As an institutional trader working on Wall Street, I really struggled with who I was and what I did for people. This was the start of my education, mostly because of what I didn’t want to be. I wasn’t truly helping people so I walked away from a lucrative career during the 2008 financial crisis. It wasn’t the best time to look for work but it was the perfect time to find myself, and understand what kind of financial professional I wanted to be.
To me, planning is everything. But to be a great planner I needed to significantly expand my knowledge. I also needed to have great people around me to add to what I didn’t know, or simply, people with a different and possibly better way to look at things. Knowledge has become my greatest asset in my career – and life. I’ve built my firm to become “knowledge-first”, and to share that knowledge freely.
My second best asset is my experiences in my life and career. I understand risk, pursuing a passion, building a business, growing a family, change, and hardship. It’s helped me become a better Financial Advisor.