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24 Hartford Business Journal • July 21, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com Benjamin Howarth Age: 33 Title at work/what I do: Financial services represen- tative, investment adviser rep, special needs planner with The Barnum Financial Group. My goal is to help clients gain clarity on what they truly want to accomplish, determine where they are in relation to those goals and provide a strategy to help them either get on track or stay on track. I have always taken a holistic approach to a client's individual situation and aim to deliver an unparalleled client experi- ence. A true differentiator for our practice is that when meeting with clients I spend a lot of extra time up front to help them clearly define their goals. Town where I work: Glastonbury Town where I live: Griswold College I attended: Bryant University My passion, hobby or special talent: I have many things that I am passionate about but none more than spending time with my family and friends. No. of LinkedIn connections: 500+ Favorite place to network: I enjoy networking in small groups where I can truly learn what has made a professional successful in their business. Favorite drink at a networking event: Coors Light How do you create connections in your pro- fessional life? Over the 12 years of my career, I have been able to create long-lasting connections with other professionals that can be used as a resource for my clients when necessary. Similar to a family office, I am a client's CFO and bring other resources in when necessary. Because our team has a diverse level of exper- tise, we have the knowledge and resources to assist in most planning situations. What's been your biggest challenge professionally? My biggest challenge professionally has always been trying to juggle my personal life and my professional life. I absolutely love what I do. My clients are entrusting me to be the one that helps them achieve their life-long dreams. With that huge level of responsibility, I hold myself very accountable to make sure I don't let people down. Because of this, I have sometimes put my personal life second. That is why when I do have time to allocate to my family and friends, I try to enjoy every second. What is the best advice you received? The best advice I have ever received was from the two biggest influences in my life — my parents. They said "Always work hard to achieve your goals. Always do the right thing for your clients, even if it doesn't make you money now, in the long run you will be much better off. And always treat people with the same respect and dignity they deserve no matter what they have or how they can help you." My parents also made many sacrifices for me so I could have a great education. I will never take that for granted and will always work as hard as possible as a sort of thank you for all of their sacrifices. What do you want your legacy to be? I want people to look back on my life and see all the clients I helped achieve their goals — all the children that went to col- lege because of our planning; all the people who retired comfortably; all the weddings we helped plan for years before they were going to happen, and all the life insurance we put in place to make sure if someone didn't come home one day their family would be protected. If I could create my legacy, it would be that I helped all my cli- ents' dreams come true. 40 Under Forty 2014 Ben has the same birthday (Dec. 4) as rapper Jay Z, model Tyra Banks, actor Jeff Bridges, and actress Marisa Tomei. FUN FACT LED Candle Bulb - 5 Watt - 60 watt perceived light - Dimmable - Includes adapter for medium base & candle base bulbs - Avail. in two color temperatures - 2700K & 3000K Let the LED ExpErts help you with the latest Energy Saving Solutions "Not all LEDs are created equal" Incandescent lighting is becoming a thing of the past. 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