JOEL WELCH, CFP® & Regional Director, IG Wealth Management, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
JOEL WELCH
"Making a Difference"
Service and leadership are values that were instilled in Joel Welch, CFP & Regional Director, IG Wealth Management, from a very young age. They are characteristics that define not only his business, but his life.
For almost twenty years, Joel’s career has been governed by these values, and they’ve led to incredible success. Joel’s team includes almost sixty advisors, associates, and assistants, stretching from the Halifax/Dartmouth area to Cape Breton. He is invested in their success as much as his own. “It isn’t even just about coaching, or training,” Joel said. “It’s about how do I serve them in a way that allows them to make a difference in the lives of our clients? My team is incredibly competent, so my role is to equip them with the tools they need to do just that.”
Success for clients and advisors results in a stronger community, which is something Joel believes in wholeheartedly. Helping to build a strong community has been important to him for a very long time.
Origin story
Raised by missionary parents in rural Cape Breton, Joel had the values of service, leadership, and community instilled in him early in life. “I was brought up in a family of very strong faith. It grounded me. I learned the importance of giving back and providing for others; that a strong community means stronger families.”
Living the adage that ‘rising tides lift all boats,’ Joel’s family worked at making their home a better place for everyone, as readily as they could. They were actively engaged in their community and made a difference wherever possible. It mattered.
Despite his youth, Joel participated in the community building as well. “I just remember as a child, summer after summer, participating in kid’s camps. I was always the helper and never the camper. I learned over time that you could find satisfaction as a facilitator and not just a participant. It really helped shape my world view.”
Joel learned that for him, contributing and being passionate about his work were key factors to his happiness. These were lessons he never forgot.
As he grew older, he was beginning to chart his life path. Joel’s initial choice was to start a computer engineering course because it would be a good career, with solid earning potential. He would be comfortable.
But it wasn’t what he wanted.
Realizing it wasn’t something he was passionate about, he changed directions. He went back to school, taking courses in finance and accounting; subjects he was passionate about. “I realized that once you start down a path, it isn’t always easy to turn back. Finance; accounting; helping people. That’s what I enjoy doing. That’s where my passion lies.”
Once he understood that, making the move was an easy choice.
Joel’s first job was at a credit bureau. He enjoyed the work. Over time, however, he realized that something was missing. It was stable, but he felt as though he’d hit a ceiling. There were no further levels of creativity, making a difference, or inspiring others.
“I remember I was in the basement of our church, at a group dinner. I was talking about what I wanted to do; and why I wanted to make a difference.”
Joel needed a change. He needed something to be passionate about again.
He immediately started looking for new opportunities, and Financial Services is one that continually came forward during his search. Investors Group, now IG Wealth Management, seemed an attractive option. Flexibility, freedom, working hard for people and making a difference for them. It was exactly what Joel wanted; rather, what he needed.
He felt all the normal emotions of starting something new: excitement, anxiety, fear. Leaving a salaried position and moving toward a fully commissioned income was a risk. Particularly since his wife was pregnant at the time and had decided to remain at home with the baby once it was born.
There were risks, yes, but Joel believed in the company; he believed in himself; and believed that his drive to make a difference in people’s lives was the right reason to make this sweeping change.
So, he leapt.
And never looked back.
Inspired and inspiring
IG Wealth Management gave Joel the platform he needed to be the difference-maker he always wanted to be. It offered the security and confidence to seek out new ways to give back. To build his community; to lead; to serve.
Joel has actively sought to better his community for years, both personally and professionally.
He’s contributed in various ways, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities nationwide, across a spectrum of causes including health care, mental health, education, and others. “It’s important to do what you can. Not everyone can afford to donate their money, but some can donate their time. Others can’t contribute their time, but they can wear a t-shirt or share a link to raise awareness for a cause. Whatever your capacity, you can make a real difference.”
His passion for philanthropy has inspired his team as well. He encourages them to participate however they can, be it through fundraising, volunteering, or serving on boards. All told, his consultants are actively involved with more than thirty different charities. It’s gotten to the point where coordinating their efforts is almost a full-time job itself, but Joel has no regrets. “If I can inspire even one person to take on a bigger role in their community or give back to a charity that’s important to them, all the extra work is worthwhile.”
Joel has also contributed his time. One of the most recent successes involved working behind the scenes with a national charity. With hundreds of jobs at stake, and millions of dollars of charitable investment in flux, Joel and his team went to work. They dove deeply into the charity’s finances. They revamped the org chart. They took an innovative approach to revenue generation and gave the organization the financial foundation it needed to survive.
It did.
And now? It’s thriving.
“Find a cause where your capacity and your passion meet, and there, at that intersection, you’ll be able to do incredible things.” Like saving a national charity from insolvency and protecting hundreds of families from financial hardship.
Leadership. Service. They are the values that have shaped his life, and career.
For his team, he provides an example to follow, providing coaching where necessary, but empowering them to make the best decisions for clients. Serving their shared mission, he equips the team with the tools they need to provide the best outcomes for clients, because he knows that the best outcomes for clients strengthen the community overall. For his charitable work, he dives in headfirst, knowing that he can make more of an impact from the field than the bleachers, and he hopes others follow his example.
‘Rising tides lift all boats.’ It’s something that Joel learned quite young. Strong communities improve outcomes and strengthen families. Joel knows that. It’s why he hasn’t stopped making a difference.
And he won’t - not if that difference is within his power to make.
Trademarks, including IG Wealth Management, are owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to its subsidiary corporations.
This is a general source of information only. It is not intended to provide personalized tax, legal or investment advice, and is not intended as a solicitation to purchase securities. Joel Welch is solely responsible for its content. For more information please contact an IG Wealth Management Consultant.
Gary Milakovic is a veteran writer with more than a decade in the public sector and corporate communications. He has covered a wide spectrum of topics and his work has been featured by large and small organizations across Canada. Gary is passionate about communication, his writing often focuses on uncovering the “story behind the story.”
JOEL WELCH, CFP®
Regional Director,
IG Wealth Management
Investors Group Financial Services Inc.
104 - 238 Brownlow Ave.
Dartmouth, NS, B3B 1Y2
902 468 3444