This is a very important season for me. On March 15, 1985, at the kitchen table, I signed the documents that created Resource Advisory Services, Inc. The business began operations on May 1 of that year. Every year since, I remember those days, and that empty $100 a month office, with only a phone jack and RASI's number to mark my business. I could not believe that I had actually tackled the startup. Now, I walk through the office space, and cannot believe what has been created. I stand in awe. There have been many people who have played incredibly important roles, and there have been experiences that are amazing. Together, we have seen successes and stresses. Close personal relationships have been formed. Clients have had children and grandchildren. Some have gotten married. Some have handed over impressive wealth to children, charities, and others. And, a few clients have died. I have worked with heirs, as they sorted through the business affairs of a deceased person they truly loved, trying to pull life back together for themselves, and sometimes their children. Among my clients, I have shared celebrations of unexpected good fortune. And, I have helped keep people on track as they built wealth slowly over the years. We have worked through issues, when people's actions did not produce the results they desired. It has been "a trip" and I do not know how to show my gratitude in a more meaningful way than this note. Now, I look to the future with much the same mixture of emotions that I had during the season when I started this enterprise. I expect to support more financial planners as they get a chance at these experiences for themselves and more clients. Thank you, for your contribution to all this.
I first sent these words to "my envelop and paper mailing list" in the early 1990s and still feel the same, especially my gratitude for all those who have helped us, in so many ways, all these years. Click What to Expect for a description of our client relationships.