top of page

Empowering Your Financial Freedom and Life Journey: About the Academy of Life Planning

117705646_m_normal_none.jpg

Our Proposition

The Academy of Life Planning offers a revolutionary approach to financial planning, grounded in transparency, integrity, and accessibility. Founded by Steve Conley, a trailblazer in the financial industry, the Academy is dedicated to transforming the landscape of financial planning. By empowering individuals and professionals to navigate their financial and life journey with confidence and clarity, we strive to create a world where financial well-being is accessible to all.

Our Target Market

Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

At the heart of our offering is a comprehensive support system for financial professionals seeking to transition into non-intermediating financial planners and for individuals looking for trustworthy, transparent financial guidance. Our unique value proposition lies in our commitment to a client-first approach, free from the conflicts of interest prevalent in product-centric financial advisories.

"Planning My Life" Service Overview (Secondary Market)

"Planning My Life" is an innovative service designed to empower individuals to take control of their financial futures. Through a subscription-based model, members gain access to an AI Life Planner, a library of resources, and a community of like-minded individuals. This service is built on the pillars of empowerment, integrity, and personal growth, aiming to democratise financial planning and foster a global movement towards financial independence.

"The Financial Life Coach" Service Overview (Tertiary Market)

"The Financial Life Coach" specialises in lifetime cashflow planning without financial intermediation. We offer a range of planning tools and comprehensive financial solutions, tailored to meet the needs of a diverse clientele. Our inclusive strategy and innovative Ikigai proposition focus on holistic financial well-being, combining life, financial, and business planning to create sustainable livelihoods and achieve balance in mind, body, heart, and spirit.

How You Can Help

The Academy of Life Planning stands as a beacon of hope and transformation in the financial planning industry. We invite individuals and professionals alike to join us on this journey towards financial clarity, mastery, and a life lived with purpose. Together, we can shape a future where financial planning is a gateway to personal fulfilment and global change.

Target Audience Engagement Strategies

  • Primary Market: We leverage Steve Conley’s established authority on LinkedIn, endorsements, and insightful content to engage financial service professionals.

  • Secondary Market: Utilising referrals, partnerships, and dedicated social media engagement, we build trust and awareness among individuals seeking self-directed financial planning.

  • Tertiary Market: Focused strategies aim to reach those in need of personalised support during times of stress or change, highlighting the comprehensive and empathetic approach of "The Financial Life Coach."

Expansion Opportunities and Strategies

Exploring new partnerships and enhancing referral mechanisms are key to broadening our reach across all market segments. By tailoring our marketing efforts to the unique needs of each audience, especially through educational content and direct engagement, we aim to cement our position as a leader in the movement towards holistic financial well-being.

alpine backdrop.jpg

Championing the Underserved: Empowerment Since 2012

Target Audience: Our empowering product serves the mass market, particularly those struggling with financial wellbeing. This includes individuals facing debt, low cash flow, and lack of emergency funds. Increasing Cash Flow: Our approach prioritises strategies to increase cash flow, providing individuals with more financial freedom and reducing the stress of living paycheque to paycheque. Debt Reduction: We offer guidance and tools to help users pay down their debt more efficiently, freeing them from the burden of high-interest loans and credit card balances. Building Emergency Funds: Our product encourages and facilitates the creation of emergency funds, providing a safety net for unexpected expenses and reducing financial vulnerability. Safeguarding Income Streams: We provide strategies to protect income streams from life's uncertainties, ensuring financial stability even in times of personal or economic crisis. Long-term Security: Only after these immediate needs are addressed do we shift focus to long-term financial security, freedom, and legacy. This includes retirement planning, investment strategies, and wealth management. Why Our Product: Unlike traditional financial services that focus on selling products, our approach is centered on the financial wellbeing of our users. We provide genuine financial coaching, helping individuals understand their financial situation and make informed decisions. How We Operate: We leverage technology and personalised coaching to deliver our services. Our platform is user-friendly, accessible, and designed to empower users to take control of their financial future. Impact: Our product not only improves individual financial wellbeing but also contributes to a healthier economy. By helping individuals become financially stable, we reduce the strain on social services and increase economic productivity. Future Vision: We aim to transform the financial services industry, shifting the focus from corporate profit to individual financial wellbeing. We believe in a future where everyone has access to the tools and knowledge they need to achieve financial security.

