Embracing New Beginnings: An Introduction with Rachel Webster

In this conversation from Conscious Wealth Studios, Brandon Hatton introduces Rachel Webster, the newest advisor to join the team. They talk through Rachel’s path into financial advising, shaped by early exposure to the profession and a pivotal realization about what it means to truly help people. The discussion highlights the role of trust, listening, and clear communication in advisory relationships, along with how the team approaches collaboration and shared decision making.

The conversation closes with a reflection on the Year Compass and the practice of choosing a word for the year, offering a window into how personal reflection and intention show up in the work they do together.

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The Year Compass

Each year, we make space to pause and take stock before rushing ahead. The Year Compass is a simple, thoughtful way to reflect on what the past year taught you and clarify what you want to carry forward. It creates room to notice patterns, name what mattered, and set intentions that feel grounded rather than reactive. If that sounds useful, I invite you to spend a little time with it here: https://yearcompass.com/.

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Read the transcript below.

INTRODUCTION TO CONSCIOUS WEALTH STUDIOS

Brandon Hatton: So we are back in Conscious Wealth Studios. Welcome, JP.

Brandon Hatton: You are not JP, you are Rachel Webster, our newest advisor on the team, and this is our first video. It's so exciting to have you. Thank you.

Rachel Webster: So excited. This is a really nice studio.

Brandon Hatton: Yeah, also called my garage. I wanted to introduce you to our friends and clients because they'll be getting calls from you. You'll be on meetings. As I said, we're so excited to have you for an advisor. But I would like them to just get to know one thing about you. And the question I thought I would ask is, like, how did you get in this business? Because it's a fun business. It's a rough business. You've been in it your entire career pretty much. Yeah, a big part of it. Yeah.

RACHEL’S PATH INTO FINANCIAL ADVISING

Rachel Webster: Yeah. It's when I was a kid, I always thought I was not going to be in this business. The reason being that my mother was a financial advisor. Yeah. And I don't think I really quite put it together. I knew she went to the office. This is true. Actually, I used to go to the office where she worked and sell Girl Scout cookies. Yeah. And then later after I graduated college, I was looking for a role and I took the receptionist position.

Rachel Webster: In my mother's office. And it was in my mind, it was supposed to be temporary because that wasn't what I had gone to school for. I have a degree in journalism. And again, I was not going to be a financial advisor as we have already mentioned. So I was spending a lot of time at the reception desk looking at job boards and trying to find specifically nonprofit jobs. My mother one day was asking me why I was doing that. Like I'm literally at work looking at job boards. And I told her that I wanted to find a nonprofit job because I wanted to help people. And she had been a financial advisor for many years at this point. And she pretty much like slammed her hand on the desk. It was like, Rachel, what do you think I'm doing all day if I'm not helping people?

A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE

Rachel Webster: And you know, It really changed my whole perspective about what she was doing and what she was accomplishing. And it also opened up more conversation between her and me regarding like, what are those client relationships? Why is it important that she's in their lives? So it really changed the whole trajectory. I ended up getting my licenses and staying in the business instead of taking one of those nonprofit jobs I was looking for.

Brandon Hatton: It's so great. That's so great. And then I know you continued on to work as an advisor branch manager. That's where we met you as a branch manager and Raymond James and it's just such a pleasure to have you. You'll be meeting a lot of our clients will be on their calls. You were in your first investment committee meeting today, is great. Yes, what is one thing you well, I think I know what you like about the job. So what's one thing you want to know about you?

RACHEL’S APPROACH TO CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Rachel Webster: One thing I would like people to know about me is that I try really hard to be a good listener. I will try to make sure that we're communicating really effectively. And if you ever have a question, you can ask me. There's no stupid questions. Well, I want to make sure that we're all communicating effectively. Know, Brandon and I and the team, we work in investments and accounts all day. We do all of the administration and all of the investing and all of the nitty gritty and the rules.

Rachel Webster: And we know that the clients don't. That's the point. That's why we are here. So I would be really happy to be a resource and help listen for really any event that's going on.

YEAR COMPASS AND WORD OF THE YEAR

Brandon Hatton: Yeah. Last question is as a team, we do the year compass and that was an idea from one of our clients. And so we do it as a team. It's this workbook. It's online. It's free. It just helps you kind of process 2025 or your previous year and then look ahead. What is your word for 2026? What's your word of the year?

Rachel Webster: Okay. I'm to back up one second and tell you that not only did I do the year compass, I invited my friends over to do the year compass with me. And then I shared the year compass with a women's networking group that I'm in. And a bunch of those women are all doing your compass. So I think that's really cool. I really liked the exercise of taking that time, but to answer your question, my word of the year this year is open, meaning

Rachel Webster: Open to opportunities, open to conversations, open to new experiences, open to trying new things, open to having a discussion that maybe you don't even want to have, but you know, you're open to it. I really like the idea of understanding that we have the capacity to accomplish so much if we're just open to it.

BRANDON’S WORD AND SHARED REFLECTION

Brandon Hatton:Yeah, yeah, I like that. I like that.

Rachel Webster: Do you you figured out your word of the year?

Brandon Hatton:I'm getting closer. The word I think is like vessel and vessel has a lot to do with openness. It reminds me of the Zen proverb that says something along the lines of like the functionality of a cup comes from the emptiness or the open space between it. It's not from the walls. And so I'm leaning towards that, but I have until we all get together at the end of the month to come up with my final.

Rachel Webster: What if I change mine?

Brandon Hatton: You can change yours.

Rachel Webster: No, think I think I'm pretty set. Last year I thought my word was going to be open, but then I settled on last year's word was elevate, which I did enjoy and I thought was a great word. Another idea, if anyone is like, I've never thought about words of the year. One of my favorite words of the year was two years ago. I did acceptance with my word of the year. It felt really free. It felt really flowing. You know, you don't have a lot of conflict. Even if something happens that maybe you

Rachel Webster: don't really want to deal with, you can just accept it. And then it just helps you realize that you can handle stuff.

Brandon Hatton: Yeah, yeah, we're gonna need a lot of acceptance this year. Rachel Webster, ladies and gentlemen, so very proud to have her on the team. Look forward to introducing to all of you. And then this year, these videos where it was just JP and I, I'll start bringing Andrew and Clay, you'll be meeting all of the teammates and what they're working on and she'll be back too. So have a great start to 2026 and see you soon.

Rachel Webster: Thank you.