When Jane Merrick found herself looking for work during the COVID pandemic, she made it a point to both reconnect with her existing network and meet new people by having a coffee.

Rather than simply fire off CVs and cover letters, Merrick set out to make a human connection by having 100 coffees with 100 different people.

88 coffees into her plan, Merrick had found a new role, as head of marketing at Rest.

Reflecting on what she's learned, Merrick wrote, "2020 has been an intense and unexpected year, but I will remember it for the time of reflection, learning (in the process of completing 3 courses) trying new things, being open to different experiences, getting out of my comfort zone, and most of all, being resilient." More

Distributions specialist Steve Larkin spent years selling other people's products and services. Now he's... still selling other people's products and services but doing it through his own independent distribution service.

He shares his experiences moving away from the stability of 15 years with BNP Paribas and the challenges and victories founding 3PD. More

Funds management veteran Richard Borysiewicz started his own funds management distribution business in February and has just signed up his third fund manager – Asian private equity manager Lion Global Investors. He spoke to Industry Moves about why he believes there will be a greater tilt to private markets in the future and shared some of the trials and tribulations of being a start up.

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Liam Shorte is director, financial planner and specialist SMSF adviser at Verante Financial Planning. He is also a director of the SMSF Association and author of The SMSF Coach. He shared his journey to financial planning with Industry Moves and explains how so much admin and red tape is hurting advisers. More

After watching her parents lose money on their investments during the GFC, partly due to poor financial advice, Nicola Chaffe made the decision to shift from accounting to private wealth and financial planning. She also made the tree change from central Melbourne to Bendigo Victoria around the same time, and hasn’t looked back. She is now a director at Venture Financial Advisers and loves working with numbers and people. More