Getting To Know The SK Wealth Team: What Makes You Proud?

Reaching our 100th podcast episode feels like the perfect time to pause and celebrate the people who make SK Wealth what it is. This week, we sat down with our team to ask them what makes them proud to do this work, what they love outside the office, and what they’d be doing if they weren’t helping clients build confident financial futures. Here’s what they had to say.

Matthew M. Neyland, CFA, CAIA – Chief Investment Officer

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

There have been a lot of proud moments, but as I was going through and thinking back, one that really stands out in my mind was when we had a new client come on who had just lost their spouse. This person had no experience with dealing with finances or investing or anything. So it’s a scary situation, an uncomfortable situation. What I was really proud of is that we worked together. 

The financial planning team and the investment side worked together to do education and help the client become more comfortable. We started the investment process with a lot of communication to get the client comfortable and to understand the process that we do, since it’s such an ongoing process. 

The connection between how we do planning and investing is very tight integration. That really helps in all situations, but specifically in this situation, because in the end, the client felt very comfortable. I look back and think of all the meetings now where the client thanks me and says, ‘I feel very comfortable with you.’ 

Those things really resonate with me. It’s kind of why I do what I do. It’s nice to help people. The team approach we use at SK Wealth really makes that process whole.

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

I would say an unexpected talent I don’t think always goes together with somebody who’s in the investment field is that I think I’m an excellent gardener. I enjoy the outdoors and building beauty through gardening.

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

There’s a lot of good ones. One probably a lot of people don’t know is a movie we’ve watched a few times, The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It’s really a saga of a few people’s lives, and it’s really resonated with us. We really enjoyed it and think about it to this day.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

I’m interested in the sciences, and I think a thing that probably would connect some of my interests and the sciences would be a botanist. You know, creating new plant types, new seed types, and things along those lines.

Andrew Wong – Financial Planner

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

All the times in my short time working here that clients have said how thankful they are to work with us, how much we’ve helped them. I think a lot of that comes from when we meet with prospects. A lot of the reason they come to us is because they are overwhelmed. They feel like their finances are disorganized and they need help getting everything together. 

When we get through all of our initial meetings, there’s a breath of relief that you see on their face that everything is now organized, it’s in one place, and they feel a lot better about where they stand financially. Even if they had an idea that they were in a good spot, knowing they have somebody to go to to give them advice and help them work through a lot of these complicated situations that come with their finances.

I feel proud to do what I do, especially as somebody who changed careers and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. It was the reason that I decided to get into this industry, because I did see an opportunity to really make an impact on people’s lives and really help people. And when you hear those words of “you really helped us, we appreciate what you do, you bring a lot of value to our lives, we don’t know what we’d do without you,” it makes you feel good to go to work every day.

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

Probably the amount that I cook and bake. I don’t know that that’s initially a favorite when you look at me.

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

Movie: Oceans 11. TV show: The Simpsons, because I watched it with my brother growing up, and I know more of that show than I probably should.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

That’s a great question. I don’t immediately know. It would still be something with money and numbers in some capacity, but I don’t know exactly what that would be, because now that I’ve gotten into this, I can’t really think of wanting to do anything else anymore.

Kerry O’Shea – Operations Manager

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

At one point when I was doing advisor-level work assisting advisors, we worked with a divorced woman who was struggling financially. She felt like she didn’t know where she stood financially. She was emotionally tapped out in the whole process, and I decided to share my story of going through a divorce with her. 

I think that really just opened her up, and it made her realize that it’s just part of life sometimes. Then going through the whole financial planning process with her, the advisor and I were able to help her see that she was fine. She ultimately just blossomed, and she really became quite financially savvy. She was thankful to us for just being patient with her and helping her through that whole process. 

It just made me feel proud that I could help her like that and make that kind of impact on her life and how she felt about her finances and everything. 

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

I would say probably my physical fitness level, like cross-country skiing or doing CrossFit. That’s a big hobby. 

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

I would say The Notebook. The Notebook every year. There are some ones at Christmas time that I really enjoy, but yeah, The Notebook. 

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

Probably something where I’m helping people in some way, shape, or form. People or animals. I enjoy walking my dog, and maybe even going to an elderly home and visiting with people, or walking dogs at a shelter or something.

Amy Macedo – Client Service Specialist

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

I’ve thought about this a lot, and one that actually stood out for me and being proud of what I do was when I bumped into a client out of the office. I started during COVID, so we had never physically met, and we were at an event from a mutual interest. 

I knew who he was based on his name, and at some point I introduced myself to him just so we could meet face to face. He was so excited to introduce me to his friend and the people they were talking to, and then talked about SK Wealth and how much we do for him and how much he appreciates us. The fact that he did that unsolicited in a social setting made me proud. Clearly it’s helped him enough that I made an impact. 

