Shari Mattingly Bevan is the founder of Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies, one of the best wealth planning firms in South Carolina. Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies assists clients with financial planning, investments, retirement income planning, managing financial risks, tax planning, and wealth transfers. It also assists clients who need small business planning.
The company is a boutique planning firm that prides itself on growing organically by offering each client specialized services. Shari Mattingly Bevan strives to make every client feel valued and confident in their comprehensive wealth plans designed specifically for them.
Shari Mattingly Beavan also attributes the success of the company to her professional experience. While attending law school, she worked for a retirement planning and insurance services company. After graduating from law school, she opened her estate planning law practice in California. Later, she relocated to South Carolina in 2008 and decided to merge the two backgrounds. That is how Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies was conceived and formed.
Shari has excellent credentials, which makes her stand out from her competitors. She understands all facets of planning, an essential aspect for anyone who wants to succeed in the industry. Shari also works with an excellent team to ensure all clients are given the best services at all times.
What is Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies all about?
Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies takes a holistic approach to assist clients with financial planning, investments, retirement income planning, managing financial risks, tax planning, and wealth transfers. We also assist clients who need small business planning services.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies is a culmination of all my professional experience. While attending law school, I worked for a retirement planning and insurance services company. After graduating from law school, I opened up my estate planning law practice in California. I relocated to South Carolina in 2008 and decided to merge the two backgrounds and founded Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
Have goals, focus and discipline. These three are closely intertwined. Goals give you a sense of direction. Thus, they contribute to success in your entrepreneurial journey. Without discipline, there is little you can do. You have to deny yourself some things and work harder to achieve your goals. Discipline is what helps you to accomplish your goals. You can get disrupted along the way, but ultimately you can achieve the end goal by focusing on your action plan.
What are your plans for the future, and how do you plan to grow this company?
This is a boutique planning firm, and while growing the practice is important, equally important is making sure each client continues to have very specialized service. Thus, growing the practice will occur organically, ensuring every client feels valued, served well, and has confidence in my abilities to guide them.
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
Fortunately, the pandemic had minimal impact on my business. I feel compassion for companies that were greatly affected and not as fortunate as Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
My credentials, educational background, and ability to understand all facets of planning are essential to my clients. My knowledge makes me unique. The experiences I have had make me stand out.
What was the top mistake you made?
One of the mistakes I made was not hiring staff soon enough when my business was expanding. I had to work incredible hours to meet my clients’ needs. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is that you need a good team to succeed.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
I grew my law practice organically, solely based on existing financial clients and referrals. I am doing the same with Bevan Wealth & Tax Strategies. I also teach educational classes such as Simplify Your Retirement and Women & Wealth. It’s all educating people so they feel good about making informed financial decisions.
What have been your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Making sure all the client servicing needs are met. Clients have different problems that require varied solutions. It is important to ensure each objective and concern is satisfied. I have to keep a very structured schedule and calendar all deadlines. Managing other peoples’ finances is of the utmost importance and is given top priority at all times.
What was your first business idea, and what did you do with it?
I knew I did not want to work for a large law firm in California, so I started my own law practice. It evolved into a thriving and viable practice as a result of hard work and discipline.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’m learning to trust the process. Entrepreneurship is a challenging journey. With many hurdles along the way, it’s easy to not have work life balance. Everything will not always go the way you expect it to go, but maintaining quality of life through work life balance is critically important.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
I would not do anything differently. Everything that happened in my business was probably supposed to unfold the way it did. I have learned much along the journey and I appreciate this knowledge.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
I use groove, slack, and Xero.
- Xero is an online accounting software that allows your business to connect to your bank, accountant, bookkeeper, and other business applications.
- Groove is a sales engagement platform that is helpful in client service and excellence in the organization. It has features like live chat, social media, SMS, and phone integration, making it easy to handle everything customer-related from one place.
- Slack comes in handy in team communication. It allows me to effortlessly communicate with team members and store conversations depending on the subject on separate channels. This improves productivity.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
Staying organized and having a disciplined work ethic. It has contributed immensely to my growth.
Can you recommend one book, podcast, and online course for entrepreneurs?
- I recommend everyone read, listen to, or attend Tony Robbins’ “Unleash the Power Within”. It is a wonderful program designed to inspire and motivate the reader/listener.
- My favorite book is Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break by James Clear. It’s a book that reveals how changes in daily habits can positively impact your life long term.
- As for online courses, I wish I had one. But one can always check online, and they will find lots of practical courses that can improve their entrepreneurial skills.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would hire a professional to create my website. An online presence makes a difference in the world today. I would invest largely in SEO to allow my work to reach the audience across borders.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
Remembering some of the key concepts I learned in Tony Robbins’ Unleash the Power Within.
What is your favorite quote?
“What have I got to gain by taking this action versus what I got to lose by not taking this action?”
– Tony Robbins
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Be bold, do your research before engaging in a business, and be professional. Also, be prepared to work longer hours than those people who are not self-employed, always provide excellent service if you are engaged in a service business, always be honest and share your blessings.
Who should we interview next and why?
Manka Bajaj. I love her courage and resilience. She quit her job as a diplomat, went to school, and is now a certified life coach. I also love that she teaches women to follow their passion and work their way to financial freedom.
What is your definition of success?
Success is feeling blessed. When I reflect on my professional journey and observe what I have accomplished, I feel very blessed.
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