Today we’d like to introduce you to Joffrey Smith.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Joffrey. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Hartford where I majored in Economics and Finance and played Division 1 baseball there. At that time I knew I wanted to pursue a career in finance.
During the summer prior to my senior year of college, I was selected for a very competitive internship program at Morgan Stanley in New York City where they only took a limited number of students from throughout the country. I was working in the World Trade Center on the 62nd floor throughout the summer of 2001. I was very excited to be working on Wall Street and learning from the best in the business, and forming some great relationships for a future job there.
Then in September, I went back for my senior year of college and 9/11 happened. That ended up changing my career path and where I would end up. I was the recipient of the Senior Book Award given to the top senior in the Business School and graduated as the country was in a recession. Instead of ending up back in NYC on Wall St. I accepted a position as a financial advisor in Boston for a large company. I was fortunate to get great training and build up a successful client base. After working there for 6 years I decided to go independent and start my own company, Joffrey Smith Financial Group. I have been running my business for the past 9 years which has continued to grow over the years.
I invested in my career to become an expert in the field, so I could pass on that knowledge to my clients who I work with and obtained 5 top designations. I now have the CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, LUTCF, and PPC designations which involved passing multiple exams for each of them. I work with individuals, families and businesses throughout MA and the country helping them in the areas of investment management, retirement planning, insurance planning, estate planning and employee benefits. I enjoy what I do as every day is different and I get to meet lots of new and interesting people while helping them achieve their financial goals. I also got involved in a couple other endeavors besides my work as a financial planner.
At the age of 24, I decided to go into politics as it was something that had always interested me. I grew up in Worcester and ran for elected office to the Worcester City Council challenging the incumbent at the time who had previously also been a State Representative and State Senator for many years. I worked extremely hard campaigning going door to door meeting voters every day and explaining my vision to move the city forward. I was fortunate enough to pull off the upset and win the District 1 City Council seat becoming the youngest person ever elected in the history of Worcester. It was a great privilege and honor to get re-elected to two more terms serving 6 years in total. I was also appointed by the Governor to the Board of Trustees of the State Library of MA.
During this time while working as a financial advisor and City Councilor I decided to also pursue working as an actor. I had previously taken a couple of acting classes in college and always enjoyed being in front of the camera. During my time in politics I was doing a lot of public speaking and interviews and on TV a lot, so was very comfortable on camera. Acting is a very hard career to break in to, and I was lucky to book a bunch of roles right out of the gate and build up my acting resume. I ended up signing with Model Club in Boston who is a top New England agency representing actors and models.
I have worked over the years to build my acting skills and have been fortunate to continue booking consistent paid work in movies, TV commercials, industrials and print work. I’ve worked as the Baseball Technical Advisor and been in the Adam Sandler movie, That’s My Boy along with a number of other films that have shot in the MA area. I’ve also been on numerous national and regional TV commercials and appeared in national print ads and even some billboards. I enjoy everything that I have done which has been in diverse fields. It brings me pleasure to help other people whether that was during my time in politics or through today helping my clients secure their financial future.
My financial planning business remains my top priority and I’m excited for what the future holds and the opportunity to work with my current clients and new clients who can benefit from planning in the most tax efficient way with me. I’m able to share unique ideas and advanced planning techniques that many people aren’t familiar with to help put them in a better financial situation. I’ve also enjoyed giving back to the community by raising money for numerous charities, serving on the Board of non-profits and charities and even hosting and judging some pageants for talented females.
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?
It is usually never a smooth road to success, and my path has been no different. I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today, and I have had to overcome some challenges along the way.
For example, I took a big risk at the age of 28 to go independent and start my own firm with no salary or anything to rely on. I had to cut back my expenses and take on some debt to get my business off the ground, but I’m glad I did it as everything has worked out for the best with my business growing each year since inception. There is a huge failure rate for financial advisors, as 90% won’t last 3 years in the business.
In addition, it is even a bigger challenge to make it as a young advisor as you need to build trust with older clients and your natural network of people is not in their peak earning years yet. Even today just 22% of financial advisors are under the age of 40 like myself. I have always tried to turn these perceived disadvantages into advantages as I might have not had the most experience starting out, but I built my knowledge and skills reading and studying every day to become an expert in the field.
Less than 17% of financial advisors have the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation which I hold, and I used that along with my 4 other top designations to set me apart from the crowd. Today, I have over 15 years of experience working with clients and was the recipient of the prestigious 40 Under Forty by the Worcester Business Journal.
Please tell us about Joffrey Smith Financial Group.
We are a full-service financial services firm committed to helping people pursue their financial goals. We offer a wide range of financial products and services to individuals and business owners. As an independent Financial Advisor and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, I can help you define your long-term investment objectives and build a personalized investment portfolio designed to pursue them. I recognize the importance of getting to know you, your financial needs, your financial goals and your lifestyle.
My office was established to provide ongoing professional advice to investors while helping them work toward meeting their individual investment objectives. I am able to do this by offering truly objective financial advice on a fee basis. This method of compensation allows me to adjust your investment portfolio without requiring you to pay commissions. I am a fiduciary to my clients and always put their best interests above my own. I treat every client as if they were my mother, father, brother or sister who all are clients of mine as well.
I try to go above and beyond from a service perspective as I am available to talk with clients if need be at night or on the weekends to help address any issue. I believe having 5 top designations, many of which took years each to complete along with numerous exams sets me apart from the average financial advisor. Less than 5% of financial advisors have all those designations so it brings me instant credibility and expertise as I meet with new clients to help them reach their unique goals.
I’m most proud to see my clients on track to reach their financial goals that we set and knowing they are in a better position than before they met me. I bring forward unique ideas and planning tools that most clients weren’t aware of that helps put them in a better position for success. I’m happy when my clients are happy.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I’ve been fortunate to have great parents and a supportive family throughout my life. A lot of my favorite memories from childhood involve playing sports such as baseball. I have always been very athletic and played baseball, basketball, football, and indoor track in high school. I then went on to play Division 1 baseball in college and had several major league try-outs.
I still enjoy competing as I play in two competitive wood bat baseball leagues today. I also enjoy boxing, as I’ve had a few fights, along with skiing, golf and tennis. I think playing sports my whole life has helped me in the business world, as I can take coaching and make adjustments, work well with others on a team and bring that same competitive spirit from the field to the office so my clients can win.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11 Foster St. Suite 200 Worcester, MA 01608
- Website: www.joffreysmith.com
- Phone: 508-749-0358
- Email: joff@joffreysmith.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joffreysmithfinancialgroup
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/joffreysmith
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