What inspired you to come to Bernstein? Why did you choose Bernstein to grow your career?
You think you know a lot when you’re hired at a firm—but that is minuscule compared to what I know today. When I first came across Bernstein’s integrated approach, my immediate thought was, I haven’t heard of anyone doing anything like this. At the time, I worked as a sports agent and my experience with investment firms had led me to believe they were all the same—and not in a good way. However, Bernstein stood out from the crowd. This is a firm that is founded on research, which is how it grew into the global boutique firm that it is today. Having research at its core creates structural advantages for Bernstein that other firms in the industry simply cannot replicate. Bernstein is always innovating itself, evolving as a company and finding new ways to offer our clients solutions beyond what is hot at the moment. The ultimate structural advantage at Bernstein is the ability to always do what is best for our clients.
What are your areas of expertise in solving problems for clients?
I practiced law for several years, owned my own law firm representing business owners and built a sports agency primarily focused on Major League Baseball. My transition to Bernstein was a natural fit for my career, as I continue to use many of the same tools and insight from those prior roles to add value to my existing clients. For almost 20 years, I have worked with business owners from start-up to sale and everything in between. Therefore, I have the expertise to truly dig into what drives my clients to grow their businesses. I use these insights to protect what they have built. Financial advising is about more than just numbers and projections. Identifying and avoiding risk is just as important as envisioning and planning for what’s next.
How have your values and personal background uniquely positioned you to work with your clients?
Growing up, my parents were always there, both physically and emotionally. They taught me the importance of being present for my family, which eventually taught me the priceless value of being present for my clients. The best clients are your current ones, so I always treat mine right. The values I focus on are as follows: loyalty, which I see as a step beyond trust; honesty, the simplest path; kindness, the easiest behavior to mess up; and active listening and empathy, which is critical to truly understanding others.