The G.A.M.E. Plan

Goals: Actions: Means: Execution

The G.A.M.E. Plan is a comprehensive approach to financial planning. It is designed to help clients create a clear vision of their ideal life and develop a financial plan to support it. The G.A.M.E. Plan consists of the following components: Goals: This step involves identifying clients’ values, aspirations, and objectives in various aspects of their lives. Clients can set meaningful and inspiring goals that align with their values and purpose by understanding what truly matters to them. Actions: In this phase, clients identify potential obstacles and challenges that may arise while pursuing their goals. By addressing these issues proactively, clients can develop realistic and achievable action plans to overcome them and stay on track towards their desired future. Means: This step focuses on creating a financial architecture that supports clients’ dreams and goals. By assessing their current financial situation and resources, clients can develop a financial plan that aligns with their objectives and ensures they have the means to achieve them. Execution: The final component of the G.A.M.E. Plan involves implementing the action plan and monitoring progress. Clients receive ongoing support and guidance to help them stay on track, make adjustments as needed, and ultimately achieve their goals. By following the G.A.M.E. Plan, clients can develop a holistic approach to financial planning that addresses both their financial needs and personal aspirations, leading to a more fulfilling and successful life.

the GAME plan.png

The GAME Plan: Precision in Financial Planning

Unlock sustainable cash flows and build valuable assets by identifying high-yield opportunities and leveraging entrepreneurial ventures.

 

Establish a robust financial framework that aligns seamlessly with your envisioned future. Generate holistic wealth that is guided by your core values and driven by a clear purpose.

​

Take control of your financial destiny by owning and managing your data and assets. With just a twelve-hour investment in learning, you'll master a financial planning approach that is unparalleled in its effectiveness.

​

The value you'll derive from this service will far outweigh the cost, offering you an exceptional return on your investment.

The GAME Plan (1500 × 1500 px) (1).png

Aligning Strategic Frameworks: The GAME Plan Meets HBR's "Strategize Your Life"

At the Academy of Life Planning, we've always believed in the transformative power of strategic planning, not just for financial success but for crafting a fulfilling life. Our proprietary GAME Plan framework has been at the core of empowering individuals to navigate life's complexities with clarity, purpose, and intention. We are thrilled to see these principles echoed in the Harvard Business Review's recent feature, "Strategize Your Life," which brings to light the profound impact of applying strategic thinking to personal development.

​

The GAME Plan and HBR's "Strategize Your Life" share a foundational philosophy: the belief that the methodologies and frameworks traditionally reserved for corporate strategy can be adapted to guide individuals towards a meaningful and successful life. Both approaches underscore the importance of defining success on one's own terms, setting clear objectives, and systematically working towards them.

​

Similar Foundations, Parallel Paths

Our GAME Plan framework encourages you to set Goals, Actions, Means and Execution with your life's plan through a structured, strategic lens. It prompts you to consider what truly matters, set achievable objectives, track your progress, and engage with your aspirations fully. This mirrors the "Strategize Your Life" program's seven-step process, which begins with defining a great life and moves through understanding one's purpose, setting a vision, assessing life's portfolio, learning from benchmarks, making informed choices, and ensuring a sustained change.

​

Endorsing Our Approach to Life Planning

The synergy between the GAME Plan and HBR's "Strategize Your Life" validates our approach to life planning. It underscores our belief in the power of strategic planning to not only navigate financial waters but to also enrich every facet of one's life. The recognition of similar strategies in a prestigious publication like the Harvard Business Review serves as a testament to the efficacy and relevance of strategic life planning in today's world.

By integrating the principles of the GAME Plan with insights from "Strategize Your Life," we offer a comprehensive roadmap to our community. This endorsement strengthens our commitment to guiding individuals towards realising their 'Kokoro' — a life of not just financial security, but emotional, intellectual, and spiritual abundance.

​

A Journey of Empowerment

We invite you to explore the synergies between these frameworks on your journey towards personal and professional fulfilment. Whether you're crafting a new vision for your life, setting milestones for personal growth, or redefining what success means to you, our GAME Plan, bolstered by strategic insights from the world of business, provides a robust foundation for your aspirations.

