Why I love my barber: I'm paying him to tell me what I need!

WRITTEN BY: Gideon Drucker, CFP® AIF® ECA

I hate getting my hair cut. I can never really describe what I want: what level blade to use on the sides, how high up top to leave it, if I want it straight or square on the back and, honestly, it all kind of stresses me out. 

Yes, I’m a 32-Year-Old Adult man & the President of a fairly successful & prominent Financial Planning firm….but hey, we all got our “stuff.” 

I was recently getting a haircut with a new barber I’ve found since moving to a different part of NYC and as he was wrapping up, I asked if he could cut a little bit extra in the front left of my face. In a Uzbeki accent, he waved me off “No, you don’t want to do that. If I cut more there, it will just fall, and you won’t like it.” 

I said “Yup, makes sense, thank you.” 

And that was that. 

I have a new barber for life. 

Isn’t that what we all want when working with professionals? 

While I know what I want the result to look like, I have no idea how to get there. I don’t know what decision I think makes sense (“cut a little extra here”) will end up leaving me worse off (why does this hair fall on my face…that’s the exact opposite of what I wanted.) 

He was decisive (No, you shouldn’t do that), gave me a concise & clear explanation (your hair will fall over your forehead) and then left the ball in my court while providing a clear course of action. 

This is the exact role my financial advisors and I play for our clients. Our job is not to give you wishy-washy answers (“well you could do one of these 83 different things”) or provide you with so many different options that you’re left paralyzed by indecision…that’s what the internet is for. 

Our job is to tell you, in our expert opinion, what will make the most sense given what you are trying to achieve and lay out (quickly) the reasons….and then, once you ready to act, we will get it done for you!

Of course - we will lay out a few options and talk through them with you…but ultimately you are hiring us as an objective, fiduciary advisor to help you make proactive and decisive decisions. 

I’ll wrap up by asking: Do you have anybody in your financial life willing to play that role for you and your family? To not be a “yes” man or an order taker….Someone that will take your goals & motivations and lay out the best path to get there…even if it’s not how you originally thought about it. 

I can’t think of ANYTHING more valuable than that. 

If you're ready to begin your planning this year, then, please: Book a Right Fit call with me here!