My Journey to Becoming a Wealth Manager and Starting My Own Firm
By Amar Shah, CFA, CFP®
Some people know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They get the right qualifications and then enjoy a career in their field of choice. That’s not my story. In fact, I stumbled into my career as a wealth manager and business owner. An opportunity arose, my interest was piqued, and dipping my toes into something new suddenly turned into a long and fulfilling career.
My Journey - From being helped to helping others
Growing up, I remember my family frequently calling emergency services given my father’s ongoing health challenges. I remember feeling safe and secure when the first responders arrived at my home. Having been helped, I knew that I wanted to help others. After high school, I worked as a firefighter for the City of Poway in San Diego. I was set on becoming a firefighter for the rest of my life but my Fire Chief urged me to go to college before I made that commitment. I accepted his advice and while attending the University of California, Riverside, I started working as a part-time engineer at Qualcomm. Then, the irony of all ironies (because I’m Indian), my job was outsourced to India.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering (with honors), I knew that I wanted a career that helped people and their families feel secure. I got a job at American Express Financial Advisors, and a couple of years in, I realized that this career was an ideal fit for me as I helped my clients establish and build a secure financial future. After a handful of years, I moved on to work as a vice president within J.P. Morgan’s wealth management division in New York City and then spent 8 years as a senior wealth manager at USAA. I also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®), practitioner.
Throughout these years of gaining valuable knowledge and experience, I started developing my own core values of what it means to truly serve people, to serve my clients best. I wanted to create a firm that I would be comfortable with my mom paying a fee for the services, knowing what I know about my industry. Thus, Client First Capital was born with the core principles of transparency, trustworthiness and thoughtful leadership.
Branching Out
I founded Client First Capital with the goal of creating a company that reflected my values and provided impartial, evidence-based advice to my clients, all to maximize their financial well-being. As a first time business owner, I knew that I needed a mentor to help me build a strong firm which is why I reconnected with industry veteran Doug Lennick. Dough was the former Executive Vice President of Advice and Retail Distribution of American Express Financial Advisors and has experiencing managing a business of over 17,000 individuals. He agreed to become my coach and has been an invaluable resource over the last year.
I consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to serve my clients and their families and to help them make decisions that align with their values and family dynamics. I love being a problem-solver for my clients and giving them the knowledge and resources to take action on what’s important to them. I go to work every day not just to provide for my family, but to carry out my mission of helping my clients build a secure financial future.
