Shownotes
- Transferable Skills Matter: Hannah’s background as a teacher gave her a strong foundation in communication, organization, and relationship-building—skills that translated seamlessly to her success in client relations and marketing within financial services.
- You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: Hannah’s journey into financial literacy underscores the importance of seeking education and expertise, especially early in adult life. Working with a financial advisor opened her eyes to strategies and opportunities she didn’t know existed.
- Financial Advice Is for Everyone: One of Hannah’s biggest realizations was that financial planning isn’t only for the wealthy or the older generation. She became a financial planning client herself as a young professional and newlywed, and encourages others to start early.
- Building Confidence Through New Experiences: Immersing herself in new roles—from running marketing meetings to mastering client events—helped Hannah build confidence, deepen relationships, and discover her own path to making an impact in our industry.
- The Human Side of Finance: By working closely with clients and advisors, Hannah experiences firsthand the personal and emotional impact financial planning can have on families, reminding us that this field is as much about relationships and trust as it is about numbers.
Transcripts
This is Eric Brotman, the host of Don't Retire Graduate, a podcast that asks you what you want to be when you grow up so you can graduate into retirement with purpose and with passion. Welcome to our Diary of a Financial Advisor segment where we interview financial advisors about their professional journeys and their passion for helping others succeed. Today we have a special guest who is in fact, not a financial advisor, but is learning the financial advisory business and supporting financial advisors. And her name is Hannah Dennis. Hannah joined BFG as a client relations associate in June of 2023 and in two short years has become indispensable and taken on a marketing role and is helping make our podcast look fantastic. In her role, she helps build relationships with clients. She's a reliable and consistent point of contact for them. She's a graduate of the University of Scranton in 2018.
Eric Brotman [:And importantly, before she joined BFG, she worked as a teacher for four years in the Baltimore area. And with her background in education, she has interpersonal and communication skills that have helped her in her new role, especially in working with some of the children who work at bfg. Hannah, welcome to Don't Retire Graduates Diary of a Financial Advisor. Hannah, you've been running this show behind the scenes now for more than a year, and this is your first opportunity to be behind the microphone.
Hannah Dennis [:Yeah, it's very nerve wracking being in this position rather than behind the scenes.
Eric Brotman [:Well, so, so here's, here's the opportunity to talk a little bit about, first of all, the journey from. From working with young children to working with, well, much older children and, and how that's played out and, and sort of what, what it means to you to be learning as much about personal finance as you have in two years.
Hannah Dennis [:Yeah, so I, I started my undergrad was in education at University of Scranton and I got my master's degree in leadership and reading. So my whole plan was education, throughout my whole education. And I did four years of teaching. Covid hit. The first year I taught, it was very rough. I loved teaching. I loved the kids, but I was kind of missing a community and a team. You're very isolated when you're in the classroom.
Hannah Dennis [:And so I started looking and branching out for other opportunities and I really stumbled upon bfg and they gave me a chance and I interviewed and I loved it. And I was hired for Client relationship, which is working with people. And I was good at it because I. I mean, in my career before this, I was working with parents and difficult people and easy people. So I was naturally moved into client relations. Easily. And then Eric talked about, we had marketing, but it wasn't really streamlined. No one was kind of owning the marketing piece.
Hannah Dennis [:And I said, I'll try, I'll try to do it. I don't know. And, and it's become a huge part of what I do here, and I love it. And being able to stay organized and kind of data tracking is something I did a lot with teaching. And that's kind of the piece that I brought in working with Eric, and I've just really enjoyed it.
Eric Brotman [:So in your role, you get a chance to not only meet some very cool people who have guested on the show and to meet some cool people we've done webinars with and done public speaking with and other things, and. But you also get to see the impact that financial advisors have on families. And you see it in a very different way because those of us who went through the financial advisory education see it sometimes in a very quantitative, in a very, a very technical way. And you're getting a chance to see it in a very human way. Can you talk a little bit about some of the things maybe that you've seen or witnessed or, or, or how that has impacted the way you look at what we do as a, as a team?
Hannah Dennis [:Yeah, I mean, I, I think I listen to the, I listen back to the podcast and the episodes that we put out from a, A different standpoint. I'm not a financial advisor. I don't have a financial background, so I'm listening to them as someone who's learning at the same time. So I've definitely learned a lot just by being involved in the podcast. I've also, I, I'm close with clients and I, I work with them often. So I also hear all the time just the personal impacts that that advisors have on these people's lives. So it's been, it's been really interesting just to kind of see it from a different standpoint and also see. Have close relationship with clients and see firsthand how it affects their lives in a positive way.
Hannah Dennis [:So I've been really enjoying and learning a lot about finance personally. For an example, one of my favorite webinars that Eric did was Maryland, Maryland Tax Webinar. And it was just going through everything about taxes and, you know, things you can do and strategies, and I was just soaking it in and I sent it to all my friends that lived in Maryland. I send it to my parents who are moving to Maryland. And I was like, you need to listen to this. This is really important. So it's Definitely been a positive thing in my life, learning as I'm moving into the role.
Eric Brotman [:So not to put you on the spot, but it's my show, and I get to put you on the spot. You're a newlywed.
Hannah Dennis [:Yeah.
Eric Brotman [:Recently married. I wouldn't know because I wasn't invited to the wedding, Although I did get to attend the. The engagement party, which was fun. We had a good time at that one. How has that impacted your relationship with money or your relationship with financial planning as a newly. A newly married woman?
Hannah Dennis [:Well, I was super lucky because I timed it perfectly, changing careers. And I got engaged two weeks after I started my job here back in 2023. So I was starting at a time where my life was in very much transition, and, you know, I had no idea what to do. And with finances. And one of the things that BFG does here for its employees is we get to work with an advisor here. And so we. That was the first thing we did. After two weeks of me working here, I made an appointment, and we've been working with the same advisor, and it's been incredible.
