What is your role at Stavis Wealth Transfer Solutions and what does it entail?

I am the Chief Business Development Officer at Stavis Wealth. Essentially, I am responsible for managing new client business development. That role has a lot of different facets and includes everything from working on the development of firm branding and marketing to ensuring that the onboarding for our new clients is efficient, effective and elevated.

 

Tell us a little bit about your path here, specifically your education and professional experience.

I attended Spring Arbor University, where I majored in Finance while also playing both soccer and tennis.

After college, my first position was with a firm in Winter Park, Florida. I subscribe to Malcolm Gladwell’s idea about needing 10,000 hours to master something, so I worked 12-15 hour days to get those hours in and master the industry. Eventually, I rose to partner and director of business development at that firm.  

That success led me to Houston where I first worked with Deborah Stavis as I joined Stavis & Cohen Private Wealth and helped to build that firm, eventually becoming an equity partner. After a year of travel and time dedicated to family, when I saw what Deb was planning with Stavis Wealth Transfer Solutions, I knew I had to be part of the journey and here I am today!

 

That’s a slightly abridged version of your journey. Can you share a bit about how your childhood helped shape you and your outlook?

Sure. A big driver for me that can be a common theme for people that grew up with similar circumstances is overcoming the voice in your head that says I could not or would not deserve a better life, a better outcome, than when I started from. 

My parents were hard workers with big hearts, but education was not a priority for them. That led to a tough economic situation where foreclosures were a common theme leading to homelessness and sleeping in a car as a middle schooler or living in a motel. I actually kept a “life in a box” - a shoebox with my favorite things that I could take with me on a moment's notice.

At one point, my father, brother and I were living in a motel in Saginaw, Michigan. My brother and I discovered tennis courts near the motel during the era when Andre Agassi was a tennis rockstar. He made tennis seem approachable for someone like me. We found two wooden tennis racquets and began to play every day.

Fast forward many years, I developed as an athlete and pursued both soccer and tennis professionally. This offered me the ability to travel to over 30 countries, see a world of possibilities, and meet leaders who showed me that if you apply yourself to hard work and education nothing is impossible! I went on to play soccer and tennis in college because an athletic scholarship was the only way I could afford an education. 

Today, as I envision the moments that took me from a kid playing tennis to avoid staring at a motel to now, almost seems unreal. To some, going from a broken-down motel to serving many of the most successful families may seem like a long shot. I was fortunate enough to find the people that believed in me... so I could believe in myself!

 

Thank you for sharing your story. I am sure folks will read that and be truly inspired.  Changing gears a bit, what do you think is the core of what makes Stavis Wealth unique?

There are two aspects of our business that I feel are truly unique and set us apart in the industry.

First, it’s our very specific focus. Our practice is geared toward two main client types - families with taxable estates and RIAs and family offices that are looking to outsource estate planning and insurance solutions. Going back to the 10,000 hour concept, when a team focuses intently on one area, in this case estate planning, they really become a true expert.  

Second, it’s our approach. As a Registered Investment Advisor, we have a fiduciary commitment to our clients and this ensures we prioritize our clients’ interest over our own. Especially when it comes to the work we do on the life insurance side, we are setting a new standard for the delivery of insurance planning and products.

Taken together, when you work with Stavis Wealth, you know you are working with a team of experts operating with the highest standards.

 

Enough about work - tell us a little about what you and your wife, Amy, like to do when you are not in the office or meeting with clients?

Our family has always had the motto live, work, play, and give back to your community. We can often be found supporting and volunteering for the causes in Houston closest to our hearts. We love playing tennis, golf or any other sports our children are participating in. Lastly, we love traveling to Hilton Head Island South Carolina or Michigan to see our families.