"Exploring the Power of Random Conversations: A Reflection on My Journey to Financial Service Consulting"

Ben Marshan Graduation

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to have been asked to deliver the Commencement Speech at some University graduations. It's allowed me to reflect on my journey and career, some of my struggles, and, more importantly, my achievements. I thought I would share part of my speech as a reflection on how I have gotten here - to be a financial services consultant - and as a first blog post to figure this out.

NOTE: This is not the whole speech, and I last delivered it 2 years ago, so there is a Part 2 to come.

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I've been lucky enough to graduate twice from universities - and most recently, as was noted - from Western Sydney University - I am still sometimes surprised I made it thinking back on it.

And I hope, like me, you are sitting there proud of everything you have accomplished academically and socially during your time here, helping your community and in any steps you have taken to commence your careers.

I felt very privileged when I was asked to lecture here, and I did so for 3 years. I am proud to keep in touch with many former students.

They have gone on to achieve some fantastic milestones already in their careers, and I have no doubt I will hear of the great things you do on your own as the years go on. They regularly seek advice and give me updates, and I encourage you to do the same with your teachers!

I've made 2 significant journeys since my graduations, the first as a scientist, where I strived to make a difference in people's lives by solving medical issues for them, and the second in financial services, where I have tried to help people be financially healthy.

The two main things I want to impress on you today are to think about what value you can create for yourself and others. That is what drives you, gets you out of bed every day, and makes the world better. And secondly, the value of seemingly random conversations about those values.

My journey from graduation to today has been one that has shown me the value of knowing my own life's meaning, what drives me to get out of bed every day and go out into the world.

But also how seemingly random conversations with people about what you value, what you have learnt at this uni and what you are passionate about can take your life to unique places - funnily enough - such as me standing here and talking to you today.

My meaning has always been to help other people improve their lives and health - personally and financially as my career has evolved. My value is that I can generally understand and simplify complex problems and help other people understand them.

My journey through school and uni wasn't easy - I didn't perform well at school; I just scraped into my science degree, and even then, I may have had to rework several subjects to get through them - chemistry and I were like oil and water - we don't mix.

I was about to leave uni to take up a career as a sales assistant when a random conversation on the library lawn with one of my professors led me to an opportunity to undertake an honours degree, which led to a job as a research scientist where I helped discover why some people develop quadriplegia due to neurodegenerative diseases.

Another random conversation with a friend led me to explore becoming a financial planner based on the idea I wanted to get into "business". I eventually started helping two financial planners as their assistants. After a little more study, I became a financial planner. I was privileged enough to look after the financial security of my own 600 clients.

My lectureship position came about from a discussion with a client who was a professor here. Talking about my Western Sydney University experiences with him led me to lecture over 100 students.

I told my work about the assignments I had completed here, and I used them to help improve the business I worked in, so then I was put in a position to help 150 planners help their clients.

I then helped 30 of the country's biggest financial services businesses while working for KPMG. Finally, now I help 14,000 financial planners just because I spent time volunteering and sharing what I learned here at Western Sydney – and joking to my now boss – that he should pay me for all the work I was doing for him for free.

But more than that, I am now working with the Government and Regulators - using the knowledge I obtained from my degree here at Western Sydney - to set the legislation that affects the financial well-being of everyone in the country.

I now get to wake up every day and make sure all Australians have a better financial today and tomorrow - because I stood here 12 years ago and earned my degree like you are today. Because I also know I want to help people and make their lives better. And because of a few conversations I had with what turned out to be the right people.

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There's more to the speech, obviously, and more that has happened since, but that is for another post.

I'd love to hear about how you got here! What has your journey been?

Congratulations