From the Founder – 20 Years!

Happy New Year! January symbolizes a fresh start every year, but this year is just a
little more special for us here at Preservation Specialists. You see, it was back in 2004
when our company was initially founded. It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that it
has been that long!

As I think back over those twenty years, the first thing that immediately jumps into my
mind is this: I never actually wanted to start or run a company! Let me explain.

By 2004, I had been in the financial advisory world for seven years. I had seen the
good, the bad, and the ugly. I felt that many of the bigger companies in our industry
were only out to make a buck, and I quickly learned that they put significant limits on
what you were allowed to do for your clients.

After years of research, I decided that if I wanted to do what I believed was truly best
for my clients, I would need to go out on my own. I am filled with gratitude for the first
people who took the leap of faith to work with me. Imagine walking into a tiny office
and being quickly greeted by the financial advisor who walks you right past the empty
receptionist’s chair to his only conference room. It had to look like a very quiet and
lonely place!

Ultimately, like everything else in life, it always comes back to the people. In fact, the
very first person who put their faith in me over twenty years ago is still a client to this
day. At our most recent meetings together, we’ve had a good chuckle over how long
we’ve worked together and how kind he was to give such a small business a chance!

Soon after those early days, it became clear that I couldn’t do a great job for our
clients without hiring some help; that is when I felt like I accidentally became a
business owner! It has been twenty years of on-the-job training. I am incredibly
grateful for every person who has worked at our firm, as well as thankful for their
patience as I’ve tried to figure it all out!

Over these years, we’ve grown in so many ways: our office is bigger, our team is
bigger, and the planning that we do is far more diverse; but in the end, nothing that we
do matters unless we’re making a difference for you, our clients. We know we’re not
perfect, but we’re always trying to get better.

And that is what we will remain focused on for the future. In the theme of getting
better, I’m excited to announce that in the coming weeks, we will launch the fourth
edition of my first book, Save Your Retirement! That first edition was released all the
way back in 2011. The second and third editions came soon after.

That means it had been a long time since most of the book had been updated. When I
went to review it, oh my goodness did I find things that I wanted to improve!
Over the years, many people have kindly told me that it was the most approachable
book on finance that they had ever read. Those comments mean the world to me. So,
in this edition, I continued down that path. I shortened and streamlined the longer
chapters and tried to focus on only the most important concepts.

So be on the lookout for our announcements of the book release! As always, our
clients will receive a free promotional copy the next time you’re in the office, and I
would be honored to autograph it for you if you would like.

So here’s wishing you a fabulous 2024! We are excited for the new year and for many
years to come, and we hope that you are as well!

Pat Strubbe

Founder & Managing Partner

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Securities offered through Arkadios Capital, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Arkadios Wealth. Preservation Specialists and Arkadios are not affiliated through any ownership