Primary Role: Wealth Advisor at Strategic Wealth Partners, Ltd in Independence, Ohio.

Website: www.swpconnect.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janicecackowski
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jcackowski 

Financial Planning Philosophy: Cackowski believes that a financial plan is a tool that allows one to visualize and plan for the future, plan for the "what ifs" in life and get to one's goals successfully.  If you organize and track what you are doing, you will have a better probability of attaining success.

You've decided to get involved with the FPA Knowledge Circle program to connect and learn with fellow FPA members. What made you want to get involved?
As a mid-life career changer, I am fairly new to the financial planning industry (about 10 years now) and still getting acclimated to financial planning best practices (e.g. how to best approach prospecting, how to best communicate with clients in certain demographics, what unique/new strategies to include in a financial plan, etc.). I thought the FPA Knowledge Circles would allow me to learn from professionals with more experience in this field. I was right!
 
What, specifically, did you find to be most attractive about the FPA Knowledge Circle program?
I view the Knowledge Circles as a safe forum where I can learn from the experiences of others as well as share some of my own. I have found over the years that I learn best when sharing ideas and talking through them and the Knowledge Circle structure definitely supports my favored style of learning.

You are active in the Retirement Planning and Business Success Knowledge Circles and will host the new Women in Finance Knowledge Circle. Why did you specifically choose these Knowledge Circles for your involvement?
I chose to get involved with the Retirement Planning and Business Success Knowledge Circles because I thought they were areas of weakness for me and where I needed improvement. Involvement in these two groups has helped me boost my knowledge of retirement planning and has allowed me to bring good ideas to the firm where I am employed to help manage a successful practice.  

The Women in Finance Knowledge Circle is simply an area that is near and dear to my heart. I have a passion for working with female clients, especially when they are in vulnerable times of their lives – like after the death of a spouse or following divorce. I also have a strong passion for attracting and retaining female planners in our profession. It's a wonderful career choice for women and if I can play a part in helping other female financial planners succeed, I will be thrilled!

What do you hope will be the long-term benefit of FPA Knowledge Circles to you and your business?
Every day I focus on working smarter and being more efficient in managing my tasks in order to allow me to spend more time on client-facing services. Some of the ideas I've received through the Knowledge Circles have helped in this regard. I also hope to share some of the knowledge that I've picked up in my career with others to help them succeed and obtain their goals.

What advice would you give fellow FPA members about FPA Knowledge Circles and why they should participate?
What better way to gather knowledge than from your peers who facing similar challenges each day. Best of all, they are all willing to share their experiences (good and bad) in order to help you succeed. Why not take advantage of this? If an FPA member truly has a passion for the planning profession, it's an easy, impactful way to keep up on trends and ideas.

How have you benefitted the most from your participation in FPA Knowledge Circles?
Simply the fact that, WOW, people are willing to share their thoughts, their successes and their failures with their peers in an open, honest way. Think about it…we are competing for financial planning business from the same pool of people, yet we are offering each other suggestions, encouraging each other and passing on information in order for the planner next door to us to succeed. I have found this same collaboration in the FPA of Northeast Ohio chapter and it absolutely thrills me.  

Do you want to benefit from FPA Knowledge Circles just like Janice? If so, learn about the program​, sign-up and start participating today!​