08 Mar Tribute to Lawrence
Most people assumed that given the age difference between Lawrence and myself (15 years) that I was his mentor. And that was probably true to some extent. But I learnt at least as much from Lawrence as he did from me. We were true partners in building Adapt, even well before he officially became a partner in July last year one week before his 25th birthday. He joined Adapt in August 2011 which was only one month after I started the business.
When I met Lawrence, he presented as a softly spoken guy in an ill-fitting suit as I guess, you would expect for a university student (his dress sense would improve over time!). We agreed that he would do a few days work for me and on the second day, I gave him a list of tasks which I expected would take the rest of the week to complete. He came back 2 hours later with the list finished. After 6 months of working with me, we decided that he should finish his Uni course part time so he could work at Adapt 4 days a week. Of course he continued to get distinctions as well as tutoring high school students in maths after hours.
Lawrence was a man who knew his priorities well. He worked flat out but (apart from the occasional late meeting) he always left the office at 5pm to go home and spend time with his family and friends.
Lawrence picked things up very quickly. He was never overwhelmed and could problem solve most issues with his amazing mathematical and computer skills. He learned technical financial planning knowledge and had one subject left to achieve Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation which is the highest qualification in the profession. But he also quickly learned the emotional and soft skills needed to deal with clients. He was passionate about financial planning and valued his relationships with his clients.
I have been asked the question by a number of people “Where to now for Adapt”? Lawrence and I built a great business together and I have every intention of continuing in this vein. There will be some adjustments and we have already begun to adapt our business to ensure that our commitment and service to our clients remains unaltered. On a personal level, it is not possible to “replace a Lawrence” – he was a unique person with special gifts and in that way is irreplaceable. But there is a new way forward and my memory of him will be a source of strength and guidance into the future.
For those that are interested, I recorded a podcast with Susie Munro of Sixpence Media on Lawrence’s career in financial planning which can be accessed here
 |
About Reuben Zelwer
Reuben Zelwer established Adapt Wealth Management in 2011 to help time poor clients achieve financial freedom. For over 15 years, Reuben has helped professionals, executives, business owner and those approaching retirement make the most of their circumstances by making good financial decisions. Reuben’s professional practice is complemented by substantial voluntary work, which has included setting up financial literacy and savings programs in the local community. |