After graduating from Harvey Mudd College with a degree in Biology, and concentration in Dance, I worked in a laboratory before deciding whether or not to stay in science. My choice in two very separate fields should have been a clue that I was onto something, but not quite yet. I am fascinated by science and “solving the puzzle,” but I also loved the creativity and people-interaction that I had when I was dancing.
I was fortunate to find an industry I was passionate about at a young age. I started advising clients as a broker at Merrill Lynch in 1997. I was the Northwest Regional Financial Planner for Charles Schwab, where I was one of only 12 regional planners in the country for the firm. Also, I managed a group of advisers at Merriman before starting my own financial planning firm.
Oddly enough, the most interesting part of my life was when I took a nine month sabbatical from working. This is when I discovered that there was much more to life than my career and retirement is not a “finish line.” I gained a whole new appreciation for planning and how important it is to take a step back and look at what you want in life. There is no blueprint for success and happiness, but a huge amount of peace of mind comes from taking the time to do good strategic planning. The focus of this blog is to explore other important topics that many people don’t take the time to discuss such as: sabbaticals, coordinating multiple goals, education priorities, philanthropy, or whether it’s worth it to take a pay cut for a job you love.
My focus is to educate, empower and inspire you to take the time to take a holistic view of your life.
Wishing you a beautiful life,
