Sean Heslin: Finding Independence and Inclusion

Building the perfect financial practice, his way

In this video, LPL financial advisor Sean Heslin describes how he found independence and is building his business to better serve his clients, and discovered a sense of community and inclusion by partnering with LPL.

Making the move to independence

Sean Heslin knew his career path from a young age. “My idol was Alex P. Keaton, Michael J. Fox’s character from the television show, ‘Family Ties,’” he remembered. “His character always talked about being a financial advisor, or stockbroker as we called it back in those days. I knew that's what I wanted to do.”

Heslin grew up in New York, and in the summer of 1986 before he went to college, he got a job in the mail room at a local brokerage firm on Long Island. “I just grew from there and never looked back,” he said.

Heslin began working as a financial advisor, but felt he couldn’t offer his clients the services he believed were right for them, and he couldn’t run his practice the way he wanted. “I worked at many firms in the early part of my career, and learned so much about the things I liked or didn't like about the business,” he said.

“Deciding to become an independent financial advisor took probably about a decade,” Heslin said. “I really wanted to be independent, but I was afraid I didn't have enough assets initially. I look back and I wish I had done it sooner, because it really ended up not being such a big deal.”

In 2017 he moved to Palm Springs, Calif., and established Heslin Wealth Management in 2022.

“LPL is all about independent financial advisors." Heslin said. "So it just made sense this is the place I chose.”

Build relationships, build your business

When Heslin moved to Palm Springs, he was trying to find a niche. “I was thinking, if we were to move there, what market can I insert myself into that might be underserved? Palm Springs only has a population of about 50,000 people, and more than half are gay men. A lot of people want to be loyal to the gay community and work with professionals within that community, when available.”

“I decided I would be the unofficial mayor of Palm Springs. I would be the dedicated, premier financial advisor to the gay community.” Heslin’s strategy worked. “I sort of proved my own point to myself with the amount of growth I've seen in my business in the few years we've lived here,” he said. According to Heslin, Palm Springs residents avidly support local businesses, and it’s helped him with referrals from friends and clients.

The importance of community — personally and professionally

In Palm Springs, the first friends he made and first clients he connected with were through charitable activities. “The main way I initially built my business was giving back to the community,” Heslin explained. “For me, that’s been everything. I’ve been involved with charities since I was a kid.”

The first organization he connected with in Palm Springs was DAP Health, formerly known as the Desert AIDS Project (DAP), a not-for-profit whose mission is to enhance and promote the health and well-being of its community.

“The people I met doing charity and committee work early on led to a tremendous amount of business, which was not the initial goal, but it just sort of happened,” said Heslin. His charity work evolved to partnering with the local food bank, and Heslin recently held his 7^th semi-annual food drive. “We typically bring in a couple of thousand pounds of food, and that's something we are now known for.”

When choosing a financial firm to partner with, Heslin carefully evaluated how each company supports the LGBTQ+ community and advisor diversity. He visited LPL’s offices to meet with his recruiter and asked about marketing efforts focused on his community. He was more than impressed.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing — ads with openly gay people in them. That was the minute that I was like, this is the place for me,” Heslin said. “When I saw how dedicated LPL was to putting that kind of marketing material together for my community — I had never seen that before in all my years in this business.”

Heslin also attended Focus 2022, LPL’s largest annual event, during his first year with the firm. “I very proudly wore my name tag with the lanyard, and it had a rainbow flag attached to it,” he said. “I was able to meet people who asked me what that was about, and they ended up coming to some events the LGBTQ+ group had. I immediately felt like I was a part of this community. I was welcomed with open arms.”

Customize your practice with the right tools and technology

Heslin says he’s still learning what resources are available through LPL, “because of the vast number of options we have here.” He feels there are valuable services he can offer his clients, and for him and his staff to use in daily operations. “I have a list of things I want to accomplish and learn more about so I can increase the breadth of my business. The nice thing is, I have all these choices now,” he said.

From technology options such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and email platform he uses; to financial planning and strategic asset management programs; and tools like MyRepChat, a free, compliant client texting solution, Heslin feels there are many ways he can customize his practice. “LPL offers pretty much everything I could think of, plus more,” he remarked.

The majority of Heslin’s business is focused on retirement planning. Many Palm Springs residents move there to retire and have recently sold houses in other cities. They have funds from their home sales, along with their 401(k) retirement plans.

Another service Heslin offers is managing liquidity emergency assets. “One of the first things I suggest is we have at least three to six months of emergency assets and a money market fund. Then we have short- to intermediate-term investments and long-term investments.”

Heslin finds joy in helping his clients reach their goals, and making them feel like people, not numbers. “The most rewarding part of being a financial advisor is seeing the relief on someone's face when I tell them they're in good shape and will be able to retire comfortably,” he said. “That continues to be the driving force of what I do.”

Featured in the video

Sean Heslin, President

• Heslin Wealth Management
• 1 year with LPL
• Affiliation Model: Corporate RIA