Former South Africa national football team captain with 58 caps and LAPS workshop deliverer, Dean Furman was a graduate of Chelsea FC’s academy, and played for clubs including Glasgow Rangers, Oldham Athletic, Doncaster Rovers and Supersport United in South Africa.
As a LAPS member, we introduced Dean to Gerad and Paul at Gameplan Financial and after going through Gameplan’s training process, he has recently qualified with competent advisor status.
Aside from being an advisor, Dean has set up The Mainly Football Podcast, where he and co-host Joe Crann chat in depth to current and former stars of African football; and has a travel business called Limitless Africa – offering access to African getaways and experiences.
He’s a busy individual, but we caught up with Dean to ask about his qualification process with Gameplan and what his aspirations are for the future. Dean has posted a series of engaging videos on his LinkedIn page, which are well worth checking out.
What’s the best thing about training to be a protection specialist with Gameplan?
I am now through my training with Gameplan and qualified with competent advisor status. Gameplan assisted me every step of the way throughout my training in the form of 1 to 1 tuition. The training was remote and scheduled around my football training schedule. I thoroughly enjoyed studying and learning a whole new industry and I continue to broaden my market knowledge every week with webinars from providers and industry experts.
…and what about it are you finding most challenging?
My whole life has been dedicated to life on the pitch. Taking on a new challenge and transitioning away from football is something that was always on the back of my mind. Having a very limited knowledge of the industry, I had to commit to extensively learning the market to be in the best position to advise my clients on the most appropriate solutions to suit their needs and personal circumstances.
Adapting my mindset to manage my time has been the biggest challenge. As a professional footballer, you are highly regimented in terms of scheduling. With my role as an adviser, I now work on my own time schedule. I have to make sure that I structure my days and weeks accordingly around my clients and continued professional development to maximise my productivity.
What’s the support been like from the team at Gameplan?
Gameplan is all about the team, with very much the same feel as when I was in the dressing room during my playing career. There is always someone on hand to help and guide with any issues or queries.
The team have supported me through my journey and will be by my side every step of the way as I progress into the industry.
Have you always had an interest in working with people to help them feel more secure?
It has always been of the utmost importance to me to look after my finances and make sure I was financially ready for life beyond the pitch. Another area which is very important to me is making sure my family has financial stability. I am now in a position to advise clients how to protect themselves and their families financially.
How well does this run alongside your other business and sporting activities?
The role as a financial advisor is not a typical 9-5. You have to be flexible with your diary in order to find time to meet with clients, continue your personal growth and development and fit in sporting activities. I am now playing football on a part time basis, training a couple of nights a week and a match on a Saturday. This allows me to continue playing whilst dedicating the majority of my time, during the day and a few evenings per week to my clients.
Can you tell us one skill that you took from your sport that will make you a great protection specialist?
As I am now self-employed, I am essentially my own boss. This mean I have to take all the drive, commitment and accountability that allowed me to have a long, sustained and successful playing career into my role as a protection specialist.