Following the white rabbit: The journey of Nicola Beswick

When Nicola Beswick launched White Rabbit Advisory in March, she stepped into the world of business ownership with courage, conviction, and a deeply personal motivation. In just six months, she is excited about what she has achieved: building a loyal client base of 40 households. But for Beswick, success has never been about numbers. Her story is one of emotional intelligence, resilience, and a belief in the power of relationships – qualities that continue to shape her growing business and her vision for the advice profession.

Beswick didn’t begin her career in financial services. She spent 15 years as a lawyer – she was a patent attorney, specialising in the protection of inventions in the biotechnology/life sciences field – but gradually realised her passion lay elsewhere. “The voice in my head said – ‘I want to do this, I’m going to do this’ – and then it just became more and more louder and louder,” she recalls. That voice eventually led her to financial planning.

Her choice was deeply personal. “My dad is the whole, whole, whole reason I’m in financial advice. I love him dearly,” Beswick says. Her father’s diagnosis with multiple sclerosis brought not only medical challenges but financial strain. Watching him struggle inspired Beswick to pursue a career where she could help others manage life’s transitions with clarity and confidence.

Beswick made the career switch in 2013. Balancing full-time work with evening study, she earned her Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and is on her way to attaining her Master’s degree in financial planning. Those milestones set the stage for what she had always dreamed of: her own practice. “When I set up White Rabbit Advisory, it felt like it was the right time and something that I’ve always been talking about. I’ve always wanted to run my own business.”

Starting from scratch is rarely easy in the advice profession, but Beswick’s trajectory defied expectations. Within six months, she was working with 40 clients – without active marketing. Instead, her growth came through deep relationships and referral networks, particularly with lawyers and accountants.

“The business has grown because I have found my people,” Beswick explains. “I describe it as people that have gone through or are going through life transitions. Retirement is a life transition, Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) payouts are a life transition, so too are workers’ compensation payouts. Separation and divorce are also a transition; so is the inheritance piece.”

At the heart of these connections is trust. “These client types all come out of having spent a lot of time building really good, trusted referral relationships with different professionals. All my clients have been referred to me from a trusted person or a trusted source.”

Beswick’s clients often come to her during periods of vulnerability. “You’re that trusted voice of reason at a time of emotional upheaval,” she reflects.

Her approach begins with listening. “I really love this space,” she says. “Because the clients come to you after X period of time of going through everything. Sometimes they’ve gone through really hard cases where things have taken such a long time to get through, to get through that final payout. So all they really want to do is have you at the other end, listening to what they’ve gone through. And then what I find is, if you just give them that kind of space to talk about the journey, they then trust you even more.”

That trust is the foundation for advice. “These clients tend to be really, really comfortable with following your advice, particularly if you have spent that time with them and you’ve really become that kind of trusted person.”

For Beswick, this is the most rewarding part of her work. “It’s so rewarding because you come into these people’s lives, and you get to help them, and you just guide them, and then you explain why you’re doing something, like why a particular strategy is important. And they appreciate it.”

Behind White Rabbit Advisory’s success lies a strong support system. Beswick credits her partner, Mark, as a constant source of encouragement, and her virtual assistant (VA), which has, in her words, “captured her DNA.”

“When you create a team that captures your DNA, they almost become an extension of you,” Beswick says. “My VA is really my trusted person.”

That partnership allows Beswick to scale while still delivering the personal service clients value. Delegating tasks to someone who understands her style ensures her energy remains focused where it matters most – on people.

Beswick’s journey resonates with aspiring advisers, especially women considering the profession. Her advice is clear: don’t wait for the perfect time to start. “The business has grown because I’ve leaned-into my network and just kept going,” she shares. “It’s about finding your people and backing yourself.”

She also emphasises the importance of authenticity. Perfection isn’t required – what matters is being present, listening, and caring. Beswick herself has drawn strength from mentors, professional peers, and her clients, reminding new advisers that encouragement often comes from unexpected places.

Giving back to the community is also fundamental to her outlook. For the last decade, Beswick has been closely involved with the Pro Bono Financial Advice Network (PFAN), an industry-wide collaboration that connects financial advisers willing to provide pro bono advice to Australians in times of financial hardship, specifically, personal health crisis. She has been president of PFAN since July 2021.

Looking ahead, Beswick intends to expand White Rabbit Advisory while staying true to its intimate, relationship-driven ethos. Growth, in her view, must never come at the expense of personal service.

She is equally passionate about mentoring. “I want to help the next generation, particularly women, develop their skills and thrive in this profession,” she says. Seasoned advisers, she believes, have a responsibility to support newcomers and share the positive impact of advice.

Beswick also hopes to help shift the broader narrative. Too often, financial advice is framed by negative headlines, but her experience shows the opposite: lives transformed through trusted guidance. By telling these stories, she aims to build greater public trust in the profession.

Nicola Beswick’s journey underscores a broader truth: success in financial advice isn’t measured only by dollars under advice, but by the confidence, peace of mind, and resilience that clients gain.

Her path – from law to financial planning, from her father’s struggles to her own thriving advice practice – shows what’s possible when passion meets purpose. Through White Rabbit Advisory, she demonstrates that advice can be empathetic, relationship-driven, and deeply human.

For aspiring advisers, particularly women, her story offers both inspiration and invitation: follow the White Rabbit, take the leap, and discover the possibilities waiting on the other side.

Fran Hughes

Fran Hughes is an award-winning financial adviser, columnist, and Community Director of The Inside Network. She is passionate about showcasing thought leadership and innovation within Australia’s advice community.