​

Together, let's embrace the power of strategic planning to create a legacy of purpose, impact, and personal achievement. Welcome to the future of life planning, where your vision for a great life becomes a strategic, actionable reality.

​

For further details, why not check out our blog and watch the HBR video below.

"At the Academy of Life Planning, we deeply respect and support the vision of George Kinder, expressed in his #FiduciaryInAllThings movement, particularly his focus on holistic life planning and placing the client's life goals at the forefront of financial advice. Kinder’s approach to financial planning revolutionises how advisors interact with their clients, emphasising a deep understanding of personal aspirations and life purposes.

​

However, we at the Academy take this vision a step further. We advocate for a complete separation between financial planning and product advice. This stance is not solely about avoiding conflicts from remuneration; it’s also about recognising and addressing the ingrained mentality that more products equate to better financial well-being. This assumption can lead to unnecessary overprovision, where the pursuit of accumulating more can overshadow true happiness and well-being.

​

Our philosophy is grounded in the belief that financial planning should be entirely independent of any product-related incentives or biases – a model that ensures our advice is purely in the best interest of the client's life goals and overall well-being."

​

- Steve Conley

Our Awards

Acclaimed Financial Adviser Support Network & Contributor to Finance:

  • UK Lawyer International's Legal 100 Awards 2023 & 2022

  • UK Corporate America Today 2023 & 2022

  • UK Global 100 (Top 100 World's Leading Firms & Individuals) 2023 & 2022, with votes from EMG Publishing's global readers in 163+ countries

 

Additional Honors:

  • Most Pioneering Financial Planner Network, Acquisition International Worldwide Finance Awards 2023 & 2022

  • Financial Adviser Support Network of the Year, Corporate Live Wire Innovation & Excellence Awards 2023 & 2022

  • Best Financial Adviser Support Network, SME News Finance Awards 2022, 2021, & 2020

  • Award for Outstanding Contribution to Finance, SME News Finance Awards 2022, 2021, & 2020.

​

Important Caveat:  Regarding Academy Awards from AI Global Media and EMG Publishing Group

​

At the Academy of Life Planning, we are honoured to be recognised for our efforts and achievements in the industry. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that some awards, particularly those from entities such as AI Global Media and EMG Publishing Group, may fall under the category of 'vanity awards'.

Vanity awards are typically characterised by:

​

  1. Arbitrary Selection Processes: The criteria for selection and the legitimacy of the judging process may not be transparent or rigorous.

  2. Marketing Focused: Often, these awards are more about marketing and promotion rather than genuine recognition of excellence.

  3. Financial Incentives: Recipients may be encouraged to purchase promotional packages or marketing materials related to the award.

 

We believe in maintaining transparency and integrity in all our endeavours. As such, we urge our clients and stakeholders to exercise discernment when considering the significance of these awards. We remain committed to our mission of providing exceptional services and creating a sustainable legacy, irrespective of external recognitions or awards.

Founder - Steve Conley

thegameplanner.jpg

Steve Conley is the founder of the Academy of Life Planning, which he established in 2012. He has been assisting thousands of financial planners in various organisations since 1982. Steve has an extensive background in the financial industry, having held leading roles at banks such as HSBC, RBS Group, and Santander. Steve, a man of unyielding integrity and values, departed from his senior corporate career not for greater professional fulfilment alone, but to uphold his principles. Disillusioned by the financial industry's profit-over-people approach, Steve embarked on a journey to transform the sector. He is now the Founder of the Academy of Life Planning, a beacon for Financial Planners seeking not just success, but meaning and trust in their profession. His mission has been to restore confidence in financial services through a trusted adviser model that separates advice from product sales, ensuring fiduciary duty and avoiding conflicts of interest. He is a Registered Life Planner, Chartered Financial Planner, Chartered Insurer (Pensions Route), and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Steve has won numerous professional awards, including the British Insurance & Investment Brokers’ Association Prize and the Jubilee Prize of the Insurance Institute of Manchester. In September 2017, Steve received the Transparency Trophy for his contributions to a more transparent global financial services industry. He is also a global Ambassador of the Transparency Task Force and the founding lead of their Market Integrity Team. Steve Conley is recognised as an authority in investments and pensions and is known for his work on values and professionalism within the financial services industry. Through the Academy of Life Planning, he aims to empower individuals and financial planners to achieve financial security and personal growth.

bottom of page