Parenting Young Kids Made Me a Better Financial Advisor

Being a financial advisor and a parent to young kids is a bit of a juggle. But I don’t think that’s unique to being a financial advisor… being any kind of parent is a juggle. However, what I’ve realized over the last few years is that raising children has made me a better advisor. Most of my team members at Hixon Zuercher Capital Management are parents too, and I’ve seen the same balancing act in their lives.

The daily lessons, challenges, and joys of parenting have helped me build empathy, a healthy respect for time, and a deep understanding of what matters most to people. 

Here’s how being a parent helps me show up better for my clients:

1. I Live with Long-Term Thinking Every Day

When you have little ones, every choice feels like it echoes into the future. It’s honestly a little terrifying. From choosing which school district to send your kids, to how often you make them eat their vegetables, to how you saved for college. Every decision has the potential to shape the direction of kids’ lives. 

Realizing that today’s decisions can matter A LOT shapes how I approach financial planning. I’m constantly thinking in decades, not just days. 

2. I Know What It’s Like to Balance Competing Priorities

You have a limited amount of money and a seemingly unlimited amount of goals. Playset? Family trip? Savings for college? Bigger safer car? Dream house so your kids’ can have lots of friends over? Pay down the mortgage or build a bigger emergency fund? These are real decisions in my own life, not hypotheticals. I understand the decisions that are behind balancing your goals with your resources. 

That lived experience helps me guide clients with both empathy and clarity. 

3. I’ve Mastered the Art of Simplifying the Complex

When your 2 year old asks you “why?” 2,000 times a day and your 4 year old is a future debate team champion, you get good at explaining things clearly with no room for confusion or misinterpretation. That carries into my work – I explain financial strategies in a way that’s understandable and easy to act on. 

My goal is to remove the overwhelm and replace it with confidence and clarity. 

4. I’m Always Practicing Patience (And It Pays Off)

My kids will test every ounce of my patience – and maybe that’s a gift in this profession. Financial decisions are emotional, and markets don’t always cooperate. Bear markets can take years to recover from. Whether a client is anxious about retiring or upset over a market dip, I can bring calm, grounded guidance. 

Clients don’t just need a plan – they need someone who can help them stay steady and regulate them through market turmoil.  

5. I Understand the Power of a Strong Support System

Raising kids takes a village. I have been saved dozens of times by a friend or family member who was willing to help when I needed it most. It has helped me realize that retiring well takes a village too. I’ve learned to lean on my community, and I encourage my clients to do the same. Financial planning isn’t just about money; it’s about the people who help you thrive. Our team’s approach to financial planning emphasizes how your relationships are the key to your success in retirement.  

6. I Know the Feeling of Being Overwhelmed… and How to Avoid It

Whether it’s a messy living room or overflowing laundry baskets – the overwhelm is real. Sometimes there is so much to do, that I don’t even know where to start. I’ve realized that some of my clients feel this way about their finances. As a parent, I’ve learned how to break big problems into small, manageable actions. That’s exactly how I help clients move forward in their financial lives- one simple step at a time. 

7. I’m More Empathetic to Life’s Curveballs

Kids get sick. Plans change. Tantrums happen. Life doesn’t always go as expected, and that’s made me more compassionate when clients face detours. I help them adjust without guilt, panic, or shame. Flexibility is part of the plan.

I’ve learned that a great financial advisor doesn’t just keep you on track, they walk with you when the road changes. 

8. I Practice What I Preach

I’m in the trenches making the same decisions my clients are – budgeting with a family, saving for the future, finding balance between work and life. My recommendations come from experience, not just theory. I don’t ask clients to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. 

9. I’m In It for the Long Haul

At a time when many advisors are nearing retirement, I’m just hitting my stride. I’ll be here to guide clients through the next market cycle, life transition, and retirement phase. I’m building long-term relationships with families who want to grow with someone they trust. 

When I say I’ll be there for the long run, I mean it!

~

Parenthood and financial advising may seem like two different worlds, but in my life, they reinforce each other every day. Being a parent has made me more thoughtful, more grounded, and more committed to helping people build lives they love. The wonderful thing is that there is so much more to learn from the decades of parenting ahead of me!