What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and why?
To me, wealth management is all about serving clients and collaborating with other professionals to make sure all aspects of the client’s legacy are taken care of. The most rewarding part is when all partners are cooperating on behalf of the client and are able to work in sync to meet the client’s objectives.
Who do you look up to or admire in business and why?
I have great admiration for all those who are part of The Giving Club. If you are unfamiliar, there are two requirements:
1. You must be worth $1 billion.
2. You must be willing to give away half of it.
Some members of The Giving Club include Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates, Judy Faulkner, Elon Musk, and many others. It’s all about giving back to whatever avenue helped you get to where you are now. They are certainly doing their part and inspire me to live and give in their example.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
The thing I value most is looking back on the journey. The people I’ve met, the things I’ve learned, and the mistakes I’ve made have all culminated to get me where I am today. I think the high point of the journey is the people you meet along the way, and always taking one thing from each relationship and learning something from it.
Thinking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
Look for the silver lining. There is the potential for a positive outcome in any given situation; you just have to look for it. I think if you look down the list of the most successful and admired business people, they have all overcome some kind of obstacle and became stronger because of it. Whether it was Steve Jobs being fired from the company he co-founded or John Paul DeJoria being homeless when he was starting Paul Mitchell, they were always studying the landscape even when they were looking at it from ground zero.
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What would you say are the best things about living and working in Dane County?
I find it hard to believe there is a better place to raise a family. The abundance of small communities provides the ability to slow things down a bit and the city of Madison, along with all it offers, gives us most everything one would want in the form of entertainment. The people are friendly and the local fare is good, too.
Do you have any secret talents or abilities that people would be surprised to discover?
I don’t think fly-fishing qualifies as a secret talent but it is one of my favorite things to do, especially as the sun rises. The fish my wife and I eat are still mainly store bought though, so maybe I’m not very good! Regardless, it is relaxing. My two favorite spots are the Black Earth Creek beds around Cross Plains and Black Earth, as well as Trout Creek outside of Mount Horeb.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I absolutely love cold-brewed iced coffee. I will drive by a new coffee shop and literally pull over and run in to try their iced coffee. It is an art to make a smooth, non-bitter cup of cold brew. My favorites are True Coffee and Crema Cafe.
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