JOHN STOJ
“John is the only financial advisor you’ll ever meet who’s managed over $3 billion and a sushi kitchen.”
That’s what it says on my public relations bio at least, and I’d bet it’s true. My path to financial planning was neither straightforward nor easy. That winding road gave me a unique and valuable perspective on investing and life.
After working through the crucible of the 2008/9 financial crisis, I decided to take a page from Monty Python... “And Now for Something Completely Different.” In 2010 I opened Rold Rite Sushi, a wholesaler of fresh sushi and other Asian foods to the trade. I grew the business until I sold it in 2015 to take on the most important job of my life to date, as a stay-at-home dad.
When my son entered school, I knew I wanted to return to finance. This time I have a selfless desire to help people that I learned by working in the food business. Food service workers want to make people feel better. I want to share knowledge and wisdom that can help folks better prepare for the future. I want my clients to feel better and worry less about their future because they have a plan for it.
I spent decades on Wall Street. I traded and designed some of the most complex bonds ever seen. Then I managed massive portfolios for large institutions. I learned two important lessons from that time.
First, the more complex the investment, the greater its costs.
Second, the greater its costs, the worse it performs.
For investors, simple is better than complex. Einstein said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” My mission is to give you more simplicity and less complexity – in both investing and in life.
I believe in the Japanese concept of kaizen, or continuous improvement. I also believe that how we communicate with each other, whether advisor to client or between clients, within our families, about money is often more important than, “the math.” The program in Behavioral Advice given by Shaping Wealth helped me immensely, and I hope that it might help you as well.
Verbatim exists only to further my clients’ best interest.
Obligatory Family Pictures
(to prove I’m a “real person")
My two most important people
My better half at work