Less markets, more people. Here’s a look at what’s been happening inside our firm and how it helps us serve you better.
We’ve just returned from a two‑day team conference at the RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort. The goal wasn’t to talk about markets or products, but to invest in the people and practices that shape your client experience. Stepping out of the day‑to‑day allowed us to reflect, sharpen our craft, and recommit to the standards you expect from Whitehead Financial.
Our conference opened with a thoughtful team‑building session led by long‑time clients and facilitators, Leigh and Kerryn from Your Time Matters. Each team member brought along a personal item and shared the story behind it—something most colleagues wouldn’t know. The exercise sparked genuine connection and reminded us that great financial advice begins with understanding the person in front of us. Empathy and trust aren’t “soft” skills; they’re the foundation of clear strategy and confident decision‑making.
From there, we moved into a deep dive on purpose, identity and vision—for the business and for each individual. We explored our why, what, who and how and each person clarified their top ten values, along with practical ways to live those values in client meetings, advice documents and follow‑through. The result is a clearer internal compass and a shared language we’ll keep using to lift our service.
We also spent time on resilience and high performance with our business coach, James. He challenged us to build habits that help teams perform through uncertainty, and shared a powerful TED Talk by Dr Lucy Hone on practical resilience strategies. The takeaway landed: everyone faces tough seasons, and what carries you through is mindset, preparation and the support systems around you. That lesson applies to finances and to life—and it’s why we place so much emphasis on planning, communication and check‑ins.
Our final evening was about celebrating our people. Tai To received the Steven Whitehead Award, presented annually to the team member who most consistently lives our values of Contribution, Growth, Passion and Innovation. The award carries special meaning for us—it honours Aaron’s late father, Steven Whitehead, whose legacy continues to shape our culture. We’re proud of you, Tai.
We were also thrilled to see our team recognised beyond the walls of our office. Aaron Whitehead has been nominated for the Barry Lambert Award, which recognises the outstanding fundraising and volunteer work a firm and their staff undertook in their community throughout the financial year 2025. And Rocco has been nominated for the Emerging Advisor Award, recognising the most outstanding emerging talent in our network—people who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to success in their career in financial year 2025. Both nominations reflect the spirit we aim to bring to our clients and our community.
What does all of this mean for you? In short: better conversations, clearer advice and more proactive execution. You can expect us to keep cutting the jargon, ask sharper questions, and translate strategy into actions and timelines that feel simple and doable. Behind the scenes, we’re embedding these conference outcomes into our training, mentoring and team rhythms so your reviews, implementation and follow‑ups stay timely and thorough.
Thank you for your ongoing trust. If you’d like to hear more about the conference or how these initiatives will show up in your next review, reach out to your adviser—we’d love to share more.
The Whitehead Financial Team
