That question stayed with me for years.
I’m Sean McCready — founder of OPEN, Licensed Financial Adviser and Financial Coach based in Auckland.
For most of my career, I worked in marketing and communications. I co-founded McCready Bale Media, grew it from nothing to more than 120 people and $140 million in billings, and eventually we sold the business to a multinational company.
It was a rewarding chapter. I loved building something meaningful and working alongside talented people. But if I’m honest, I was always drawn to the financial side — understanding the numbers, making sure the business was healthy, sustainable, and built for the long term.
Outside of work, I was equally curious about personal finance. I read the books. Built the spreadsheets. Made the investments — some good, some not so good. Like many people, I tried to figure it out myself.
But when I needed advice, I found something unsettling. Too often, the support available felt product-driven.
Recommendations were influenced — subtly or not so subtly — by commissions or incentives. I wasn’t looking for a product. I was looking for perspective. For someone to help me think clearly.
After selling the business, I expected to feel complete freedom. And in many ways, I did. But I also experienced something I hadn’t anticipated — a loss of structure and purpose.
That period taught me something important: money matters. But meaning matters more.
The best financial plans aren’t just about maximising returns. They’re about making sound decisions that support the life you actually want to live.
As I considered what I wanted to do next, that original question returned — where could people go for truly independent, thoughtful support with their money?
So I retrained.
I completed a Certificate in Financial Advice (First Class) through Massey University and qualified as a Licensed Financial Adviser. I combined that technical grounding with coaching principles and created something I wished had existed earlier in my own life.
I created OPEN.
