Liberty Elder-Davis on Building a Career in Advice, Resilience and Redefining Success in Financial Services
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, Helena is joined by Liberty Elder-Davis, who shares her powerful and honest journey through financial services, from starting her career overseas to rebuilding her life and career in the UK.
Liberty talks about beginning her career in an IFA firm in Spain, where a planned gap year turned into a decade working in offshore advice. She opens up about being told she was too young, female and inexperienced to succeed, how becoming a mother shaped her perspective, and why stepping away from advising was not a failure but a strategic reset.
Now based in the UK, Liberty reflects on what sustainable success really looks like, the importance of support and flexibility, and why the industry must evolve if it wants to attract and retain more women.
🎧 In this episode:
• Liberty’s early career and move to Spain
• How a gap year became a ten year career in offshore advice
• Being told she was too young and female to succeed
• Becoming a qualified adviser while working full time and raising a child
• Building a client bank from scratch as a self-employed adviser
• Burnout, identity and the decision to step back
• Why returning to the UK changed everything
• Finding a role that fits life, not the other way around
• Why the financial services industry must change for women
More
In this episode of Foster Denovo Talks, Helena is joined by Liberty Elder-Davis, who shares her powerful and honest journey through financial services, from starting her career overseas to rebuilding her life and career in the UK. Liberty talks about beginning her career in an IFA firm in Spain, where a planned gap year turned into a decade working in offshore advice. She opens up about being told she was too young, female and inexperienced to succeed, how becoming a mother shaped her perspective, and why stepping away from advising was not a failure but a strategic reset. Now based in the UK, Liberty reflects on what sustainable success really looks like, the importance of support and flexibility, and why the industry must evolve if it wants to attract and retain more women. 🎧 In this episode: • Liberty’s early career and move to Spain • How a gap year became a ten year career in offshore advice • Being told she was too young and female to succeed • Becoming a qualified adviser while working full time and raising a child • Building a client bank from scratch as a self-employed adviser • Burnout, identity and the decision to step back • Why returning to the UK changed everything • Finding a role that fits life, not the other way around • Why the financial services industry must change for women