We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jean Marie Dillon, MA, CFP®, AFC®. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jean Marie below.
Jean Marie, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
My purpose arose out of need and compassion for others. During the dot.com bust, I worked in benefits administration for a nonprofit hospital in Seattle, Washington. At that time, the tech world was born and had experienced its day of reckoning. Its heady wealth, its stocks, and its values plummeted. In Seattle, the hub of Boeing, Microsoft, and Adobe, many drank the boom and suffered the hangover from the dot.com bust that followed.
In 2000, the dot.com bubble burst, and during my tenure at the hospital, a 57-year-old nurse came into my office in tears. She lost over 75% of her 401(k) in a tech fund. She came to me looking for help, but I could not help her. She had become a victim of the regional noise that was tech venture capitalism. Also, she needed to gain basic financial and investing education.
At that moment, I realized that employees needed access to financial education. I found my purpose. Over the next five years, I earned my master’s degree focusing on Employer-driven financial education, became a CFP® professional, and developed financial literacy education for employees. Soon after, I opened my private practice committed to unbiased financial education for individuals and employer groups. Since 2017, I have helped individuals and couples overcome $50,000+ in credit card debt or strategize how to invest an inheritance.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’ve never sold a stock in my life. Yes, you read that right.
First, I focus on unbiased education, planning, and education, cutting out “commission-based” sales and ensuring my clients receive honest guidance. Secondly, as a CFP® professional, I remain committed to high ethical standards, putting my client’s interests first. Third, I work on an ability-to-pay, hourly basis, making financial literacy, planning, and education accessible to all who need it.
Indeed, many individuals can seek advice online or in classrooms, but it gets personal regarding debt or sudden wealth situations. Individuals don’t want to admit they got into a tight spot or need tailored help. That’s where I come in. I provide no-judgment coaching and education, similar to a weight loss program.
And I know all about weight loss! I lost 35 pounds, which led me to run my first marathon at 49. I have completed two marathons, countless 5Ks, and nine half marathons. Without health, wealth is meaningless.
I have successfully counseled individuals and couples nationwide out of $50,000+ credit card debt. In addition, among many other things I do, I work with people who have received inheritances and are simply unsure of what to do with a sudden windfall.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge most impactful in my journey are listening, lifelong learning, and a willingness to fail.
In the financial counseling and planning space, listening is essential. Clients come unsure of themselves, often desperate for help, and don’t want to be preached. I developed and honed my listening skills in every iteration of my career journey, from customer service to human resources to financial counseling. Listening to the client builds trust and ultimately contributes to their success.
I wouldn’t have stumbled upon my passion without being committed to lifelong learning. Indeed, I engaged in a complete career pivot to get to where I am now. I started a career in human resources, which morphed into managing my own business with a book of clients.
Making bold career changes requires a willingness to fail and, most importantly, learn from failure. I’ve failed big time in my entrepreneurial journey, like big audacious, face-plant fails! But I learned from these failures and can serve my clients better because of them.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
In the past 24 months, I began teaching adjunct at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. Teaching financial planning courses online in estate planning and financial planning principles has been a delight. Not only am I engaging with future financial professionals, but I am also sharing with them the importance of listening and lifelong learning for the profession.
In addition, I have continued my recreational passions in photography and running. I just signed up for my tenth half marathon and returned from a photography trip capturing, among other things, a rare Roadside hawk.
Hobbies make a whole person!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.freedomfinancialcounseling.org/
- Instagram: @jeanmdillon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedomfinancialcounseling/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanmdillon/
Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Carol Spagnola Photography, Instagram: @carolpags, all others, rights of the interviewee
