This article was written by Ryan T, who joined boosst in January 2025. He identified Financial Planning as the fulfilling career he was seeking after a stellar run on the pro golf circuit. We believe Ryan is fantastic role model and we hope his story can inspire others who are making a career change to join our profession.
Like many aspiring athletes, my journey has taken unexpected turns, with each stage shaping who I am today. From playing many different team sports as a child, to competing in the college golf system in the USA, playing professionally in the UK, and now training to become a financial planner at boosst, the path has been anything but typical. Yet, through each chapter, a consistent theme has emerged in order to be successful – performance, discipline, and growth.
My sporting journey began long before I set foot on a golf course in the United States. Growing up, I was immersed in a variety of team sports that laid the foundation for the athlete and leader I would later become. I played football at various academies and top Sunday league teams, where I developed a deep understanding of teamwork, discipline, and communication. Alongside that, I represented London in both Gaelic football and hurling tournaments in Ireland, experiences that taught me resilience, adapting to new environments, and pride in representing something bigger than myself. These early years built my appreciation for collective success and the importance of preparation, organisation and time management, lessons that proved invaluable when I transitioned into golf. As Captain of both the Essex Golf Team and later my university team in America, I drew on those same team-building principles to foster togetherness, motivate others, and lead by example, experiences that continue to influence how I approach challenges today.
My passion for golf took me to the United States to compete in the Division 1 collegiate setup. My days were built around a strict routine of early morning workouts, lectures, practice, and tournaments. It was an education in time management, resilience, discipline and self-motivation, traits that form the backbone of my current training at boosst. It also instilled a growth mindset as success in college golf wasn’t just about talent, it was about incremental improvement, learning from mistakes, and constantly seeking marginal gains, the approach I now take with me every day to my new role.
After college, I turned professional and began competing in the UK. Many think that life as a professional golfer is glamorous, but in reality it requires grit, resilience, and a relentless focus on performance and improvement. The hole suddenly becomes a lot smaller when you have a 6 foot putt to earn the money to play the tournament the following week! Managing my own travel schedule, my own finances, my training and practice, and the important competition demands developed qualities that I now see as pivotal in my role at boosst – independent thinking, self-accountability, and mental resilience.
Golf sharpened my ability to stay calm under pressure, and being able to make quick decisions with clarity and confidence. Every shot in every round was a test of my ability to think strategically, execute with precision, and stay focused on long-term goals despite the many short-term setbacks that were thrown my way. These lessons now show up in my work as I study for exams, shadow senior planners, and contribute to boosst’s objectives every day.
While the setting has now changed, the core drivers remain the same to be successful in my role at boosst, performance, preparation, and purpose. I joined boosst as a trainee financial planner to pursue a career that balances challenging situations and finding beneficial solutions whilst having a meaningful human connection. Although I have a long road ahead on the bright to boosst development pathway until I am advising my own clients, I’m immersed in learning every day and benefiting from the same coachable mindset that helped me grow in golf. I once studied golf courses and swing mechanics, now I study the senior planners within boosst and what they do that sets them apart to achieve great client outcomes, and of course that all important next exam!
Looking back, the parallels between elite sport and financial planning strike home and I’ve found a surprising number of transferable skills from my sporting background that directly apply to financial planning:
- Strategic Planning: In golf, strategy is everything, knowing when to be aggressive and when to play safe. Financial planning involves a similar long-term view of balancing risk, reward, and timelines to help families achieve their goals.
- Risk Management: Similar to the above, in golf, every shot involves an element of risk, and success often comes from knowing where to miss rather than always chasing perfection. It’s about assessing the situation, understanding the potential hazards, and choosing the option that gives you the best possible chance for the next shot. I’ve carried that same mindset into my role at boosst. Whilst I’m not yet advising my own clients, I’m learning how the planners at boosst identify and manage risk, ensuring decisions are made with both short-term stability and long-term client goals in mind. Just as in golf, it’s about positioning yourself, and eventually clients, to recover quickly, adapt, and stay on course for success.
- Routine and Discipline: From pre-shot routines to those 5am workouts, I am a firm believer that habits lead to results. In financial planning, discipline in the process and preparation work ensures quality and consistency for clients. Studying to achieve the next exam certificate outside of working hours also places high emphasis on strong routines and innate discipline.
