What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and why?
Every job comes with its challenges, but to me the reward you get from confronting and moving past the challenges is well worth it. A few years ago, I was given the opportunity to create an entirely new executive banking department at Monona Bank. To say I wasn’t nervous and scared of the challenges and unknown in front of me would be an understatement. I, like my clients, like to get things done quickly and efficiently, but in the early stages of creating our executive banking department, I faced the challenge of needing to exercise a great deal of patience. To create a new department, I needed to work with nearly all the departments in our bank to learn and get feedback on how this new area would affect the other departments. The word “quickly” was soon replaced by the words patience and teamwork.
The most rewarding part of my job is being able to provide extraordinary banking moments for my clients. Witnessing the clients’ financial success — knowing how both myself and my bank contributed to that success — is very rewarding. I enjoy going above and beyond for each one of my clients. Whether it’s planning a vacation for them, or simply bringing their banking to their office, I find rewards at every corner of my relationships with my clients.
Who do you look up to or admire in business and why?
Without a doubt I will always admire my grandfather, John Fox, who was the founder of Fox Water and developer of the Cherokee neighborhood and country club. I grew up living with my grandparents, and in my eyes he embodies the businessman I try to be every day. Specifically, someone who is dedicated, hardworking, and takes great pride in what they do for a living. I had the opportunity to witness how he worked seven days a week, whenever he needed to, helping and supporting individuals and business owners in the Madison community. He set a great example for me as a kid, and it has not only influenced my work ethic, but also how I conduct business today.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
I think all the positions I’ve been fortunate to hold in my career have led me to where I am today. Being tasked with and trusted by our bank president to help create our executive banking department has been a high point in my career. The department has already been a huge success for the bank and I truly believe that it is barely touching the surface of its true potential. I am very honored to have had the opportunity to play a role in creating something that has already had and will continue to have such a significant impact on our bank. The plans we have for where we will take this service in the future are nearly limitless. Although I believe that this is currently the high point in my career, I know that it is just another step in reaching even higher.
Thinking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
From what I remember about being 21, I think it was hard to see the big picture back then; you only see glimpses of that picture in the form of your dreams and ambitions. It is only with time, experience, and hard lessons that those little glimpses become pieces of what you are meant to become. I know that I did my fair share of living only in the present and sometimes lost track of the bigger picture. So, I would say the best advice that I would give to my 21-year-old self would be to try and see through the forest, pick a point where the light is starting to shine through, and start fighting, planning, and learning the skills you will need to get where you want to be.
What would you say are the best things about living and working in Dane County?
Geez, where to start? How much time do you have? Having grown up here, I love living in Dane County — it’s home to me. There are so many great things about Dane County, and fortunately Monona Bank has many locations in and around Dane County, so I’m able to experience a lot of what it has to offer. I would say being able to live in a community that gives me opportunities to pitch in and make some small impacts on its success would be the best thing about living and working here. Doing business with the community that I live in gives me a personal stake in seeing it thrive. I love it that in many cases, my clients are my neighbors, or at least people in our communities. I appreciate the fact that I can help create a successful and safe community that my kids will be proud to be a part of some day.
Do you have any secret talents or abilities that people would be surprised to discover?
I believe any secret talent or ability I have would be a mixture of my calm voice and my ability to connect and talk to just about anybody. Money and finances can sometimes be a touchy and difficult conversation for people to have. It is my job to start the dialog and help reassure my clients about their financial decisions. Keeping a reassuring tone in my voice helps them to stay calm and really think about the choices they have in front of them, which helps lead to them being able to create a successful financial plan. Plus, I really enjoy talking and working with people and I think the people I work with can sense that.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I’ve got to say watching Disney movies with my kids. I always say “because the kids want to …” but really it’s just a ploy for me to get my Disney fix. I mean come on, the music is catchy, right? Plus, I think it is what really keeps the inner child alive in me. In fact, just the other day my wife asked me what I was doing, so I told her, “Watching Aladdin with the kids.” She looked at them and then back at me and said, “Honey. The kids are not watching the movie, they are drawing and coloring pictures.” What can I say? I got caught.
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