Having swapped hotel service in South Africa for financial planning in the UK, Marnel Stafford knows how to navigate life’s upheavals. Now at Foster Denovo and a three-time Service Excellence Award winner, she’s known for guiding women through similarly tough transitions. She explains how hospitality taught her to listen, why empathy matters and how it’s never too late to start a new chapter.
Tom Browne: Your journey into financial planning wasn’t exactly conventional. What helped you make such a strong leap into advice?
Marnel Stafford: Hospitality taught me grace under pressure. You’re face to face with someone who has an issue, and you solve it on the spot, with a smile. That trained me for financial planning, which I think is 100% about service: looking after clients, and building relationships and trust.
When someone stays in a hotel, they look on you as a mum: ‘Will you wash my towels? Will you make sure there’s toothpaste?’ It’s that care that frames advice.
This profession is about helping people, and women are natural nurturers. Monetise that
Browne: You’ve spoken about the challenge of starting over in the UK and requalifying. What kept you going early on?
Stafford: I’m a strong-willed South African woman!
I started in an administrative role at Foster Denovo and watched from the sidelines how demanding advice work was. I saw that sometimes it was about people, not products. I thought, ‘I can bring emotional support to financial planning.’
Also, being older, I had less time; I just got on with it. Got the qualifications, got out there and started helping.
Browne: You’ve won Foster Denovo’s Service Excellence Award three times. What does ‘excellent service’ mean to you?
Stafford: It means listening deeply and walking alongside clients for as long as it takes. Some don’t want spreadsheets; they want someone who hears their fears, dreams and motivations.
Hospitality trained me for financial planning, which I think is 100% about service
It’s more than selling; it’s empathy. Because money is personal and emotional.
Browne: You’re known for helping women through life’s toughest moments. How have personal experiences shaped that approach?
Stafford: I went through a divorce in my 40s. I’ve lived the fear and identity loss that come with tough life changes. That gives me genuine empathy, not just sympathy.
I tell clients, “It might get worse before it gets better, but you’ll be OK.”
Browne: You say you start with ‘why’ before working out ‘how’. Any examples?
Stafford: Yes. One client’s husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She asked, “What do I do now?” I replied, “What would you like to do?” She said she wanted to spend more time with him. Obviously, that’s the ‘why’. I then reviewed her finances and advised her to resign and retire to be with him.
Some clients don’t want spreadsheets; they want someone who hears their fears, dreams and motivations
Another client was losing sleep over his mortgage, not his pension. He never said it in the meetings. Eventually, his wife explained that his mortgage worry was the ‘why’, not his retirement savings. Once I knew, we addressed the right problem.
Off the Record: Alex Schlee, senior partnerships manager at Flagstone
Browne: Regarding women and the imminent intergenerational wealth transfer, what are firms still missing?
Stafford: They often ignore the emotional complexity, especially for women not used to being financial decision makers. It’s about empowerment: building trust, being patient, understanding culture context and not assuming the man is the default decision maker. Women want to be involved, not sidelined.
Browne: You’ve talked about redefining success in advice. What values or milestones should matter more?
Stafford: It’s about impact, not just assets.
Financial coach Catherine Morgan says she wants to help a million women understand money, not £100m in assets under management. That speaks to me.
I saw that sometimes it was about people, not products. I thought, ‘I can bring emotional support to financial planning’
I still set personal goals, but my deeper drive is empowerment and education. Yes, long hours, but there’s a deeper connection.
Browne: What would move the needle for women in advice roles, and what’s your role in that?
Stafford: We need visible role models. Mentoring gets overused as a buzzword, but it’s vital. We must break the finance ‘boys’ club’ image. The field may suit women better because it demands emotional insight.
At my firm, I rose from admin to adviser. Others can too. We support with exam funding and weekly mentoring. Sometimes people reach out after a podcast, just for coffee — that connection changes things.
Browne: And finally: for a woman in her 40s or 50s thinking of switching to financial planning, like you did, what’s the single message?
I tell clients, ‘It might get worse before it gets better, but you’ll be OK’
Stafford: There’s a quote on my pinboard: ‘You’re never too old for a fairy tale.’ Here I am, in a new country, in a new career, and thriving. It’s not as hard as it looks.
Take the first step. Believe in yourself. If you’ve raised kids, you’ve done harder things.
This profession is about helping people, and women are natural nurturers. Monetise that. It’s demanding — expect evenings of study — but so rewarding.
Browne: Thanks for your time!
