The First Day of School

The anticipation surrounding the first day of school is something that hasn’t changed since I was 5.  Now 30, while tomorrow isn’t really my first day of school, it will be my first day sitting in on a law school class in anticipation of starting law school this fall.

As with many experiences, it is not the content of the class that creates the anticipation. How will people greet me?  How will they interact with the professor?  How will they take notes?  What will they wear?

I feel lucky that I get this trial run!

You may not enjoy planning.  You may not even know what type of planning you need. The anticipation of getting a plan started or reviewing your plan might be overwhelming.

But wouldn’t you appreciate a trial run!

Working through the details of how things will work for you and your loved ones as your life progresses is an exciting opportunity!  A trial run can put you on the right track, help you to avoid pitfalls, and solidify what changes are necessary.

While it is possible to attend the first day of school without a trial run, wouldn’t you want to make sure you get through it with no regrets?

SuttonAdvisors, PLC  2201 East Grand River Avenue Lansing, Michigan 48912   (800)968.6781

*Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. – a broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services offered through SuttonAdvisors, PLC – a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. and SuttonAdvisors, PLC are not affilitad companies.

Success, a mini-Everest.

Success, says Arthur Ashe, is a journey not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome. But success, in whatever field of human endeavor, does not come cheaply.  Paul H. Dunn has observed that when you see someone standing on top of a mountain, it’s pretty likely they didn’t fall there. When we encounter a person of accomplishment, we need to note how they reached the summit and learn how to conquer the Everests in our own lives.

Success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Our everyday lives are made up of mini-Everests, triumph over them!  As we climb our mountain, mini-Everests are our journey.  Think about the mini-Everests of your day…a project for school, the laundry, a 20 minute run.  Now think about how they relate to the bigger picture…an advanced degree, a tidy home, good health.  Sometimes when we evaluate the Everests they seem too far away – but if you take it one day at a time, you’ll be there before you know it.

What are your Everests? => List five area of critical focus.

Where are you now?

What are your mini-Everests? => What actions must be taken along the way?

Who is responsible?

Take a few moments to evaluate your Everest.  Don’t wish to be dropped on top of your mountain.  The joy is in the journey.

Jerry Sutton awarded the Accredited Investment Fiduciary®

Jerry Sutton, founding owner of an upscale financial boutique, shows a continued effort to maintain credentials and ongoing education.

Jerry Sutton has been awarded the Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) designation from Fiduciary360 (fi360), an organization offering training, tools and resources to promote a culture of fiduciary responsibility and improve the decision making processes of fiduciaries.

While there are many things SuttonAdvisors, PLC does to help people; one of the principle things is helping their clients make good financial decisions.  This process includes making sure clients make the appropriate decisions with their investments.  The process begins with making sure there is a plan in place; hence the role of a fiduciary.

“Being an Accredited Investment Fiduciary^® (AIF^®) and continuing with the required continuing education helps me renew a commitment to our clients, our team members and myself,” says Jerry Sutton of the ongoing education required to offer his clients the best advice in an ever changing world. He adds, “The only constant for any of us is change.  This means we must be willing to change, and incorporate change in order to meet the needs of our clients.  If we are going to be of help we must anticipate things and help people be prepared for the unexpected.”

The team of SuttonAdvisors, PLC recognizes that the economy poses some challenges. At the same time, the Sutton Team with its collection of dynamic backgrounds, positive attitudes and compassionate personalities gives clients direction, comfort and an invaluable resource. They are a team devoted to their clients and the well being of their clients’ estates, their loved ones. Clients appreciate having their investments, estate documents and other legal documents all in one place with a trusted team of advisors always at their fingertips.

Jerry Sutton concludes, “With the increased dialogue in the security industry on the standards of care, I remain committed to placing the interests of our clients first.”

Define Your Journey Campaign Kick-Off

Upscale Financial Boutique, SuttonAdvisors, PLC gives financial, estate and insurance guidance – creating goal-achievers in their client pool.

“Your momma said there’d be days like this…” Despite the hardships of this “new economy” everyone is talking about, SuttonAdvisors, PLC has continued to innovate and plan for times such as these since the company’s inception. “By paying attention to what is truly dear to us as a family-owned business, we recognize that individual goals and the emotions behind them are what matter most to our clients; hence, the Define Your Journey^TM campaign was developed,” says Jerry Sutton.

