October Talk With Dave Southby from Dave Southby Financial Planning

It's October, the month of Halloween and the time when the clocks go back and we all get an extra hour in bed. How's the month looking for you and your business? How is it shaping up for you?

Today we're talking to Dave Southby of Dave Southby Financial Planning who is a financial advisor based in Swindon. Dave is starting out in his business and is excited by his new venture. He's also a member of the town's most well known referral group BusinessWise. 

What’s coming up for your business in Q4?

Q4 for me is the start of a very new exciting chapter in my career which is the official launch of my business! 

After a 12 month career change programme with St. James’s Place Wealth Management, I can’t wait to finally get going.  

This is a month for harvest and Halloween? Are either of these important for you?

Halloween was around the time I started thinking about making the career change into financial services and it is also going to be the anniversary of my business launch going forward, so it's always going to be an important event in the calendar for me. 

It would be rude not to take advantage of this next year when I have my first anniversary event!

Did you know October 10 is World Mental Health Day – how important is this subject in your business and in your life? 

World Mental Health Day is incredibly important, especially after the last 18 months we have all been through. I think the awareness of mental health is helping more people, particularly men, open up and talk more. 

Throughout our lives we may experience periods of difficulty, and often we are not alone in the feelings or emotions that come up as a result. By sharing and being open, we can help others feel less alone. I personally have experienced anxiety and severe stress when I was younger so I know how tough it can be. 

Mental health and financial wellbeing are very closely linked. Finances, and lack of money or debt, can cause a lot of stress and anxiety which can affect anyone. 

One of the reasons I wanted to change career was to help people make their financial world easier to navigate and understand. It's easy to lose track, so I want to encourage people to talk because there is support and help available.  

What practical activities do you participate in at home or at work to protect your mental health?

For me, exercise and sleep are the two best ways to help manage my mental health. I try and do one form of exercise a day, even if it’s a walk at lunch. 

I have found it hard sometimes to achieve this, so I’ve started doing activities which encompass both exercise and work, like golf networking groups – not that I’m actually any good at golf! 

It’s Halloween this month – what, if anything, does this mean to you?

Halloween to me personally is always a fun time of year. It's always been a big event on the calendar growing up and that hasn’t changed even now. Me and my partner Bex are maybe a little obsessed with the decorations, we are always trying to go one better every year. 

Clocks go back this month – an extra hour in bed? How do you feel about the darker nights etc? 

I don’t know where the time has gone this year! It's going to take a little adjusting to the darker nights I think, especially after the mostly sunny September we have had. 

I work around my clients' diaries where possible which sometimes means I can’t be afraid of the dark! 

I won’t be having an extra hour in bed though because the 31st of October is National Pension Tracing Day, raising awareness about the amount of unclaimed pension pots in the UK and the importance of knowing where they are. 

If anyone is wondering what to do with their extra hour, this might be a worthwhile activity!  

Have you got any events planned you’d like to shout about – either that you are running or attending? 

I’m excited to finally meet my academy cohort face to face this month in Birmingham! We spent six months on Zoom together, going through the St. James’s Place Academy, so it will be nice to actually meet them in person. 

And finally: 

Happy Halloween everyone!! 

For more information visit www.southbyfinancialplanning.co.uk