KELLY EXETER - COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Born with a 'wordy' brain, numbers never came naturally to me. But I was one of those kids who liked getting As on their school report, so I was forced to develop at least a passing relationship with numbers from early on.

When I started my own design business as an adult, I was grateful for that passing relationship given knowing your numbers is critical to your business operating profitably!

It wasn't long after becoming a business owner that a new relationship began - one with the world of financial planning and advice. My husband Anthony also had his own business at the time. With a mortgage to pay and a family on the way, we were sure anything we invested in sound financial advice would come back to us both economically and via reduced stress levels.

This has proven to be true over and over again through a 15-year (and counting) tenure with our advisors.

And if I hadn't already been sold on the value of ongoing financial advice, it would've really hit home in 2019 when Anthony died from injuries sustained in a freak car accident. That was when all the things most people never get around to doing (but that our advisors ensured were in place for us) came to the fore.

Up to date wills. A good understanding of your financial position. All the insurances. It's hard to articulate how much the 'just in case' structures and safety nets helped take the pressure off me in the years that followed Ant's death, allowing me to be there for both myself and our two heartbroken children. It was also invaluable to have people who knew the ins and outs of our financial affairs making calls on my behalf at that time - it saved me many tearful hours on the phone.

All of the above is why it was a total 'no-brainer' for me to say 'yes' when Rob Pyne asked me to come and work for HPH Solutions in a communications and marketing role. I was weirdly passionate about financial planning before Ant died. Now I'm just an unashamed advocate. I love being in a position to communicate the impact firms like HPH Solutions can have on people's lives - in both good times and bad.