Putting down business roots

When Amy Irvine founded Rooted Planning Group, she wasn’t just starting a business; she was embarking on a mission to disrupt the financial planning industry.

She says that career path had been anything but linear, characterized by a series of winding turns that ultimately led her to question the status quo.

“My journey in financial services has not been a straight line. It’s kind of been this, I would say, windy, curvy, yellow brick road,” she says.

The decision to break away and start her own firm was catalyzed by profound personal experiences. In 2014, the loss of two uncles in quick succession led Irvine and her husband to reassess their lives.

“If we only were on this planet for 50 years, would we be happy with what we did during that 50-year period?” she says. “I loved what I did, but I didn’t love where I was doing it.”

Setting up her own firm came with its own set of challenges. Despite her extensive experience, Irvine struggled with imposter syndrome.

“I felt I was really great as a financial planner, but I was really nervous about being a business owner” she admits.

And Irvine is hardly alone in her own anxieties. According to research from Executive Development Network, 54 percent of women say they’ve experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers, with GenZ (66 percent) and millennials (58 percent) the most likely to suffer. For Irvine, part of overcoming this meant learning the importance of planning for success, not just avoiding failure – her initial focus was on survival, not on scaling up.

Despite these challenges, Irvine’s journey to founding Rooted Planning Group was driven by a deep desire for change and personal fulfilment. Irvine’s husband had long encouraged her to leverage her distinct approach to business by starting her own firm.

“By the time I realized this thing was working, I was like, Oh my gosh, this has worked too good,” she says. The influx of clients led to long working hours, which conflicted with the work-life balance she sought.

But Irvine’s story is not just about overcoming hurdles; it’s about transforming those challenges into innovative solutions. One of the key differentiators of Rooted Planning Group is its fee structure. Unlike traditional models that charge based on assets under management, Irvine’s firm charges a flat fee based on the complexity of a client’s financial life. “Assets are a tool to help you get to your goals. They aren’t the plan,” she explains. This approach eliminates conflicts of interest and ensures clients receive personalized, unbiased advice.