Back to it!

It is lovely to be back feeling like my usual self again post-covid – the ‘brain fog’ has now cleared, and I am pleased to be out and about. Regardless of where I am however, I somehow always manage to fill my time. I’ve learned that - besides writing for an ever-increasing audience - this newsletter helps me to keep track on what’s actually happened over the last 7 days!

On Friday I had the pleasure of celebrating with my friend and colleague at Integrity365, Sophie Haslehurst APFS Haslehurst, who - after a 2 year wait due to covid - has finally able to graduate for her Chartered Financial Planner qualification with CII. I think formal ceremonies are incredibly important to mark such an achievement. Clearly, it also works as motivation for me to continue reading for exams! Also a big congratulations to Coreena Dutton FPFS SOLLA Accredited at Integrity365 , sadly I missed you so couldn't raise a glass to you!

Despite being ill, I have made some advances on the mortgage book I am currently studying and have also planned a quiet weekend ahead to progress further with this.

I am a big fan of targeted advertising on social media. A few months back, an advert for Jimmy Carr’s stand-up show in Oxford popped up on my newsfeed. Somehow, I managed to get tickets to what ended up being a sell-out night, and he was sure not to disappoint!

His iconic inwards laughter with his very borderline jokes made it almost impossible to stop laughing - at some points I was still laughing at a joke long after he’d moved on to the next.

A more personal mention, this week I received an email from the president of the Oxford Young Professionals Society (OYPS). Whilst this is a voluntary role, it felt very special for her to reach out personally to thank me for the work I have done on social media to elevate the profile of OYPS. I’ll be honest, it really meant a lot to me to feel that I am able to make a difference even in a voluntary position.

You may have read my post from yesterday already, but would like to highlight it again from a more personal perspective here. On Tuesday Integrity365 held our monthly adviser meeting which Sophie and I were tasked with organising on this occasion, and I’m really pleased with how it went.

Sophie had previous connections within Foresight Group who offered us the chance to host the meeting at their offices at The Shard. Visiting this iconic building in London was an experience in itself, but also held a personal sense of achievement for myself. I remember looking up at The Shard many times whilst I was still in the army, wondering what it would be like working in finance and to be in the building… And this week that reality came true!

In other news from my colleagues at Integrity365 - which hopefully she won’t mind me mentioning - our lovely Marketing Assistant, Mairi, returned from her well-deserved 2 week break with a ring on her finger. Congratulations Mairi!!

In order to allow myself to fully recover, I’ve sadly been absent from the gym for a little while. I have decided to not go completely “David Goggins” on myself. It is frustrating to have had progressed so far, only for it to quickly vanish because of these unexpected life events. Speaking of Goggins, I have already pre-ordered his new book which is coming out in December and if it’s anything like “Can’t Hurt Me” I know I’ll love it!

For those who don’t know, I’m a big fan of plants. It doesn’t mean I know what they are, I just manage to keep them alive! I do find it strange how they are so sensitive and depending on where they are in a room they either blossom or almost die. Strange how moving a plant over 2 metres can make such a different, so sassy! However, I feel that they help create a really relaxing atmosphere at home. I’ve also purchased diffusers which not only work well to mist plants, but because I have a couple in my living room it kind of feels like a mini oasis.

On the top of my recommendations list this week is a nifty gadget found on Amazon. I’m a big fan of drawing out my thoughts in my client meetings and this has helped with that and saves a lot of paper in the process:

?https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B6W37V28/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?pd_rd_i=B0B6W37V28&pd_rd_w=Y40wV&content-id=amzn1.sym.8d91a06c-52c8-441e-afa4-963e53268566&pf_rd_p=8d91a06c-52c8-441e-afa4-963e53268566&pf_rd_r=5WJZZEDTB4232YBA66NN&pd_rd_wg=WqR3p&pd_rd_r=369e54a1-69c0-4e9d-a5d3-cbbb3389f447&s=computers&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

I’d also like to make a TV show recommendation this week - “SAS Rogue Heroes” on BBC iPlayer. I’m not too sure how close to reality the TV show is, but in any case I find it a great watch and I’m hooked already!

I have now started reading Dan Stanley’s “Rethinking Masculinity” which has already got me intrigued. The title explains exactly what he is addressing in the opening chapter - the way men have been taught to behave in a ‘masculine’ way, and how this has resulted in undesirable outcomes that haven’t progressed in line with society as we know it today. I’m looking forward to getting into the nitty gritty of his blueprint of how to change this!

That’s it for now. Ha det bra!