Why did you become a financial advisor?
I became a financial advisor out of a love of numbers and a fascination with the concept of money and investing. The reality for me at least is that the numbers and money fascination are secondary to the people, their stories, and ultimately helping them overcome the challenges and fulfill the responsibilities that are inherent with good money management.
What challenges do you enjoy?
I enjoy the challenge of breaking down a difficult concept or financial opportunity into actionable parts.
I have a gift for being able to see the entire solution almost immediately, but experience has taught me the value of creating a path and a timeline that allows for our clients to journey with us. Getting to the end goal is paramount but arriving at that end goal together with our clients is both the most challenging and rewarding aspect of what we do.
It’s that idea of journeying together that led to the development of our Voice From the Hills podcast. The goal of these conversations is to highlight different aspects of our wealth management journey, identify the potential pitfalls, discuss helpful tools and strategies, and delve into the mindset required to successfully build, manage, and transfer your wealth. Allowing our clients and partners to drop in on these conversations with leaders in their respective fields is both a value add for our clients and a personal sandbox for me that is as much pleasure as it is work.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I enjoy playing games of almost any kind. I love taking short getaway trips with friends and family where the destination is secondary to the people we share it with. I have a love hate relationship with golf. I love to play and hate that I can’t seem to rise above mediocrity. I’m fascinated with museums and galleries. I’m envious of the work and the intrigued by the stories behind those artistic achievements. I’m a better than average karaoke singer and enjoy “performing” and the memories that the perfect song sung “mostly on key” can evoke.
What are you most proud of?
I’m proudest of the accomplishments of our clients and our mostly silent partnership toward those goals. I’m grateful to have been a part of the eMoney Advisory Board and to have helped build the roadmap for a technology that is widely used in our industry and on behalf of our clients. My past and current service on the University of Texas Gift Planning and Advisory Council continues to be a source of continued learning and an opportunity to give back to the University that has provided me with so much. Being the first Texas Ex to broadcast a charitable planning webinar to the entire UT System is and will always be one of my proudest moments.
What is your favorite quote?
Reid Hoffman: “Ironically, in a changing world, playing it safe is one of the riskiest things you can do.”
Eckhardt Tolle: “Life isn’t as serious as the mind makes it out to be.”