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

Painting. I paint watercolor.

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

Will and Grace.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

I probably would have found a way to make my non-profit profitable for me.

Andrew Cayer – Client Relationship Manager

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

I can think of several moments, and often the theme is that it’s a meaningful moment in someone’s life. One particular moment is someone that we worked with who had his own business that he’d built for several decades, a real estate business. He came to us through a referral from an attorney and really said, “I’m done with work. I kind of want to phase this out. I just don’t know what it looks like. I kind of have it a little bit in motion, but what does this next phase look like for me and my family? What price point should I be targeting for the sale of the business? What works for the business, for myself?” 

We guided him through several scenarios, which really showed him, “Okay, here’s what we should be targeting. Here’s what you can accomplish as far as the next phase with this newfound wealth.” I think he came to us with his head spinning a little bit and said, “This is kind of a complicated situation. How can I get this picture to become a little bit more clear?” I felt like we did that pretty well.

I think what we do really well is in that first meeting. You don’t wake up one day and want to do a financial plan. There’s usually something that motivates you. In his case, there were a lot of motivating factors. We really gave him the floor to air out whatever he’s thinking, ask us questions. We listened to him and we sort of identified the main pain points. Through our thorough plan process we were able to give him some clarity. 

What is a simple pleasure that you never skip? 

I always like, even if it’s just one episode, to watch a show. It’s nice to kind of wind down after the kids go to bed, sit down with my wife, watch an episode for a half hour and then go on for the rest of our day. 

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

We put on Friends a lot.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

If I wasn’t a CFP, I could picture myself being a teacher. I think it’s a big reason why I like being a CFP and a financial planner. It’s about helping people. As a teacher, you’re helping kids, especially the next generation, which is really important. I could picture myself maybe taking that on.

Christine Barry – Client Service Specialist 

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

So of course, I thought about this, and mine is a type of moment that comes up when families have things happen that don’t happen all the time. Sometimes it’s health issues, the passing of a loved one. Sometimes it’s getting married and buying a new home. 

Usually with these events in life, there are a lot of tasks, and a lot of it can be overwhelming. Usually  finance is a big part of  these events in people’s lives. So I try to tell the client right up front, “My goal is to make this as easy and smooth for you as possible. I realize you have a lot going on, it’s overwhelming. Let me help.”

And it’s because SK Wealth does such an excellent job with building the financial plans and the investment management that I have the information and the knowledge that I need to get this done for clients with very minimal assistance from them. Hopefully sometimes just a signature. 

I find that very rewarding when I can make someone’s life a little easier when they have a lot going on. And I’m like, “I’ve got this.” 

And it’s because of SK Well that I can pick up the phone and call other entities and be like, “What do you need? What are your requirements?”  So I do all that legwork for the client, get everything that’s needed up front, get it done right the first time, and be done with it so they can move on. 

I find it very rewarding that something that’s kind of small on my part can be a big relief for someone else in times of high emotions. 

What is a simple pleasure that you never skip? 

Going in the ocean. The ocean is my happy place. 

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

My favorite show is The Challenge on MTV. It’s a lot of people of all ages doing challenges, physical and mental challenges. I kind of like to see what people at different ages can do and how they can navigate and keep up with the younger people. 

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

I’m a homeowner, and I like to work in the yard. I like things to look nice. That brings me pleasure. Is it a talent that I’m good at? No, but it’s important. I’m not gonna leave my driveway not plowed all day or my grass longer than everyone else’s. It’s something I enjoy. It is kind of a stress reliever and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Same as decorating for the holidays, those little things give me joy.

Kimberly DeSimone – Associate Financial Planner

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

I would say that the moment I’m most proud of is when clients come in and they’re unsure. Can they retire? Can they have sustainability throughout their retirement, living how they’re living now? 

After that first meeting, when we’ve done that initial intake and we show them the initial projections, they have that sense of relief and that beginning part of, “I feel like there is a pathway forward.” They can begin to feel that peace of mind. I think that’s the most meaningful thing that can come from financial planning. That’s what makes me proud, that clients can have that sense of relief. 

I think the key part about working here is that we really have intention for today. Putting a plan out there 15, 20, 30 years… If it’s not doable today, I don’t think that it works. I think that we really care about that balance between “Okay, what’s most important?” 

Maybe we need to make an adjustment to risk. We’re having some health challenges right now, is it possible to step away from work right now, today, or in the near future? Can I help my children right now? So balancing those things and then giving them the options and the trade-offs and knowing that it’s not just looking down the road.

