Becoming a Team Player, and Thinking Like a Golf Pro with Shaw Pritchett

The Admired Advisor Podcast

Shaw Pritchett spent 20 years as a tax accountant at Jackson Thornton, before transitioning to the asset management side of the business in 2015. Now in his eighth year as a holistic wealth advisor, Shaw has added “navigating a global crisis” to his resume.

In 2020, even as a pandemic sent the world spinning, Shaw kept his team calm and focused, accommodating their needs, and continuing to grow Jackson Thornton despite it all. Shaw attributes his success to personal growth as an advisor and the patience he learned playing professional golf.

In this episode, Steve talks with Shaw about making the leap from accounting to wealth management, how he encourages clients to set big financial goals, avoiding a task-oriented mindset, acting like a team player, thriving during a pandemic, and what professional golf has taught Shaw about communicating with clients and coming out on top.

Key Takeaways

• [01:16] - An introduction to Shaw and the origin story of Jackson Thornton.
• [02:40] - How Jackson Thornton has evolved and what the firm looks like today.
• [04:25] - How Shaw decided to take the leap into asset management after 20 years as a CPA.
• [07:17] - How Shaw's career as a professional golfer taught him valuable lessons as a financial advisor.
• [11:22] - How Shaw stays on top of an ever-changing marketplace.
• [13:00] - How Shaw’s communication style with clients has changed over the years.
• [14:26] - Why it’s important to listen to clients and understand first and foremost what their hot button issues are.
• [15:55] - How Shaw encourages clients to think big when setting goals.
• [19:01] - The importance of managing your limited time with clients.
• [20:55] - How Shaw was able to grow his business amidst a global pandemic.
• [27:35] - How Shaw manages referrals from clients.
• [28:51] - How Shaw views his role at Jackson Thornton.
• [32:26] - What Shaw would do differently if he could go back in time.

Quotes

[15:34] - “You really gotta get it to where you can relate on a client’s level and you want them to get through a meeting, get through an encounter, understanding what you’re saying. And I think in a lot of cases, stories and other ways to relate information to people other than just cold hard data and facts is probably a better way to go.” ~ Shaw Pritchett

[25:22] - “I am still working on the concept of being comfortable with silence in a meeting, I’m not really good about that. I’ve got partners that are a lot better at that than me. But I do think having that focus on letting the client have some airtime is important.” ~ Shaw Pritchett

[30:22] - “I don’t want it to be about Shaw. I think through the early part of my career, I’ve always been really competitive, and it needed to be about me and my recognition. And what I’ve learned throughout the years is, just because I succeed doesn’t mean someone else can’t succeed.” ~ Shaw Pritchett

Links

• Shaw on LinkedIn
• Jackson Thornton Asset Management
• RSM US Alliance
• Admired Advisor: Work Ethic, Critical Thinking, and Risk-Taking with Ernest Clark
• Huntingdon College
• NAIA
• Huntingdon Athletic Hall of Fame
• Alabama State Senior & Super Senior Four-Ball Championship
• Alabama State Match Play & Senior Match Play Championship
• The Discovery Booklet

Connect with our hosts

• Steve on LinkedIn
• Buckingham Strategic Partners

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Steve on LinkedIn
• Follow Buckingham Strategic Partners on Twitter