Believe it or not, asset management and running Comrades have a lot in common

Greg Strachan, VP: partnerships at Purple Group, is a passionate guy. Among the things he loves are running and asset management. Strange bedfellows, you may think? But no… read on to find out the connection. (Hint: it’s the first word in Greg’s article.)

By Greg Strachan

Passion is defined in the dictionary as “a strong and barely controllable emotion”. This definition does bring a broad smile to my face as well as a good old chuckle as I think about the days and weeks leading up to the Comrades Marathon. One particular article comes to mind that nailed it for me, titled The insufferable burden of being married to a comrades runner…2 weeks before the Comrades. Not only does this tell the tale of woe for those “unfortunate” enough to spend lots of time with a Comrades runner, it also more importantly encapsulates for me a large part about what the race means to the participant.

The medal is only the destination. Comrades is a journey. (But the medal is still fantastic!)

Some run Comrades for the sake of reaching a goal or as a dare – others run for the “love of running”. When you “love” something, it fundamentally changes you, becomes part of you and often directs you. This is where passion is born.

Yes, you guessed it – I love running, and I am very passionate. I’m often asked if the training is hard and boring. For most it’s the hardest part of Comrades. For me the journey to the Comrades is the most enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, the day itself is next level good. But when you live and breathe the passion for running daily, the training is better in many ways.

The beauty of Comrades is the parallels it provides to success in business and life. Loving what you do and being passionate about the outcomes and the impact for me is the rub in organic and sustainable success.

So what? I’ve been in financial services now for more than 15 years and have developed a love and passion for proper financial advice and financial inclusion.

We certainly do live in incredibly exciting times when it comes to our industry as advisors. I see massive opportunity, not only in the impact we can make to our clients in delivering an incredible service, but also in using the opportunity to change our businesses for the better and future-proof our cash flows.

What I love about the brands I represent – including Emperor Asset Management in conjunction with EasyEquities, is that we are on the front line in supporting advisors through these turbulent times and providing solutions that truly do push the boundaries of change and innovation.

I would love the opportunity to sit with financial advisors to share our story and let them know how they can be part of the next chapter.

So, if you’re a financial advisor with a passion for what you do, and a desire to help all South Africans grow their wealth, get in touch with Greg today: gstrachan@purplegroup.co.za. You can also drop him a line if you’re a Comrades runner who no one ever listens to.