08/19/2026
I am not really one to write something up for a post, but felt this was worth doing to pass along a few thank yous.
First and foremost, a special thank you to my wife, Mary. There are seasons where life can be very difficult to juggle everything going on, so when I told her I wanted to finally get my CFP® certification knocked out, she agreed knowing that meant she would be juggling the kids more in the evenings and getting them to and from places without an extra set of hands. For her support, encouragement, and willingness to take on a little more throughout this process, I am forever grateful. Thank you, Sweetie!
A thank you is also in order to my kids. While neither of our kids got to see as much of me in the evenings this summer as they normally would, it was often a quick "come home from work, get dinner, and then head back for a review session" kind of summer. Both helped keep me motivated in their own ways.
Our 3-year-old's laugh or the usual piggyback ride always gave me a good shot of endorphins. Our 6-year-old though was old enough to pick up on the fact that Dad was working on something hard, and by the end, was giving his own version of encouragement. I'm hopeful that both picked up on something along the way: if you set out to accomplish something, it may not always be easy, but hard work can pay off.
Lastly, a thank you to my team, joint work partners, parents, and in-laws. We have a great team here that knows how to take care of our clients and each other. During some of the heavier study weeks, I was leaning on them a lot to take care of more than usual, and they did so seamlessly. My parents and in-laws also helped spell Mary at various points throughout the summer, for which I am extremely grateful.
Any finally, to our clients.
The reason I wanted to pursue the CFP® certification in the first place was not simply to add another designation behind my name. It was to continue becoming a better advisor for the people who have trusted us to help them make important decisions about their financial lives.
There is a lot that goes into good financial planning, and the more we learn as a team, the more we realize there is always more to learn it will never stop. The CFP® certification process continued to challenge me to look at financial planning from additional perspectives and to continue to think about all the different pieces of a client's financial life and how they fit together.
That work doesn't stop with passing an exam. If anything, this is another step in a much longer process of learning, improving, and finding better ways to serve the people who trust us.
I'm grateful for everyone who helped me get to this point, and excited for what comes next.
