Matthew Smith, CEPA®, QPFC

Most of my clients are surprised by the fact that I grew up in a small, rural, Texas town. I assume it’s because of the suit and tie, or the MBA, or the big New York firm I work for. But it’s true. I grew up in a town of 603 people that was forty miles from a grocery store. My high school bus ride was nearly an hour long. But in this story there’s no walking uphill both ways in the snow. This is a different type of story.

Growing up in that small town taught me foundational truths that I use every day. Between my parents, my friends, and those dirt roads, I learned to work hard, help others, make friends, and dream big.

It wasn’t farm living; in fact, my father was a entrepreneur who drove an hour into Houston every day. But we did have a huge hay barn out back and several acres of land. It meant there was a never-ending list of work that needed to be done. It also meant sacking groceries or flipping burgers wasn’t a summer job option. To earn my spending money, I was hired by neighbors to mow grass, clean tack, or run fence line in the Texas heat. I learned fast that how hard I worked mattered to people, and even a skinny teenager could feel a sense of satisfaction in a job well done. There is no substitute for hard work. You can’t out-smart a hundred-foot trench. You just need to dig.

One morning, before my mother and I drove to my dentist appointment, we got a panicked phone call. Our neighbor three streets over was in trouble and her daughter didn’t know what to do. It turned out she was diabetic, hadn’t regulated her insulin properly, and was comatose. We loaded her in our car and drove 45 minutes to the closest E.R. My appointment got rescheduled, and I missed several classes that day. But she was in trouble, and living in a small town meant living by the Golden Rule. Whether it was a house on fire, a flash flood, or a church in need of repair, we always stopped what we were doing and lent a hand. This is the bedrock of my career choice: I get to help people make good financial decisions, take care of their families, and leave a legacy for the next generation.

Wherever you grew up, we all remember our childhood friends. I know making close friends isn’t exclusively a small-town ideal. Our pack was different because my five friends made up the entire list of boys my age in a three mile radius. The six of us were all there was, so there was no room for drama. We were Friends, and that meant something more permanent than today’s transitory, and often virtual, relationships. There are few things in my life that are more valuable, and I’m blessed with the opportunity to work alongside my friends, and watch as my clients become my friends.

I’ve spent my adult life in the close suburbs of Houston and Dallas, and often look back on those small-town years with nostalgia. When I was in it, though, it felt as small as the population on the sign. I dreamed of the places I’d live and the people I’d meet, and of the opportunities I’d seize. And while not all my plans look like what that fourteen-year old imagined - I still don’t own a flying car - I’m grateful for the years I spent dreaming big. I want my clients to do the same. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve achieved, there’s more you can do, more you can accomplish, and a bigger impact you can make in this world.

I get to thank two universities, several great mentors, and decades of professional experience for the abilities that allow me to manage money for clients. More importantly, however, I lean on my small-town roots to give me the passion and purpose to serve my clients every single day.