3rd Anniversary Reflections and Updates
Three years ago today (January 21st, 2019), Crown Wealth Group was approved as a fully independent investment advisory firm. At the time, it was just Tyler and I in a skyrise coworking office in uptown Charlotte. 24 loyal clients joined us on our new, independent journey. I can’t thank these families enough for entrusting us with their financial wellbeing and their roughly $10million of investment assets we were managing.
As I reflect on the ensuing three years, it has been a whirlwind of new clients, team members, offices and services offered. Today our team is 9 professionals strong, we have 2 office locations, and we are diligently serving nearly 200 families while managing $200million of investment assets.
I know most of you won’t read all of this, and that’s ok. So, I’ll take this moment to thank each and every one of our clients for allowing us to wake up each day with a sense of purpose and a focus on making your lives better. Without your trust, none of this would be possible. As we continue to grow and expand, my commitment to you is to always remain boutique in feel, accessible, accountable, and focused on quality over quantity. The core values that have brought us to this early level of success are more important than ever as we navigate the next 30+ years of running this business.
For those still reading, I really enjoyed looking back at all the key moments in our first three years and I had fun writing this update. I hope you share in my excitement not only for the past, but for what the future will bring for us together. So how did we get here?
Steve Lindgren was the first to join the “brothers Kolbenschlag” in the spring of 2019, when he came on as our Chief Investment Officer and the third owner of the firm. Adding investment management expertise to Tyler and my planning experience rounded out the core team.
In September 2019, Doug Coppola merged his independent advisory business into Crown, and with it came many new families and decades of portfolio management experience. Our clients benefited from the formation of our Investment Committee, and Doug’s clients were exposed to a host of new planning services to help them achieve their life and wealth goals.
Shortly thereafter, in February 2020, Zac O’Brien, a lifelong friend of the Kolbenschlag family opened the second Crown Wealth Group office, this time in Advance, NC. As a CFP (Certified Financial Planner), Zac felt he was unable to meet all the various needs of his clients due to being put in the “corporate box” at a very large, publicly traded, investment firm. Crown’s independent Personal CFO solution was exactly what he needed to continue his growth and journey as a successful advisor.
We would not be able to deliver our white-glove service without strong operational support. So along with the new advisors, we have built an incredible operations team. Amy Olson moved to Crown with Zac in 2020 and runs the Advance, NC office operations along with Kelli Harrell, who joined earlier this year. Bailey Death bolstered the Charlotte office team in 2021 and has been quickly taking over many of the daily tasks that are so crucial to executing the multitude of actions our clients have in motion at any given time.
About three weeks ago, we made the announcement that Bob LeBeau was merging his business with ours, and the many clients that have been with him for decades became a part of the Crown family. Bob is a veracious researcher and will now lead that effort for the firm. Our clients will benefit from the now three-person Investment Committee and Bob has the strength of a team behind him to provide continuity long into the future for the families he cares for.
I would be remis if I didn’t mention my brother and Co-Founder, Tyler. We have worked every day together since August of 2012 when he first started in this business. Of course, there have been a few disagreements, I mean we are brothers, but it has been one of my biggest joys pushing each other to grow and succeed. None of this would have been possible without him and his fierce loyalty to me, the company, and our clients and that gives me unwavering confidence in our future.
With this growth, we needed a bigger home for our team to work, collaborate and meet with clients. So, in late 2020, we purchased a portion of a 100+ year old cotton mill in the heart of South End Charlotte. We completed an extensive renovation and now have an incredible space that reflects the character of the past with original hardwoods and brick walls, combined with modern furnishings and technology. The energy in the office is incredible and we hope you all get the chance to visit us here.
Finally, a quick update on our future. Shortly, we will begin the search for an additional financial planning expert in the Charlotte office. This professional’s role will not be to grow our client base, but to help service the one we already have. Their job will be to look at your plans daily, move actions along to completion, update those financial plans and assist me in running review meetings. I need to ensure that as my CEO responsibilities grow, the focus and attention you’ve been accustomed to continues to be the standard. I hope to introduce this team member to you soon.
I’ve taken enough of your time at this point so lastly, I thank you and our team from the bottom of my heart for giving me such passion and purpose. I look forward to being a part of everyone’s growth for decades to come.
Sincerely,
Nick Kolbenschlag
CEO and Co-Founder