Clara Metcalfe is a Financial Planner at Ovation Finance Ltd, certified financial coach and advocate for financial wellbeing and education. She is a self-described “tax planning nerd with a passion for spreadsheets” and loves using her technical expertise to build robust financial plans for her clients, while integrating coaching and wellbeing principles to help clients achieve meaningful, purpose-driven lives. She’s passionate about raising standards within modern financial planning and is committed to collaborating with others to promote financial wellbeing within the industry and beyond. Clara’s also a lover of incredibly large dogs.
How would you summarise your passions?
I’m notorious for diving headfirst into new obsessions – my “doom room” and garage are proof, packed with all the gear for my latest hobby.
That said, I do tend to have themes. I love being near water, trying new foods, getting creative, and planning events or my next big adventure (always starting with a spreadsheet). At work, Voyant is my playground – it’s like The Sims™ meets Excel™ and is a great place to tick a lot of those boxes! I love tackling complex cases, helping clients cut through the noise, and making sense of their finances, giving them back control. In my downtime, you’ll find me curled up with my partner, our giant dog, 90s TV re-runs, 80s action films, and a glass of wine – of course, I have a spreadsheet for that too!
What’s your happiest memory?
Back in 2018, my partner and I went to Bangkok and decided to track down some “secret bars” (well documented on TripAdvisor).
We picked two that were close to our hotel and set off one evening. Our adventure began in a random back-alley, with washing hanging out of windows, people sitting on doorsteps, and bins everywhere – we honestly thought we were lost. Eventually, we approached a giant, serious-looking guy. After an awkward pause, he suddenly smiled, stepped aside, and welcomed us through a doorway.
It felt like we stepped onto an 80s movie set in a Cuban bar – smoky air, live salsa music, and all. We climbed a metal spiral staircase to a dark bar with leather chairs, where we ordered a small Cuban cigar (which was terrible, since I’m not a smoker, but when in Rome…) and the best cocktail I’ve ever had – rum, lime, and a slab of raw honeycomb dripping down the rim. It was novel and absolutely delicious!
Next, we headed to the second hidden bar and, again, thought we were lost. We wandered through what looked like a residents-only car park, reached the back of one of the tallest buildings, and found a jazzy lift. It shot up like a bullet, and suddenly we were on the roof! The menu was experimental, and the DJ was playing jazz/house mixes. After a few snacks and cocktails, I realised the DJ had blended “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins with Michael Jackson – best mashup I’ve ever heard. It was the perfect moment on one of the most fun evenings and a memory that still makes me feel blissful.
What do you wish you’d been told about finance when you were 15?
I wish someone had pointed out to me earlier the relationship between how you feel about yourself and how you spend your money. I’ve always been very conscious about what others think of me and the way I spent money absolutely reflected that, developing some unhelpful spending behaviours through my 20s. I hate to think how much money I’ve sunk into passing trends and fast fashion. Bringing awareness to this has helped me to start reversing some of those impulsive spending habits, but I’m still a recovering wellbeing-junkie.
What made you want to work in finance?
Less of a what, more of a who. Although I also wanted to be a vet, chef, and elephant keeper, I remember saying in early primary school that I wanted to be an accountant. My only knowledge of accountancy being that my godmother, Judith, did this and it involved maths, which I was good at.
Judith is a woman who lives her life to the full, and who I’ve never known to let anything get in the way of. She’s totally mad, in the best way, and has a heart of solid gold. I wanted to work in finance because I wanted to be like a woman who I admired and who inspired me. I’m lucky to have had her in my corner.
What made you want to be a financial planner?
Studying maths at university drained the joy out of it for me, and for a while, I lost interest in pursuing a career in finance. While working as a household PA, I happened to drive through a village and noticed a shop front with ‘wealth management’ on it. Curious, I walked in, and the lovely man running it invited me to spend the afternoon ‘interviewing him.’
I was immediately drawn to the idea of personal finance – getting into the technical details while helping people navigate their life journeys sounded amazing. After trying my hand at event management and a few other things, this encounter reignited my interest in finance, leading me to consider a career in either accountancy or financial planning.
When I first qualified, I’ll admit I felt disillusioned with the industry – it wasn’t what I’d hoped for. But I consider myself lucky to have found a community of likeminded people in NextGen Planners and to have connected with a company that aligns with my values. Now, through the IFW, I’ve met even more incredible people, and I’m excited about where this journey is taking me.
