About Matthew F Hersch
I am Matt Hersch and I am passionate about helping our clients achieve what they may not even have known to be possible, while making a positive impact in the world. But before I tell you more about what I do, let me tell you a little bit about who I am.
I grew up in Tacoma, Washington, in the not so great part of town. My parents worked hard to provide for me and my brother. While we always knew we would have all that we need, we didn't have a lot of extras. From a very young age, I learned the value of hard work and perseverance. I started out mowing lawns, crushing cans, delivering newspapers, and working on a Christmas tree lot. Finally, when I was fifteen, I got my first real job at a lumber yard. While I learned a tremendous amount while working there, I hated being soaking wet out in the rain, and I knew I wanted something better, something different.
I decided that college was my way out of this life (and the rain). That may seem obvious, however only about half of my freshman class graduated high school and a much smaller percentage went on to college. However, I was one of the few who decided to take that path. I was determined to make something of myself, I just wasn’t sure what that would be.
I attended Western Washington University, where I received a degree in finance. I felt that with this degree and my perseverance, it would put me on a faster track to financial success. I just had to figure out how. I started as an intern at Smith Barney days after graduating and determined right then that I was going to be in this business. Over time I have worked my way through the ranks to become an Executive Director and one of the founding members of the Pike Place Partners.
When I first started, this business was a lot different and not that interesting to me. It did however, promise that with hard work and dedication, I would be on that fast track, which was enough to keep me engaged. Early on, the focus was almost entirely about portfolios and performance. I knew then, that while I could build a portfolio that fit the clients' needs, I have little, if any, control over the outcome. Over time, this industry has changed and so have I.
Now, much of my time is spent helping clients in areas reaching far beyond the portfolio. I focus on the levers that I believe can help to make a transformative difference in the lives of our clients. I focus on what our clients truly want to accomplish and work with their other professional advisors to help make it a reality. In short, I spend my days striving to be everything to our clients, so they can be everything to the people counting on them.
Along this journey, I met my wife Alissa, who is also an Financial Advisor on the PikePlacePartners. We met at work many years ago, were married, and now that we have two amazing kiddos, Blakely and Beckham. These two are our pride and joy and we love to spend time with them and watch them grow. Having a family has taught me there is so much more to life than just work. It is about family, friends, and being there for each other in the good times, as well as the tougher moments.
This realization has changed my outlook on the work that I do. I am not just another advisor providing advice, but rather a leader providing strength and leadership to our clients when they truly need it the most. I am proud of what I do, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve them.
This is my personal story, and this is why I love being a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley.
Securities Agent: NH, WI, OR, NY, KS, IL, CO, AK, AZ, CA, UT, TN, AL, OH, SD, NJ, MT, TX, MA, IN, GA, DE, VT, NM, MD, ID, CT, MI, ME, DC, VA, PA, OK, NV, MN, HI, FL, WA, SC, NC, MO; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative; Managed Futures
NMLS#: 1278727
CA Insurance License #: 0I71541