We are consistently surprised at how interested our clients are in keeping up with our firm, so we wanted to continue to inform you of what we have done and where we are going. Here are a few of our goals we have worked on recently, and here are some that we are looking at in the near future:
Enhancements to Educational Content
In 2018 we set out a goal to improve our communication to clients, born out of asking clients what they wanted to consume in meetings. Some of our clients really enjoyed our written form, while others preferred video or audio. What that highlighted to us is that people learn and consume media in different ways, and we wanted to reach our clients (and prospective clients) through a variety of mediums. We continued to write blog posts and added our podcast, Gimme Some Truth, to the offerings and most recently have begun to dabble in Facebook and YouTube Live. We want to offer a library of content that is actionable, approachable, and hopefully, a little fun along the way. As we continue to develop this content, we welcome your feedback and suggestions regarding future blog posts, podcasts, and videos.
Additions to Staff
In November of 2017, we added Jonathon Jordan as an advisor. In 2018, he achieved the goals we laid out to achieve partnership, which he accomplished much faster than we could have even anticipated! Jonathon’s addition also helped us add a CFP(R) to Walkner Condon.
Shortly after hiring Jonathon, we hired Mitch DeWitt. Since joining the firm, Mitch has finished his MBA at the University of Wisconsin and is working through his CFP(R) studies with an expected completion in 2020. In a short amount of time he has proven to be a huge asset to our firm and we have been very impressed with his skills as an advisor.
Keith Poniewaz joined us a few short months ago and has stepped right in to round out our service model offerings with a focus on U.S. expatriates. Keith helps clients navigate through the complex regulations facing investors abroad. With his academic background, Keith has also been a huge help in creating content for us through appearances on Gimme Some Truth, writing white papers and blog posts, and though live video.
Completion of Buildout
With an eye on future expansion, we engaged our landlord and built out the last 650 square feet in our building. We are committed to our location on Monroe Street and wanted to be proactive in locking down additional space.
Increased Service Models
We now offer 3 models of services to prospective clients based on their needs. We also proactively contacted those existing clients that may fit better in a different model if we felt that it was in their best interest. With these service levels we feel that we can serve the vast majority of prospective clients where there is a mutual fit.
Goals for the Remainder of 2019
We have recently completed the hiring process and we will be making an announcement soon on our hiring of an administrative assistant. We are very excited and are confident she will be a friendly and productive member of our team that will further help us to serve you.
As a team we have utilized a practice management coach for the first time. This exercise has us better articulating our core values and putting our processes down on paper. We are very protective of our culture that we have built and this will help assure that any future staff additions will continue to follow the “Walkner Condon Way”. You will see some of these efforts show up on our website later this year.
We continue to look for another advisor or advisor team. It is not our goal to be the biggest firm in Madison, but we do feel that adding advisors at this time will allow us to spread our message of accessible financial services to others in the Dane County area. We do not seek to be all things to all people; we seek to be all things to some people. Through word of mouth and our online presence we are fortunate to be a growing firm, and we strive to provide a comfortably unique experience.