As I sat at the end of the dock at sunset watching our kids play in the lake, I realized I had everything – a good job, two wonderful healthy children and a great relationship with my wife. But as that beautiful Michigan summer was coming to an end, I still felt like I was missing something.
My wife and I, both Colorado natives, had moved our family to the Midwest five years earlier. I enjoyed tremendous career growth and success in Michigan. I won multiple awards for my efforts and was helping hundreds of clients. But after almost 15 years in the business, I was not fulfilled. When COVID hit and my life changed from driving 30,000 miles a year to having lots of zoom calls and down time, I found myself going a little stir crazy. While the car sat in the garage, I began a journey of self-discovery. As I explored what was truly important to me, I realized that it was to give back to my community and the world on a deeper level. I considered a wide range of avenues for how to do this – including some that had nothing to do with the financial services industry.
“How can we accomplish this?” I asked my wife. This was one of those moments that I most appreciated that shiny mirror reflecting back at me. She said “focus on what you are passionate about in your current position and magnify it with what you want to create. Build your ideal career, and let’s move back to Colorado.” I took that advice to heart.
What I loved the most in my past career was sitting down with clients and providing them the exact tools and resources they needed to become financially independent. The days when I could help clients clarify their goals and how to achieve them made me light up. I loved simplifying complex financial ideas and practices, translating industry jargon into plain English and enabling clients to fully engage in mapping out their financial futures.
I was already a Certified Financial Planner (CFP™), but I wanted to up my game and learn more about how business and investment could be used as a force for good, so I completed the Socially Responsible Investment Counselor™ program as well.
With all this in place, I started my search for the right firm. I wanted to join a strong fee-only financial practice, client focused, Colorado-based, working to do good in the world. My research landed me at the doors of Colorado Capital Management – a team of do-gooders that spoke to all the pieces that I felt were missing in my passion to serve others in personal finance. We spent many hours over zoom getting to know each other. I’d found a whole group of people who light up when they bring solutions to their clients, who simplify complex financial practices, are a Certified B Corp, and help clients create abundance for themselves and for the world around them.
I’m now sitting and looking out at the Flatirons at about the same time of year I was sitting on the end of that dock in Michigan. Same person, same family, different outlook. I feel so fortunate, like all the pieces of life have fallen into place. I am so grateful to be back home in Colorado with my family and friends, enjoying this beautiful corner of the world. But just as importantly, I’m so happy to be feeling at home with myself as I begin this new chapter with Colorado Capital Management.
