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David Whittlestone’s career journey has been anything but ordinary. After leaving school, he went to college not really sure what he wanted to do with his life. He found himself in the pub trade, working in kitchens, but everything changed when his son Ethan was born.
“I felt like it was time to sort my life out,” David recalls. “I wanted a new career that didn’t involve split shifts or working every Christmas.”
He applied for various roles and three banks invited him for an interview. Barclays offered him a cashier role and, despite being a significant pay cut, David accepted. It was a decision that would shape his future.
Over the next five years, he worked his way up to become a mortgage advisor but soon grew frustrated by the constraints he faced.
“I got sick of saying no to people,” David explains. “I felt that my job was to help people, but I often found myself having to turn them away.”
David’s values pushed him to leave Barclays and join the Mortgage Advice Bureau. In his three years there, he honed his skills and became a Senior Mortgage Advisor. Then a former manager approached David about a new role at LM10 Ltd.
He seized the opportunity to join LM10 Ltd and, a couple of years later, made the leap to self-employment as an appointed representative for the company.
“I’d always wanted to go self-employed with them,” David shares. “This turned out to be the right move at the right time. The company has been really supportive of my personal goals, and I think it’s a great place to be.”
David now runs his business from an office at The Business Village. It’s a great fit and a place he remembers fondly from his younger years growing up in Barnsley.
“I liked the idea of being surrounded by other small, independent businesses,” he says. “I joined the waiting list for a smaller office and jumped at the chance when one became available. Since moving in, I’ve discovered lots of opportunities. It really feels like somewhere I can thrive.”
The free parking was another big draw for David, giving his clients easy and convenient parking when they visit. It helps to enhance the professional image of his business. But, for David, The Business Village offers much more than just office space and parking.
“It’s brilliant that the monthly tenant meet-ups are starting again. They’re a great way to meet more people. Community is important to me, and it’s a big reason why I chose The Business Village. It’s also why I co-founded the Rotherham and Barnsley Business Link running networking events in the area.”
David provides a range of financial services to people at all stages of their lives. His offer includes mortgages, life and critical illness cover, income protection, wills, and estate planning. He also handles lasting power of attorney.
With a refreshing approach to financial advice, he describes his work as “helping people and solving their problems”. To do this, he follows a thorough process, starting with detailed fact finding to fully understand his clients’ needs.
“It’s not about trying to sell a client everything under the sun,” David explains. “Instead, I prioritise my recommendations based on what will benefit them most. If their priority is buying a house, we focus on that first and look at the other things later.”
David’s dedication to finding solutions has earned him a loyal client base. He recalls helping a self-employed client who had to close his business during Covid. The client had built up significant debt, but David found a specialist lender who could help. It resulted in a remortgage that cleared the debt and saved his client over £5,000 per month in outgoings.
Another memorable example was a client stuck with an interest only mortgage. Other brokers had turned her away, but David persisted.
“When I told her we had an offer, she burst into tears. She said, ‘you don’t realise what you’ve done, this is life changing’. Moments like these remind me that my work is about more than mortgages.”
Looking ahead, David has clear goals for the future.
“I want to grow my business and eventually take on staff,” he shares. “I’m already talking with a former colleague about virtual admin support, which is a step towards building my team. I’m excited for the day I’ll need to ask The Business Village for a bigger office.”
To learn more about how David can help you, contact him via: David Whittlestone, Mortgage and Protection Advisor
