Professional Experience:

• ATK Financial Prosperity 2022-Present

• Zurich North America 2019-2022

• Northern Trust 2008-2019

Education:

• Northwestern University - Data Science and Analytics Certificate

• Lewis University - Master of Science in Finance

• Northern Illinois University - Bachelor of Science in Finance

In 2014, my wife Tara (fiance at the time) and I moved to Florida due to her promotion to District Manager for a Fortune 500 retailer.

Quick fun fact: My wife is why I love to serve Retail Leaders. I have heard enough “retail” conversations, I often feel like I work in the industry. I even joke that I can speak “retail”.

Another fun fact: We lived on the Panhandle/Gulf Coast while in Florida. We loved the beach, especially the white powdery sand and turquoise/emerald green colors of the water. You can see some of these colors sprinkled throughout the website.

While we lived in Florida for 3 years, we became very intentional with our money. I had student loans, so we wanted to pay those off as soon as possible. We also wanted to have flexibility and financial stability now and in the future. We wanted options. So we implemented a formal financial plan.

It was the first time we took the time to organize our finances, discuss our financial goals, our values and develop the steps to get us where we want to go.

The feeling of financial peace of mind and clarity that it brought us! Unless you do financial planning, it is hard to understand the feeling it gives you. Always being clear on where you stand financially and what steps you need to take to accomplish your financial goals.

One of my financial goals was to have the ability to start a business at some point in my life. I didn’t know what that business will be. I just knew I wanted to have the financial means to do it.

In 2021, we met one of our major financial milestones. That milestone gave me the ability to start a business, but I still didn’t know what that would be.

It is funny how things work out sometimes. In 2022, my in-laws came to me as they were getting ready to retire (they were kind of being forced to retire). They wanted me to review their finances to make sure they would be OK. So we did, over a whole weekend.

That experience made one thing clear. There is a huge need to help people with their finances, proactively.

What I saw with my in-laws opened my eyes. There is only one thing that made it possible for them to retire. It was their government’s pension. If that pension wasn’t there, they would not have been able to retire and live the life they envisioned for 20+ years. Many of their financial decisions and mistakes could have been avoided.

But I wasn’t mad at them. I was mad at the situation and the fact that many are left to figure it all out on their own. Most of us won’t have a pension. Consider yourself extremely lucky if you will have one. That means that the risk and responsibility to ensure we are able to retire falls 100% on us. Every decision we make, decades before retirement, has a direct impact on our future financial well-being. And there are many moving parts to financial planning, with every part intertwined with the rest. Finding the time to keep up with all the rules, regulations, strategies, and financial education can quickly become overwhelming.

That’s how I decided to start my own financial planning firm. One that is based on relationships, not transactions. A firm that makes financial planning accessible, transparent, educational and ongoing. Because financial planning never stops.

I know this was a long intro to my story, but at least now you know my why and the driving force behind starting the firm.