Giving back to a career that gave him so much: Bringing together UK finance professionals

Lee Robertson was always good at considering the big picture.

In 2018, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority had changed the rules around socializing in the financial sector, making it harder for professionals from different companies to get to know each other.

The former CEO of a London-based wealth management firm, Robertson knew how essential these relationships were. It was how he and his peers had risen in the ranks and built their businesses.

Yet, scheduling meet-ups at the local pub was no longer practical, or for younger financial advisors, even desired:

But Lee was adamant. There had to be a way to get these financial professionals connected that would:

1. Meet regulations
2. Bring together up-and-comers with more experienced professionals
3. Do all of this in a way that members would love

Lee envisioned a place where his peers could learn from each other and navigate what was becoming an increasingly dynamic financial landscape in the UK and abroad.

Things that had worked for decades were changing. The only way to navigate this was as a network of financial professionals across the stages of their careers.

Plus, this emerging effort would give him the chance to put his own legacy to work.

This industry had given Lee so much, and he knew that by making a career in financial services more approachable for more people, he’d leave a mark that he could be proud of.

With the seed of this idea in mind, Lee turned to his friend and fellow Scotsman, financial technology specialist Andy Brown. Over takeout, he asked Andy the questions he had been trying to figure out alone: “How can we find a way to reunite an industry that’s growing apart?”

Andy volunteered to partner with Lee on the spot. Now this dynamic duo turned to their professional networks to find additional co-founders. Almost immediately, they found Rob Page, a celebrated global chief management officer; Jon Rocchi, the former commercial director of business newspaper Financial Express; and multi-award winning journalist Gary Shepherd.

Now, they were a team. And “Octo Members” was born.

To get a sense of what they wanted for Octo Members, Lee and Andy started with the most popular social networking platforms. They realized with WhatsApp, it would be hard to define boundaries. Meanwhile, LinkedIn and Facebook Groups lacked the essential community functionality they needed. Plus, all three options made it hard to ensure the privacy of their members:

Without a solution, Lee and Andy were running out of options in the UK. Then, Lee read an article that changed everything.

Lee came across an interview with Mighty Networks founder Gina Bianchini. In the piece, Gina detailed how creators like Lee could have their own mobile apps that offered members a community under their own brand. With live events, robust multimedia content, and more, Lee knew instantly that this was the solution he had been searching for:

Lee and Andy chose Mighty Pro to realize their goals:

• Offer access to a private community, where members share stories and experiences freely without concern of being monitored by journalists or regulators
• Publish resources including podcasts, videos, polls, discussion threads, live Q&A events, and more to spark conversations and connections between members
• Make the community available to members around the clock via the web and dedicated native mobile apps on Android and iOS
• Do all of this on their own branded mobile apps without a year of custom development and the seven-figure budget that goes with it

With a home for the community locked down, Lee got to work specifying who his ideal members would be: UK-based financial services professionals with a growth mindset:

To make sure the community was only accessible to these members, Lee made Octo Members private. Joining is free, but potential members have to submit an application where they detail their financial services experience, the name of their employer, and their professional license number, if they have one:

A year and a half later, Octo Members has over 2,000 members and counting. And while they’re constantly experimenting with structure, they’ve settled on a model that’s been working well for both them and their members.

Octo Members produces video and audio content on location every week, from podcasts with investment specialists to video interview panels with financial experts:

In addition to videos and podcasts, Octo Members also provides its members with media-rich articles written by in-house writers, and access to online events, training, workshops, and daily check-ins.

The next step? Lee is exploring mastermind groups and online courses for additional support to Octo Members:

Lee is also working on ways to keep people from feeling overly isolated during the pandemic, including a virtual pub gathering on Wednesday nights, and an upcoming weekly water cooler session on Thursdays:

As Octo Members continues to grow, Lee continues to find new ways to bring larger players into the membership and monetize his latest venture. He’s recently established “sponsored groups” within the community, headed by trusted companies in the financial sector. Now he’s incorporating virtual conferences, and fielding commissions for video content from a variety of financial brands and companies, too:

Even so, Octo Members is still community first:

1. It’s fine to figure it out as you go. Lee and his fellow co-founders started with a clear purpose: create a dedicated community space for UK-based professionals in the financial sector. But even now, Octo Members continues to experiment with their weekly and daily structure. That’s perfectly fine: no matter what they always offer members a rich experience and a path to success.
2. And don’t be afraid to try new things. Lee is eager to try new tactics, from online courses to mastermind groups, and make them work for him. The resources you offer don’t have to fit any particular mold. They just have to be in line with your community’s goals and motivations.
3. A successful community gives its members the safety to be vulnerable and navigate challenges together. Finding a platform where he could secure the privacy of each and every Octo Member was essential to Lee. Not only does that added security encourage members to be open and authentic, but it also gives them the space to be vulnerable enough to face their challenges, together.