Meet Sidney Divine, CFP®, ChFC®, RLP®, RICP® | Financial Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sidney Divine, CFP®, ChFC®, RLP®, RICP® and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sidney, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Early in my career; I found myself sitting across from a potential client and his aging Mother. They owned and successfully ran a restaurant in Atlanta for over 30 years. It was a business that started and continues to be run and worked in by their family. During that meeting, I was asked, “if this was your family, would you recommend what you are recommending now?”

I was very fortunate to have been asked that so early in my career because that would serve as my guide; that would be what would make me different. Since then, I’ve always seen my clients more as family than clients. I’ve been invited to weddings for clients and their kids; Christmas dinners; graduation parties and so many more intimate gatherings. I’ve even had a few young kids of clients refer to me as Uncle Sid.

I started Divine Wealth Strategies because I wanted to always be able to recommend to my client families what was in their best interest. I wanted to be the family member who played a pivotal part in helping them build their wealth; retire sooner than they thought would be possible; and leave the next generation and the world in a better place.

Each time I interact with anyone; whether they become a member of our family or not; our goal is to have left them better off than we found them! I get to do that each and every day as a result of making the decision to start my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
I run a financial planning firm. We primarily serve those at or near retirement and also have a passion for the work we do with and for young professionals.

Most of us think about the things we’d like to do in our lives in terms of the money required to make them happen. A family vacation may set us back if we go now. A new home will require a down payment we don’t have yet. We set aside the life we want to lead now, so we’re able to accumulate the money necessary to realize our dreams. How we are different is we work to help you live the full life you desire, no matter where you start. Because we believe wealth is less about collecting an abundance of things and more about living an abundant life.

Thinking back over the last decade I don’t think there was anything particularly easy. I tried to enter an industry that needed me to have 5 years of experience before I could start. I worked multiple jobs to get the funds to pay for licensing for some of the toughest exams I’d ever had to take; all to be able to get my foot in the door. Once in; there were a couple more challenges that would arise- I didn’t personally have a huge network of folks that had the resources; and those who did, weren’t too keen on handing those resources over to someone who had yet to prove himself. I made countless calls to folks I didn’t know; got to work early, and stayed late all with the faith that something would happen today and all of this hard work will eventually pay off.

While my world no longer resembles where I was; these days present challenges of their own but back then and now, I’m reminded of the quote that “I never said it would be easy. I just told you it would be worth it”.

I wouldn’t change a thing about anything.

One of the best lessons I’ve gotten in all of this is that, if you take great care of people; people will take great care of you! Our business as thrived mostly because our clients are raving fans of what we’ve been able to accomplish and they share that with folks who in turn become raving fans and the cycle continues.

Another lesson that I feel I have lived since first learning it my sophomore year of high school is that the most successful people do things that others don’t like or want to do.

That’s what kept me getting up early and staying late and facing a lot of rejection. Success is never easy. Nothing in life worthwhile ever is. But it is all worth it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That’s a very interesting question. My best friend (and actually one of our clients) will be visiting here in a couple of weeks. He lives in California but is from Georgia.

So far we’ll be going out for steaks. My absolute favorite steak place in Atlanta is Bones (yes I’ve tried the others and I don’t think they come close). We’ll be doing dinner there.

Fortunately for me and for him; he’s got family here so I’m taking the cop out that neither of us will want to spend a whole week with each other. Besides he doesn’t golf so I guess it would just be meals at some of my other favorite restaurants in the city and something at top golf.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people are responsible for the success that I’ve been able to experience. I apologize if I don’t mention them all. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents. Their foundation of faith; hard work; and their instilling in me the confidence to know that I belonged in this world not just to exist but to be great from an early age has continued to serve me to this day.

My late Father was a very successful businessman in our home Country of Liberia as well as in the USA. I learned so much from him. I don’t know if he knew then that he’d be preparing me for business but I’m so glad he shared all that he did. I also loved to see how hard he worked and the joy he got from doing a great job helping folks.

From my Mother, I learned that you don’t do anything if you’re not going to do it well. “When you step out of this house, you’re representing God, and our name; and you’ll represent them well!”

To me, all of my siblings are very high achieving and performing folks. I don’t know that they know this but they definitely push me to be better each day.

The work I get to do each day is strongly supported by the folks I get to do work with. Looking back on the growth that we’ve experienced as a company; none would be possible without their efforts. They show up for our clients day in and day out and truly do a phenomenal job.

Website: https://divinewealthstrategies.com/

Instagram: Divinewealthstrategies

Twitter: SuccessfulSid