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COVER STORY

Jackie McCann-Scott,CHS, Invested Mama

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here’s a calendar on Jackie McCann-Scott’s desk that displays a dailyinspirational quote. She picks up theslip of paper and reads off the pre-vious Friday’s words of wisdom, apearl from Dr. Karl Reiland.

“In about the same degree as youare helpful, you will be happy,” shereads. Then she pauses. “Well, there

you go. That’s what volunteer work is all about, right?”She should know. A financial advisor and owner of

Invested Mama in Conception Bay South, Nfld., she’s an activevolunteer as president of the Advocis Newfoundland andLabrador chapter. She also teaches Sunday school at church,raises money for social programs by playing in a local gospelband, visits seniors’ homes and is the chair for her school’sparents’ committee. And if that wasn’t enough, she recentlyhelped launch Elevato, a local nonprofit that helps childrenaccess private music instruction.

No child should miss out on, say, violin or piano lessons,simply because parents can’t afford the $20 half-hour lessoneach week. With six people on the board, includingMcCann-Scott as treasurer, the group is raising money andintends to fund its first student in January 2017. The goal,

at least at first, is to fund at least 10 students each semester. She sees Elevato in complete alignment with what she val-

ues as a financial advisor. Just as the music organization iscommitted to giving kids the ability to explore their potential,she wants to help her clients live their best lives free fromfinancial worry.

“There’s a joy that comes from being of service to others,”she says. “I think that’s why we’re all advisors — the ones whoare in it for the right reasons. I know I’m making a differencein people’s lives.”

And while networking is definitely not the reason she vol-unteers, she’s the first to admit that being out in the commu-nity and meeting people naturally results in making businessconnections. Besides soft networking, there’s another com-pelling reason to meet other volunteers.

“People who give of their time for worthwhile causes tendto be people that you want to be around. They just make youfeel better,” she explains.

McCann-Scott is just one example of a financial advisorstepping out of the office to give back, joining the 13 millionCanadians who volunteer their time, skills, and energy tocauses and organizations they believe in. At the highest level,the benefits of volunteering are obvious: it helps build a morecohesive, stronger, and safer society and creates an over-

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InspirationMany advisors step out of the office to give backto their communities. Kira Vermond exploresunique ways to make a difference

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whelming economic advantage. Volunteers contribute more than$400 billion to the economy globally, according to the JohnHopkins Center for Civil Society.

But then there’s the personal level, too. Research has shownthat unpaid work may boost not only health — the so-called“helper’s high” that reduces blood pressure and stress — but alsoa volunteer’s career.

A recent LinkedIn survey found that one in five employershired a new employee primarily due to their volunteer work out-side the office. In other words, people, including potential clients,notice — and are impressed by — what you do on your days off,particularly if the skills are substantive, such as budget manage-ment for a charity.

Paula Speevak, president and CEO of Volunteer Canada inOttawa, says the way people now think about volunteering is shift-ing away from simple altruism to include other factors as well.

“I think everyone is more comfortable with seeing volunteeringas a two-way relationship,” she explains. In the past we’ve had to

COVER STORY

GRANT MADDIGAN

TALKER TO DOER

Back in November 2015, GrantMaddigan, a financial security advi-

sor with Freedom 55 Financial in St.John’s, Nfld., saddled up to the micro-phone in the local CBC Radio studio todiscuss education reform. He had abone to pick about financial literacy —or the lack thereof — in high schools.Maddigan wanted to see students learn-ing personal finance basics that wouldcover everything from saving plans andcredit card interest to student loansand money management.

After all, as an advisor, he sees first-hand the long-term impact of whathappens when potential clients haven’tbeen taught how to control debt or savefor retirement.

“People are not learning aboutmoney management in schools, so yougo to meet them and you’re startingfrom zero. They don’t necessarily seethey have a problem or need until it’stoo late,” he says of those who expect toretire in a few years, but have nothingsaved. “As good as we are at our jobs, wecan’t necessarily work miracles.”

There had to be a better way. Then not long after getting off the

air, Maddigan received a phone call. His

pretend that all we cared about was helping others and contribut-ing to community. That is still the primary reason that people arevolunteering. But having said that, acknowledging personal goalsis positive, too.”

Make no mistake, financial advisors have skills charitableorganizations desperately need, including knowing how to balancethe books as treasurer, handling auditors, and fundraising. ButSpeevak is convinced there is also a “middle space,” or softer trans-ferable skills, that many advisors rarely consider when offeringtheir time.

“A financial planner, given that many of them deal with peopleon a one-on-one basis, has to create an environment that istrusting and safe,” she says. “When you think about it, that isdefinitely needed for doing any kind of one-on-one support ormentoring.”

Finding the best fit can take some trial and error. While someadvisors prefer to use their work skills and education of their pro-fession, others learn that the last thing they want from a volunteergig is to feel like they’re still at work. Below we show how fourother advisors found a way to give back and what they’ve learnedalong the way.

former Memorial University commerceclassmate Jorden DeLouche had justbeen listening to the show and had anidea. Rather than just talking aboutteaching teens basic financial conceptsin school, maybe they should actuallydo it.

Just a few months later, the two menlaunched Financial Literacy for Youth,or FLY, a non-profit organization thatintroduces teens to money matters to

ensure they’re on better financial foot-ing their whole lives. They’ve spoken to300 students so far and are in theprocess of lobbying the government tochange the education curriculum.

