I didn't wake up one day and decide to become a financial advisor. Looking back, though, I can see exactly where it started.
How My Family Talked About Money
My parents taught me to save, live within my means, and let compound interest do its thing over time. I assumed every family talked about money that way. It wasn't until I got older that I realized how rare that actually was. Around that same time, I started sitting in on meetings with my parents' financial advisor. I wasn't the one with assets on the table or decisions to make—I was just a kid with questions. But he answered every one of them like it mattered. He never talked down to me or rushed through an explanation to get back to the "real" conversation.
There wasn't a single moment where I thought, "That's it, I want to do this for a living." It built up slowly, meeting after meeting, watching how he made something complicated feel understandable. That's what stuck with me — not the investment talk, but the way he treated people. It taught me that being an advisor is about more than managing money. It's about helping people feel confident in an area of life that overwhelms most of them.
Financial Confidence Matters
As I got further into the profession, I noticed something else: a lot of people who had done everything right—worked hard, saved consistently, built real wealth—still didn't feel sure of themselves financially. Nobody had ever walked them through what came next. That's usually where we come in. Most of the families we work with at Harvest Point® don't think of themselves as "wealthy." They built what they have slowly, over decades, without much fanfare. They saved, invested, kept their expenses reasonable, and didn't spend much time thinking about it beyond that.
But eventually, the questions shift. It's no longer "Will I have enough?" It's "How much can I actually spend?" "When can I retire?" "Can I help my kids buy a house?" or "Could I be giving more than I already do?" Some clients start thinking about how to pass wealth down responsibly, and how to make sure their children understand the discipline behind it, not just the number. Those are the conversations I find most rewarding. Eight years into this career, that's what keeps me in it—not the markets, the relationships.
Celebrating "Wins"
I like hearing about the wins. A client finally retiring after years of planning for it. A family buying the house they'd been eyeing for a decade. Helping someone get a kid through college without wrecking their own retirement. Watching clients start gifting to their children now, while they're still around to see what that generosity does for them. Some of my favorite conversations happen when a client realizes they can give away more than they thought — to their church, to a cause they care about, wherever. That's a win too, even if it never shows up on a performance report.
But the moment that sticks with me most is when someone tells me they're content. Not chasing the next purchase, not fixated on a bigger account balance—just at peace with what they have and clear on what actually matters to them. If I had to define what "successful financial planning" looks like, that's probably it. Every client's story is different, so there's no single formula for getting there. What I can do is help client's get clarity on the difference between what they need vs what they just want. That doesn't mean telling someone not to enjoy what they've built, but rather helping them make decisions from a place of purpose instead of pressure, comparison, or fear.
Guiding Stewardship
Scripture has a lot to say about money, and as a faith-based financial planning firm, we believe everything we have ultimately belongs to God. This stewardship mindset changes how we think about spending, investing, giving, and what we pass on to the next generation. I don't think stewardship is supposed to make anyone feel guilty or pressured into giving financially. It's more about recognizing that what we've been given comes with responsibility—to provide for our families, support the ministries and causes we care about, and create opportunities for other people along the way.
Privilege to Serve
Markets will do whatever markets are going to do. What we can control is how we think about money and what we choose to do with it—and that's the part I care about most. Some of the most important work we do isn't picking the next investment—it's helping someone realize they already have enough. That they can retire. That they can give more. That they can stop carrying around a financial decision that's been weighing on them for years.
Now, eight years into this career, I consider it a true privilege to serve our clients and help them gain financial confidence. Looking back, I think that’s what drew me to this profession in the first place. I saw how much of a difference it can make when someone takes the time to listen, answer questions, and make something complicated feel a little more clear. Today, I get the opportunity to do that for others—and I’m grateful to be part of the decisions, milestones, and relationships that matter far beyond the numbers.