What do you love to do when you’re not working?
I’m the type who gets an idea, does a bit of research, maybe watches a YouTube video or two, and then jumps right in thinking, ‘How hard can it be?’ Sometimes it goes great… Other times, not so much.
For instance, one summer, I had a blast stripping down and refurbishing my favourite sailing dinghy – it turned out pretty well! But then I made the mistake of trying the same with an older boat, which I took apart into way too many pieces. I never got around to putting it back together, as it needed more research and better weather, so I was ordered to abandon my shipwreck.
Although I love it, I don’t sail much these days, as my other half could get on board (pun intended) with it, but we do enjoy a paddle in a kayak now and then.
This behaviour also applies to cooking, which I love. Sometimes I dream up and attempt something new – occasionally it’s a flop, but when it works, it makes it into the recipe book.
My secret talent is being fairly okay at a lot of random things, thanks to sheer curiosity.
We heard that you have a Great Dane! What do they bring to your life?
She’s called Mango. We adopted her in June 2023 when she was 2 and a half, and she was quite a handful at first. There were moments when we almost thought we couldn’t cope – she’s 59kg of solid muscle, constantly pulling, lunging, and never settling, with a real fear of strangers. But behind the scenes, she’s a bag of laughs and we love her deeply. We’re so glad we put in the time to train and socialise her. Although she’s not quite there yet, she learns quickly, and we have more good days than bad now.
Mango is great with small children and my elderly father, who absolutely dotes on her. She’s incredibly cuddly and has a dumper truck full of personality. She makes us laugh, which doesn’t help when we’re trying to teach her what not to do. She regularly has tantrums and talks back when she doesn’t get her way – Danes are very chatty! She’s also got a bit of Scooby-Doo in her and will try to sneak off for snacks when no one’s looking, tiptoeing out of sight to make new friends for food.
What prompted you to join the Institute for Financial Wellbeing?
I’ll admit that I hadn’t heard of the IFW until I started researching firms that aligned with my values. I did an Ikagi exercise (thanks to Adam Owen) and started thinking about what I wanted in my career and did a little research into whether firms existed that aligned with this, or whether I needed to go out on my own. It was then that a common theme appeared with firms and individuals I held in high regard, and that was membership of the IFW!
When I joined Ovation, it was one of the first things that was arranged and I attended the IFW annual conference in my fifth week there!
What is your top tip for someone wanting to improve their financial wellbeing?
To quote IFW founder Chris Budd: ‘know thyself’. When you truly understand what energises you and what drains you, you can focus your time, effort, and money on the things that genuinely make you happier.
Know where you are and take control. By understanding your income and essential expenses, you can make more informed decisions about balancing your present needs with future goals, making the most of any surplus.
Who or what is your favourite wellbeing guru, podcast or book?
In general, because of my line of work, I spend most of my time reading and listening to financial wellbeing stuff, but you pick up life lessons along the way too and I often go down rabbit holes on psychology, Japanese teachings, listen to Ted Talks etc.
Two people who have had the most influence on my life have been Adam Owen and Catherine Morgan.
Since I met him, Adam Owen has been one of my favourite people of all time and I always seem to learn fascinating things from him. I binged watched a cracking documentary on Blue Zones thanks to Adam and he was also the catalyst for my move away from traditional financial planning into a wellbeing-led environment. It started when he taught me about Ikagi and he has encouraged and supported my growth ever since. I’m so thankful to Adam for the happiness that I’ve found within my career.
At the same time, Catherine knew from her coaching practise sessions that I was unhappy in my career. We caught up over breakfast after a NextGen Planners conference and she challenged my belief that ‘I would be happier when…’ Funnily enough, later that week, ‘when’ happened and I wasn’t.
That was when I resolved to make big changes. I hope one day I can pay this forward.
What are you doing to advance your own financial wellbeing?
After completing a coaching course, I realised the value of being coached myself. It helped me understand my relationship with money and what truly makes me happy.
My partner and I regularly discuss our financial goals, and it’s reassuring to know we’re on the same page, working towards a shared vision. While there’s still more to explore, I’m using my newfound awareness to make better decisions.
Like many professionals, I sometimes struggle to follow my own advice, so I make sure to challenge myself on that. Lately, I’ve focused on ‘clarity and security for those I leave behind.’ I’ve sorted out my LPAs, had important conversations with my partner about our wishes if the worst happens, and now, The next step is getting our wills signed.
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