SuttonAdvisors, PLC now owns the domain name DefineYourJourney^TM.com where prospective clients can read a story about how one couple planned accordingly and was able to sail to their destination. This parable is a teaching tool for the Sutton’s and gives insight into their process and core belief of individual care.

The define your journey campaign development has been in the works for over a year and on February 22, the new suttonadvisors.com website was launched to include inspiring quotes, community events, thematic storylines, new Sutton Team photos, a description of the Sutton philosophy, definitions of services and an interactive journey map to describe the Sutton’s approach in guiding  their clients.

Jordan Sutton says of the new campaign, “I’m excited to be able to finally put into words, images and a modern marketing plan, what we have known and been teaching our clients all along. The personal journey is why we’re in this business. We live to see the success of our clients, both financially and personally. We are there from the beginning of life for some families and help them carry on through their family goals, changes in estate planning and even beyond their time here on earth.”

Sutton continues, “We aim to make each life transition a smooth one and we want our clients to know that they have the freedom to define their own journey. We are here to guide them and we take their trust in us to heart. We hold the responsibility of implementing and managing our clients’ financial investments, estates and trusts with utmost respect. We treat our clients like family and celebrate each leg of their journey alongside them.”

Arts Council of Greater Lansing Recognizes SuttonAdvisors, PLC

Business Arts Award granted to local financial boutique for exemplary support
to Lansing art community.

Lansing, December 7, 2009:  We all would be hard-pressed to find a family like the Sutton’s. Jerry, Linda and Jordan Sutton are a pillar in the Lansing Community. They are quick to RSVP to most community, charity and fundraising events. Most specifically, they are large contributors to the arts.  The Business Arts Award recognizes businesses and organizations for leadership and commitment in support of the arts.

The Arts Council of Greater Lansing recognized Jerry, Linda and Jordan Sutton of SuttonAdvisors, PLC with the Business Arts Award for their outstanding and consistent support of the arts in various forms throughout Lansing. The Suttons were surprised and honored to be nominated by several community members.

Jerry Sutton says of the award, “It was a special surprise.  Being recognized is special, but not the reward. Our reward is in helping the various artists and in enjoying the music, the theatre, the galleries or whatever is going on in the community. For someone who is not particularly artistic, it inspires me to see others exhibit their creative talents. The strength of any community is made up of many different contributors, and the Arts Council leads the way in making sure both the arts and artists play a significant role in our community.”

In their office and their homes, you will find art purchased from local artists ranging from ink drawings, reliefs, sculptures and oil paintings. Just about a year ago, they began supporting Zahrah Resh, an ambitious and very talented local artist, by way of giving her a gallery space above SuttonAdvisors, PLC.

Zahrah is very appreciative of the gallery space. It’s a simple act of kindness, but was calculated to the point of customizing the entire remodel upstairs to suit Zahrah’s needs. Zahrah R. is becoming more of a household name and the Suttons continue to support her endeavors, whether attending Zahrah’s exhibits, bringing their clients to the gallery for a meeting, hosting events in the gallery space to show off Zahrah’s talents or by hanging her art in their own homes.

The Zahrah R. Gallery is a very special place for us.  It remains a solo gallery for a reason.  The joy, energy and understanding that accompany works from Zahrah’s collection are all emotions that translate well to the work that we do here at SuttonAdvisors,” says Jordan Sutton.

Among being one of Zahrah R.’s biggest fans, the Suttons are also big contributors to the art of sports (Jerry was an MSU baseball player). Jordan Sutton recently volunteered many hours for the Wharton Center’s Open House. You will often find Jordan and Linda Sutton shopping at local galleries and jewelry stores looking for beautiful handcrafted gifts to pass on to a friend or relative for a gift.

“The award itself is exquisite,” says Linda Sutton. She continues, “It is displayed proudly and prominently as an invitation to our clients to inquire about the reason for such a lovely piece of art. We will be happy to tell them of the many opportunities they also have to help and to support. We want to thank the Arts Council’s selection committee, their Board and to their staff for the recognition you gave to our family. We hope it encourages more support amongst others in the community.”

