Getting to Know: Paul Sewell

 

Who are you and what do you do?

I am a Christian male, married to the love of my life - Katie. We have three sensational girls aged six, ten and twelve. I am a Director, Shareholder and Financial Adviser of FAHB Investments Ltd and Financial Advice Hawkes Bay Ltd. We are member firms of the Professional Investments Associates and DNA Advice. I have a great business partner, Michael Gallagher, and Office Manager, Karen Bidlake, and together, we specialise in Investment and Financial Planning.

How did you get into the industry?

I started my career in banking and after seven years, it wasn’t quite doing it for me. I was reading a weekly article on Financial Planning in the Dominion Post by Craig Wylie. I liked his common sense messages and approached his company, Financial Fitness Ltd., for a job. The business used to have a logo of a male without his top on holding a $ sign up. I started to look like the logo, as it took me six months to get a new client and, as a self-employed contractor, two-minute noodles were within the budget! I was certainly grateful for the opportunity and the mentoring I received. It was a great move for me, as financial services has opened a lot of doors and has been a rewarding career to date.

If there is one thing you would like to change about the financial advice industry, what would it be? 

I would like it to be a profession.