Grateful For The Privilege Of 5 Years In Business
This month Wacek Financial Planning turns 5. That’s a big milestone; half of a decade. If it were a child, it would be heading off to kindergarten in the fall with my daughter. Boy, am I getting old.
Aside from feeling more mature and experienced, more than anything I feel grateful. I am incredibly grateful for the privilege of building and running this business.
A privilege is defined as, “A special right... granted or available only to a particular person or group; something regarded as a special honor.” I do believe that the opportunity to run this business is a special honor granted to me by God, a call to help people with one of the more difficult areas of life.
The Privilege Of Being A Part Of People’s Lives
The best parts of this business is that I get to help people. Finances can be complicated and confusing and they have a huge impact, often for generations. They are also highly personal. It is truly a privilege that people are willing to open up their lives to me and allow me to guide them as they make financial decisions and build for the future.
Since starting this business, I have had the opportunity to work with 151 different households to make a difference in their lives. Some of the things I’ve been able to help these clients do include: build an emergency fund, follow a budget, completely pay off student loans, get married, buy their first house, switch jobs, send kids to college, pay off mortgages, stop working for an income, increase giving to charities they are passionate about, and save a lot in taxes.
More than that, one of the things I’m most proud of is giving my clients peace of mind when it comes to their finances. Clients often feel chaotic about their finances at our first meeting. I’ve been able to help them get organized and set up a plan. After a few meetings with one client, she said to me “it feels so good to know that everything in my financial life is being accounted for so that I don’t have to worry that I’m missing something.”
Serving my clients is easily the best part of my job, and for each of them I’m extremely grateful.
The Privilege Of Offering Employment & Learning Opportunities
I always say that if I weren’t a financial planner, I would be a pastor or a teacher. Well, God has allowed me to combine all three of those passions through Wacek Financial Planning. When I started this business, I was eager to have the opportunity to help my clients. Little did I realize that I would be helping more people than just my clients.
So far, I have been able to welcome three additional people into the firm. Wacek Financial Planning has provided them not only with a job and a paycheck, but also a learning opportunity. Two of them were financial planning students looking for a real-life learning experience in a planning firm. I’m thankful to be in a position where I can help train the next generation of God-honoring financial planners. I am equally grateful for everything that they have added to the business, as well.
The Privilege Of Being A Voice To The World
In addition to making a difference in the lives of my clients and those that work directly with me, I have had the privilege of an even broader influence. I have been quoted and mentioned in a number of high-profile media articles. One New York Times article referred to me as someone who “employs Christian principles in his practice.” I was also able to talk to the Wall Street Journal about the importance of putting your clients’ interests before your own and with CNBC and the Star Tribune about how to work with younger clients who don’t have a lot of money. XYPN Radio, a podcast for other financial planners, also had me on to talk about my career and how I’ve incorporated my faith into my business.
These media mentions have allowed me to be a voice to the world. They have given me the opportunity to show the world that there are financial professionals out there with their best interest in mind, and that you don’t have to leave your faith at the door to be a professional. I am thankful that God has allowed me to extend my impact beyond just my clients.
The Privilege Of Creating a Business
When I started my business in 2014, I did so mainly because I wanted to provide objective financial planning advice to those who wouldn’t be able to get it elsewhere. I started the business because I love being a financial planner. I had never set out to be an entrepreneur and it took a lot for me to overcome my fears and take this leap of faith.
The longer I’ve been running this business, though, the more I’ve enjoyed the business ownership piece of my job, getting to think strategically and pray about creating a business that can help more people faithfully steward their finances. As I’ve reflected on the reason for this, I believe that a big piece of it is because God is a creator and I was created in his image. It makes sense that I would gain joy from doing something that bears God’s image.
The Privilege Of Providing For My Family
While I love being a financial planner, of even greater importance is my role as a husband and father. The family that my wife, Bekah, and I started when we got married in 2012 has now grown to 5! Because of this, I’m incredibly grateful that Wacek Financial Planning has allowed me to provide for them.
Not only has it provided an income to pay for a countless number of diapers, but it has also given me the flexibility to be there for my wife and children when they need me the most. Whether it’s tantrums, teething, or something worse, it is a privilege to be able to control my own schedule and put my family’s needs first. Wacek Financial Planning has made it possible for me to take care of my family, beyond just financially, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
It’s amazing to think of how far Wacek Financial Planning has come in five years. I can hardly imagine where we will be in five more years. The opportunity to have this business where I can apply my faith to my work, help anyone I want to regardless of their financial situation, and impact the lives of others both near and far has been a true privilege.
While I am grateful for the lives that I've already been a part of, I know that God's plan for Wacek Financial Planning is even larger. If you need help with your finances, maybe you're a part of that plan? To explore the possibility of working together, schedule a free 30-minute phone call where we can discuss how I might be able to help you.
About Guide Financial Planning
Guide Financial Planning (formerly Wacek Financial Planning) is led by founder Ben Wacek, who is a Christian fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ and Certified Kingdom Advisor®. He has a passion to help people of all income levels make wise financial decisions and steward their resources from an eternal perspective using Biblical principles. Based in Minneapolis, MN, he works with clients both locally and virtually throughout the country and abroad. You can follow the links to learn more about Guide Financial Planning and our team and the services we offer.