On my last day - I was you.

How do you send that final e-mail to the people from the company you co-founded that made you grow as you watched them achieve?  Fortigent has and always will be an amazing family. Our industry leading technology impacts tens of thousands of clients along with our objective investment portfolio guidance.  Every year we were challenged and every year we had fun. 

From a single high net worth family to over $80 Billion dollars of assets the name on my business card has changed a few times:

  • CMS Financial Services
  • Flexrep.com
  • Netassets
  • Lydian Wealth Management (Became Convergent Wealth)
  • Fortigent (Acquired by LPL Financial)

While the structures and names may be different, many of the people stayed to fulfill on our purpose of defining wealth management.  I was always pleased when someone left because they had outgrown our skin and found a new and exciting path to pursue.  I was equally impressed with the caliber of new recruits that joined us to further the cause.  It was with that reflection that I wrote my last e-mail, acknowledging what has been accomplished, the untapped potential in the firm, and the new path being forged by each of us:

Hand entering CUSIPs for municipal bonds in a million dollar account - I was you.

Agonizing over a single line of code that ate up the afternoon - I was you.

Taking the heat from a client over a stupid mistake that someone else made - I was you.

Being the person who made that mistake – I was you.

Building out manager pages after the deadline has passed - I was you.

Reconciling 1099's down to the penny - I was you.

Moving a sticky note to the done column - I was you.

Creating mock ups on white boards and in PowerPoint - I was you.

Crunching the numbers over the weekend – I was you.

Listening to a manager explain why they were better than everyone else in their category - I was you.

Watching the wheel slip as the waves battled the stern - I was you.

Joining together, grabbing tighter, and charting a course for smoother seas - I was you.

Pitching the business and watching as the future client unfolds her arms and leans into the words - I was you.

Standing on stage to share and inspire people to act - I was you.

Inventing the future for one of the most impactful professions - I was you.

Banging the gong – I was you.

As change undoubtedly occurs and challenges us to bring our gifts to the world each and every day - I am you.

To never forget the feeling of accomplishment,

the power of a common cause,

the igniting of passion,

and that love can be felt when "going to work"

- I will always be you.

 

Captain Fortigent

Captain Fortigent