah. I think Rona's the girl for us. And she started in July two and a half years ago, and has been amazing. She is, so good and I think, and if you don't wanna put this in, don't put it in. But the culture, they want to please. They want to do well, and Rona has just, embraced everything.And on the other side of the coin, we do look after her. And, you know, I'm very, conscious of nurturing her, not putting her under too much pressure, and of rewarding her in whatever small way. And she's one of our team. She's one of our family. And as we've just put Gen on, and I'm sure Gen will be the same, as her growth. Her and Rona seem to be getting on really well. And just the whole care and nurturing, the training, that VAP do, that the, FP training module that you do is amazing.That absolutely took the pressure off us in the office from doing all that basic industry training so that when Rona started, she had a basic knowledge of, you know, all the wording, you know, what the insurers were, what they did, you know, what a statement of advice was, what a, an authority to proceed was. So it saved us that time, and she kinda hit the ground ready to go.So, yeah, very thankful for that initiative from VAP. And, yeah, we've had, you know, just been wonderful, yeah, the whole process. So it totally changed my opinion and I would recommend, you know, outsourcing and especially VA Platinum to other businesses.

So you mentioned the training. Obviously, we have, we look after all industries from, obviously, financial planning space, mortgage broking. We're now in construction, digital marketing kind of space. Do you think that even though we've got the Financial Planning Academy and that training there, do you think the ongoing support that you get from your success manager has helped, really solidify the relationship with yourself and your VA and helped you with some of the hurdles that you may have overcome?

Absolutely. Yes. That success manager, for Rona and for Rona's team, is yet very important and integral part of the the whole process and the relationship.You know, little queries, you know, we can go to her, she'll get back to us, she'll liaise, you know. Prior to, appointing a second VA, we were really busy, really busy. Rona was given a promotion, but it meant that her workload increased quite a lot. And so the success manager was able to monitor that because I can't see Rona day to day, be there right with her. I can only judge by, you know, our video calls in the mornings.But I wanted to make sure that she wasn't under too much pressure and that was a great relief to me and to all of us that someone was there by Rona's side keeping an eye on her that she wasn't getting, you know, too stressed and, under too much pressure with the increased responsibilities.

And because the Philippine people are very much a yes culture, did you find that having that success manager helped to really identify if there were any issues on the ground? Or have you got any examples that you may have come across?

Look, it definitely helped because I, you know, I said, look, be honest. You know, don't say, oh, she's fine if she's not fine. And there was just one day when she said she seems to be, have a lot on today and not taking her breaks. And I said, well, please make her take her breaks. And then I video called her and said, Ron, is there something I can do? You know, we've got a little bit of time here.Got a project, but I can put that aside. What can I do just to take that pressure off today? So we were able to, within the office, redistribute the monthly reviews because that was a little bit time consuming. They were due, so we took that back from Rona for that month just to give her that little bit of breathing space. But I wouldn't have known that without the success manager being able to tell me that.So, yeah, they're they're a very integral part of the whole relationship. Yeah.

And if you were to, what advice would you give someone that is looking to outsource for the first time, that may not have ever outsourced before or be in the same sort of mindset that you were in at the beginning? What would your advice be to them?

Okay. It's to be very upfront and specific for what you're looking for, what skills you need or that that the person would need, and what is, you know, you think, well, maybe if they don't do that but we can train them in that. But I think you need to be specific for it to work and not become stressful for either party. Exactly what the job entails, the job description, and what are the absolute necessary skills. And then I have the utmost faith that VAP would recruit and find the person that fits that description.

And do you think that the bespoke recruitment process that we have really helps to find the right person for the right, not necessarily just skill set, but personality wise?

Exactly. Yes. Definitely. And I've always been an advocate through my career when I've been recruiting. A personality is very important because you can't change someone's personality. If they're not, you know, right up with a skill, as long as they have basic knowledge, you can teach things or you can teach your own process, you know. We can all teach what our process for something is, but I can't change someone's personality. So it is very important that they fit in with the culture of your own business. So yeah.Definitely. That personality. And I can honestly say, again, when we just, recruited Gen, 2 beautiful applicants. And either of them would have fitted in with us, and I really hope the other person gets the job. I said to the success managers, please, they were wonderful. They were probably a bit more technical, which I thought they may get a little bit bored with the position that we have initially. So Gen was definitely right for the job we need now and probably over the next 12 months. But they were both, you know, lovely lovely people, little bit of a laugh, you know, upfront telling us about their personal life. So, yeah. So the recruiting is very good.Yeah. And and on the other hand, if neither of them had been right, it was okay to say, no. Can we keep looking? You know? So we didn't have to do that. So that was good.

Would you recommend VA Platinum to your network and industry or even other industries?

Absolutely. And I have done. Our licensee is Bombora, which you may be familiar with. And I actually, we had a practice managers conference and I said if anybody's looking, you know, throughout the network, and I think they have had a discussion with Tash, definitely, VAP would be the one to at least look at, you know, at least give them an opportunity, for whatever your recruitment needs are. Definitely.

Well, thank you so much for your time, Denise. Is there anything else that you would like to add on the back end of that, or do you think we've covered everything?

No. I think we've pretty much covered everything. Yeah. And I would not hesitate, for anybody if they've got any little niggling doubt. Just go for it. At the end of the day, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Absolutely everything to gain. So I thank VA Platinum for not just the recruiting that they've done for us, but just for their general, outlook in community good. You know?

So thank you very much, and we do wish you all the best in the next stage of your life, and enjoy your retirement.

Thank you, Alana. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thank you. Take care.