The most stupid question people ask each other (in our industry/profession) or judge each other on is – (Fill in the Blanks).

Can you guess?

You won’t have to try hard. 

It is “What is your AUM?” This question simply takes the cake. Another version of this is, “How much money do you manage?”

This is like asking entrepreneurs these days – How much money did you raise? Instead of asking questions such as:

1. What are the problems you are solving for a specific audience?
2. How big is your target market?
3. What is your business model?
4. Are you making real money or simply bidding up your valuations?
5. What are your Traction Metrics?

There are many more questions, but I am sure you get the point. 

Prospects and even many from our industry might ask another gem – “What are your returns?”

How many times have you been asked these questions and how many times have you asked these questions?

Very few take the time to ask some real meaningful questions.

Here is my question for you.

How much Happyness do you manage? 

I assure you that I know the spelling of Happiness. But the “I” in HappIness focuses on “I” whereas the “Y” in Happyness focuses on YOU.

So how much Happyness do you manage? What is your Happyness Under Management (HUM)?

This is absolutely powerful and will future-proof your firm from the competition.

Think about this for a moment.

Isn’t this the question that we should all be really asking ourselves?

And yet it’s quite surprising that we don’t take the time to ask this question.

I am sure you know by now what HappyRich and Happyness mean. Anyway, let me elaborate a bit on what HUM means.

It means helping clients live the life they have imagined with their money. It means living a life true to their values. It means living a HappyRich life.

Happyness is making an Orthopaedic Surgeon Richer by becoming a pilot and flying the skies for himself. 

Happyness is enabling a family to take weeks off for that long-cherished European vacation.

Happyness is helping someone realize they have Enough – that they don’t HAVE to WORK for Money.

Happyness is guiding someone to make a difference in this world with their money.

Happyness is helping some sleep well at night and never ever worry about money.

In the context of the work, I and my team are doing, our biggest source of Happyness comes from making a real difference in your Life. It is so gratifying to hear the difference that our work including this blog is making in your life. 

I know that many of you will have your own versions of Happyness – the work you have done that has made the lives of your clients better. Obsess about your Happyness Under Management. HUM should be your North Star. This is one metric that will help you build a firm that your clients will love.

Some additional questions to ask yourself.

1. How are my clients doing? Are they doing, ok? Are they living the lives they have promised to themselves?
2. Do they have Enough? Do they know they have Enough (so they can stop worrying and start living HappyRich)?
3. How am I doing? Am I happy doing what I am doing?
4. Am I really proud of the work that I am doing? 

Pause right here and reflect on these questions. Once you are out of this post, chances are you will forget about them. Alright, note these questions for some quiet reflection today. You will need a solid 15-30 minutes at least.

I am writing this post on March 20th – the International Day of Happiness. This is the day 5 years back where we made a promise to ourselves – Together (with you), we will change the way people invest and make India the First HappyRich Nation. Another promise that we have made ourselves is to help you become the best version of yourself. No matter what it takes, we will get into the trenches with people who aspire to be the best in this profession and help them make a happy difference in this world while building the Wealth Management Firm of the Future.