Where did you grow up and what was it like?
I was born in Chicago but moved to Charlotte at a young age. My family was always financially comfortable and my parents balanced their career commitments with support for my brother and me through educational and sporting endeavors.
What keeps you motivated?
It might sound nerdy, but the truth is that I am passionately motivated to build the FairWay Financial enterprise to reflect my philosophies and the processes that allow us to execute our roles on a daily basis.
What inspired you to begin a career in the financial industry and why?
It was an intersection of chance and experience. I often share my story about my father losing his job in the late 80s and the financial impact on our family. This first drove interest in finances and controlling one’s fate through self-employment.
One of my relatives worked in the financial industry and introduced me to American Express Financial Advisors in late 2003. Before that, I had an interest in economics and the inner workings of finance in our society. Financial planning and investment management provided the perfect platform for me to pursue those interests.
What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
On the enterprise side, I love building systems and processes that help us manage our practice. On the client side, I enjoy developing the relationship and presenting our planning ideas in a way that resonates with the clients we serve.
When interacting with clients, what do you find most fascinating?
Often, I find out something never shared with me at the beginning of a relationship, like how they played college sports, or play a musical instrument, or have a famous relative. As you build a relationship, you create depth, and very often those are the nuances that dictate the advice we provide.