Most everyone knows that I enjoy some of the finer things in life, but on November 16th I’ll be sleeping outside on the cold Vancouver pavement.
I’ll be joining 60 other Senior Executives to experience a tiny bit of what the homeless youth in the city go through every night. We are doing this to raise funds to aid in the work of Covenant House Vancouver, where every year close to 1,200 homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 24 turn for assistance.
Recently, I was recognized by my alma mater, Island Pacific School, for my work on the Allan Financial Kiva Project. If you want the full story, this short documentary tells it beautifully. We started in 2013 with a $25,000 loan from Allan Financial. Then, our team pitched hundreds of clients, business partners and friends to lend with us. The response was overwhelming: we reached our goal of $250,000 of impact in under two years.
I’m proud to say that as of last month, the project has seeded over $500,000 of microloans to female entrepreneurs around the world!
I’ve learned two important life lessons here:
The importance of surrounding myself with people who inspire and challenge me.My family, friends, coaches, and mentors have seen things in me that I couldn’t. Time spent with these people motivates me to become a better version of myself. The team who co-founded the Kiva Project were this for me. What we accomplished together far exceeded what our individual efforts ever could have. Who are these people in your life? Write down three names. Right now. Hang out with these people!
How to find ‘the sweet spot.’ That is when things I’m good at and passionate about overlap with a way to meaningfully serve others.Through the Kiva Project, I identified skills that make me ME – consulting my people from life lesson #1 whenever I felt stuck. I then developed those skills and abilities within a platform that I knew was making a positive impact. Where are these intersections for you? What inkling did you just dismiss in your mind? If you’re having a hard time finding an opportunity that fits, create one!
This project was aimed at female entrepreneurs around the world, but we are beginning to work on something very local. In fact, it might even impact your family!
The real estate surge in Vancouver continues to push families to purchase their homes, condos and even live/work spaces in surrounding communities in Squamish, Bowen Island, and the Sunshine Coast. To those who relocate, there’s an excitement of making new friendships with like-minded people holding similar interests towards family life and health living.
The facilities for sports like ice hockey, figure skating, swimming and gymnastics in the outlying communities do not have the capacity to meet the demands of their new residents, particularly in Squamish which has seen a major influx of newly married couples with young children.
Civic leaders need to put solutions in place that don’t force a dramatic increase in property taxes or result in excessive user fees. Good listening, planning, and goal setting will be needed by all interested parties.
The madness of the Vancouver real estate marketplace has had a positive impact on the life insurance business of which I am a part. Record high mortgages have become normalized here. So covering that good debt and the income replacement needed to keep a family stable in the case of a claim has never been more important.
Many never dreamed they would have to move out of their beloved city… but wise financial decisions and smaller community values have never failed us.
What issues are you finding in your community backyard, while you enjoy your new life outside the big city?
Want a snicker? Check out the ‘debt worth’ client by Ross Allan. See anyone you know?
If you know us, you already know that we do things a bit differently. I mean, how else would you explain the fact that a life insurance company has an open weekly “Happy Friday” in the office for partners and clients?
So it probably won’t surprise you to hear that we are once again stepping out boldly into new territory.
While Allan Financial has been in business since 1984, we owe much of our longevity to not only all of our amazing clients who have stayed with us since the very beginning but equally to our responsiveness to change.
Through the decades, we’ve gone through many different changes. One was focusing solely on life insurance and letting go of being an overall financial advisory firm. Then there was the 2008 economic downturn. And along the way, many different insurance products we sell have been redesigned, eliminated, and new rules put into place.
It’s never been easy, but by focusing on being adept at navigating change, we’ve managed to grow in some amazing ways.
We’d love to share our thoughts on how you might also navigate the changes in your own business. Download our article on “A Tale of Transformation”.
Most of us have had to go through reinvention at some point in our lives, and while it is never an easy path, we always knew it was crucial for us to remaining relevant.
We’re pretty pleased, and honestly, a bit amazed, to have such a high profile feature. We hope you enjoy seeing a bit of a behind-the-scenes view of Allan Financial. Read the full article from Forum Magazine, Revive Your Firm.
While we knew that raising funds for services for homeless youth would have an impact for them, we never imagined how this experience would be felt by our team.
Most of us have had to go through reinvention at some point in our lives, and while it is never an easy path, we always knew it was crucial for us to remaining relevant.
We’re pretty pleased, and honestly, a bit amazed, to have such a high profile feature. We hope you enjoy seeing a bit of a behind-the-scenes view of Allan Financial. Read the full article from Forum Magazine, Revive Your Firm.
At the end of last year, we made a strategic decision to become a more independent life insurance advisory firm. Hear what this means for you as our client.
A familiar face for you all Bowen Islanders, Megan joins our team after earning her Masters degree in behavioural neuroscience and ecology from the University of Toronto, studying – wait for it – jumping spiders!
The transition may seem like a big jump, but Megan’s analytical mind and skill-set are a perfect fit for our underwriting department. Holly interviews Megan on her first few months here as an underwriting associate.
Why here?
The Allans are kind of my second family. I’ve been best friends with Danielle and Emily for a long time, and Ross and Suzanne have been a huge part of my life growing up and continuing into adulthood. I was talking to Danielle about wanting to change what I was doing with my life, and she made the connection that Hardeep would be going on maternity leave soon, and I jumped on it! It immediately seemed like a good idea to all of us.
How’s it going So far?
I’m really enjoying learning the business, and I find moving through the underwriting process so satisfying. It’s amazing, the breadth of knowledge required to do this job, and learning the ins and outs and the nuances involved gives me a sense of accomplishment.
