I have a passion for business and investments that has been part of me for as long as I can remember. When I was around 9 years old, my dad owned a salvage yard. Here I had the chance to watch him bargain with customers over the value of what some called junk and others called treasure. At the age of 12, I made my first business deal with my great-uncle. He had two semi-trucks full of firewood that needed to be split. We agreed that he would pay me, but only when the job was finished. He said, “If you do a good job, there will be more opportunities for you”. As a kid, I wasn’t sure how to take that! What I realized, though, is that if I did well, there would be more work, and if I did it quickly, I would have more time to play! As a kid, that pile of wood might as well have been Mt. Everest; it looked like an insurmountable task! However, I soon realized that if I just kept splitting one piece at a time, I could accomplish my task. It took me several days, but I found myself really enjoying the work and thinking about how I could do it better. I realized that if I could plan out my next couple of steps, it would make things go much faster. I already knew what had to be done, and I had time to think about how to do it before I needed to take that step. Learning this so early on is the basis of how I help people plan.
First, we get to know your expectations and what the assignment is. We then need to figure out what’s going to be easy and what’s going to be hard. Next, we work together to ensure we are solving the right issues and begin to develop a plan, so you know what the next steps are before you get there. We know that leaving you alone to stare at your Mt. Everest doesn’t always work very well, so we stick by your side to help with the heavy lifting as well as the mundane. We will be there to help measure your progress, celebrate your victories, and work through the tough times together.
I really love what we do! It’s fantastic to be able to help people discover how to make their money work harder for them. After 20 years in the financial industry working directly with clients, my experience has taught me that no one financial situation is exactly the same.
I AM A:
- Business Owner: 28 years
- Life and Annuity Agent: 23 years
- Real Estate Investor: 21 years
- Investment Adviser: 18 years
- Financial Planner and Consultant: 17 years
Creating the right balance between taxes, returns, risk, and the time you have to be involved with your investments is a delicate balance that will change over time. A great plan is one that is periodically evaluated and adjusted to match your current needs while keeping your long-term goals in mind. This is, of course, easier said than done! By partnering with our clients, we build long-term relationships where we do the heavy lifting, so you have the confidence to live richly and enjoy using your money and time in a way that provides value to you.
Our firm is different, in that we help our clients in many areas of their financial lives.
Investments take many different forms; there are, of course, the standard securitized investments like mutual funds, stocks, and bonds. However, investments such as real estate, partnerships, business ownership, and alternative investments like oil and gas can all add real value toward achieving your financial goals. My area of focus is helping people design their ideal financial future. I achieve this by first identifying the household’s current financial position to determine the best course of action to reach their goals. We specialize in connecting the dots between risk, tax efficiency, cash flow analysis on investment property, strong returns, and an appropriate amount of risk, which is where the magic really takes place.
Since 1991, I have been a business owner of various entities, whether that be in part or in whole. My wife and I started investing in real estate in 1997, when we bought our first investment property. We continue to buy and develop residential and commercial real estate holdings for our personal portfolio. Our involvement in business, investments, and real estate has provided invaluable experiences that I enjoy sharing with our clients. Without my wife’s support and perseverance while caring for our three children, I would have never had the opportunity to found our firm, and certainly would not be able to enjoy the successful relationships that we have created.