Benjamin Watson

Your origin story is intended to describe your past, your why and your passion. It’s what differentiates you from other advisors. For me, all of that is about comfort. It’s hard for me to explain, without sharing a real story.

These two Client interactions have been most memorable.

The first came from genuinely trying to be a shoulder for a stranger. John, a man about the same age as me, with three young boys, was dealing with the sudden loss of his wife of 15 years. I helped him with the paperwork. Although this was a standard process, it was the conversation afterward that stuck out. I felt a need to reach out to him. I told him if he needed someone to talk to, he could reach out to me anytime. We met virtually via Zoom and really ‘met’ each other for the first time. I asked him how he was holding up, and how his new ‘normal’ was. He broke down. I broke down. It was one of the most genuine feeling conversations I have ever had. It was born out of wanting to listen to a man who had just lost his wife in the prime of their lives. My tears were real. I felt for him and his boys. The most powerful part of the conversation for me was when John told me that he really needed it. He said, “you have no idea how much that conversation meant to me”. A simple conversation and real, in the moment presence is all I offered, but it had a huge impact.

The second interaction was with Jane. She is a friend I’ve known for almost 15 years. We have had some business together for a few years now. Recently, I called her and we talked for over an hour and a half. She shared that she was constantly stressing about money, but not from the lens of scarcity. Before the end of the call we wrote the policy I have been talking to her about for a couple of years. She told me she had some other significant assets hidden away that she wanted to transfer over. I received a message from her afterward that said, “I CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW RELIEVED AND HOPEFUL I FEEL” (with some heart and thankful emojis). I replied “I love that. I take your trusting me very seriously and I know how much it means for you to take care of your daughter, while still living comfortably. I feel really good about the direction of all this now”. Jane: “Me too!! I seriously have had so many sleepless nights over this. Now I feel we’ve got a super plan in place”. This relationship has never been pushy, or salesy, just authentic in my desire to help her organize her affairs. I gave her a reason to feel comfortable, by being my genuine self. Jane trusts me to do right by her, something I will never take lightly.