There’s been a change or two since Kelly Stanley, CFP®, MBA joined Cogent Strategic Wealth in 2015 as a seasoned wealth advisor. In 2021, she also became a firm partner, and helped us navigate through the pandemic. What has Kelly been up to lately? Read on to find out.
What are you most excited about these days?
Michael and I are always looking for new ways to simplify our clients’ financial complexities. To that end, I’ve been spearheading several tax-planning initiatives. Cogent investing is all well and good, but by also having disciplined processes for mitigating lifetime tax burdens, we can help high earners keep more of the assets they’ve worked so hard to accumulate. I’ve been especially proud of our work on this front. Michael recently put out a video explaining some of the strategies we’ve been using.
As a firm partner, I’ve also enjoyed being hands-on in running our own business: seeing how it all works, paying attention to income and expenses and working as a tag team with Michael and Liz to take good care of our clients. There’s never a dull, or repetitive day here at Cogent Strategic Wealth, and that’s exciting in itself.
What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen around the office lately?
Of course, COVID both challenged and enabled us to rethink “the office” in general. Even pre-pandemic, we’d been holding virtual meetings for our far-flung client base, so the lockdown may not have impacted us as much as others. But I’d say it created new opportunities to work remotely. Michael has established a second office in St. George, Utah, where he spends about half his time. I’ve also set up an office closer to home, giving clients the choice to meet with me virtually, here in Beverly, or in our Wacker Drive space. It’s a moveable office these days.
How about at home?
Our kids are fast becoming young adults, ages 12 and 15, so I’ve been spending as much time as possible enjoying their company. I’ve coached their volleyball teams, and I joined the board of my son’s high school Mothers Club. It’s time-consuming, but it’s been a great way to get involved and meet other parents. As a previous board member of a local domestic violence agency, I’ve since transitioned to their leadership council so that I can still remain involved and support the organization.
I also continue to prioritize my health by staying active with Peloton and Barre classes, and head-clearing walks with my dog, Rosie.
What’s next?
One thing I noticed about COVID, is how it shifted people’s priorities. I think it caused many of us, myself included, to realize how important it is to live your life to the fullest. I’m grateful to already enjoy my personal and work life, so most of my plans involve deepening my relationships across both.
As we continue to build on our high-touch services here at Cogent, we may add to our team at some point. But if we do, it will be deliberate; not just growth for growth’s sake.
As a family, one of our goals is to visit all 50 states together. I purchased a photo map, so that I can add pictures to the states where we’ve been so far. There are quite a few states left to visit, but once we start looking at colleges, perhaps the pace will pick up. There’s so much to see!
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