Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in finance but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jose Diego Gonzalez, Finance Advisor of CameronDowning, located in Miami, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is financial planning and investment management. I like to think of myself as a personal trainer for money. I work with young professionals who want to establish a strong financial foundation for a successful life. My clients typically are 2-3 years out of graduate school and have bought their first home, are starting a family, and raising children on the near horizon.
Tell us about yourself
I've always enjoyed being in a position of giving advice to others; the responsibility that comes with it and the impact you can make is a fine line I enjoy walking. I love asking the question: Why? It guides all my work, and it's the driving force for the work my clients have to do. Uncovering that why, however, is a lot easier said than done. I get out of bed every day excited and motivated to pinpoint someone's why and keep them accountable to those goals. The result? Financial fitness and boundless gratitude.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
For as long as I can remember, I knew this was the career I wanted for myself. My biggest accomplishment was actually becoming a business owner. After three hard but exciting and rewarding years at CameronDowning, I became a partner at the start of the year and am proud to say that a little piece of this practice that does so much for others is mine.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
I'm torn on this question. I can't decide between having to wear all hats or the unknown. I've had to learn and, to a point, dominate I.T., marketing, operations, admin, compliance, and then and only then, actually getting to work IN the business. But I must admit, especially being the youngest member of the team and at the beginning of my career, not knowing where the next client is coming from can be very intimidating. At times, it's dictated the tone of my days and weeks, which can be demoralizing, but ultimately VERY motivating.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The three tips I would give someone looking to start, run and grow a business are:
- Most importantly, find a way to evenly juggle everything you have to do. We tend to work in sprints, marketing sprints, operations sprints, etc. Your market-to-market business comes in, you stop marketing, you get busy with business, you finish servicing clients, operations and compliance pile up, you tend to it, and by then, your pipeline has dried up. I've started using time blocks on my calendar and making less but consistent progress in all these domains. It is, after all, a marathon and not a sprint.
- Never forget your why; if and when things look bleak or the unknown starts to creep up, remind yourself of why you started in the first place. It's your guiding force and personally always helps me get back on the horse.
- Have fun! Being a business owner brings joy and freedoms unknown to most. Enjoy the opportunities that present themselves, and have fun! Life is too short not to.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.cameron-downing.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-diego-gonzalez/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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