For over 20 years, I have had a front-row seat as the financial services business has transitioned from the traditional brokerage model to the all-encompassing advisory model. It has been wonderful to be a part of this transition as it has made working with our clients more fulfilling while also being in their best interest. Building and being part of a multi-generational, diverse team has really set us up well for the future, allowing us to be a steady partner as clients navigate the various stages of life. As one of the senior members of the team, my role is to help build the team’s investment, strategy, and relationship decision-making process, mentor our younger team members and lead our employer-sponsored (think 401-k) retirement plan efforts.

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If you had the ability to travel back in time, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?

I would tell myself to make sure that you travel early and often. I didn’t travel to Europe until I was 40 + and really wish that I would have done it sooner. There is so much history and culture that is worth seeing and experiencing.

What is one thing you will never do again?

Not owning some type of real estate. After getting divorced in 2011, I didn’t own a piece of real estate for 10 years and that has been the biggest financial mistake that I have made.

Top three favorite podcast/books?

The Terminal List series by Jack Carr, The Acquired Podcast, and Smartless. 

What is one thing you are learning now and why is it important?

I am learning that as I get older, it becomes more important that we focus on our health. Getting enough sleep, eating the right foods, and exercising on a regular basis has never been so important for my overall well-being (and mental health).

I joined my father in the business in 2008 with a vision to serve the people he had served for so long. I instantly realized I am most fulfilled helping clients make big and small decisions that impact their lives intimately by being their life advisor and sounding board. This realization helped us make the holistic financial planning process, not just investment management, the backbone of our practice.

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What has been your best financial move?

Aside from the wonderful benefits that come from investing from a young age, my best financial move was buying my first home at the bottom of the Great Recession. I had just finished graduate school, and the timing just worked – I was old enough to have saved for a down payment, but not old enough to have had real estate going into the recession. Now, the best financial move for MY SOUL occurred when I took that equity from my first home and rolled it (and my heart) to the small town of Roslyn where I built my first home from scratch.

What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?

I have been a volunteer firefighter with the Roslyn Fire Department for quite a few years, but with baby number 1 entering the world in 2025, I’ll be stepping away from that for a while.  Once I get my sea legs as a new mom, you’ll most likely find me working on house projects with my fiancé, Eric, as well as mountain biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. My favorite travel experiences overseas have been through bike trips.

What is one thing you will never do again?

Build a house! Just kidding.  I’ll be building again in 2025, just with much more knowledge and experience in my back pocket this time, as we add a garage studio to our property. Building is very stressful, and I always say I won’t do it again. I didn’t hire a home builder the first or second time I built, and I made many mistakes along the way. But I will say, it does feel great to have this experience in my life so I can talk with clients who have home-building dreams.

Growing up, stocks and the markets were a household conversation with a dad that worked in the industry. I guess you could say that is where my passion started. I’ve always been fascinated to better understand the history of markets, how they work and what the future landscape of investing looks like. I came straight into the industry out of college but found myself in a position that I knew would limit my ability to learn how to be a successful investor. I transitioned to a regional wealth management firm where I cut my teeth on a sales desk for three and a half years before partnering with the team and I haven’t looked back since. Behavior is such an important component of investing and I love educating our clients on all aspects of the markets and investing. This allows us to make sound decisions together that cuts through the complications of markets and the financial media noise that surrounds them.

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What energizes you at work?

My team and the relationships we have with our clients. I can’t imagine working with another group of people. All of us take what we do very seriously but don’t tend to take ourselves too seriously. I think that it really makes our practice unique and why we relate to and connect with clients on a very personal level. Our clients are part of our family.

What has been your best financial move?

Taking the risk of buying my first townhouse when I was young and early on in my career. At the time, I didn’t have a lot of disposable income to throw around and was trying to make ends meet. With what little money I had set aside, I found a townhouse that I saw not only as a home but as an opportunity to make my first serious investment. It required me to push all my chips in and taught me a practical lesson about risk and time horizon. I took the risk of stretching myself, knowing that I had a long runway for future earnings and the risk would pay off over time. In a way I wasn’t just investing in a house, I was investing in myself.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

I have long been a passionate and obsessed golfer. My love for the game has spilled over into course architecture and in my spare time, I rate courses for a golf publication.

