“Nothing can take the place of persistence…Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”Calvin Coolidge. 

I’ve been in the financial services industry for over 30 years. The road to where I am today wasn’t always a smooth one; it was through my persistence and determination that I overcame the “you can’t do this” prophecy of my youth.

I overcame debilitating asthma and excelled at track and wrestling as a teenager. I dropped out of high school and joined the military at the age of 18.  After I was told I couldn’t become an officer due to my limited formal education, I became a 2nd Lieutenant, Engineer Branch, in the U.S. Army at the age of 20. I was promoted and served  as a Captain and Helicopter Pilot.

After the military, while in school at the University of MN, I started a gourmet catering company where a catering client introduced me to the financial advisory world.  I joined their top producing team at a major brokerage firm, and later began creating financial plans for another financial advisor. As a self-taught financial planner (using college textbooks), I did financial & investment planning for CEOs and top executives of both public and private companies. 

As my passion for providing competent financial planning and sound investment advice continued to grow, so did my desire to start my own firm. In 1981, I started Capital Strategies Financial Corporation. While I have certainly had challenges along the way, my persistence and determination have never failed me. This has led to effective and satisfying long-term relationships with my clients and the financial services community.