Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Pratt.
Jason, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story can be defined by the example set by my parents my entire life. My father Jon was 18 years old and my mother Marilyn was 17 years old when they had my twin brother Jon and I. The odds were certainly not in our favor. Teenage parents with twin boys. But my parents didn’t really care much about what the odds looked like. My father went on to play football at the University of Maine, work, and graduated a semester early. My mother sacrificed everything to be the best mom and wife she could be during this time. Not your typical college experience but my father wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. After my father graduated he got right into the Financial Services Industry commuting from Gloucester to Boston for very little pay. Working 65+ hours a week. My mother worked breakfast and dinner as a waitress while being the best mother to her twin boys. As you can imagine money was tight. But my brother and I never knew the difference. We always had everything we could have ever wanted.
Through the years I saw first-hand the impact hard work had on our life. My parents were never given anything they didn’t earn. And as I watched my father become more and more successful I never forgot what got him there. In life if you want something you need to put the work in and go make it happen. And that’s what my parents have taught me through their actions. They are still happily married today and have set such a good example for me as I raise my four daughters with my wife Kaicia.
I graduated from Fitchburg State University with a degree in Business Management. After graduation I knew that I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and enter the Financial Services Industry. I did a college internship with Baystate Financial and attended a Career School with The New England Financial. I eventually broke into the Industry as a Director of Recruitment with Northwestern Mutual North Shore Group out of Woburn. I was responsible for helping grow the office. It was impactful having the ability to introduce this career to recent college graduates as well as career changers. I then moved on to Prudential Financial as a Manager of Recruitment. I oversaw the growth for four offices across New England (Wakefield MA, Marlboro MA, Portsmouth, NH, South Portland, ME). But in the back of my mind I knew I always wanted to team up with my father. And that opportunity came knocking 8 years ago. My father called me and said he was starting his own firm and wanted me to join him. Not sure I have ever been more excited professional to have the opportunity to work alongside my mentor and hero.
As I sit here today the President of Life Solutions Group I could not be prouder of what we have accomplished together. My father had a vision 8 years ago to build one of the most successful Independent Financial Planning and Benefits firms in New England. He self-financed Life Solutions Group and bet on the two of us. He is a true entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to impacting and helping others. With over 1,000 clients LSG is without a doubt one of the top Financial Planning and Benefits firms in the area. We lead by example. And nobody will out work the two of us. We are both passionate in what we do for individuals and business owners. We have built a team of high character and high integrity Financial Professionals who embody the same moral compass as the two of us. I am very proud of what we have built at Life Solutions Group and look forward too many more years of delivering education and advice to individuals and business owners.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Easy? Nothing about this business or industry is easy. Especially as a true self-financed Independent firm. We are not held captive to any one company. Which means nobody pays our bills or overhead. That allows us to work with all the different carriers out there and give our clients the best products based on their needs. But it can be scary out there on your own. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. We love that the only people we answer to are ourselves. You are always going to have bumps in the road when you are running your own company.
I would say the biggest challenge we face is no different than many other Financial Firms. Recruiting and retention are big. We are always selectively looking to add talent to our team. But they must represent our values and have integrity and character. It’s no secret this industry has high turnover. So, we are always battling the roller coaster of losing talent and adding talent. But this is what we signed up for. And I love a good challenge. Currently we have a strong team of 15 members working out of Danvers. Plus, several brokers across New England.
Please tell us about Life Solutions Group.
We help individuals, families and businesses create, protect and accumulate their wealth so they can fully realize all life’s possibilities.
LSG offers essential planning, education and advice to help individuals and families enjoy all that life offers from paying for college, buying a home, starting a family and investing in future for weddings, retirement and leaving a legacy for generations to come.
We offer owners and executives’ access to advanced planning services for highly paid executives and owners. We offer a unique planning approach to assist them as they address complicated tax strategies and unique retirement issues that can’t be addressed through traditional retirement planning methods like 401k or IRA plans.
LSG provides essential advice and support for companies and organizations from the day the business starts, throughout each stage of growth and into the transfer from one owner to the next owner so that the business can attract the best talent, reward them for their contributions and retain them as they help to deliver the key elements of value to each client of the company.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from Childhood would have to be my family’s first trip to Disney World. My parents were in there early 20’s. As you can expect money was very tight for several years. So understanding how hard they had to work and how much they had to save to take a family vacation to Disney World when we were five years old has always meant the world to me. I will never forget when the Limo pulled up to take us to the airport. It was my first Limo ride. My first Airplane ride. And my first trip to Disney. Simply Amazing. We even had the run of the park when a Hurricane rolled in. I still remember wearing the ponchos. I had a very blessed childhood. With many great memories but this is without a doubt my favorite.
Contact Info:
- Address: 99 Conifer Hill Drive, Danvers, MA 01923
- Website: www.lsgadvisors.com
- Phone: 9786055204
- Email: Jason.Pratt@lsgadvisor.com
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
