Last week my partner Tara Seegers and I met up in Las Vegas where she received a Rising Star Luminaries Award from ThinkAdvisor. The day before the awards ceremony we walked over 20,000 steps! We started at one end of the strip and walked to the other – and then walked back.
Along the way, we talked. We talked about planning strategies, portfolio allocations, the highlights of 2024 and our hopes for the new year. Tara said she was grateful to her clients, family, and team for an outstanding year – great partnerships that personally and professionally helped her surpass all her 2024 business goals. She continues to do more of what she loves: developing and implementing thoughtful solutions for multi-generational families & their wealth. And in addition to the Luminaries honor, Forbes listed her among the Top Women Wealth Advisors for the second year in a row.
Though I’m still a few million off from being a leading Forbes advisor, it’s been a good year for me, too. I doubled my business in 2024, mainly thanks to the referrals of friends and clients. Best of all, my clients are awesome human beings, which brings energy and joy to my days. I’m also grateful that I was able to take time to travel to Sweden and then Croatia with my parents – because time is the one commodity we can’t manufacture more of.
As we cut through Caesars Palace, we talked about ways to use life insurance to transfer wealth, and retirement savings options for small companies. We stopped to admire the sphere and discussed RBC’s recent Insights: 2025 Outlook. We anticipate that 2025 will be good for the economy and the markets – liquid and illiquid, though positioning will be key.
It's no coincidence that we ended our walk feeling rejuvenated. Did you know that practicing gratitude has been linked to lower levels of anxiety, depression, sleep and digestive problems? Writing down your accomplishments on a regular basis is also a practice worth doing. In older adults, especially, it has been shown to be a good memory exercise, and it can provide a sense of meaning at a time when life's biggest accomplishments are behind you.
What’s next?
Last week my oldest client came into my office to discuss his IRA. He’s 91. “Don’t get old,” he said.
“Well.” I sighed. “Just a little older would be nice.”
Assuming that I live through 2025, I’ve got plans to double again. Also, I will finally get to use the CFP marks in July. (Stay tuned for a big announcement with lots of horn tooting!) I’m also looking forward to visiting clients and friends in Savannah, Atlanta, Miami, Hawaii and New Jersey. If my parents finish the house they’re building, you will also catch me briefly stopping in Ajijic, Mexico.
Tara, never one to disappoint when it comes to taking on new challenges, is headed to Patagonia in 2025 to celebrate her husband Chris’ 40th birthday. “Are you going to climb a mountain?” I asked her. “Not the most remote ones, but we will hit the trails in El Calafate, then enjoy wine tours in Mendoza,” she replied. “And we’re going with good friends.”
That’s Tara and my wish for you this holiday season: that you enjoy the time you have with family and friends – and make memories that will carry you through your next best year!
Happy New Year and Carpe Diem!
