I started Anchor Wealth Management as a way to fulfill my personal mission. I have two drivers that have motivated my career. I want to help people succeed and I want to build a life with my family in which work doesn’t consume me. I believe these two things are intrinsically linked. Finances are among the greatest sources of stress in the country and those stresses influence family life. I have always seen my chosen career path as a way to help families break the cycle that is all too common in American culture today. I want people to assign a purpose to money so that they can remain focused on that purpose instead of the performance of money. As I was able to grow the team, I brought on individuals who were not only great at their job but also echoed the values I wanted to live out through my career. And two years ago, my team helped define those values.
Anchor Wealth’s values start with a simple phrase. In the journey, in the destination, we are ANCHORED.
But in that simple phrase is our promise to our clients and to each other. These words have helped us over the last two years as we have experienced a pandemic, economic downturn, and also growth in our office. Our hope is that our values are more than just words on a wall and that is why we revisit them every week. We want our clients to feel these values with every interaction they have with a member of the Anchor team. Below are some of the ways our team has come up with to describe our values in action.
Abundance
A scarcity mindset is the opposite of an abundance mindset. If you are always worried you don’t have enough then you will never have enough. A clenched fist is the best way to illustrate this. If you live life with a clenched fist, nothing will escape that fist. But at the same time, nothing will be able to enter that fist either. Are you keeping out something good by living a life in a scarcity mindset?
Nurture
While our roles are to be advisors in people’s lives, we want to be confidants and trusted partners first. We do this by asking questions and leading with empathy. We don’t get fruit from a seed. We only get fruit when we provide the seed with the right environment and the correct nourishment to encourage it grow and produce fruit on its own.
Collaboration
This is the fun in our expanded office. If I don’t know the answer to something, I know who will have the answer. We all have something to contribute to this world and allowing people to contribute through their own gifts is a joy to watch. And the end product is always better!
Honesty
I could make the case that this one should be first, but HANCORED isn’t a word, so it didn’t work out. Our clients trust us to help them make the most important and consequential decisions in their lives. We want them to move forward with confidence, but that confidence must begin with trust. Everything we do is done with our clients’ interests first and foremost.
Optimism
This one tends to provide for some fun internal debate in our office. Really good market analysts tend to be staunch realists and that’s what makes them good at their job. And the truth is, realists tend to be right more often. But optimists tend to get a little more because their idealism pushes them to seek a little more. It’s illustrated in the classic idiom; if you reach for the stars and miss, you still land on the moon.
Resourcefulness
We like to look at trends in our industry but the fun in our work is that no two clients are exactly alike. Their situations are unique, and their goals are different. Each new situation requires a new solution. We will never rest on what we’ve done in the past.
Excellence
We never accept anything but the very best from each other. We don’t make decisions based on who we are today. We operate through the lens of who we want to be in the future because if the outcome is going to be different, the input also has to be.
Discernment
We are problem solvers. We have to find solutions even when we only have a partial version of the entire situation. To solve a challenge, we have to look beyond the challenge to address the root cause. To quote Julie Andrews, “Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.” (bonus points if you can name the song and the movie)
Next time you meet with one of our advisors, know that they are anchored in these truths. Feel free to ask them about our core values, they will be happy to share their personal understanding of each!
Know Your Value(s)
Do you have a set of values for you and your family? If you’ve never thought of it, start now! Create a list of the non-negotiables in your life. What are the words that describe who you want to be as a person and as a family? When the list is complete, compare it to your current life. Do your current spending habits reflect your values? If not, it may be time to talk to your financial advisor.
Our Values
Abundance
We want your life to overflow with blessings, financially and personally.
Nurture
We understand your financial journey is full of hard decisions, and we’re here to encourage and walk alongside you.
Collaboration
We work hand-in-hand with you, as the experts on our team use their individual talents to provide a personalized comprehensive experience.
Honesty
We value your trust and put your interests first; you can expect straight answers to your financial questions.
Optimism
We strive to instill hope and expectancy for your financial goals and dreams, because outlook affects results.
Resourcefulness
We work to find new solutions for your specific needs, knowing each person’s situation is unique.
Excellence
We provide top-level service to ensure you the highest quality and efficiency.
Discernment
We navigate the intricacies of your situation to design solutions to reach your desired outcome.
By Adam Ludwig