What would you do if you won the lottery? In school, my teacher once asked the class this question. As she went from student to student each excited response became more grandiose than the next. When it was finally my turn, I answered the question with one of my own – it depends, how big was the lottery? My teacher's face broke out into a big smile.

In life, we're all searching for answers to things big and small. Yet, I learned at an early age that questions can be significantly more valuable than answers.

After graduating from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, I began a career with Edward Jones, confident in my plan of becoming an investment banker who could show big companies how to multiply big dollars. To my dismay, the work left me feeling unfulfilled. There was no personal connection involved or satisfaction found when solving money puzzles for corporations. After a time of significant introspection, I had an epiphany – What if I instead worked for families? That question turned me in a sharply different direction that has since changed my life immeasurably.

In 2001, I became an Edward Jones financial advisor and (some have teased) golden-retriever spirit animal to clients near and far. I'm a father of twin boys. I am a holder of the AAMS™ designation and for the last two decades, my assistants, Deb and Marlene, and I have helped clients navigate many experiences: Retiring. Funerals. Grandchildren's graduation. Surgeries. Unemployment. Inheritance feuds. Celebrity scams. Business ownership. New babies. Lottery wins.

Through it all, we've had the joy of helping investors arrive at great decisions by challenging them with not just good questions, but the right questions. So, if you're someone that has all of the answers, call me – I have some questions you could help me with. If you don't have all of the answers, call me – I have some questions I could help you with. Either way, we'll both be glad for the conversation.