Jordan is heavily involved with the Kresge Art Museum, as a member of the Friends Board. She is currently assisting Rizzi Designs in organizing a focus group to better build community involvement and increase membership as we prepare for the building of the new museum. She has studied several local and national museums, with a strong interest in bringing programming to the new museum in order to create entertainment, education and culture within the Greater Lansing Area. She is very interested in building the Friends Board to involve some younger members and is helping with succession planning as a focus of the Board, the museum’s interests and the Museum.

Jordan Sutton said, “Honored more than surprised, I’m proud of the traditional board, committee and event work that we participate related to the arts. I’m especially passionate about the invention of the Zahrah R. Gallery of Contemporary Art.” When asked what art means to her personally, she responded, “Art in all forms makes a positive and inspirational contribution to the environment in which we live.”

They share their appreciation of arts from all age levels, which is evident of their display of plates from the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s Annual Empty Plate dinner. These are on display year-round at the Sutton’s Office.

Jordan Sutton adds, “The Arts Council is important in that it provides leadership and support for individual artists that otherwise may not have an avenue or the resources to work as a professional artist. The Arts Council signature events bring together arts supporters and not only celebrate progress, but also allow supporters in one area to be exposed to other Art Council artists and supporters.”

Tell Them While You Are Able

I’d like to share a personal experience that changed me.  Let me set the stage as it existed in 2004.  Linda, my wife, and I had been partners in life and in business for over 25 years.  We were providing traditional financial planning services to both families and businesses, and by most standards were successful in our efforts.  Our daughter, Jordan, was completing her MBA at the University of Kentucky.

Although I was an attorney, Certified Financial Planner, Certified Investment Management Consultant and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary Auditor, I took advantage of continuing education in order to better serve our clients.  Thus, I enrolled in a course in ‘business succession planning’; and I invited Jordan to also participate.   Arrangements were made for Jordan to meet me in Denver where the course was being held.  I was feeling good that Jordan and I would be spending some quality time together.

As I was leaving home for the airport and as I was kissing Linda, she asked me the following question: “If something happens to you, remind me what I am supposed to do with the business?”  My response was rather empty as I replied, “Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to me.”  Little did I realize at the time that Linda’s question would literally change the way we approach our business.

As my plane was lifting off for Denver, I can still remember thinking that both Linda and Jordan would be disappointed with the status of things if I failed to arrive home from this trip.  While I had life insurance, real estate, a retirement plan, investments, a will, a trust and powers of attorney; and while it was good I had these things, I realized that simply having these things was not enough to give Linda peace of mind.  She wanted some direction. If this was true for us, I remember thinking that our clients and employees were probably in the same boat.

Fortunately, the first morning in Denver I met Scott Farnsworth, an attorney who was developing a business that was designed to help advisors like me.  Over the years since our meeting Scott has taught me the following:

“We shortchange our clients if we fail to understand and honor the wholeness of their lives in the counsel we give and the services we provide.”

As a result of Linda’s question and the vision provided by Scott all of us at SuttonAdvisors have set out on a journey to be continually developing our business model to best meet the needs of people and their loved ones.

The ‘old me’ thought we were in the financial or estate planning business.  Now, the ‘new me’ understands that our business is not about either financial products or legal documents.  It is about people and their loved ones.   It is helping people deal with their constantly changing lives.

Don’t be guilty of either thinking or saying: “Don’t worry nothing is going to happen to me”.  The success of your planning is dependent upon the inclusion two essential parties: “YOU and YOURS”.

Sutton Advisors cares about the individual’s journey. The journey of a business owner, an heir, a pioneer, a parent… all stories are equally important to us. Your journey is your legacy. Our process is simple: Discover. Design. Implement. Manage. Repeat. Journeys are ongoing, and so we are here to help you reassess your legacy throughout your life and for your future generations. You have a trusted relationship with SuttonAdvisors, PLC and we genuinely care about your individual goals. There is no time like the present. With everything we are witnessing in today’s world, alongside all of the everyday unexpected events – the time to plan is now. SuttonAdvisors believes you define your own journey. We are here to help you along the way.