So much has changed for Ted and I since that fateful day and we had no idea what life had in store for us just around the corner. It was April 2nd, 2009, global financial markets were in turmoil and we were experiencing firsthand how Wall Street was letting down clients and employees daily. Too many people sit back in life and accept their cards as dealt. We were too young and too optimistic. We knew there had to be a better way to create the future for ourselves and our clients, so we made the leap… We founded Spurstone.
Now that we have the benefits of hindsight, it can seem easy looking back, as if it was a "no brainer". At the time I had no kids, I wasn’t yet married, and my only overhead was the small condo I owned with my fiancé (now wife). Of course, hindsight can have a way of distorting the view because it was no easy move. We made this leap with no client base and had no income from the business for quite a while and very little for much longer. Sure, for me it might have been easier as a guy in his mid-20’s, but for my business Partner Ted, he had a full house relying on him with a wife and three young daughters, the youngest still a baby. No pressure…
We’ve learned a lot in this journey so far. We learned quickly to make a lot with a little while appreciating how fortunate we are in so many ways. Already we’ve been a part of many amazing opportunities that we wouldn’t otherwise have had. We’ve built a fantastic network of partners, been asked to speak at industry events and consult with many of the largest firms in our industry. We’ve helped clients plan for every stage in life, even being entrusted to carry legacies into the next generations. We’ve designed amazing charitable endeavors and guided clients through both robust and incredibly challenging environments. We’re proud of the work accomplished and humbled by the trust our clients place in us every day.
As proud as we are of where we’ve been, we’re most excited about where we are headed. One of our mantras is to always be in a state of perpetual improvement. It’s a driver of how we have gotten to where we are today and where we are going tomorrow. We are committed to this concept as a guiding light on our journey to what we believe Spurstone can become for everyone’s benefit.
As founders of Spurstone, Ted and I would like to wish a Happy 10 Year Anniversary to all our clients, partners, friends and families. Without all of you, there would be no us and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
To the next 10 years!!
- Tim Golas Co-Founder, Spurstone