We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful David Dick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with David below.
Hi David , great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
Risk vs. Reward is the name of the game in my career. As a Financial Advisor everyday we come to work we have risk and stress involved. We handle life earnings for Individuals, Professionals, and Families. To begin a career with zero income and zero clients it took a ton of risk to do so with the average dropout rate in the financial industry between 80-90%. I just jumped in with both feet and had to learn and figure it out on the fly, but the difference is calculated risk. I studied not only for the license but also the calculation of what it would take to make it in this industry. Education and knowledge on the topic you are most concerned with is the greatest way to handle risk in my opinion. One has to take the calculated risk. It is foolish to go in blind. Understanding as much as you can up too that point where you have to either jump or get off the diving board. Through Years of doing so know it becomes easier to gage risk levels and what would be classified as more risky or less risky. The risk reward for myself and clients I handle assets for has all been completed through understanding the area of concern and making sure the risk were calculated beforehand. Gaining knowledge on the topics and fully understanding how they function ahead of time is the way I have been able to take risk in my life.
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?
My name is David Dick II, I am a 3rd Generation in the Financial Industry following my mother and Grandfather here in Oklahoma. I Ended up starting my own brand/ business in Edmond Oklahoma away from my families practice that has been in the same location for over 40 years. I focus on the financial planning aspect & wealth management. I have been doing so for 5 years now from ground zero. We started as a small firm from a spare bedroom in my house and have grown now to a downtown location in Edmond, Ok. Where I now have another Financial Advisor in Office and we are hoping to expand our numbers in office to keep the high standard of customer service. A couple really cool things that have happened in the short life as a business is that I was blessed to have an article published in the wall street Journal in 2019, and then following in 2022& 2023 we won the award for best financial service firm in Edmond, Ok. We are an Independent Financial Advisory firm which we love due to the fact we operate in our client’s best interest. We do not have quotas and we don’t push products onto our clients. We work with them as friends to educate them on how the financial industry works and from there, we help guide and create financial plans so they can reach their financial goals and objectives. One cool piece with us growing is that we are now license and help clients across the nation. We are officially nationwide and help individuals from coast to coast. We are looking to expand even more by bringing on other advisors who want to have a home where they can grow and have ownership in their book of business. It has been so cool seeing this business turn into something bigger than I ever thought it would and we are eternally grateful.
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?
Starting out I was fairly lost in how to conduct business. So, I had to adapt quickly. In order for me to make it I had to learn to be myself. This was huge because I wore a suite every day and thought that’s what I had to do in this industry, but later I found out that I could get to know someone on a better level by dressing to who I was not who I wasn’t. Talking to business owners or CEO’s I would dress the way I felt was presentable, but not in a form of power. I was/am there to work with them not to intimidate anyone by wearing a fancy suit. Another piece was Communication. This world has seemed to lost its focus on customer service and communication. This is why I give my direct line out to everyone so that they can always call me and not an 800 number or have to wait till I got back to my office to listen to my voicemail.
Best advice for one in my industry possibly starting out or a few years in would be to keep going. There is a large dropout rate, be the hardest worker in the room and always be available. When you are talking to someone don’t try to sell them on the spot. Be their friend and when you get the business do what’s best for the customer or the clients and everything else will fall into place.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
2 short books I recommend for anyone who is curious about finance and the world of sales. But before I mention them these are for the long-term relationships and long term solid financial foundations. 1. Automatic millionaire by David Bach. This Is your financial foundation that will develop the skills you need in understanding how important your spending really is, and how to become that automatic millionaire. It is a great short read that can change your perception on money, highly recommended.
The second book is the Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann. This book will help anyone in sales that are relationship based to understand people and how to navigate through your world of networking and understanding human tendencies. Great book in developing skills to network and meet others in this world that you may be able to create not only business transactions but lifelong friendships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daviddickfinancial.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-dick-ii-34040b142/
Image Credits
Chris Rettmen
