I grew up here in the Triad. My favorite
activities growing up were playing basketball and the guitar.
I went on to UNC - Chapel Hill and graduated in 1996 with
a degree in Business. My father owned a restaurant business
at the time, and I began working with him after graduation.
We sold the business in 1997, and I decided to make a change
and moved to New York City. I had been on the varsity
fencing team at Carolina, and the New York Athletic Club extended
me an invitation to train at their fencing club. My
idea of a "big city" was Raleigh, so it was quite a change.
In New York, I applied for a job as a securities
trader. I had never known much about the market, so
I had to learn fast. The market was extremely volatile
at that time, and it was difficult to navigate the ups-and-downs
of the stock prices. However, I began studying chart
analysis and developed several trading strategies which helped
me succeed.
After three years in New York, I began to miss
home. The city is a nice place to visit, but it's nothing
like home. I missed my family and the laid-back lifestyle
here in NC. I moved back toward the end of 2000, and
opened up a branch office in High Point for the trading firm
I was with at that time. As most know, the market was
going through a very rough time from 2000-2002 so my employees
struggled. It was not a good time to learn how to trade
and ultimately, I had to let them go. My experience
helped me get through those times and I continued to trade
my personal account.
For years, my friends and family had asked me
to help them manage some of their money, but I did not have
the appropriate licenses nor access to the investment vehicles
to help them. In 2004, I decided to branch out and begin
taking on clients. I wanted to partner with a company
who had extensive resources that would allow me to help anyone
I spoke with who had a financial need. I found that
partner in AXA. It is so wonderful, because now I can
talk with someone who is 18 or 80, and develop financial solutions
for them to help them achieve their goals. It has been
a tremendous experience, and I have really enjoyed the opportunity
to help my clients accomplish their financial goals.
