Each of us may be the star of our own show, but think about how long the credits would be! You don’t have to be Wonder Woman. Be in a Wonder Woman movie: rally your crew, pick your favorite director, and gather your favorite cast members around you. That’s how things get done. Together.
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by Mark Leibman, President
We live our lives minute by minute, day by day, and only in hindsight do the broad patterns emerge.
And sometimes, it helps to think through those patterns out loud.
As it has been for decades now, working to age 92 is a cherished goal of mine. With a goal like that, sustainability is key. To that end, I work four days a week, and I spend some weeks at a time working from afar, enjoying other scenery while I stay connected with you and with my teammates via the wonders of the internet and mobile telephones.
My partners and I have been putting some energy into thinking about how I spend those working hours.
A few months ago, Billy, Greg, and Caitie asked me what I wanted more of, so I told them about what I enjoy most. I love our business objective: striving to grow your buckets. My favorite activities are talking to you as well as researching the opportunities and challenges that might impact your portfolios.
So then, we realized: to do more of what I want at work, don’t I need to be doing less of everything else?
Clients, that was a moment when I realized how blessed I am to have the partners I do. They asked me that question, and I could almost feel a load lifting from my shoulders as I shouted, “Heck yes!”
You see, there are tasks that have long been on my plate because once upon a time, mine was the only plate. Parts of my role have included a lot of logistical overhead, the type of detail work that I don’t always enjoy having to do—especially if I could be talking with our clients or researching investments instead!
All this is to say, there are some exciting organizational changes on the horizon. I’ve long believed that we are all better off working from our strengths and passions, and we’ve got a chance to reshuffle what goes on each of our plates.
What will not change is the four-person collaborative ownership and management team that shapes the enterprise that works to take care of your business. I simply will get to spend more time doing the parts of the work that are most gratifying to me.
We’re looking forward to less stress, and more joy, all around. And I’m excited. Stay tuned in the coming weeks: details are on the way!
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by Caitie Leibman, Director of Communications
As a parent, I’ve noticed a lot of messages out there telling me that “moms are superheroes.” (Seriously, you can get it on t-shirts and coffee mugs and wine glasses and keychains and anything else you can think of.)
There’s this idea that a woman today is someone who can handle anything and get it all done. She’s strong. She’s always ready. She basically needs to be Wonder Woman: fight for what’s right, get the job done, and somehow avoid a wardrobe malfunction!
Whether it’s parenthood or my personal life or my career, I know I don’t need any superhuman expectations piled on me. Regular, everyday expectations are plenty, thank you.
Instead of comparing myself to a superhero, I prefer to think of myself as a superhero in a superhero movie.
I never have to go it alone. If this is a superhero movie, then I get my own stunt double! I get a makeup artist and an assistant and a crew and editors—and we’re all in it together. Same goal. We’re all part of making the story happen. The production only comes together when we each pitch in.
These things are true of my real life, too. I bring my time and talents to work so that I have a chance to use them in service of my clients. I get help from my teammates when I have a question or could benefit from someone else’s strengths. I don’t have to do it all, and neither do my teammates.
Clients, I want you to know that we go to work for you. We want your story to come to life, and we feel lucky to be part of the production process. If it was reasonable to expect everybody to just figure it all out on their own, we wouldn’t be in business—and a lot of life would probably get more stressful, trying to tough things out alone.
Each of us is the star of our own show, but think about how long the credits would be.
Clients, reach out any time. We’re glad to be fighting for you, together.
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