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about?

The talent that I’m honing right now is learning how to preserve different fruits and vegetables. So canning, and learning how to make the best sourdough loaf. I’m practicing those two things.

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

I would say Friends.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

I think I would be doing something else kind of in this sphere of consulting. I really enjoy learning about different businesses and how they can improve. So I feel like I’d be in the consulting world for small businesses.

Mackenzie Richards – Partner, CFP®, CPWA®

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth?

I think there’s a distinction there. I’m proud to do what we do and see the impact that we can have on clients’ lives, and getting away from all the more technical things that I thought this type of work would be more about. 

But then you see it’s much more relationship focused. The relationship that we have with clients, but then also how that permeates through the relationships that they have with their family, with organizations they support. We can help them realize how they can support those people or support those organizations financially or otherwise, and it doesn’t have to come at the expense of your well-being and taking care of yourself as well. It’s not just one or the other, but all-encompassing.

That’s especially rewarding when you can see the stress come off people’s shoulders and they realize what’s actually possible. They realize that somebody else, a professional, can handle the accounts and the trading and getting them the money, and financially they’re going to be okay. They can go spend their time and energy on whatever else they want to do, which is probably much more interesting than what we do here. 

I think the other aspect of why I enjoy doing it here is a little bit humbling. You want to come here and have an impact and impress people and be the smart one, and then after a while we hire some more people and then they get trained, they get smarter, they get knowledgeable. Then a client reaches out to both of us because we operate as teams here, which is in itself rewarding, but then when that other team member beats you to the punch or responds to the client with a perfect answer, something that exactly I would have said (or even better) you say, “Oh geez, I guess I’m not as important as I thought I was.” 

But it’s really exciting to see planners want to come here with some experience or not and continue to train and grow and become an expert for the clients. It’s not just about me or just about you. Also I think it’s part of when we talk about legacies with clients: what kind of legacy do you want to leave? I feel like, I didn’t know Jerry Sainz very well, but I feel like this goes back to what he wanted to create. A firm that attracts younger people or a place for people to come and to grow. I think it’s exciting to see that kind of continuing with what you started here with SK Wealth and seeing the team grow. It’s exciting to be part of. 

What is a simple pleasure that you never skip? 

Simple pleasure that I never skip? Coffee. Good coffee. 

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

I think I generally will follow my curiosity wherever that may end up. My wife gets confused sometimes. She’s trying to pigeonhole me and she’ll say, “How are you a former Marine but you love the library?” I’m on the board of the library. I’m really into gardening. I’ll get the seeds and plant from seeds and be into different varieties of different vegetables. My curiosity takes me to some strange places sometimes. Sometimes I’ll continue that. Sometimes it’s, “I did Tai Chi for five weeks and that wasn’t for me.”

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

My curiosity takes me to places where I think I have an impression of other things that may be interesting. I have a feeling that once I actually got in those shoes, I would say, “Okay, that’s enough for me.” Hospitality work, like hotel management, I think could be interesting. Some sort of outdoors work, like park rangers, the guys that put together trails. If you’re on a hike, you’re 3,000 feet up a mountain and all of a sudden there’s perfectly designed steps, somebody had to put that in there, but they get to be outside for their job.

Jason E. Archambault – CEO, CFP®, CPA/PFS

What’s one moment that makes you proud to do what you do and proud to do it at SK Wealth? 

There’s not just one moment, but  if I think about the whole arc of the 26 years that we’ve been in business, I feel like the proudest part is the team that we have right now and being able to build our company to where it is. 

Having everyone really growing and thriving in our business is the proudest thing that I have, and I love doing it here at SK Wealth because we’re pretty much like-minded with our field and approach to financial planning. It gives us all room to grow, and like I said, thrive.

What is a simple pleasure that you never skip? 

A simple pleasure is having my dog sleep in the bed.

What is one of your unexpected talents or hobbies that nobody may know about? 

I don’t know if people wouldn’t expect it or not, but a hobby I have is baking and cooking. Another hobby is playing the piano.

Name a favorite TV show or movie that you rewatch.

Oh, that’s an easy one. Movie is 9 to 5. I’ve seen it once a year since it came out in 1980. My go-to TV show reruns are Golden Girls and I Love Lucy.

If you weren’t in your current career, what do you think you would be doing?

I think it would be really fun to either be an architect or own a bakery.

Thank You

Getting to know the people behind the financial plans makes all the difference. Our team brings not just expertise and credentials to the table, but genuine care for the clients we serve. If you’re looking for a financial planning partner who will take the time to understand your goals and help you live with confidence today and tomorrow, we’d love to hear from you.