Why?
Why can be a tough question. I have heard the original creator of Toyota would famously ask why 5 times to get at the heart of a problem and more importantly be able to provide a solution.
Simon Sineck tells us to start with why.
There are a few major inspirations that have caused me to create my own firm:
- Faith: As a Christian, the Bible reminds me constantly of the need to give everything I do my all. Do I fall short? Of course. My desire though is to do my best and provide the best I can, not for my glory, but for God’s glory. Are all of my clients Christians? No. I want it known though that everything I do is to bring glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Fiduciary standard: I want to do what is in the best interest for my client. I want the client to know that and I do not want that to ever be in question. By choosing to start a Registered Investment Advisor firm, I am legally bound to a fiduciary standard. Meaning, I must act in my clients best interests – always. This is not the case with most financial firms.
- Independence: The only way I get paid is from my clients. No corporate bureaucracies, no kickbacks, no incentive plans, no sales contest – just the client paying me for my work. So, the only allegiance I have is to the client when evaluating options. No matter the firm or institution, I am able to look across the board to help my clients pursue their desired objectives. I am able to evaluate with and for my clients a slew of options from mutual funds, exchange traded funds, stocks, bonds, annuities, insurance, checking, savings, mortgages and so much more.
- Quality: Clients are trusting me with their futures. As such, I need to provide the highest quality I am able. Striving for the best has been engrained in me from my faith, my background in sports and inspiration from leaders like Walt Disney. By owning my own firm, it provides more accountability that the highest quality will be delivered by me and everyone who works with me.
- Innovation: Using cutting edge technology to provide better outcomes and better experiences for clients has always been a passion. I have spent years begging firms I’ve worked for to adopt new technologies that would help only to be bogged down by red tape – not any more.
- People: Walt Disney famously said “You can design, create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Whether partnering with clients to help build their desired future, cast members of the firm or my extended network of professionals – I want to never lose sight that everything I do is for people. Life is not about numbers, it is not about money, it is not about things. Life is about people – loving them, helping them and serving them.
I am sure there are many more reasons, and each of these has a lot more detail. I hope that gives a solid foundation on why I chose to start my own firm.
As always, reach out if you have questions.
