On today’s episode of Framework, Jamie Hopkins talks with Ray Hennessey, CEO of JConnelly, a marketing and public relations firm JConnelly.
At a young age, Ray remembers going to the bank with his grandfather and watching him invest in a CD. At the time, you could buy a savings bond and double your money within five to six years. This early money memory sparked Ray’s interest in the interconnectedness of currency and the way markets impact each individual’s financial priorities.
While today Ray runs a public relations firm, he spent 25 years in media. Beginning his career as a local journalist, Ray found covering tragic news stories mentally draining and emotionally challenging. So he ended up switching to financial journalism which led to The Dow Jones, CNBC, and Fox Business Network.
Ray talks with Jamie about building meaningful relationships in the financial industry and beyond, the pitfalls of working from home, and the legacy he hopes to leave for his own grandchildren.
“Wealth management is so much of a relationship business where the threat and the opportunity is in the technology portion of it. How much of the relationship can be replaced by the technology? Well, none of it. The transaction can be replaced by the technology but the relationship is yours.” ~ Ray Hennessey
Main Takeaways
- The transaction is not the cause, it’s the effect. Don’t focus on the transaction between yourself and a client. Focus on client outcomes.
- Relationship-building is key to this business. But networking is so much more than adding connections on LinkedIn. Always think of ways you can add value to the people in your network.
- In the same way that being in front of a camera on TV is incredibly draining, being in front of a Zoom camera all day is draining for today’s workforce. Video conferencing is inherently invasive and unnatural.
- There’s no such thing as work-life balance. But it’s important to work towards work-life harmony. In other words, there doesn’t have to be a choice between your career and your family, you can find ways to spend quality time with your kids without feeling guilty for not being by their side 24-7.
Links and Important Mentions
- Ray on Linkedin
- Ray on Twitter
- JConnelly
- Mamma Maria
- The French Laundry
- Dow Jones Newswires
- Wall Street Journal
- MarketWatch
- CNBC
- Entrepreneur
- Fox Business
- Neil Cavuto
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