Despite taking up between 100 to200 hours of his time so far, Maddiganis committed to the cause.

“It’s about deciding what’s importantto you, finding a need in the communityand finding a way to help,” he says.

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GOLDA AND DAVID BROWN

SIBLINGS WITH ACAUSE (OR FIVE)

Partners at Al G. Brown & Associatesin Toronto, Golda Brown and her

brother David Brown, are not just lifeand qualifying members of the MillionDollar Round Table’s Top of the Table,they’re also deeply involved in commu-nity volunteering and charitable giving.

But finding the time for chairingboards, acting as president for theAssociated Hebrew Schools of Toronto,and creating endowment legacy giftsisn’t always easy.

“I don’t sleep,” David admits, sayinghe doesn’t use an alarm clock to wakeup. He just wakes early naturally think-ing about the day’s tasks. “I was doingsome work this morning at 5:30 a.m.but it’s all OK. I mean, most of myfriends are in the same boat. You getinvolved with people who are like-minded.”

Golda, like Jackie McCann-Scott,says volunteering should be primarilyabout making the world a better placeand not adding people to an internal“who you know” file. Even so, the expe-rience of working together outside thefirm’s office can create natural synergy.“When you volunteer, your essence ofwho you are is felt. It’s not ‘Oh, this iswhat I do for a living and I’m really goodat it,’” she says. “It’s a human connectionand on a completely different level.”

David agrees, calling the progressionfrom co-volunteer to friend and client,“a strategic by-product.”

Being in alignment with each otheras firm partners is also important.Because Golda and David are both high-ly involved in their community, theydon’t need to map out exactly howmuch time they’re both taking outsideof work to volunteer. They both agreeit’s vital for the firm and their own hap-piness. But it might make sense for part-ners at other firms to sit down and com-municate their volunteering versus workexpectations so everyone’s on board.

David has one more piece of advicefor young advisors trying to build theirclient list. “You have to be very carefulthat you’re not taking time away fromyour family and your business. Thereare people who become professionalvolunteers that go bankrupt,” he says.

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NEIL SMITH

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENTINSTRUCTOR ANDFORMER TEACHER

Not all opportunities fall in a person’slap. Sometimes you have to go

looking for them. That’s what Neil Smith,a certified financial planner withFreedom 55 Financial in Regina, discov-ered when he set out to complete hisvolunteering hours to maintain his CFPdesignation a few years ago.

Although he had previously been active in the local Advocisboard as president, when he found out about JuniorAchievement Canada, an organization that encourages financialliteracy in schoolchildren, he decided to sign up.

“I thought it would be kind of fun because for the first 12years of my working life, I was a high school teacher,” heexplains. “It’s been a real success.”

Over the past couple years, Smith has taught numerous

grade 7 and 8 students how to be smartshoppers, save money, and make it grow.He uses the organization’s prepackagedmaterial and outline for Dollars and Senseprogram so there’s no real pre-class prepinvolved.

The only challenge? The time flies bytoo quickly.

Smith’s experience is a good example ofhow easy volunteering can be, particularlyif you use skills you already have to do a jobwell. He says he also volunteers with histeen son’s hockey and baseball teams.

“I’m going to be at the games anyway and they’re alwayslooking for some help,” he says, mentioning that these daysvolunteering gives him more time with his son and also allowshim to have fun in the classroom again. “It seems that yougive some back and you’ll get more in return.” �

KIRA VERMOND is a freelance writer based in Guelph, Ont. To receive a PDF of this article, please email dgage@advocis.ca.

COVER STORY

NANCY SHEWFELT

RETIRED AND FINALLY TAKING IT SLOW

I f you had asked Nancy Shewfelt 2.5 years ago how she envi-sioned her impending retirement, chances are she wouldn’t

have pictured what she’s doing now: playing golf, making artisanalsourdough bread, learning bridge, and hosting dance parties forher three young grandchildren.

But here’s something you don’t see on her weekly agenda now:running the show as a board chair or highly involved volunteer.

No apologies either. Shewfelt has put in more than her fair shareof time.

Back before retiring from National Bank as a veteran investmentadvisor, her days were a whirlwind of clients, meetings, and ahealthy number of volunteer hours working as the Rotary presidentand director, a hospital board trustee, community policing boardmember, and even part of an economic advisory board for hercommunity of White Rock, B.C., a member of the municipality ofGreater Vancouver.

And at one time she thought she would continue with some ofthat work during retirement or even run for political office. Butthen something funny happened: she took a breath, stopped beingso busy, and realized she liked the slower pace. The show could berun by a new batch of volunteers.

“That’s been a really big lesson for me. To make a difference inthe world you don’t necessarily have to do 100 things. It can bejust being present with your grandkids and being a good friend,”she explains.

That isn’t to say she has stepped away from community involve-ment altogether. She still attends functions and lends support

that way. She just doesn’t try to coordinate them. Ultimately, volunteering can come in many forms — and not

all of them formal positions with well-known organizations oreven small start-up charities with a drive to help. Sometimes, asShewfelt discovers when each week she drops off baking on theporch of a friend whose husband is dying of cancer, it’s not aboutthe hours put in, but the heart and soul behind the action thatmakes the difference.

So, her advice for advisors about to retire? “Really figure out what makes you happy, what you’re passionate

about, and what you love. Then do more of that,” she says. “Don’tdo anything because you’re bored.”