I’m still learning and I feel like I’ll always be learning, but that’s part of the fun. Every task is like a new problem I get to solve.
The team is also amazing. I felt like part of this family right from the beginning. There’s a strong atmosphere of support. The whole team is so willing to offer insight, and that’s been really helpful for me, being new to the industry.
Working in Yaletown has also been incredible. I’m a marathon runner, and after living in Toronto for six years … let’s just say running the seawall on my lunch break is definitely a highlight.
Buying life insurance is often the last thing on everyone’s to do list. Or maybe you’re all covered? Maybe. Ross Allan caricatures human nature. It’s an irreverent “excuses” monologue designed to make you giggle. The message is simple: it’s time. Or at least time to get clear on if you have enough coverage.
We’ve now almost surpassed our original goal by $100,000! We are absolutely floored. HUGE thank you to all of our lenders for your generosity. And for those who haven’t already, check out our Kiva page!
Social Media, returning texts for appointments, a paperless office, Salesforce on mobile devices…we’ve made bold changes at Allan Financial. And all our improvements are in an effort to better serve our clients, many of whom are very digitally hip! We had to adapt to match the way our clients communicate, regardless of our old school industry.
We raise a glass to two new team members that have arrived to champion analysis and client care. Emily interviews communications consultant Holly Graff, and product design/finance associate Dania Clarke.
Why here?
Dania: AF as a whole left a striking impression on me. What I saw was an energetic, cohesive, high-performance team advocating for clients and challenging the status quo of a longstanding industry. I thought insurance would be boring…I was wrong.
Holly: Yeah, I’m constantly amazed that Allan Financial actually makes life insurance exciting! Plus, where else could I combine my nerdy research and writing skills with the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives?
Why now?
Holly: After a decade of having Ross tilt his head and say, “we’re gonna work together one day” during our client meetings, he finally got his wish! Seriously though, we have a shared entrepreneurial spirit, and it just took both of our career points to align at the same time.
Dania: I’m at a point in my career where I’m ready to be part of a team like this – young, vibrant, motivated, streamlined, yet having a big financial impact. Allan Financial is the right place at the right time for me.
What have you been up to?
Holly: Well, for one, I’ve launched the Bowen Innovation Series. It’s a 4-part series of gatherings for business leaders and change agents living on Bowen. There are so many amazingly talented folks doing incredible things, who often don’t have the chance to venture outside their own circles. And then to have the chance to be the straw that stirs that drink is an opportunity just too good to pass up.
So between Ross and I (and Patti-Jo, Danielle, and Emily) knowing a pretty good chunk of the island, I realized that Allan Financial was in a unique position to foster these connections, and nurture innovative ideas outside of our own business, all for the benefit of our shared community.
Dania: My role couldn’t be much more different than Holly’s! I spend most of my day maneuvering numbers. I customize policies for each person we serve because each person has a unique set of needs and goals. The magic is in the details.
I also get to spend time with Ross, the man himself, listening and synthesizing his unique insurance offerings into rows and columns. This is in support of Chriselle, our Director of Product Design, who has taken me under her wing. I also get to witness the intergenerational relationship between Ross and his daughter Danielle, our Finance Director. Their communication tends to transcend words… it’s pretty fun to watch.
At what moment did you know you were not working at a regular insurance company?
Dania: I knew from the moment I walked in the door. Everything here challenges convention, from the architecture of the office space to the diverse talents of the team. We innovate because innovation is modelled to us daily. There is room to fail, dust ourselves off, and try again. That’s rare.
Holly: I know most of the team, having been a client and friend for years. I knew exactly what I was getting into (well, sort of…). It’s common knowledge that Ross hires people first, and builds positions around their strengths. Most of my work has been in partnership with academics and senior business leaders in the US. I’m a writer, a communicator, and a community builder. I’m here to build bridges.
Like many other Bowen folk, I’ve marvelled at how Allan Financial thrives in both worlds – the island and the city. Not many have crossed the pond and maintained deep island roots quite as successfully as Ross. Allan Financial is considered a national leader in financial services, but still feels grassroots. I love that.
We’re still going strong with almost $320,000 in loans! This time of year reminds us of the importance of giving back: a Kiva loan is a great way to do so with your family! Visit our Kiva page for more information.
With life insurance, business is personal. The disclosure process shines light into all corners of our lives. That’s why trust is at the core: we take it very seriously. You may feel your concerns are unique but after almost 30 years in the industry, Ross has heard it all. So tell us, Mr. Allan, what’s it all about…?
We’re very excited to have surpassed $300,000 in loans to over 1,000 women around the world. Big thanks to all of you who have loaned with us! See this page for more info, and stay tuned for some exciting things in the works!
Sometimes Canadians in other parts of the country don’t get Vancouverites…this clip shows one of the reasons why. Ross imitates many of his clients who are living “in the now” in one of the most expensive cites in the world. This one hits a lil’ too close to home.
We’ve now surpassed our goal and are almost at $300,000! Your loans have now helped almost a thousand female entrepreneurs worldwide. See our Kiva page for more info!
Buying life insurance brings out the skeptic in most of us. The insurance world tends to be a place where consumers are naturally hesitant. Ross talks about the challenge of “unbundling” finances, and how the Allan Financial acquisition process can actually relieve your angst.
We’ve been lucky to serve many families for, believe it or not, decades. There is no better way to ENJOY YOUR LIFE than in the company of people with whom you share values, geography and stories. Creating a place where these bonds can be celebrated is important. That’s why we bring together our staff, clients and strategic partners through events and our notoriously social workplace. Community is at the crux of what we do.
