Why I became a financial advisor?

One of my earliest memories of money and investing is watching the local stocks of interest that scrolled across the screen on the evening news after dinner with my father. One of those local companies, a small electronics manufacturing firm, was trading at around $0.50/share. I watched that stock soar to more than $20/share by the time I attended college.

Looking back, I wonder what would have happened if I took all the money I earned doing odd jobs for my neighbors and invested it in that company, would this have been good or bad for me?

It might seem ridiculous or even slightly disingenuous to assume that putting my hard-earned money into a stock that returned more than 4,000% over 10 years could be construed to be a bad thing, but as an 8 year old, what in the world did I know about investing? Maybe this early investing success could have resulted in overconfidence that, like a gambler, could lead to future financial ruin.

But the real lesson was learned years later while in college. It was here where I learned the impact that prudent financial planning, accompanied by sound investment management could have on one’s financial future... the wealth that could be accumulated through discipline and patience.

Why Wealth Management?

Like most people, I thought that being a financial advisor was all about trading stocks. But one day when I was in college, the managing partner of a local investment firm spoke to our class.

He described a career that wasn’t just about buying and selling stocks and bonds; but was instead about making a lasting impact on someone's personal and financial well-being. A career where you are helping people protect those individuals most important to them and helping them achieve goals that might seem insurmountable. He was talking about wealth management, and this changed the whole way I looked at my chosen future profession.

Why I created Transcend Wealth?

I’ve worked for a number of different firms early in my career and was fortunate to work for and learn from some of the best in the business. But something was missing. The entrepreneurial spirit I developed when I was younger was tugging on me. There were things that I felt could be done better. A culture that needed to be fostered.

So, in 2018, driven by my passion for helping people worry a little less about money, and fueled by the potential impact my firm could have on improving the quality of my clients' lives, I founded Transcend Wealth.

Off the clock.

My wife Michelle and I met when we were in college and working at a local grocery store. We’ve been together for more than 25 years and have built a very fulfilling life together. I don’t have a lot of hobbies, but one I do have is a love for basketball and this is a pastime that has carried through since my childhood. But outside of spending time with my wife and our two beloved dogs, Louie a Lab/Husky mix, and Meia our German Shepherd, my true passion is my business.