Behind The Advisor Ep #72: Creating an Encore Career with Linden Cornett
Nov 2, 2016
Linden Cornett, founder of Seagrass Financial and former Intel architect who achieved financial independence, shares her leap into a second career in fee-only financial planning. She talks about self-teaching taxes and investments, launching an RIA part-time, designing non-AUM fees, and using Vanguard limited POA. Listen to her lean, low-cost launch and rapid AUM growth while balancing family and work-life goals.
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Use A Peer Network To Shortcut Launch Hurdles
- Join a community like XYPN to get rapid peer answers on compliance, tech, and operations instead of spending hours hunting for solutions.
- Linden used XYPN forums and study groups to fill industry knowledge gaps when launching with limited planning experience.
Six Clients In Two Months From A Christmas Letter
- Linden launched in January and expected a slow start, but got six clients in two months largely from a handwritten family Christmas letter and prior informal offers.
- Rapid early growth overwhelmed her while she was still transitioning to part-time Intel work.
Cap New Clients To Prevent Early Burnout
- Limit new client intake proactively to protect balance and service quality; Linden set a one-new-client-per-two-months cap after early overload.
- She recognized onboarding is time-intensive and enforced a pause to avoid burnout.