Over the last two years we have undergone a lot of staff and structural changes, all of them planned and to the benefit of everyone who interacts with TenBridge. We have also added many new clients, almost doubling our base. It seemed a good time to reiterate where our focus is and who does what.
First off, the most important and most egregious oversight on my part:
Athena Lawrence has joined the Firm!
Athena Lawrence joined TenBridge in the spring of 2023 shortly before taking a summer trip to work in Glacier National Park, Montana. She returned to Portland in the fall of 2023 and has been part of the team since.
These days you will find her working at the front desk and learning everything there is to know about us and how we work with you. Next time you call and/or you have a chance to interact with Athena, make sure to welcome her to the big TenBridge family.
Okay, now onto our vision.
Simply put, I am not going anywhere, but eventually I might. In 2021, I made one of the best business decisions I have ever made and hired Ana Chaud to be my executive coach. Ana helped me really dig into TenBridge. What it was, what it is, and where I wanted it to be. It was a painful exercise that chiseled away at my prior notions and reshaped my image of the future.
Then, in 2022 we deployed the new vision, structure, and strategy. The result? Two years in the rearview mirror and it has proven to be the second best business decision I have ever made. I am happier than before and have the best team around me I have ever had. Everyone is firing on all cylinders together, in unison, working toward a common goal of providing you best in class service and advice.
Change is always hard, and we continue to work toward perfection though we will never attain it. But we continuously strive to improve our process and to better serve you. Since the beginning of 2022, TenBridge has doubled our client base. All those new clients came to us by referral from you, and we see it as a reflection of how well the team is doing.
Each team member has a role to fill and an important part to play.
Some of you have asked me if I am going anywhere, and the answer is no. But you can’t always plan for those things, so the answer really ought to be maybe, but I sure hope not. But part of the vision for TenBridge was a deeply integrated team focusing only on the most important part of the business: you.
Right now, we have accomplished that goal and everyone on the team services a different need and task for our clients. But as always, you can reach out to any of us, and we will handle delegating the task to the right person. You don’t need to remember who does what, just be open to the idea people on the team will reach out to you to accomplish different things.
Finishing with the future.
So where to from here? As many of you know Sirra Anderson Crum has been working with me directly learning to be a financial planner for years now. Amazing how time passes by. But she is now going to be sitting for her CFP® exam in about a month! Once she passes the exam, she will be a Certified Financial Planner™ just like me.
Sirra has been working directly with clients for over a year now and she interacts with many of you already, but she will be my primary back-up and will slowly take on more and more CFP® duties in the coming years.
Libby Van Vleet earned her Paraplanner designation, and she will slowly take over for Sirra and become the primary Paraplanner for TenBridge filling that role for both Sirra and me. Libby will also start studying for the CFP® exam and most likely will take it in 2025.
Athena will slowly start taking over Libby’s primary duties and will most likely start studying for her Paraplanner designation.
Scott Thurman, well Scott already runs almost everything back office for TenBridge and he really likes it. He is irreplaceable and will maintain his role over the next several years. Unless of course, he aspires to do something different. We always have open minds at TenBridge.
What does it all mean?
Simply put, again, we are planners and that is what we do. We help you plan, but we also plan for ourselves. Sometimes you can see shifts and changes at TenBridge, but it is all part of the master plan, mostly. When things change that weren’t planned, we have a plan for that, just like you.
To our mind’s eye it means our Plan A is to be here for you and provide you with unmatched service and advice. But it also means, Plan B, if Erik gets hit by a rhinoceros while walking down the city streets, there is a whole team there to step into his shoes.
Now isn’t that a relief? Love having a Plan B in place. And don’t care too much for random rhinoceros walking around town.
As always, it is our pleasure to be of service. Let us know how we can help.
From the desk of
Erik Lawrence CFP®
The information contained in this correspondence is intended for general educational purposes only and as a means for facilitating a conversation. Please consider our door always open to discuss your particular situation and how this information might benefit you and fit your specific needs.
About TenBridge Partners
TenBridge Partners is an independent financial planning and investment management firm based in Portland, Oregon with a simple focus of honoring the fiduciary responsibility of putting clients first.
Planning is central to everything we do. Our focus is on a complete understanding of a client’s and potential client’s needs through the financial planning process, before we move forward with anything else.
We bring clarity and confidence to an otherwise confusing financial world.
We are about people.