How I came to start working in probably the most enjoyable yet frustrating industry known to man!
25 February 2026
Adviser Spotlight on JayCee...
Intro & Background
I was born and bred in the small East Coast town of Brightlingsea and was fortunate enough to first be taken afloat at the age of 4 and have been sailing ever since…well the past 65 years to be precise! ⛵
I came into financial services pretty much by accident. I had been working as Advertisement Manager on a yachting magazine but unfortunately the company had financial issues and I along with several other staff were let go. Having been working in advertising sales since I left school, I was struggling to find a position of suitable seniority when I saw an advertisement to join Barclays Life in our local paper. A career change called!
I proceeded to have a brilliant 4 years with Barclays Life including a couple of conferences one of which included a flight back home to the UK on Concorde! That basically is how I came to start working in probably the most enjoyable yet frustrating industry known to man.
Core Insights & Expertise
Top piece of advice for new advisers 🤵
Having now been in the industry 33 years (God that makes me feel old!), I would say to anyone starting out in the business to just look after your clients! Sounds pretty obvious really doesn’t it? Don’t sell to them, become their friend, their guide and their sole source of advice regarding their mortgage. If you do it right your client bank will just grow organically with referrals.
Example of a challenging situation managed
I have a client he is now a Motor Dealership Principle, she is a Doctors receptionist. They parted company with each other some 20 years back, but both came to me for mortgage advice with their new partners. I made it clear to each of them that I was acting for the other and were they still happy to use me. They were, knowing that I would not divulge anything about each others new situations. Since then I have received referrals regularly from them both!
Thoughts on market trends and emerging challenges 🤖
Personally, I miss the days when you would walk down the High Street popping in to chat with branch managers to see who was going to offer the best deal for the clients you saw yesterday…but progress has removed a lot of the personal relationship element (and shut most of the bank branches as well!). Explaining to clients who were first time buyers that it is highly improbable that we will ever see interest rates as low as they were a few years back when they first got on the housing ladder and that where rates are now is still pretty good compared to where they were some 10-12 years back.
AI is certainly having an effect on the industry and whilst SEO still plays an important role in marketing, GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) will I am certain soon become the driving force behind being discovered on line.
Practical tools and methods that have made a difference to your work
Favourite industry tool
I am very fortunate in that whilst I hate all things IT and have a limited understanding of computer technology, I am very fortunate in the fact that my son works in Cyber Security and is always available to tell me what I have done wrong and what I need to do to get it sorted. Also my daughter being a marketing professional working for a local theatre group helps to ensure that everything we do is up to speed. However our network have a superb CRM that genuinely makes the day to day managing of business a pure joy…except their choice of Mortgage Sourcing system…no names no pack drill!
Favourite provider
Well, this is very difficult, but I would guess that there are three who would tie for favourite.
The Suffolk because they have an up to 50% overpayment facility and you can speak to underwriters to ‘smooth the rough edges’ of some cases, plus their BDM is also a Rugby Union fan so always good to have a catch up!
Market Harborough again a great lender who you gain direct access to the underwriter on your case and excellent with unusual or HNW property.
Nationwide because their system is so straightforward it is almost JayCee proof! 🤣
Best piece of advice ever received
Father – “When going to windward keep the boat flat and keep out of a foul tide, when going downwind, pop the spinnaker up the second you are round the mark and drive hard.” How does this relate to mortgages? Absolutely no idea, but it holds true for dinghy sailing!
Group Manager at Barclays Life – Maybe not advice, but a challenge that stirred me “I bet you £50 you will not qualify for next years conference” I did and writing this reminds me that he still owes me that £50!
Client engagement & relationship building
Client success story
I had a client referred to me by a solicitor contact. The client had just bought a BTL for cash and wanted to release some funds to buy another. This was back in 2003. I worked closely with the client over the years making certain that he was up to speed on where rates were and what the best BTL deals were and over the years with judicious planning and re-investing, his portfolio by 2020 had reached 25 properties. Sadly, his health started to suffer and he passed away at the tail end of last year leaving all the properties to his widow who we are now discussing ways to improve and expand the portfolio.
Explain how you manage client relationships
I ensure that my clients ALWAYS have access to me, irrespective of where I am! I have taken calls before now while sailing across the Thames Estuary down to the River Swale on our cruiser and I have taken calls while on holiday in Crete. I feel that if it is important enough for the client to call me, then I am almost duty bound to take the call and help…hence my iPad always comes on holiday with me!
I used to see all clients face to face in my office, but since Covid I have worked from a home office and I now ‘see’ clients at the end of a camera… isn’t Teams/Zoom amazing… all my clients seem to like this way of conducting business as it means they don’t have to leave their homes and meetings are invariably much shorter.
Future Outlook
On the assumption that America comes to it’s senses and rids itself of the orange buffoon in the Whitehouse and that the close friend of Mr Farage, Mr Putin hasn’t blown everyone up, I can see interest rates continuing to fall back a bit further and closer to the 3% mark for the very best rates over the next couple of years. But who knows? Lots could happen and maybe if Labour were to agree to a PR voting system rather than FPTP we might even end up with a Green Party in power…stranger things have happened!!!
Rapid Fire
Favourite time of day – First thing in the morning! The phone isn’t ringing, you can plan and prep your day without disturbances.
Must read book/author/song/artist – Book, well it has to be The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy the wonderful trilogy of five books! Song, Karn Evil 9 3rd Impression by Emerson Lake & Palmer a very prophetic song…have a listen and you will see what I mean!
Biggest weakness – Getting sidetracked if someone mentions boats, sailing or rugby!
Biggest Strength – Ability to communicate clearly with clients from all walks of life.
What Cause is important to you – The RNLI of course! I have in earlier years run several half and full marathons raising funds for the RNLI and have also organised fund raising events at our local sailing club for this great charity of volunteers.
Best kept secret about yourself – Sorry to be boring, but I honestly do not have ANY secrets, I am an open book!
Three things you cannot live without – Sailing, Rugby Union and of course my lovely wife
Biggest Regret – Not going to University when I had the chance!
Person you most admire – The late John Smith MP, probably would have been the best Prime Minister this country never had.
Define yourself in 3 words – Loyal, Diligent, Chilled
Conclusion – Just the ramblings of an old fool!
Many thanks to JayCee!
