Brittany is President and one of the partners of Sweet Financial Partners in Southern Minnesota as well as Co-founder of Dare to Dream Enterprises. Her team works with clients to find out what they really want from their retirement and ultimately help them fulfill their “Dreams.”
Brittany told us:
“I believe that it doesn’t matter where you came from, or what’s happened up to this point, what matters is what you focus on going forward, and the opportunities that you create for yourself. It’s exciting to see people achieve what they want.”
Sweet Financial Partners are committed to five key principles, that include: client-focused, honesty & integrity, excellence, teamwork and positive mindset. They treat their clients like family, always strive to do the right thing for them, are always prepared, believe in the strength of a strong team and believe that a positive mindset creates a positive result.
Having a positive mindset is all encompassing for Sweet Financial Partners, as it relates to internal attitudes as well as how they operate externally. They strive to teach clients who may be going through difficult transitions, that if they lean into it, they will get through it and may find greatness ahead.
Brittany and her team have worked closely with business owners over the years helping provide them with a plan for cash flow, such as money managing concerns to assure their personal finances are sufficient for their family’s needs. In addition to this they’ve helped people build wealth for a comfortable retirement.
While their focus is primarily on business owners who have had a liquidity event, many of their clients, that operated their own business, have spent their days overseeing operations, staff and sales. Personal long term financial goals can get swept under the rug without proper attention. Over time, little problems can become large problems. If a solid plan is not in place, when they reach retirement age, they may find they are woefully short and are unable to leave the working world behind and slip off quietly to a secluded beach.
“While our clients are actively running their business, we provide insights and tips to streamline their operation, so they can experience more of what life has to offer. Owning a business creates a new level of stress. We can help provide insights to relieve some of that.”
Brittany’s talented team of financial professionals provide the insights, to add value on top of the basic wealth management. Business owners spend their entire working lives in their business, it becomes like another child, or a part of their identity. Business owners get so tied up the day-to-day operation, they forget to stop and think about, “What’s next?”
Early in his career, Bryan Sweet, the founder of Sweet Financial Partners, found a common thread among his clients that had retired. They all had invested so much time and energy in their working years that retirement came as a complete surprise to them.
He found their questions centered around.
I wake up and wonder, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’
Who am I, without a job and a career?
What is this life and what do I do with this free time?
Bryan guided his staff to help clients understand their aspirations for retirement earlier in their working lives. He even came up with a catch phrase and now trademarked process, “The Dream Architect™,” which is now what their entire practice is built on.
“We help our clients discover, “What’s next.” We help them identify what they want their next chapter to look like and what will leave them feeling fulfilled. This is especially important for someone who has run a business or held a high-level position in a company. They go from feeling needed and important to wondering what their days will be filled with. In essence, it’s about uncovering a new identity and putting their wealth to work for them.”
Mr. Sweet found a need that wasn’t being addressed in financial planning. Helping people reach their future “Dreams” has become the value-added service that today the team at Sweet Financial Partners offer to clients’ financial planning and wealth management.
The “Dream Architect” process has four steps.
- Vision of the Future
In the first conversations with prospective clients Sweet Financial helps them to envision their perfect retirement, get clear on where they are now and where they want to be.
- Blueprint
Once a vision is established, the team at Sweet Financial does deeper dive analyses to help understand how the client’s portfolio might withstand potential obstacles. This helps paint the picture of what it looks like to achieve their dreams.
- Build
This is where a customized plan is created with an implementation schedule for success! The client’s goals and dreams are unique to them, and they should be at the center of the plan.
- Maintenance
To help create fulfilling retirement years, it is important to ensure that goals are updated through the years and remain aligned with the overall plan.
Going forward, you will see components such as health and longevity, legacy planning, high level experiences and more of the “what’s next” component added into The Dream Architect™.
For the past ten years Sweet Financial has also been focused on helping women, whether they are business owners or navigating a major life transition such as widowhood, divorce, business sale, retirement or the like, to manage their wealth plan and build a successful retirement.
“We have developed a program designed especially for our female clients called “Women Forward.” We educate and empower women about their finances, as well as their business. We stress personal development to not only envision the future, but to also provide a fulfilling life in the present.”
As a small business grows, one of the least favorite activities is to develop sound business processes that allow the growth and prosperity desired. These are the boring details of a business but are a necessary evil. The repeatable, mundane motions that must be done every day to build a secure business foundation. Brittany and her team have helped people identify areas that need additional work.
Another concern of a business owner is finding and keeping talented employees.
“I’ve coached a variety of businesses and retaining talent is a common issue throughout every industry. We encourage our business owners to hire to fit their culture. If the person is the right fit for your business, you can teach just about everything else.”
In today’s world, more than ever, it is difficult to find and retain qualified people. If a business is to continue to grow, the owner must constantly be on the lookout for potential employees.
“We never know when we will meet someone that could fit in our business, so I always have my eyes and ears open for future hires. If anyone from our leadership team is out and about and meets a quality individual who demonstrates excellence, we might say ‘I hope you are happy with your current job situation, but if you are ever looking for anything else, come and talk to me.’”
When Brittany isn’t at her desk, she has three active children ages eight, five and three that keep her busy.
“I love doing things with my family. We just wrapped up a dance recital for my girls and are preparing for summer ball and a range of fun activities. I also love being outdoors and reading.”
Her husband is involved in the construction industry, and she loves a good fixer-upper project.
“In the financial industry, you are always trying to improve and make things better for your clients. There never seems to be a finish line. At the end of a remodeling project, you can see a completed task that doesn’t necessarily happen in my professional world.”
Brittany has helped build and maintain a successful financial firm that helps her clients achieve their “Dream.”
“We have very talented people on our team that eat, sleep and breathe helping clients create a fulfilled future through our wealth management process. We focus on our clients and help them discover their, “What’s Next?”
Brittany has authored books on the subject.
One of her books is titled, “Dare to Dream.” Her newest book, “Dream Architecture,” will be released in June, both were created alongside the founder of Sweet Financial, Bryan Sweet.
We thoroughly enjoyed our podcast with Brittany. You can listen to it on iTunes or watch on YouTube.
To find out more, or to have a chat about your “What’s Next?” contact Brittany at: Brittany@sweetfinancial.com.
