Meet Zainab
Zainab is the Founder and principal Financial Planner at Elleverity Wealth Management. The reason why Zainab founded Elleverity was because she wanted to provide unbiased financial advice, to custom tailor each client’s planning based on their unique situation and to have access to different strategies that can bring their plan to life: building the financial plans (spending, estate and retirement plans), investment portfolios and life insurance strategies. She takes pride in understanding what are the specific pain points that are keeping you from meeting your financial goals and from there she collaborates with you in building a plan that is aligned with your vision & values. What is neat is the fact that there is a sense of accountability in keeping you on track towards meeting your goals. Learn more about her here.
How has COVD 19 affected your business?
The pandemic has been a bittersweet moment. Bitter in the fact that we don’t meet face-to-face & we will forever think twice before shaking our clients’ hand. Sweet in that we are learning so many technical capabilities that were always at our fingertips but it took a pandemic to push us into implementing them.
Clients are also more appreciative of different facets of their finances and the urgency has been increased to get the ball rolling on items they had been procrastinating on.
There is also a shift in how people are approaching their finances, the nuances in:
· How their spending habits can impact an emergency fund ( if they had job losses);
· Investment DIY’ers who suddenly realize they truly want someone who can talk them off the ledge when they are panicking.
· Adjusting insurance policies that are on the verge of collapsing due to inflated illustration returns
· Couples who are separating because they truly feel that life is short, want to take a chance on happiness and now want to rebuild their finances.
· Talking about the financial impact of death and how wills, estate planning and leaving a legacy is not such a morbid affair.
These are all important conversations whereby people start to realize that having a financial planner who brings in the human element when it comes to their finances is critical.
How have you adapted or pivoted your business?
I was usually a homebody and had many discovery meetings in coffee shops or on some rare occasions at my office. I have now learned to embrace Zoom virtual meetings but sometimes Caledon’s spotty internet can really freeze you in the most awkward facial expressions, but I’ve learned to take it in stride. Microsoft Teams is also a great platform for collaborating with your team especially when it comes to sharing resources and also video chats. Using webinars as a way of teaching groups about different financial topics has also been great at keeping people informed and empowered in understanding their finances.
As this is a great time of uncertainty for many people, me and a group of fantastic financial planners have been providing complimentary financial chats with people who are feeling financially-fatigued and it has been a rewarding experience.
How are you managing personally?
Overall I’ve been managing well. We now have a pet puppy and it has definitely given me a different perspective on life: live in the moment and forgive yourself without limitations (given the amount of things he gets into and having the confidence to know that he will still be nurtured & loved despite his shortcomings, it make you realize as human beings we put too much unnecessary stresses and pressures on ourselves). I have also come to the realization that homeschooling children and managing a business is not a match made in heaven, I am sure our children’s school teachers are happy that the term is over.
I am grateful for what I have in terms of health, family and friends because I know that the pandemic was not too kind to others. Enjoy every moment, life is too short and that’s why you should eat your dessert(s) first.
How to reach me?
Email: info@elleverity.com
Instagram: @elleveritywealth
Facebook: Elleverity Wealth
