This past Saturday, 65 of RL Wealth Management’s clients and their family members were at my house to celebrate the end of summer at the annual RLWM Cookout. While hosting that many people might make some anxious, the day of the cookout is easily one of my favorite days of the year. I consider myself fortunate to be in a position where I WANT to invite my clients to my house to spend the afternoon and evening with my family–there are not many professions where clients become friends over time. Most firms have some sort of minimum asset level to work with them, but not RLWM. Instead, one of the main qualifying qualities I look for in new clients is whether or not I see myself wanting to be friends with them–would I want to invite them to my house?
Compared to other client appreciation events I’ve seen, the RLWM Cookout is simplistic and very laid back–I think my clients would call me out if I hosted an expensive gala.
Food. Drink. Live Music. Good company. In my eyes, that is the recipe for a great time.
In the past, I did the grilling, but I quickly learned I can’t spend time with my clients if I’m sweating over the grill the whole time. So, now I have a local caterer prepare dinner, and this year I had Chick-Fil-a provide the kids’ food, although the adults ate the majority of the chicken nuggets. While everyone ate and hung out, my friend, up and coming country music star, Scotty Randolph played an acoustic set for us. He even continued to treat us to his tunes after breaking a string and having to break out another guitar.
And it wasn’t just the adults having a good time. The kids kept busy playing soccer, cornhole and running around with Roman and Leo.
One of the coolest things about this year’s cookout was having the opportunity to sit back and watch my clients interact with each other. There were so many fun interactions to see: a group of retirees from the same employer catching up and reminiscing about their working days, younger clients clustered together talking about their kids as they played soccer, and one of my Baby Boomer clients asking one of my Millennial clients if she could hold her baby (they didn’t know each other before Saturday). I was able to see my barbell approach to my business play out live and in person, and it further reassured my belief that it is possible for my firm to work with both Millennials and Boomers.
Unfortunately, this may have been the last year for hosting the RLWM Cookout at my house. If 2018 is anything like 2017, we will have outgrown my house and I’ll be looking for a new venue–it’s a good problem to have, though.
If you’re interested in learning more about how I work with both Millennials and Boomers or would like to make sure you receive an invite to next year’s cookout you can learn more by visiting RLWM’s website.
Disclaimer: Nothing on this blog should be considered advice, or recommendations. If you have questions pertaining your individual situation you should consult your financial advisor. For all of the disclaimers, please see my disclaimer page.