Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Knezevich
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up lower middle class in a single parent household. My mom worked two jobs and mowed grass in the evenings to keep a roof over our head. Hard work was something that was instilled in us from childhood. My first job was at 10 as a paperboy and my second job was at 13 as a server.
I have been working since I could remember. I was the first to go to college and graduate. I went to OSU and was brother of the Phi Kappa Psi franternity. While in college I started a promotion/nightlife business to pay my way through school, ultimately leaving college debt free and purchasing my first home at 22.
After gradution I jumped into corporate America. My first job was in sales and marketing. I got fired within the first 90 days because I chose not to do something unethical. The company said that I wasn’t a cultural fit. They are no longer in business. The second job I had. I worked for an entire year, and I worked all of my coworkers and members on my team and quickly realized during a first ever performance review that we were all getting the exact same raise. I quickly knew that I needed to get into a career where it was merit based, and I was compensated based on the value that I brought to the organization.
I then took a few months off and hired a career consultant who gave me some personality assessments which led me to the financial services business. I then realized how most of the business was aging out, and the industry was going to be majority, retired in the next decade and saw a massive opportunity. I got into the industry and immersed myself with some amazing mentors in Cort Bradbury, Michelle Merkle, Mel Rochowiak. They helped lay the foundation that would teach me how to operate in a highly competitive market.
I have since grown my team in practice to what it is today.
Alright, 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?
No, it has never been smooth. When I started my business I used to go to checksmart every friday and pledge my rent before I had a client. I used to live in a mold infested basement apartment in the ghetto. I had one stove burner to cook my ramen/hot dogs, had to hand wash dishes, and drove a broke down nissan sentra, and had one window in the apartment. Eventually I became a trusted advisor, and put my own learnings to into practice. This helped me set the foundation for my own family I was building that I didnt have growing up. Now I teach people how to get out of and stay out of debt, how and where to invest, and how to build/create generational wealth. It has set me and my family up for the future.
We’ve been impressed with WestPoint Financial Group/ Banc Consulting Partners/ NLF Partners, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a full scale independent privately held wealth mangement and financial planning firm. We specialize in working with real estate professionals/investors on the individual side, and managing banks balance sheets on the instiutional side. What sets us apart is our human capital. We hire the brightest talent from all over.
What are your plans for the future?
We just hired 7 new people and are quicky filling up our second office. We are looking to grow and be a staple in the community. My goal is to get to a point where I can step back and spend time giving in the commuinty that helped me get here, and spend as much time with my three children as possible.
