I've spent almost three decades in financial services, and the question that drew me in is still the one I find most compelling. Why do two people with similar resources end up in completely different financial positions? The answer, almost without exception, comes down to the quality of their planning and the discipline to follow through on it. That observation shaped my entire approach to this work.
At Tall Oaks Advisors, I lead a team built around the belief that financial guidance works best when it's comprehensive and coordinated. Investment management, tax strategy, estate planning, and risk management don't function well as separate conversations. When they're integrated under a single, disciplined framework, the path forward becomes clearer and the decisions become stronger. That's the standard I hold myself and this firm to every day.
What I find most rewarding is the moment a client moves from uncertainty to conviction. Getting there requires more than technical knowledge. It requires understanding what someone has worked to build, what they want to protect, and what they're working toward next. That translation from values to financial direction is where this work gets interesting, and after almost three decades, it still does.
Before founding Tall Oaks Advisors, I built my professional foundation at Ameriprise Financial and Autograph Ink. I hold an MBA from Kansas State University and carry my Series 7 through LPL Financial, Series 66 through IHT Wealth Management LL , Life and Health licenses along with the CRPC designation.
My wife Beth and I have built our life in Overland Park, Kansas, raising our two children, Thomas and Olivia, with our dog Layla rounding out the household. It's a community that rewards exactly the kind of long-term thinking I bring to my work. When I'm not in the office, I'm on the golf course, watching the Royals or Chiefs with friends and family, or simply being present with the people who matter most.
I'm actively involved in BNI and the American Club Association, and I'm a member of St. Michael the Archangel parish. Each of these communities reflects something I believe professionally as well. Integrity, collaboration, and genuine investment in the people around you are not strategies. They're how you build something worth keeping.