Our Leaders
the driving force behind The Advice Movement
The Advice Movement Leaders
To say that we’re a one man band would be a lie….whilst Steve loves to think he’s the all singing, all dancing, good looking leader of The Advice Movement (wait.. who’s writing this), we all know that it takes more than one person to start a Movement – so we’d like to introduce you to our Leaders.
We have a few dedicated people who work for The Advice Movement officially and a whole bunch of amazing Leaders who work along side The Advice Movement. And we all have something in common – we are super passionate about 21st century Financial Advice – and we’re willing to Teach how to do what we do.
The Advice Movement Crew
STEVE CRAWFORD
Founder, lover of floral shirts
Steve started The Advice Movement because he has a passion for 21st century Financial Advice – and no one was teaching anybody else how to do it… so he thought he would start a Movement to do just that. Steve also created a few of our courses – Your Spending Coach, the Mortgage Management Program & Lifestyle Protection Program – and he is the monotone dude you’ll hear when you listen to our Podcast “The Robo’s Are Coming!”
CHRIS WILLIAMS
Co-Founder and huge “Dees” Fan!
Chris will say that he didn’t create The Advice Movement, but he is as passionate about 21st century Financial Advice as Steve is. He spends his time in The Advice Movement working behind the scenes with Financial Advisers who are looking for extra guidance around the Personal Budgeting & Cashflow programs with their clients.
BRET MULLAVEY
Leader in Banking & Lending Advice
Bret’s spent a decade working inside and now outside of the Australian Banking Sector. This is why he knows just how much the average customer is screaming out for Banking and Lending Advice – not just Product Advice.
Because of his expertise, he helps Steve out with Teaching the Your Spending Coach program to our Corporate clients (Licensees and Aggregators)
The Advice Movement Contributors
MELISSA CRAWFORD
The Movement’s Moral Compass
Melissa (Mel) has been instrumental in the evolution of The Advice Movement since day 1. She has an unwavering belief in “fairness and equity for all” and that is why she’s our moral compass. Just because Mel works on the corporate side of our Industry, that doesn’t mean she is removed from the evolution of 21st century Financial Advice – far from it – as she sees her role as an important one, in bridging the gap between what the people truly need from the Advice Industry, and what the Industry itself provides to the people. Her passion and dedication for ‘a better way’ is what drives her contributions to The Advice Movement.
NAOMI CHRISTOPHER
The Movement’s Pulse!
Naomi has her finger on the pulse of the Financial Advice sector. Her aim is to encourage, help and propel The Advice Movement community on their journey into 21st century Financial Advice in any way she can – In particular she has a genuine passion for equality, and is enthusiastic about seeing the uptake of women in Financial Advice roles. Although not an adviser herself, her position at Midwinter has in many ways placed her at the heart of the Financial Advice landscape and she spends most of any given day, communicating and interacting with Financial Advisers whether it be face to face or online. .
The Advice Movement Partners
The Advice Movement is stoked to receive support in our quest for 21st century Financial Advice for all – from the following inspirational Organisations.
The Advice Movement Coaches
Because a Movement needs great teachers that can show our Future Leaders the way forward… we’ve gone and recruited some of the best Financial Advisers and Consultants in the world of 21st century Financial Advice. Check out our Courses page for more details on what they’re teaching.
STEVE CRAWFORD
GenXY Advice Guy
As mentioned already Steve is the “GenXY Advice Guy” so his specialty is in all aspects of GenXY (and Z) Financial Advice. This is what his courses are all about – helping you build a Financial Advice model that is specifically created for GenXY (and Z) clients. Not just a Retiree Model that was given a #hashtag and an Insta account.
Steve’s business Experience Wealth won the IFA Award in 2017 for best New Licensee in large part due to his Advice Model, and he’s also spent time on the Board of the Association of Financial Advisers
PEITA DIAMANTIDES
Expert in Renovating Processes then Automating them
Peita is an AFA Female Excellence in Advice Winner (2016) and an expert at building seamless client processes that then use technology to automate them.
She’s passionate about bringing more females into Financial Advice, as well as broadening how “Advice” is defined and delivered.
PHIL THOMPSON
The expert in using Video in your Advice Business
Phil is the industry expert at using Video and Virtual Meetings in his client engagement process. So much so it was the main reason why in 2017 he became an IFA Award winner. His videos have racked up thousands of views online because they are down to earth and super engaging, and that’s why we brought him into our school – to teach you how to make your own videos and run better virtual meetings.
Phil’s won the IFA Excellence Award in 2017 for Innovator of the Year (Individual) due to his outstanding Video skills.
MIA TAYLOR
The BOSS of developing your own Career Development Plan
Mia has reached lofty highs in her Professional Career from taking control of her own Development. It was this ability to drive her own Career success, that led to Mia being named the 2017 AFA Rising Star winner.
Apart from being an amazing Financial Adviser in her own right, she has already been mentoring other young Aspiring Financial Advisers in her “spare” time.
STEWART BELL
The guru at helping Financial Advisers build amazing Client Experiences
Stew has been working with Financial Advice firms for nearly 20 years. He’s literally worked with more than 500 of them… and what’s he learnt is very few of them make an effort to start with their clients when they are building out their Advice Model.
So he’s taken on the challenge of being The Advice Movement’s Client Experience Coach
We’ll be announcing more about them and their course over the coming months.
SAM ROBINSON
One half of our SEO and Social expert team – and resident GenY Travel Lover
Sam is one half of the multi award winning Pursue Wealth, with her partner in Advice and in Love (awww) Josh Wingrove. “Robbo” has won more awards for her crazy good SEO and Social Strategy focussed practice, that you’ve had Smashed Avo breakfasts!
In her spare time she also contributes to our Profession as the Victorian Director on the Board of the Association of Financial Advisers. Oh and the awards…here’s a couple – 2018 Young Leaders in Finance “Thought Leader OTY” and “Principal OTY” and Pursue also was a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champions Award.
MATT HAWKINS
If you want to know how to get your first referrals from a COI – then “Hawk” is your guy!
Matt has build a very successful integrated Financial Planning and Accounting practice off the back of a successful cross referral model. And let’s be honest..that is bloody hard to do because every man, woman and child has asked COI’s for referrals 100 times over.
As our resident Tasmanian he’ll also give advice on the best way to drive when you get off the Spirit of Tasmania – but we’ve got him focused on referrals for now.
Matt also devotes time back to the Industry as the Tasmanian Director for the Association of Financial Advisers.
JOSH WINGROVE
The “Other Half” of the Pursue Wealth SEO and Social legends.. and Crow’s die-hard!
Not one to leave the spotlight entirely for “Robbo”, Josh does his best work usually in front of the Camera as part of the Award Winning Pursue Wealth dynamic duo.
Balancing Robbo’s creativity with a whole bunch of processes and procedures, is why we’ve got him on board as a Coach as well. Need the Yin to go with the Yang.
STEVE BROWNING
The “Don” of Business Strategy for Financial Advice firms
Steve “The Don” Browning brings years of Leadership in and around the Financial Services industry. His expertise ranges from helping multi-million dollar practices set cascading business strategies, all the way down to helping newbies with Strategy for their Start Up.
By “The Don’s” own admission – he brings a certain level of maturity and ‘grey hair’ to our Coaches… he’s been through market cycles that some of us haven’t even heard of. That is why he is an essential part of The Advice Movement.