Protecting Your Future Like You Protect Others

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The first wealth is health." I see this truth every day in the firehouses I visit and in the early mornings coaching CrossFit.

Firefighters know better than most how connected health and performance really are—your job literally depends on being physically ready at a moment's notice. But over time, I've learned that physical strength is just one piece of the equation.

Health is also emotional. It's mental. It’s shaped by stress levels, sleep cycles, and the support systems we have—or don’t have. “The key to a healthy life is having a healthy mind,” says neuroscientist Richard Davidson, and I’ve found that especially true in both fitness and financial planning.

When I first became a personal trainer, I thought I was just helping people work out. But what I was really doing was helping them build belief in themselves—breaking down old habits and creating new ones. Today, as a financial advisor working with public safety professionals across Ohio, I find the same pattern. Helping someone with their retirement plan, DROP decisions, or investment strategy is never just about the numbers. It’s about what those numbers mean to them.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” For firefighters, this couldn’t be more relevant. You give so much of yourselves to your communities, often putting your own needs last. But when it comes to your retirement, your family’s future, and your long-term well-being, you deserve a plan that’s built around you—not just your paycheck.

Many firefighters I talk to are unsure about what retirement looks like for them. When do you retire? What’s “enough” to live comfortably? How do your pension, DROP, Social Security, and 457(b) all fit together? These are big questions—and the answers are personal.

That’s why I see my role not just as an advisor, but as a coach. Someone who understands the long hours, the camaraderie, the wear and tear—on the body and the mind. Someone who can help you think through what you want out of life after the firehouse. Someone who can guide you toward financial confidence one step at a time, just like training for a stronger back squat or a faster Murph time.

I always ask:

• What does a meaningful retirement look like to you?

• What are you working so hard to protect—not just on shift, but at home?

• What habits have shaped how you think about money?

• And where do you want to grow, both financially and personally?

Your financial fitness matters as much as your physical fitness. You’ve spent your career showing up for others—this is your time to start building a future that shows up for you.

If you’re ready to have that conversation, I’d love to sit down with you—no pressure, no jargon. Just a real talk about your health, your wealth, and the goals you’ve earned the right to plan for.