42-Year Legacy, Startup Energy: Reinventing a Family Advice Firm

This week on the Financial Planner Life podcast, I’m joined by Sean Standerwick , co-owner of MLP Wealth Management , a financial planning firm based on the high street in Surrey with a powerful story: a 42-year legacy that's now being run with the mindset and energy of a startup. Sean and his brother have taken the reins from their father, infusing the business with a culture built on innovation, career development, and deep local community ties. From installing a defibrillator on their office wall to hosting pitch meetings where team members create service ideas, MLP isn't your average advice firm, and Sean isn’t your average leader. We talk about: How being on the high street has driven client engagement and local brand dominance Building a startup culture in an established firm (and why that matters for talent attraction) The journey of James, a trainee-turned-adviser, and what great career development looks like How Sean’s practice of Buddhism influences company culture, emotional intelligence, and leadership What makes MLP’s recruitment and onboarding process different (and more human) Why hyper-local marketing still works in a digital-first world And how one small idea, pitched internally, led to new service lines like wills and LPAs If you're an aspiring financial planner looking for a forward-thinking firm, or an established adviser wanting to run your own business without losing your soul, this one’s for you. Financial Planner Life is sponsored by Redmill Advance Whether you're starting out, already qualified, or building a training academy, Redmill Advance delivers expert-led learning, exam support and CPD from Level 4 to Chartered. ✅ Trusted by top UK firms 👉 Be sure to follow Financial Planner Life on YouTube for extra content about career development within Financial Planning. Reach out to sam@financialplannerlife.com in regards to sponsorship, partnerships, videography or podcast production. Want to appear on the Financial Planner Life podcast? Drop Sam a message.

You can listen to 42-Year Legacy, Startup Energy: Reinventing a Family Advice Firm online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

42-Year Legacy, Startup Energy: Reinventing a Family Advice Firm is an episode from The Financial Planner Life Podcast by Sam Oakes.

This episode is 44:56 long.

This episode was published on Jan 14, 2026.

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