05/01/2026
“I quit.”
Ten years ago today, I walked into my branch manager’s office for the last time and uttered those two beautiful words.
May 1, 2016: Financial Zen was born.
But it’s been anything but a straight line before or since.
THE UNKILLABLE YEARS
The years leading up to that day were the Unkillable Years. I spent seven years battling gut-wrenching self-doubt and sleepless nights, wondering how I’d make rent. I got knocked down 1,000 times and got up 1,001.
The absolute lowest point? New Year's Eve 2014.
While my friends celebrated inside, I stood outside by myself in the snow, staring into the fire, tears streaming down my face.
8 hours earlier, my girlfriend (now wife) and I were at Safeway picking up supplies. She impulsively put a $35 bottle of wine on the belt as a gift for our hosts. I looked at her, fighting back tears, and said: “I can’t buy that. I don't have 35 more dollars. There's literally zero money in my checking and no room on my credit card.”
All my buddies (who were clients) were making the kind of money I would have if I stayed on the tech sales path. Instead, here I was - a 38-year-old who couldn't afford a $35 bottle of wine.
(But still chasing his dream, dammit!)
I had no idea that just 16 months later, I'd launch Financial Zen.
THE UNRELENTING YEARS
The next chapter wasn't much easier. Welcome to the Unrelenting Years.
Our industry peers still think I'm crazy for how involved we get with our members. We're basically a family office for the masses. But I refused to compromise on the vision.
And we can now confidently say our model works:
- 104 households
- $150M managed
- 98% retention
- 60% margins.
Yeah, NOW it works.
But getting here meant cutting my income in half when I updated our fee structure to serve younger demographics. It meant wasting tens of thousands of dollars and endless hours on early mis-hires. It meant ignoring the late-night whispers to “just make it a lifestyle business” or “sell out to another firm.”
I won’t take the easy road. Never have. Never will.
THE UNSTOPPABLE YEARS
Now, we enter the Unstoppable Years.
It’s no longer "me." It’s "us." Our team is lights-out incredible, and absolutely nothing will stand in our way.
When Jack Bogle started Vanguard in 1975, people thought he was bonkers. Forty years later, index funds are the ubiquitous investment worldwide. In 30 years, Financial Zen will be credited with that exact same massive impact on financial planning
LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!
We’ve never been knocked down and not gotten up. We've never settled. We’ve never taken the easy road.
To my wife Nicole, who saw me at my "Safeway Floor" and didn't blink: Thank you.
To my team—Claudine, Taylor, and Amanda: Let’s go fu***ng get some!
To our members: Thank you for betting on the guy who refused to sell out.
The dawn is officially here. We’ve come a long way, but the best is yet to come.
Just watch us now.
