Advisor Spotlight: Lin Sok
Lin Sok is a Montreal-based Financial Security Advisor and founder of SOHON Assurances and Services Financiers. With over 15 years of experience in the financial industry, Lin has been able to develop a multidisciplinary financial firm that focuses on making insurance transparent, and simple for clients.
In this edition of advisor spotlight, we interview Lin Sok to learn more about her and SOHON’s mission is to help those who have felt underserved by the big banks and other financial institutions.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Montreal.
As a child, what profession did you want to get into?
Sports writer for SLAM magazine or investigative reporter for CNN or the Washington Post.
What inspired you to become an advisor?
Being a young mom, the being a young mom gave me the flexibility to raise my children while having a career.
What do you feel is SOHON Financial’s greatest competitive advantage?
From a client standpoint, we don’t judge and we keep it simple. We cater to groups and communities who’ve felt mistreated or who have a bad taste in the mouth from past experiences dealing with the financial services industry.From the advisor standpoint, our platform was and is 100% virtual. This means we keep our overhead costs at a minimum, allowing us to offer one of the most competitive compensation packages to independent advisors.
From the advisor standpoint, our platform was and is 100% virtual. This means we keep our overhead costs at a minimum, allowing us to offer one of the most competitive compensation packages to independent advisors.
What’s the biggest misconception you’ve heard from clients about the process of getting insured?
It’s too expensive. Insurance is the eighth wonder of the world. It’s one of those things in life that you know you need, but you have no idea how much it costs or how it works.
What’s one leadership lesson you’ve learned in your career?
Don’t take it personally. You cannot approve every client at the rate they would like.
What are some of the trends you’re seeing? What excites you about the industry?
Finally, we’re getting online! The insurance industry is notoriously 10 steps behind when it comes to advisor platforms and innovation. Like many industries, COVID-19 has forced many sectors to rethink their antiquated standards and to think outside the box.
What do you think the insurance industry will look like in 10 years?
We better be 100% online! I hope that ten years from now, printing 35-page insurance application forms will be a thing of the past.
What advice would you give a person just entering the advisory business today?
Get informed about the different possible career paths. Many times I meet seasoned advisors who made the mistake of being a captive brokers. Often, they wish someone had told them at the beginning of their career what it took to become independent and to own your book of business.
If you could travel back to any moment in your career, what moment would you choose and why?
I would repeat this past COVID year over and over again if I could. I’ve learned so much about business and the future of the financial services industry, as well as met some incredible people who I don’t think I would have otherwise met.
With simplicity, integrity, and community building as key pillars, Lin Sok has been able to build a business that focuses on empowering clients to take control of their finances. But it is Lin’s focus on serving the underserved and her pulse on the future of the industry that makes SOHAN Financial stand out in the industry.
