Growing up in Monmouth County, N.J., as the child of two schoolteachers, Conor Delaney struggled being one of the poorest kids in school, dumpster diving for toys and going through several foreclosures on his family’s homes. But the months following his high school graduation were, perhaps, the worst. His father died suddenly; his aunt, heartbroken by her brother’s death, killed herself; and his mother’s health was deteriorating. On top of that, he was living out of his car as he entered his freshman year in college.
He could’ve easily given himself over to an alcohol addiction, which ran deep in his family. Instead, he took a positive approach to life, and channeled his struggles into building a book of business and creating a company aimed at helping those who need financial advice the most—middle-class Americans.
In this episode of Transparency, Diana Britton, WealthManagement.com’s managing editor, is joined by Delaney, founder of Good Life Companies, an independent advisory firm with about 200 advisors. Conor draws on his own personal experiences, but also discusses the tendencies and issues that he’s observed among the advisors he oversees.
“What are we chasing, and is it the right thing and if it’s not, how can we channel that into doing something better?” he asks.
Conor Delaney's grandmother, father, aunt, twin brother, sister, Conor Delaney and mother,
on the day he graduated from high school. His father went into a coma the next day
and died a week later.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The story of Conor’s childhood and the hardships he would overcome
- How he chose to use his addictive tendencies in a positive way
- How his experiences shaped him as a financial advisor and community leader
- The negative tendencies of successful financial advisors
- The importance of taking care of yourself first, before clients
- How to shift your mindset to focus on outcomes, not income
- And more.
Tune in now to hear how Conor found the strength to change the pattern and choose to create a positive outcome.
If you have a struggle and wish to share your experiences and help others in similar situations, please reach out to Diana at [email protected].
The Transparency with Diana B. podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Android, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.