Do you ever look out of your window and imagine being at the beach? Do you wish you could fast-forward through Wall Street's looming rainy season and get to something a little sunnier?
Then allow Financial Planning to transport you back to the dog days of summer and directly into the heart of Surf City.
Our special look back at the Future Proof Festival continues through a series of interviews with insiders and newsmakers conducted by the Financial Planning editorial team.
In this clip, Wealthtech Reporter Justin L. Mack speaks with
At Future Proof 2022, Kiemle was focused on the growth of both her organization and the industry as a whole. She explained that the challenges are twofold in today's tech-first world.
A 15-year Halbert Hargrove veteran, Kiemle said the firm has always fostered a culture of innovation and fun. But a great deal of thought has to be put into ways to keep that firm culture strong as remote work becomes more common and new professionals join the team.
On the client side, she says a top challenge for her firm is just finding the right prospects. But fresh marketing efforts and a wave of newly hired advisors aim to clear those hurdles.
But the West Coast native also didn't let the sheer spectacle that was the conference itself pass her by. She said she was taking in every aspect of the unique Future Proof environment, moving from industry conversations and networking to thumping music and food trucks at a moment's notice.
"It's definitely a different vibe. When we showed up, I was here with my best friend and coworker, and I think we both were like, 'take off the heels, put some flip flops on,'" Kiemle said. "But it does definitely make it more approachable. I feel like people are more friendly and want to have conversations with you. So it's been good."
Kiemle also talked about the more people-first approach present in many of the conversations at Future Proof. She said it's an approach her firm has been taking for a while now, and she is happy to see others following suit.
"Instead of just talking about the facts and figures, like anyone can do, if you can really go deeper and understand what (clients are) trying to accomplish and now and in the future, I think you'll have better conversations. And I feel like that's for employees and also for clients."
Check out the full interview below.
Future Proof, an event billed as the first wealth festival, attracted more than 2,200 people to Huntington Beach, California, last year. Financial Planning was a sponsor of the event. Dates for Future Proof 2023 have already been announced. The event is slated to return to the beach Sept. 10-13, 2023.