- A Client Experience Mindset: As a pro golfer, I was always switched on, on the lookout for a potential sponsor and therefore every interaction had to be a good one. I’ve brought that same mindset into my role at boosst, with every client interaction holding the utmost importance… although now I am eager to find ways I can support other people, rather than on the lookout for people to support me!
- Confidence: Golf taught me that confidence isn’t about arrogance, but about trust. Trust in your preparation, your process, and your ability to perform under pressure. Standing over an important shot requires belief in the work you’ve already done and the hours of practice you have put in, even when conditions aren’t perfect. I’ve brought that same mindset into my role at boosst, where confidence means having the composure to contribute ideas, take on new challenges, and back myself in unfamiliar situations. While I’m still developing in my career, maintaining quiet confidence in my preparation and continual learning allows me to perform effectively, adapt quickly, and grow within the high-performing team environment boosst have created.
- Balancing Emotions: Just like bouncing back after a double bogey or a ball out of bounds, staying calm and composed whilst under pressure is key to being effective and professional in the financial planning profession.
- Coachability: I’ve worked with many coaches, always hungry for feedback. That openness has been crucial to my development at boosst, where I’m surrounded by teammates who are invested in my growth and development.
- Attention to Detail: A misread on a green can cost a shot, that has a compounding effect on your outcome in a round and a tournament. Likewise, accuracy and precision in the work I do to help planners prepare for their meetings is a non-negotiable to prevent issues further down the line.
- Self-Motivation: As a golfer I was used to setting personal goals and pushing myself everyday. In this new role, I set targets around knowledge, exams, and personal progress, measuring my improvement regularly.
- Performing Under Pressure: Golf taught me how to execute when people are watching. That now helps me contribute in team meetings and training sessions, and eventually, will serve me when I progress to a client-facing role.
Why boosst?
Throughout my career in golf, one of the most important lessons I learned was the value of surrounding myself with the right people, coaches, teammates and mentors. Those who shared my mindset, pushed me to improve, and supported me through highs and lows. That same principle guided me in choosing where to begin my financial planning career.
I joined boosst because of the people and the culture. From my very first conversation with Keith, it was clear this was a team of like-minded individuals who were motivated, forward-thinking, and committed to excellence both for clients and for each other. Even though it required me to relocate to take up the position, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
At boosst, I’ve found an environment where my ambition is matched by support, and where personal development is truly taken seriously. Everyone here is driven to do the best work possible, but also to bring others along on that journey. The proof is in the pudding, on my very first day at boosst I was told that our main objective for the year was to win the big one, the “Accredited Financial Planning Firm of the Year Award” again. Fast forward 10 months and the award sits in my eye-line here at boosst HQ.
What I believe sets boosst apart:
Mentorship: I’m regularly coached by experienced planners who take time to guide and challenge me to support my development.
Training Culture: There’s a clear roadmap for progress, with formal learning in the shape of exams and practical learning through plenty of exposure to real-life planning scenarios.
Team Ethos: Although financial planning often focuses on individuals and families, the togetherness of the whole team is exceptional and instantly noticeable. Knowledge is shared, wins are celebrated together, and support is always available – “no question is a silly question.”
Clients First: Every part of our process is built around creating meaningful outcomes for clients and every change implemented must add an increased level of value for clients.
Growth Environment: Whether it’s studying for qualifications, learning new systems, or contributing ideas, I’m encouraged to bring energy and curiosity to work every day.
At boosst, I truly feel I’ve found a company that values who I am now and where I want to progress to in the future. The culture is progressive and ambitious, and as someone who thrives in high-performance environments, it’s exactly the kind of team I knew I needed around me to grow, evolve, and ultimately, succeed in this new chapter.
As I continue training toward becoming a Certified Financial Planner, I carry with me the lessons I learnt on the golf course: stay focused, be prepared, adapt quickly, and always keep learning.
This is only the beginning of my journey at boosst and I’m very excited about the future, not just for myself, but for the opportunity to help boosst grow and to help clients navigate their futures when the time arises.