An Interview With Lisa Mathews: The OneAscent Wealth Client Experience
We value the personal relationships we’ve built with our clients. We want to help our clients live well and finish well, which can only be accomplished through intentional client relationships.
We interviewed Lisa Mathews, Client Service Specialist, for her take on the OneAscent Wealth client experience and what makes this approach unique.
How Did You Join the OneAscent Team?
I met Harry Pearson at a football game. My husband was coaching the football team where his son, Cole, played. He heard about my accounting background and was looking for a Client Service Specialist. I have been working for him for nine years.
What Is Your Role?
Two weeks after I started, Harry came to me and said, “I want you to be the first point of contact for our clients.” This meant caring for, spending time with, and getting to know them on a personal level. So, in addition to managing client accounts, my role — as it is for everyone on the OneAscent team — is to invest in our clients’ lives.
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What Makes the OneAscent Wealth Team Unique?
Our team is dedicated, hardworking, client-focused, and most importantly — loves their job. I love coming to work, and I believe the client benefits from a happy, peaceful, and positive environment. Everyone is willing to give 100% to carry out the mission of living well and finish well. In a sense, we are “practicing what we preach.”
Why is it Important to You to Get to Know Clients Personally?
Getting to know our clients gives them the opportunities to share about their family, their hopes and goals, and even the hard times. It gives us great joy to walk alongside them. We don’t have all of the answers, but we appreciate the opportunity to be part of their lives.
What Are Some Ways Your Client Relationships Reach Beyond A Financial Plan?
As a team, we are always talking about ways we can improve customer service and client engagement. We want to engage with our clients as individuals and families. We want them to know that they have an advocate as they walk through life. We see them as more than their finances.
One of the ways we did this was by setting aside some time and finances to pour into our clients’ lives. We make a note of important events, big changes, illnesses, and accomplishments. We look for opportunities to bless them with anything from a small gift to a card acknowledging their situation, whether we were celebrating with them or praying for them.
What Makes the OneAscent Wealth Financial Experience Unique?
Not only do we look to build deeper relationships with clients outside of their financial needs, but we also look for ways to use these relationships to better serve our clients within their investment goals and strategies. Many of our clients have remarked that in the past, they had to call their advisor to receive any updates on their investments.
We do have the expertise, the numbers, the market insights, and the team members who love to dig deep into the world of finance to produce the best portfolios and results for our clients. But we love to go above and beyond. Most clients expect to come in and get some numbers on a sheet of paper, but they are met with a plan that reaches into their lives, blesses their children, provides steps for a legacy, and shows them their financial future.
We care about people, but we have the tools to answer their questions as well.
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How Did The Past Year Impact Client Relationships?
Our experience in March 2020 was the same as many, as the pandemic quickly forced us to change the way we worked as we all went remote. Harry immediately knew we had to take charge and take care of our clients despite being in an environment where no one was comfortable yet. One of the simple ways we were able to adjust in serving our clients was video meetings.
One story in particular that stands out to me during that time is, I have a client living in Mobile, Alabama, with whom I have spent several years on the phone. I have heard so much about their daughters and grandchildren, and we built a great relationship over the years. My first call with them through a video meeting was such a delight, finally being able to put a face to a name. We spent the first several minutes of the call laughing about it and enjoying the chance to see each other despite the couple hundred miles that separated us.
What Is the Most Gratifying Part of Your Job?
One of the most gratifying parts of my job is actually one of the ones that surprised me the most. Through this job, I have built real and deep friendships.
I have a client that loves to travel. My daughter was about to travel overseas for the first time. She was going to Denmark to study abroad for a semester. As a mom, I was excited for her but also concerned about her safety. Through my friendship with this client, I was able to call her and ask for her advice and help in “being a mom” in this situation. She took my daughter to lunch several times to get to know her and offer travel and safety tips. What’s even more beautiful is that my daughter and this client have stayed in contact, and she started helping my daughter learn French.
And that’s just one of many stories.
If You Could Summarize All Your Thoughts From Today, What Would You Say?
It brings me great joy to see a client come in expecting no more than a summary of their investments, and they leave knowing they’ve been heard, prayed over, coached, and cared for. This is our goal and desire for the OneAscent Wealth client experience.
Working With OneAscent Wealth
If you are looking for an advisor that can help you build a financial strategy around your values, investment goals, and financial needs, contact us today. We can help you identify what matters most to you and align your investments to reflect your values in a personal and purposeful way.
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