Since I ask my clients to share their most personal information about themselves and their families, it’s time for me to share “My Story”.
My parents were “depression babies”. Neither one earned a high school diploma, because they had to help support their families. What they demonstrated to me was the value of hard work, and the importance of a higher education. I also learned that when you work hard to accumulate assets that the protection and preservation of those assets becomes the number one financial priority.
My dad was a machinist. He was very hands on. He could envision almost anything and then actually build it. We use this same “hands on” approach when working individually with each of our clients to provide personalized advice.
My mom was a great cook, and she passed that passion on to me. Cooking involves a little science, and a little creativity. I also apply this balance to the work we do with our clients. This innovation is what helps us to provide unique guidance.
My wife Carolyn is my High School sweetheart. She was a special education teacher. She decided to pursue this career after personally seeing the need for more appropriate programming in the schools. Two of our children have also received special education services. We learned that the need for special education services has nothing to do with intelligence. Each of us has the ability to learn as long as the correct tools are identified to assist us with our particular learning styles.
Some of the topics we discuss with clients involve complex financial terms and strategies. We pride ourselves on the fact that we can apply various methods when explaining choices so that these topics are easily understood. This allows our clients to feel completely comfortable with the decision they’ve made.
Carolyn and I have three boys. Our oldest, Christopher earned his B.A. in statistics from the University of Vermont. He is currently pursuing his education. Devin is a professional videographer primarily focusing on Snowboarding. Our youngest, Hunter is a Junior in High School, and a rising star on the National Snowboarding racing circuit. Our hope is that we’ve passed the values we learned from our parents to our boys.
Carolyn and I are very involved with our community and believe in sharing our gifts with others. We love to travel and are outdoor sports enthusiasts. Our activities include CrossFit, skiing, and biking.
I thoroughly love what I do. I feel very fortunate to have an opportunity, each and every day, to help our clients meet their financial goals. Our clients have become our extended family. We are so excited when we are introduced to new families that share the same work ethic, and want our help to get on the right financial track.
Written by: Craig Bernard
