At Purpose, our mission has always been clear: to help create a better financial future for all Canadians. That commitment comes to life each year through the Purpose Roadshow, where hundreds of experts from across the country gather to reimagine what’s possible in finance.
This year, we wanted to make one thing loud and clear: the world we built our careers in no longer exists. The patterns that shaped the last forty years aren’t the ones that will guide the next. And that’s okay.
Every generation reaches a moment when the familiar no longer serves the future, and we’re living through one of those moments now.
Canadians are navigating more complexity than ever before. They need support and trusted advice. Our goal at Purpose isn’t just to help advisors support their clients through turbulent times; it’s to help advisors ensure their clients win and build lasting resilience —the kind that endures through whatever comes next.
From day one, we’ve asked ourselves not just where markets are headed, but how we can shape the forces that define them.
The next era of investing will belong to those who think bigger: those who look beyond the immediate and plan with purpose for the decades ahead.
Why Complacency Is Costly
When we founded Purpose, we spent a lot of time thinking about how our industry had lost its curiosity.
Too many had come to accept the world as it was: years of declining interest rates and steady inflation led to the belief that a simple 60/40 portfolio could solve every challenge. We felt strongly that this view was too narrow, that it lacked the breadth of perspective that would come with the widened aperture of history.
We built Purpose on a different foundation: portfolios should be designed to be resilient in any environment, and investors should have the tools to win even if traditional bonds weren’t matching the returns we had seen over the past 40 years.
The job of an investor isn’t to follow the crowd; it’s to see what’s coming and prepare for it.
That takes depth. It requires understanding what’s driving global markets, where risk is shifting, and how new technology and ideas will reshape opportunities. It also demands investment in our own capacity to evolve and insight with experience and judgement.
Resilience isn’t just built into portfolios; it’s built into people and organizations willing to adapt.
True progress means moving beyond static models and chasing benchmarks. It’s about focusing on outcomes and creating flexible solutions that evolve with the world while staying anchored to Canadians’ long-term goals.
Putting Holistic Planning First
We believe our industry has an opportunity to shift the centre of gravity in advisor services. For too long, advisory practices have anchored their value in portfolio management alone, defining their success solely by the promise of better returns. The world is changing, and so must our focus. It’s time for a meaningful shift in how advisors see their role. That means placing holistic, outcome-driven planning at the heart of the service they provide.
To be clear, this isn’t about diminishing the importance of portfolio management or returns. Advisors have spent the past two decades building the sophisticated models and systems that allow these capabilities to scale. That work still matters. We also have to recognize a simple truth: what once differentiated us is rapidly becoming a commodity. And that means the real value now lies in elevating the value we deliver beyond the portfolio itself.
That value lies elsewhere: in the ability to connect every part of a client’s financial life into a compelling, unified plan for the future. That’s the evolution of advice: from managing investments to quarterbacking entire financial journeys. True holistic planning aligns strategy with purpose, with the goals, behaviours, and aspirations that shape each client’s life.
In the end, every client is really asking one question: “Am I going to be okay?”
When you can answer that question with confidence, authenticity, and real evidence, you rise above mere transactions. You build trust. You become essential. That is the true power of our profession: creating a sense of security and peace of mind that endures far beyond any single market cycle.
Advisors who embrace this shift early won’t just deliver deeper, more meaningful value to their clients. They’ll accelerate their growth, standing out in an industry where others will stagnate.
Looking Ahead
The conversations at this year’s Roadshow reminded me of something fundamental: progress requires courage. The courage to think ahead and to challenge what’s comfortable. To design for the world to come instead of the past.
At Purpose, our commitment to our clients and our industry is simple. We will always have the courage to think ahead. We will challenge ourselves to raise the standard for how investment services are delivered. And in the end, we’ll help you lead with vision, build with intention, and move confidently toward the future we’re creating together.
— Som Seif is the CEO and founder of Purpose Investments
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