Hannah Dennis [:I don't think I would have thought about working with a financial advisor until I came here, but I could not imagine not having one just because, I mean, it's your. Your whole life, you just hand it over and say, help. And they really. It's made a huge difference in my life and Cam's life and the process of combining our finances and what does that look like? And what should we be focusing on? And where should I. Where should our paychecks be allocated? And it's just been so comforting to have that. So it's completely opened my eyes. I tell everyone, get a financial advisor. Your age does not matter.
Hannah Dennis [:Get it young. You know, start early.
Eric Brotman [:Well, and that's 100% true. I mean, I think that's a healthy perspective and very honest to say that if you had still been teaching and had gotten engaged and gotten married, you may still, to this day, not have hired someone to help with these things. Now, some of the things that we do, in fact, all of the things that we do are. None of them are neuroscience. None of them are surgery. They're all things that people can do for themselves. But I find sometimes people can. But they either don't.
Eric Brotman [:Where they don't take the time, where they don't feel confident enough to make those kinds of decisions. What was it that. What was it that prevented you maybe from considering a financial advisor? Did you think it was, I'm too young? Did you think it was, I don't have enough money yet to meet with somebody. Do you think, what's a financial advisor like? What is that like?
Hannah Dennis [:So I think my biggest thing is you don't know what you don't know. So the financial world is so scary. But I didn't even know what I was missing when I didn't have the financial advisor and I wasn't in this world. So, I mean, once I started here, it kind of opens up a whole perspective of there's so much you can do so young and so early. And when I had my meeting, I was like, I don't have any money. What are we going to talk about? And it completely changed my perspective on building wealth and how that happens. And, I mean, I've already learned so much. But you don't know what you don't know.
Hannah Dennis [:So an advisor just gives you all these options of what you can do. I mean, if I don't know what to look up or what to research, I'm not going to be able to do that. So having a professional help me out and just open up this world of opportunity of what you can do with your money is something that's been very helpful and special working here.
Eric Brotman [:So I know you've read Don't Retire Graduate cover to cover at least once, twice. I know you've made a lot of notes. I know you've done the exercises in the workbook. So that I'm sure has helped you with this whole journey as well.
Hannah Dennis [:Absolutely.
Eric Brotman [:Oh, good. That was shameless. And I'm very proud of myself for doing it. Anyway, in your role in marketing and marketing means a lot of things to a lot of people. Some of it's public relations, some of its media relations, some of it's managing a podcast, some of it is determining sponsorships and being involved with philanthropy and charitable endeavors. Have there been one or two things that. That you've really embraced and said of all the things that you do throughout the year? These are my. These are my favorites.
Eric Brotman [:These are the things that I really look forward to. I mean, other than being on the show, which I know you've been looking forward to.
Hannah Dennis [:I was definitely looking forward to this. Yeah, I look forward to when we have podcast guests that come in person because they are all as nervous as I am before I was here. So it's fun to kind of talk to them and hear about their journey and get them all set up. I just love interacting with them in person. I also love our client events. I look forward to those every year. I Get better at them every year. I mean, starting out here, you know, you don't know any of the clients names, and so you have.
Hannah Dennis [:It's very intimidating. So now I'm on my. My second year is coming up, my second year anniversary, and as we've had more of these events, I've gotten better at them, gotten to know the clients more. So I feel more confident. I also feel more confident when we're in marketing meetings and kind of running. I just, I feel like this. This job has given me the opportunity to really own what I'm doing and build confidence. I think I've been going in that direction.
Hannah Dennis [:So, yeah, I've been really enjoying it.
Eric Brotman [:So are you going to get me the same gift for our second anniversary as you got me for our first anniversary?
Hannah Dennis [:Which is.
Eric Brotman [:Which is absolutely nothing?
Hannah Dennis [:No, I'll get you a better gift.
Eric Brotman [:Oh. Better give this year. Okay. So, Hannah, I got. I have to ask you because, you know, having done 200 plus episodes of this show, I get to ask everybody the same question. I'm going to ask you because first of all, I know you're prepared for it, but secondly, I think it's going to be really interesting and I can't wait to hear your answer, which is, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Hannah Dennis [:I want to be the number one podcast host, and I want you to be the number two podcast host.
Eric Brotman [:Wow, I love that answer. Is that the real answer? You want to be the top podcast host? You want to be like Joe Rogan or something?
Hannah Dennis [:The real answer is I want to be someone who's very indispensable here. I want to continue my journey in the marketing world, and I want to be someone who really moves this podcast and this marketing opportunity forward. And I. I really haven't been enjoying it, so I want to stick to that.
Eric Brotman [:Well, I. I think, first of all, you just got a gig as a podcast host. Second of all, thank you. I. I know this was a stretch for you. I know being. Being on this side of the lights and the microphone and all the things is a different experience. You did great and I thank you for doing it.
Hannah Dennis [:Thanks.
Eric Brotman [:I'd like to thank everyone for listening and for watching today. If you like the show, please subscribe so we can continue to be a part of your journey to financial freedom. Plus subscribe. So, Hannah, subscribers we have now, we'll be back next week with another engaging guest and in two weeks with another entry in the diary of a financial advisor. For now, this is your host, Eric Brotman. Reminding you, don't retire. Graduate.
Unnamed Voiceover [:Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, llc. Kestra is member FINRA SIPC Investment Advisory Services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, llc. Kestra as an affiliate of Kestra is Kestra IS or Kestra as are not affiliated with Brotman Financial or any other entity discussed.
