Before Five Oceans, I spent the past decade working in various capacities within the financial services industry. The most recent five years were spent building my own practice both on my own as a solopreneur, and as part of a much larger firm where the vibe was very much “eat what you kill.” As an entrepreneur I’ve never shied away from sales, or from taking a risk, so I didn’t much mind being 100% responsible for my own P&L.
However, when the opportunity presented itself to start Five Oceans and do this business the right way with my friend and mentor Marc, I had to say yes. Marc and I had been talking for years about how our industry is outdated and that in order to build a business that we love, and to provide our entrepreneurial clients with real value, we’d have to reimagine the traditional financial advice firm – and that’s why we’re excited about Five Oceans!
On the personal level, I grew up in San Diego and received a BA in Business Administration from a tiny liberal arts college in Illinois called Principia College, where I also played football (I was the quarterback) and baseball all four years. Yes, I’ve answered the question “why did you leave San Diego for small town Illinois” about 10,000 times and not surprisingly, I did eventually make my way back to Southern California.
I love sports and I of course love spending time with my wife Alexis and my son Pierce. Alexis is a bright light creative – actor/singer/dancer – and I’m the “business guy,” which for me turns out to be a really good contrast. At the moment, the three things I enjoy doing most for myself are surfing, golfing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but who knows what’s next!
