Clients and friends of Strategic Wealth Partners (SWP) gathered at Northmoor Country Club in Highland Park for the firm’s third annual “SWP Women, Wealth & Wisdom” luncheon. Guest speaker Jeanne Malnati, Founder & CEO from The Culture Group, shed light on how to create authentic, trusting, and candor-filled environments.

The event focused on having honest conversations in all facets of life, not just finances. While SWP provides clients financial planning and investment advisory services; they also believe in having a deeper role in their clients’ lives.

“As a financial advisor, our discussions with clients cover a broad range of topics. They vary from money, hopes and dreams, to concerns about their parents or discussions with their kids. We might ask what keeps them up at night.” said Ashley Bebeau, CFP^®, Principal and Senior Financial Planner at SWP. “I want us to be able to say what’s in our hearts, even when it’s hard to find the words. It might be scary to open up about things that really matter to us — and some people prefer not to engage on that level at all. I know I can speak for everyone at Strategic Wealth Partners when I say that we all really desire your honesty and candor during these conversations with us.” Bebeau continued.

Bebeau also mentioned a tool she uses with her young sons, Conversation Cards for Kids. “Whenever we go out for dinner we use a few of these cards – so instead of making small talk, these cards help us spark a big conversation.” All of the attendees received a deck of Big Talk Cards to help them engage in their own big talks.

Malnati led a discussion on how to have beautifully and brutally honest conversations. She drew upon her experiences and shared stories from her personal and professional life. She also elaborated on the importance of doing a “Clean Slate Assessment” and letting go of any preconceived notions, stories, or reasons something went askew. “In life, there is nothing better than new beginnings, fresh starts, and a clean slate! They can be just the breath of fresh air that an individual or a family needs so to create more authentic, trusting and candor-filled environments,” explained Malnati.

Malnati concluded by sharing a story from a trip she took to South Africa in 2009. While packing for that trip she put a small bag of hearts into her suitcase. She and her daughters then began handing them out randomly to individuals to brighten their day. Today, over 33,000 of those hearts have been spread around the word by her family and hundreds of “heart spreaders”. You can learn more about the hearts at https://www.spreadinghearts.org.

ABOUT STRATEGIC WEALTH PARTNERS

Strategic Wealth Partners is an investment advisory and financial planning firm providing wealth strategies and independent, objective advice to high net worth individuals and institutions. Founded in 2008 by principals David Copeland and Neal Price, the firm provides a comprehensive wealth management platform by integrating investments, insurance, estate planning, and tax planning. Learn more at http://www.stratwealth.com/legal.