At KDI Wealth Management, our clients' success is powered by our dedicated team. Behind every engagement, every innovation, and every success are unique individuals driven by passion, purpose, and personal journeys. Our "Getting to Know You" blog series aims to pull back the curtain and introduce you to the remarkable team members who bring our firm to life.
I am always energized by the experience of travelling to new places. Getting to see the architecture, food, views, and people of a foreign area enriches any trip I might take.
Above all these other pleasures, there is one thing that I love to do most of all. Nearly every major city has an art museum, and you can often find me inside of one. No matter which one you attend, in art museums across the planet you will be met with a clean, quiet environment filled with engaged people and patrons. Everybody interacts with artwork in different ways. A painting has the ability to impress and awe one person, while striking fear into another. I think that someone is able to learn a lot about themselves from walking through a gallery and taking some time to process the way they feel about the things they see. An artist may have an intent with the meaning of their work, but only the viewer is capable of deciding how they interpret it. Time and time again, I have been left speechless by a work that an artist created. There are paintings that I ponder every now and then, that I simply marvel at the thought of. I relish the opportunities I get to see artwork, because I recognize and appreciate the passion and technique that is necessary for its creation. My favorite aspect of art museums is the way that they collect works across centuries of human history. From early civilization to the contemporary art movement, people have been expressing themselves and their feelings in abstract, creative ways. I love to picture the artist working on a portrait of their family, pouring their love into it such that they can capture them perfectly. I imagine an American settler, painting the landscape of Yellowstone, and sharing its majesty with others who wouldn’t be able to make the trip. I think of works such as Goya’s El tres de Mayo de 1808 en Madrid which depicts the horrors of the peninsular war. The people painting these could not fathom the impact that they would have on the world of art, let alone society. They likely had a vision about what art would look like in the future but wouldn’t be able to find out in their lifetimes. We are fortunate to be able to see the evolution and history of this form of creative expression in one accessible place. We can be face to face with the original piece of art that shaped the identity of an artistic generation. The nobility of a bygone time would travel far and wide, barring little expense to view sculptures and paintings such as the ones that are available to us today. I would hate to take that for granted. My love of art museums was paved by my Parents, who gave me many opportunities to engage with art and encouraged me to think hard about things. My Dad always managed to find a way to bring me and my brother to the Phoenix Art Museum, as well as the primary art museum and exhibition of whatever city we traveled to. I was ungrateful as a child but elated in retrospect for him doing so. I encourage anybody who is reading this to visit the nearest art museum to you. I think it is a special visit, and these museums are worthy of your support.
Much like the experience of visiting art museums, my position as a Client Service Associate Intern at KDI Wealth Management has been a journey of continuous learning, engagement, and discovery. Just as an art museum presents diverse works that evoke different emotions and interpretations, the world of financial planning offers a range of unique challenges and opportunities. Every client interaction is an opportunity to observe and understand their personal financial goals, much like a museumgoer exploring the varied expressions within each piece of art. With every task, whether organizing client documents or supporting the team with research, I find that there is a deeper appreciation for the complexity and thought that goes into each financial strategy, much like the artistry behind a masterpiece. My role allows me to contribute to a process that shapes people's lives, much like how art reflects society. Just as a viewer learns something new with every visit to a museum, I am constantly expanding my knowledge and skills, learning from those around me, and gaining a greater appreciation for the impact of our work at KDI Wealth Management.
If you missed previous team member introductions, you may read them here: