Insights

November 4, 2013

In Business Development, a Little Luck Goes a Long Way

In Coldstream Happenings

KF

Financial Advisor – September 2013

Baseball Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez was often heard to say, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” Advisors who hit pay dirt through a fortuitous introduction or a random round of golf can probably relate to that sentiment. It’s tempting to think that if one stroke of fortune can bring in more assets than months of business development, you might as well just sit back and wait for the next stroke. But although you can’t make luck happen, you can — and should — make the most of it when it does.

For Kevin Fitzwilson, a managing partner of Coldstream Capital Management in Bellevue, Wash., the goose that laid the golden eggs was a Microsoft vice president whom he met 17 years ago through a banker friend. Back in the 1990s, even secretaries at the software company could become millionaires by buying its shares. Fitzwilson’s new connection was in charge of several business units — bringing the advisor access to dozens of Microsoft executives and employees. “I knew at the time it was a good piece of business,” says Fitzwilson of his initial relationship with the vice president, “but I didn’t know until later what a good piece of business it was.”   Read Full Article

Related Articles

November 9, 2023

Coldstream Welcomes Wealth Manager Kevin Peterson

SEATTLE – Nov. 9, 2023 – We are excited to announce the addition of experienced Wealth Manager Kevin Peterson to our newly formed Kirkland, Washington, team. Peterson brings $45 million in assets under management and 25 years of experience to our new team through the recent merger with Kirkland-based businesses Seidman Capital Group (“SCG”), a wealth management firm, [...]

October 2, 2023

Coldstream Merges with Seidman Capital Group and Hersman Serles Almond

SEATTLE – Oct. 2, 2023 – We are excited to announce our mergers with Seidman Capital Group (“SCG”), a wealth management firm, and Hersman Serles Almond, LLC (“HSA”), an accounting and consulting services firm. Based in Kirkland, Washington, the two affiliated businesses were co-founded by industry pioneer Victoria Serles, a CPA who has more than 40 [...]

May 1, 2023

Coldstream’s New Chief Operating Officer

SEATTLE – May 1, 2023 — We are excited to announce the appointment of Matt Sonnen as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Sonnen will continue to build out Coldstream’s operational platform and identify opportunities to scale and systematize its business. He will report to Kevin Fitzwilson, Managing Shareholder. In this role, Sonnen, with over [...]