Brett Investment at 20 – The next 20 years
Bettr than Before – by Nick
I have only been here for 20 minutes so what do I know about the next 20 years?! However, it does look like my hair will probably thin out (even more), it may turn grey (even more) and I am likely to gain a few more pounds (even more), but if that’s the small price to pay to be a part of this team, then bring it on.
In the short time I have been a part of Brett Investment, I’ve quickly appreciated that ‘good’ financial planning is only partially about the money. What it’s really about is the people and the relationships. What creates the ‘plan’ is the ‘story’, your past, your present and your future… and the story ALWAYS comes before the numbers.
So bear with me for a moment and I’ll tell you a bit about my story, so that our 20 year plan starts off with you knowing a bit more about me…
My past – ‘Good to great’
I am a farmer’s boy fae Fife whose dream was to play on tractors for many, many years. I used to follow my Dad’s shadow, just to be involved in his working day. Some days I was sweeping the sheds, carrying hay bales, washing down the tractors with a power hose or sitting on the combine harvester pretending to drive. I LOVED every minute of growing up on a farm – it was the only job for me.
Through fear of falling in love with farming too much, my brother and I were shipped off to boarding school to experience an education apparently not available in Fife. I soon realised that the idea of wanting to become a farmer was not for me and quickly set my sights on becoming captain of the Scottish rugby team. I fell in love with sport, all sport, but especially rugby and cricket. I loved being part of a team who were training and playing every week and my ambitions were realised; I was going to be a sports-star!
Not quite hitting the dizzy heights I had dreamt of, I took to further study and experienced an amazing four years in Edinburgh studying to become a teacher. Still playing rugby for George Heriot’s 1st XV at the time, I juggled my love of sport with my studies. I was fortunate to work at a tremendous school in Fife called Buckhaven High School. Now, for those that don’t know, Buckhaven isn’t the most glamourous of places, even the birds fly upside down over there, but the people and pupils, in particular, were first class. After four years of learning my trade with Principal Teacher of PE Willie Allan MBE acting as my journeyman (he told me to mention he has an MBE), it was time to move on as love brought me here to Melrose.
My present – ‘Great isn’t good enough’
Playing fixtures against Border rugby teams for at least a decade, I have to admit to never feeling comfortable being here on Saturday afternoons as an ‘outsider’ – I always knew it was going to be a tough afternoon that would probably involve a sore head and a limp for the remainder of the weekend. However, I have now been here for over five years and proudly call the Borders my home, it’s as if “it’s aye been”.
Pre pandemic, Jeremy and I had casually discussed the prospect of a career change (for me, not him) on several occasions. But when he came to me in June, on his knees and with tears in his eyes, I knew he was serious. For me, it was an easy decision to change careers, I always knew that teaching was going to be temporary, but I didn’t know how it would change or when it would change. What I did know is that everything with Jeremy is always positive and he always wants to make things better… or ‘bettr’ as he puts it. With Shona and Katie, I knew they had created an environment I would want to be a part of and there would be lots of fun contributing to that.
I was supposed to get married in August 2020 but as we know, Coronavirus put a stop to all events like that; Caitlin and I have our fingers crossed that by July 2021 we will be singing and dancing like we once did before and that we can say “I do” like I said to Jeremy earlier in the year.
Out future – ‘Bettr than before…’
So, I have high hopes and great ambition for Brett Investment in the next 20 years. I will sit exams and hopefully qualify appropriately for the next chapters and I will graduate from the delegated office jobs that resemble those of an assistant janny! I want to contribute positively and be exposed to further learning and responsibility to help others live the life that they desire.
Since reading a book by author James Collins, I have always been influenced by the saying ‘going from good to great’. I like the concept and its simplicity whereby we shouldn’t settle for just being ‘good’ – let’s learn, grow and aim to excel! Only recently, however, I was told that ‘great isn’t good enough’.
Q: So if ‘good’ isn’t it and ‘great’ isn’t it… then what is?
A: Evolving and striving to always being ‘Bettr than before’.
So there we have it – despite having only been here for 20 minutes I am really excited about evolving my story and joining yours. I have no idea what is going to happen in the next 20 days let alone 20 years (apart from the hair loss and the remaining strands turning grey), but I’m not in the slightest bit worried. I am excited to learn and to be a part of this evolving team that genuinely puts the people first.
Nick