We are delighted to share that Patrick McDonnal has completed his experience requirement, officially earned his CFP® certification, and been promoted to Financial Planner at Tamarind Financial Planning.
Patrick’s journey with Tamarind began with a cold email.
After learning about financial life planning and deciding to make a significant career change from engineering, Patrick reached out to Ariadne and me. Though we were not hiring at the time, we offered to meet with him for an informational interview.
I went into that first conversation with no particular expectations. I came away inspired.
Patrick was not simply looking for a different job. He was thoughtfully pursuing a career that could bring together his personal and professional interests and give him a greater sense of satisfaction in both. Making that kind of change takes courage, particularly when it means leaving an established career and starting over in a new profession.
We were also struck by Patrick’s excitement about learning. Even at the beginning of his career transition, he was not waiting for someone else to show him the way. He was already pursuing financial planning education, building relationships within the profession, and getting involved with FPA NextGen (the Financial Planning Association’s network for younger/newer financial planners). He has continued to contribute to that community and emerge as a leader among the next generation of financial planners.
We created an internship opportunity that allowed Patrick to gain experience and gave us the chance to get to know him better. That internship eventually grew into a full-time Associate Financial Planner role—and now, into his new role, Financial Planner.
Along the way, Patrick completed the education required for CFP® certification, passed the comprehensive exam, and accumulated 6,000 hours of professional experience. Those hours represent years of real work: learning the technical details, participating in client meetings, helping us analyze complicated decisions, and seeing how financial planning can support people through important moments in their lives.
Patrick’s engineering background gives him a natural ability to understand complex systems and work carefully through the details. Just as important, he is curious about people. He wants to understand what matters to them and how their financial resources can help them build lives that feel meaningful. His continued training in financial life planning reflects that commitment.
Watching Patrick grow into this profession has been enormously rewarding. His story is a reminder that career changes are not always about leaving something behind. Sometimes they are about moving toward a better alignment between who we are, what we value, and how we want to contribute.
To celebrate this milestone, Tamarind has made a donation in Patrick’s honor to the Foundation for Financial Planning, which helps bring pro bono financial planning to people facing financial challenges and life-changing circumstances.
Please join Ariadne and me in congratulating Patrick on this well-earned achievement. We are proud to have him on our team—and if you have not yet had the pleasure of meeting him, we hope you will soon!