TWD – Women’s Edition: Michelle Flanagan CFP®

About Me

Michelle Flanagan believes financial advice should make life easier – not more complicated.

Her passion is helping clients create simple, structured financial lives so they can spend more time doing what truly matters: enjoying family & friends, building meaningful careers, travelling, or doing whatever makes your world sing. For Michelle, money matters – not for its own sake, but because it provides the freedom and security to truly live well.

With more than 25 years in financial services, Michelle’s career has been built from the ground up. She began working within an Australian Financial Services Licence environment and steadily progressed through roles including Practice Manager, General Manager and Company Director. Along the way, she developed not only deep technical expertise, but also strong commercial acumen and leadership capability.

As a former business owner, Michelle understands firsthand the pressures, decisions and responsibilities her clients face. That real-world experience shapes the practical, thoughtful advice she provides today.

Her clients include accumulators building wealth, retirees seeking confidence and certainty, professional women, and family groups navigating complex financial decisions. Regardless of their stage of life, Michelle is known for building trusted relationships and helping clients stay focused and committed to achieving their goals.

Michelle played a key leadership role in her previous firm being recognised as IFA Best Practice in 2006 and was named a finalist for IFA Holistic Adviser of the Year in 2023. She has also been invited to speak on practice management and advisory excellence throughout the years.

Since joining The Wealth Designers in 2020, Michelle has led the business across Australia’s east coast and now serves as Head of Technical Delivery & Operations and is a member of the Leadership Team. She proudly champions the firm’s ethos of living well – ensuring every strategy supports both financial success and personal fulfilment.

Get to know more about me

What does “Live Well” look like for you on an ordinary Tuesday, not a highlight-reel day?

Living well, for me, looks like an ordinary workday spent supporting clients and my team, then coming home to my people and cooking a meal that brings us together. On the days I work from home, sneaking in a beach walk adds a simple but nourishing kind of joy.

What’s your biggest goal at the moment?

My biggest personal goal right now is a mini home renovation that brings new life to my kitchen-the true heart of my home. Cooking is something I love deeply, and creating a space that reflects that passion feels like the natural next step.

What money habit do you have now that your younger self would be quietly impressed by?

That I’m still a saver and have become an investor, including the discipline I’ve developed to stay committed to financial goals and take smart, considered risks.

What’s a belief about money, success, or “having it all” that you’ve consciously let go of?

I’ve come to understand that money is not everything.  I certainly helps but when we take the focus of it, we find much more joy in life, family, health. Often the simple things that don’t require a lot of money bring us the greatest joy.

When life feels full, noisy, or financially overwhelming, what helps you come back to centre?

I remind myself by reflecting on how far I’ve come-what I’ve invested in to improve my life, the experiences that have enriched me, the time spent with people I love, the home repairs checked off, the loan balance shrinking, and my savings and super growing. It’s a reminder that progress matters more than perfection.