When it comes down to it, to be effective I have to understand my client’s investment philosophy and how our firm’s insights match up with their needs. Not everything will fit. That’s ok. I respect my client’s time and attention.

If there’s one overlooked ingredient it’s probably emotional intelligence. We’re all wired differently. Great leaders understand what motivates their people – what really matters to each of them. When you get that right, everything else really falls into place.

I love the fact that every day I learn something new. And not just about market dynamics or economics. I get to dig into a new product from an exciting tech company. Or try to understand how politics or central bank policy might affect investment recommendations. The complexity can be overwhelming, but the opportunity, and requirement, to keep learning makes me feel lucky to be in this business.

Truth be told, I stumbled into this career. After college I worked for the City Council in Hartford, CT, but quickly learned that it wasn’t a great fit. Networking led me to Sanford Bernstein in NYC, where I explored a junior role on the buy-side. Very quickly I was hooked. More than 20 years later, with jobs on the buy-side and the sell-side, the learning curve is still fairly steep! I love it!

My first job was stocking the shelves of a local supermarket. I learned what it means to show up and do your job!

People bring their life experiences to investing. I’m fascinated that two people with access to identical information can come to two different conclusions. I guess that’s what makes a market!

Time management skills are critical. Hard work is not enough. Sometimes there is not enough time to do it all --- you’ve got to decide how you spend the time you have.

I’m grateful to be able to cook dinner at home most nights. It’s something a lot of friends with young kids are not able to do.