Big Picture

I like to view things from 50,000 feet, to see where the opportunities lie ahead and position my clients to take advantage of those trends. Divine intervention led to me this vocation in July of ’85, and I became the first fiduciary advisor in Southwest Florida in 1996. And now I am rebranding the firm to incorporate faith with finance. This was a calling to take a successful practice and make room for God in our work. 35 years as a financial advisor has shown me that “finance without faith” can lead to failure in a client’s goals/outcomes. This graph from Pew Research bears this out amongst young adults.

What are you working on?

“Being Present” and living in the moment is my main focus. I tend to move at a fast pace in trying to be as productive as possible. In doing so however, I miss the ways that God tries to get my attention or make a point.

Priests that inspire Me

1) Any recently ordained priest. They’ve said yes to Jesus by answering the call to guide his sheep, especially at a time when the Church faces such harsh criticism.
2) Fr. Mike Schmitz of Duluth, MN who says “Too many people live too small of a story.” We don’t reach for the rim to try and dunk the ball. That fear gets in the way of what God has planned for us and keeps us from our fullest potential.

“The Fixer”

I waited until this year to binge watch “The Godfather” trilogy. Chalk it up to my wife for insisting that I get up to speed with Americana. I was struck by Brando’s character, who people sought to fix their problems. I too would like to nickname myself “The Fixer,” although I don’t own a gun or operate power tools effectively, as my friends are quick to point out. The nickname has yet to catch on…

Did you say Chocolate?

I must say that the word gets me standing at attention like a letter from the IRS. My family had an ice cream business growing up. I worked there for 1 year and wasn’t asked to come back. Profits were down, and supply was unusually low. I don’t have the foggiest idea how that could have happened. 😊

Matthew 25:14–30
Knowing that life, worldly treasures, and this career all come from God. That if I cling to them in a manner that serves only me instead of him, those talents wither away.