If you had the ability to travel back in time, what would you tell your 18-year-old self?

Be open-minded, optimistic, ask questions, help others...and while you are good at golf, the tour will not be calling for you!

Early in my life I knew that whatever career path I might take, caring for people needed to be the center of what I did. This career has allowed me to do just that- and quite more. Finances can be one of life's biggest stressors or one of life's greatest freedoms and opportunity generators. I feel so grateful that I get to work with my team to serve, teach, and support our clients in so many different areas of their lives to create financial peace and security allowing them the space to focus their efforts on what is most important to them in creating a fulfilling life!

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What has been your best financial move?

Buying my first home at age 21. Getting into real estate early in my life and having a husband who is a 'jack of all trades' has allowed us to buy, flip and sell multiple homes early in life. This income generator allowed us to pay off debts, put money to work in the market, and taught us the importance of being flexible and open to opportunities when they come knocking. Even if that means living in construction sites and out of moving boxes for much longer than most would like!

Who is someone you admire, and why?

My husband. He is the most kind, generous, hard-working, and thoughtful person I know. He pushes me to be better each day.

What motivates you to work hard?

My team. I respect and care for each of them very much. When you have such a strong synergy as a team, you tend to work for each other, not yourself. This type of energy and the expectation to do our absolute best for each other, day in and day out creates the service model and client experience that we are so proud of today.

I started in the business in 1999 as an assistant to a handful of rookie brokers. After a few years and several different positions later, I started working directly with Andy and his father, Fred, in 2005. My role in the business has changed and evolved so much over the years. As I learned the business and began working with clients more often, I really enjoyed answering questions and helping. Now, my loyalty is strong to our team. I enjoy my daily work because I know I am making a difference in people’s lives.

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Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

I’m a big fan of coffee. I was introduced to lattes when I moved to Washington in 1997. My husband and I would swing by the Starbucks on the way into work each morning for my latte. Then he started to get one as well. Not long after that we calculated how much we were spending at Starbucks and bought our first espresso machine. We’ve been our own personal baristas since 2002!

What has been your best financial move?

Refinancing our home mortgage in December 2020. We had only been in our new home for 3 years, so normally refinancing wouldn’t be on our radar. We are happy with our 2.25% rate.

Who is someone you admire, and why?

My grandmother is at the top of my list. As a young girl, I was always overwhelmed at how much she did on her own for her family. She would bake cookies and cakes, can and dry fruit, pickle cucumbers and tend to her rose garden and fruit trees. She did it all well with love! As I grew to be a teenager, I learned more about my Japanese heritage and learned more about her experience of living in a Japanese American Internment camp. Her stories of that time in her life are what taught me what it means to be resilient.

I've always been a goal-oriented person with a passion for helping people. After a short stint at a Startup company upon graduating college, I was lucky enough to find Baird and, in turn, The Shaughnessy Roed Group. Since starting with the team in 2022, I've been able to put my passions into practice. Helping local families and individuals bring their goals to fruition gives me immense joy and pride in our team's work. Seeing the freedom our clients have, knowing they have a dedicated team of financial professionals in their corner, allows me to come to work fulfilled each day. 

What has been your best financial move?

I took advantage of the Running Start program, which allows high schoolers to start their college careers early at local colleges for free. I enrolled in this program at the start of my Junior year of high school after seeing the success my older sister had experienced. This allowed me to graduate high school with my Associate's degree and start my four-year bachelor's degree at Western Washington University as a junior. 

What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?

Ever since moving to Washington from the UK at 11 years old, I've been an avid skier. I remember the excitement me and my Dad shared when we found out we were able to drive up to the mountains for a day of skiing. Stevens Pass was our home mountain until I moved to Bellingham and got to experience Mt Baker. 

What motivates you to work hard?

 Our team is constantly working to improve our day-to-day processes and, in turn, our client's experience. We don't ever want to be stagnant. We set goals and work hard to accomplish them. Working with such a driven team is contagious, and I find we push each other to be the best person we can be.