At some point, every kid gets asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Some say President, others say game developer or fireman. I was the only one in my class who said Financial Advisor. That was my dad’s job, and before I even knew what work-life balance was, I saw that he had it. I don’t know how my mom agreed to it, but Dad frequently got me up early in the morning to take me fishing before dropping me off at preschool. And when he would visit clients at their homes, I got to tag along. I loved it because I got cookies, and sometimes we even adopted clients’ dogs. Once we got a yellow lab named Buffy, who lived to be 21 years old.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I realized that life is not all about cookies and puppies. My dad died when I was just 6, and I was raised by a single mom after that. That was also an early lesson in the power of financial planning. My dad had a life insurance policy that paid to put my brother and me through college. Ever since, I’ve been working to build the kind of relationships that my father had with his clients. First, in the non-profit sector, and then as a financial advisor.
I love helping people and putting together their financial puzzle. It’s not just about numbers, it’s about real life. And real life needs flexibility built in. Having lost a loved one, gone through a divorce, and faced an unexpected illness, I know better than a lot of people how important it is to have a backup plan. And I won’t be unbiased about insurance protections.
It’s incredibly humbling that we get to walk alongside you through this journey of life, and we don’t ever take it for granted. We won’t just look at your plan and say, “it’s fine.” We’re going to ask, “How can we make it better?” It’s something I do often, much to my family’s frustration.
When I’m not working, you may find me with my husband and two kids on the slopes. My oldest child asked to learn how to ski shortly before COVID, and it made me realize how much I loved it and missed it.
What is it that you cherish doing with your loved ones? Give us a call at Thimbleberry Financial, so we can put it into your financial puzzle.
