They say the best mechanics are ones that work on their own cars. I have no idea if this is true, but I think it applies in investments. I developed a love for investing in the 1990s and have been hooked ever since. One of the powerful things I learned then was the idea of returns on capital – the idea that your money could make money for you. At that point the only money I had ever made was through physical labor, so this was a radical concept! What was once a ticket out of raking leaves and cutting grass has gone full circle. Outside of spending time with my wife and three kids, attending their sporting activities, participating in church events, and being with family and friends, I can be found doing physical labor. I’ve planted thousands of trees in the last few years and currently have a project growing trees in pots for my kids to sell by the side of the road. I’ve found tremendous satisfaction in the love of growing things and find it a great way to recharge when I’m away from my desk and markets.

I love our team, our clients, and our process. I’ve had so much fun over the years meeting with clients in all sorts of settings and getting a sense for what living a great life means to them. Many of our clients have even helped me participate in my great life with one even joining me to plant trees a few years ago! Along with that, our storyboard concept that informs our process from top to bottom has been a wonderful framework to operate within and was one of the things that caught my eye when I first began having conversations with The Joseph Group in 2019. I like to say that process has been tested many times in the years I’ve been here, and I’ve been so pleased with how we’ve handled those tests.

A colleague of mine and I were on the road recently after visiting a client and we were talking about this in a roundabout way. The phrase that came up was an “integrated life.” A life where I’m engaged with my family, my faith, and my community is a great life. That engagement can look like a lot of things and takes differing shapes over time. The Joseph Group’s emphasis on great lives permeates our culture and I can truly say that in the time I’ve been here I’ve lived a more “integrated life” than at any other point in my life. What we do extends beyond just the dollars and cents and I’m incredibly blessed to be a part of that.