I heard about Claire before I met her. She was described as a motivated, strong and focused woman, there was never a doubt that we would hit it off. Claire was looking for someone to believe in her and we were always going to feed her confidence to embrace who she is and what she can do.
We are constantly seeking people who can bring new energy and perspectives to the team. Claire has bought an innate skill of really listening and hearing people’s stories and then in turn asking the right questions, so others feel heard. We are excited to have this within our team, and it comes just at the right time (more on this later).
So how has she fitted in? Like she has always been here! Claire started her paraplanning journey only 12 months ago (this blows my mind!); alongside studying for and completing her Diploma in August last year. Claire has been able to translate the exam knowledge to real client work with ease, helping her grow into the role at Jacksons with a quiet confidence in her own ability that is championed by everyone in the team! She has great technical knowledge and can hold an engaging conversation with anyone she meets.
I don’t want to steal Claire’s thunder with her telling her own story below, but I have to tell you that her Gif game is the admiration of the whole team, I have spent many a day crying with laughter…yes, it is that good! Her sense of humor mixed with fun and incredible focus is a privilege to have in the team.
Okay enough of me over to you Claire…
Okay, so you have had an interesting journey to settling in England, give us a timeline of how you landed here?
How much time do you have?
I’ll give you the shorthand version just in case.
I’m a Texan girl (howdy, y’all) who spent most of her 20s living the dream as a bartender at a beach bar in the Cayman Islands. I know what you’re thinking… tough life, but someone had to do it.
It was an awesome life right up until March 2019, when everything changed. I suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm. I’m very lucky to be here, but that moment shifted my entire world. I had to leave my simple Caribbean life behind and move closer to my family in the UK for support.
After uprooting our lives, my (now) husband and I eventually found ourselves in Cornwall, somehow landing on our feet after one of the most chaotic chapters of our lives.
And the rest is history…
And what about joining the financial planning world?
If you would have told my 20‑year‑old self that one day I’d be working in the financial planning world, I never would have believed you.
But when we moved to the UK, I knew it was time to think seriously about the future and find a career that could support us through whatever life had in store.
What started as a simple goal to find a stable job has now grown into a genuine passion for this industry along with a drive to keep learning, developing, and becoming better in whatever form my role may take in the years ahead.
Now, I honestly couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
We know you like to bake, becoming JMFPs Star Baker in your first Season, what do you love about baking?
I’m a feeder by nature and nothing makes me happier than creating something delicious and watching people light up. That fills my cup.
What is your favourite thing to do with Poppy and Joe on a day off?
We love to take Poppy swimming and then follow it up with a coffee, hot chocolate, and a piece (or two) of cake.
You joined the JMFP run club, is it fun?
Fun is a loose term. On hill‑run days, there’s definitely no fun happening for me, but on the Prom days, it’s great. I’m new to running (hello, mid‑life crisis), and this group has been so encouraging. They genuinely make me want to improve.
How have you grown or changed since joining Jacksons?
Since joining Jacksons, I’ve grown in more ways than I ever expected. Professionally, I’ve developed a far deeper understanding of financial planning and the industry as a whole. On a personal level, I’ve gained real confidence in my own abilities and in the value I can bring.
Jacksons has given me the space and support to recognise my true potential.
What do you love the most about working here?
It might be cliché to say – but the people. I genuinely have the best time here. It’s a perfect balance of fun and focus that I never knew could exist in a workplace.
Back to me…
I hope you can feel Claire lifting off the page. When life took a very dark turn, she came out the other side with a love and lightness that is so infectious; this is the fun she brings to the hub that sits right alongside a need to get to the detail and make it count for the client.
It is a privilege to have worked with Claire in this short time and watch her own her confidence in a positive way, she is a talent! Her eagerness to learn and get it right has seen her get really stuck in and become an integral part of the team quickly.
Claire has an ease that makes you want to talk to her. She is interested, she hears you and she wants to always engage further and we think these are the characteristics of a great Planner. Claire starts her journey of moving from Paraplanning to Planning in late spring!
We are so excited to see Claire grow and feel very lucky to have her in our team!
This article was written by Claire Windram, Paraplanner, with a bit of help from Sharon Bray.
Learn more about Claire here.