What do you find most interesting or rewarding about your work as a certified financial planner?

My favorite part of being a financial advisor is helping people find creative solutions to their problems. I played on a lot of sports teams growing up, and I've always loved building trust and the feeling of accomplishing something together. 

I get to do this every day through my job, building relationships and being out in the community as I help people find solutions to a very important part of their lives—financial success and well being.

What is an overarching theme in the advice you share with your clients?

A big part of financial planning is taking controllable variables such as taxes, savings, expenses and solving for what you want out of life. I help clients focus on what they can control so the variables outside of their control—such as short term investment performance—do not cause them as much stress.

In the eternal words of Herm Edwards, “you play to win the game.” By focusing on the controllable parts of your life and finances, it lets us take measured risk in our investments, business decisions, and careers. This is the beauty and foundation that thorough, comprehensive financial planning provides my clients. 

What friend or mentor relationship from the Haverford School has influenced your life or career?

My favorite mentor relationship can only go to the one and only Mr. Thomas Trocano, who was my advisor, chemistry teacher, and football coach. It took me a year or two to get acclimated to The Haverford School and he went out of his way to believe in me and support me when I probably didn't deserve it. That level of care and compassion is something I'll never forget, and I owe a lot of my success at Haverford to his early support and belief in me when I didn't believe in myself.

As for my career, the greatest gift that The Haverford School gave me was access to successful and powerful people. It's hard to believe you can be a CEO, managing partner, founder, etc unless you've seen and interacted with people who have done it and you can see yourself in them. Interacting with the families and parents at The Haverford School gave me the confidence that one day I could do and achieve what they did because it felt like it was within my reach—if they could do it why couldn’t I? My classmates in 2010 have all gone on to have successful careers and I think part of it, outside of the talent Haverford produces, is because we weren't scared to shoot for the stars. We knew we could achieve success based on the people we saw come before us.

Do you have any lasting memories from your time at The Haverford School?

I have two memories from my senior year at The Haverford School which really stand out. In the fall, the football team beat Malvern at their homecoming on a 42 yard, last second field goal. It was the first time Haverford had beaten Malvern in 18 years and we ended up sharing the Inter-Ac title for the first time in 38 years. 

The football team had historically underperformed, but we had a strong nucleus of upperclassmen who’d gone to battle together and taken their lumps over the previous three years. We felt like we were battle tested and ready to prove to the Inter-Ac we belonged, and we did! I'd like to think we started the tradition that's been carried on the last 10–15 years of Haverford playing football at a high level.

The second memory is from my senior year in the spring. We had a great baseball program and it was the most fun I've ever had on a team. I genuinely looked forward to practice because I liked being around everyone so much. The Inter-Ac was and still is very strong at baseball, and we ended up beating Germantown Academy who was ranked #8 in the country in the final Inter-Ac league game to win the league title outright for the first time in 39 years! My teammates and I still talk about it to this day.

Speaking of the unique connections The Haverford School creates, I got the opportunity to meet Haverford alum, Senator John Hickenlooper '70 of Colorado, when I moved to Denver thanks to our very own George Wood! John’s senior year baseball team won Haverford's first league title in 18 years. We bonded over stories from our Haverford baseball careers—very cool.

What do you hope your legacy will be?

My simple answer has always been I'd like to leave my last name better than I found it, which I think should be everyone’s goal in life. 

My family bleeds maroon and gold. My father was head of the Upper School at Haverford for a number of years, my mom worked in Palmer House for 20+ years, and my two brothers also attended The Haverford School. In fact, my older brother Tim is an Upper School history teacher at Haverford! My parents sacrificed a lot to make sure their sons had the best education possible. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunities I was given and want to give those same opportunities to others over my lifetime. I sit on the board of a non-profit that raises scholarships for students to attend private schools here in Denver, and as I continue growing in my career I plan on spending more time, resources, and energy advocating for high level education to those who deserve it most and hopefully letting my last name echo long after I pass away.