October 24, 2016 10:36 am Meet Laurie Stefanowicz – VP & Managing Partner, Catamount Wealth Mgt.
What do you love to do with your children? How old are they? And what is your greatest wish for them?
I am the proud mom of two beautiful girls, Ellie (9) and Maisie (6). I love to be active with them whether it’s coaching them on the soccer field, watching a swim meet, taking day trips to a zoo or museum or sharing play dates with friends—they are always on the go. My greatest wish for them is that they try their best every day, do what makes them happy, be kind to others and they take advantage of the many opportunities and experiences they are given.
When and where are you the happiest?
I am happiest when I am making a difference in someone else’s life. As a mom, wife, daughter, coach, boss and financial advisor, fortunately, I have many opportunities each day to do so. My greatest satisfaction is coaching my kids, friends, colleagues and my clients in reaching their goals. But, since I am getting personal, I must admit I love taking some time out for an awesome massage!
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Luckily, I have had the opportunity to travel often domestically and throughout the Caribbean. My bucket list includes many cities and towns all over Europe, especially Paris. My 6-year old is learning French so she said we must take her there so she can practice (smart girl!). Otherwise, wherever we can go as a family and enjoy some time away—skiing in Colorado, Utah or Vermont… summers in Long Beach Island, New Jersey and Maine—just time away from our busy schedules.
Who has had the biggest influence upon you? And what quality do you most admire in a mother?
When I was in college, I worked as a nanny for an amazing family that devastatingly lost their mother to cancer when they were 11, 9, and 6. What I learned from them during this time, I carry with me every single day: strength, courage and resilience—knowing that some days are hard and some are harder but you need to just press on. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of this extraordinary family and our times together. Since my mother has and still is a very important part of my life, it was so inspiring for 3 little kids to be such a source of strength. The quality I admire most in mothers today, is admitting that being a parent is a tough job—no one is perfect and it is hard to find the balance for our kids however, at the end of the day we all want the same thing for them—to be happy and feel loved.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love to be with our friends. We live in a wonderful town, belong to an amazing catholic school community and have some of the most incredible family and friends. We love getting together and sharing our day to day joys and challenges. We are all so overwhelmed with schedules, data, technology and keeping up on everything from school to work and our families that good ‘ole traditional conversation and get-togethers make it easy for warm, light fun.
What is one of your favorite books? Movies?
I loved the movie, “The Intern” with Robert DeNiro and Ann Hathaway. I think it captures so much of today’s workplace—so much young talent yet you can never replace experience and expertise. That’s what makes my current job so special—my boss and I complement each other so much personally and professionally to make a great team. And, it was super fun to see a young female entrepreneur doing it all and doing it well.
Besides motherhood, what other careers/opportunities have you enjoyed? What are your strongest qualities?
I have been fortunate to have some amazing opportunities in my life. Upon graduation, I was drafted to play professional soccer in the Women’s United Soccer Association for the Atlanta Beat. Playing soccer everyday with the some of the soccer greats while collecting (a small) paycheck was an amazing experience. I love my job at Catamount Wealth Management. Every day brings new, different and unique challenges and I love to create solutions. My strongest quality is listening and connecting with people. I am a people person… and, that quality is what helps me be successful at what I also love to do every day.
What is your favorite type of food and what do you love to cook?
I’m not a huge foodie. Growing up in an Irish family it was meat and potatoes and on Italian night it was pasta with butter! As a mom, I cook one meal a night for the whole family (barely) and it’s usually pretty simple. I’m lucky because my husband will eat pretty much anything and my oldest daughter is following right in his footsteps. I do enjoy maintaining a healthy diet and encouraging my family to do the same.
What is your favorite time of the day and why?
My favorite time of day is after dinner around 7:30 PM when the day is finally winding down, the kids have finished all their activities, dinner is cooked, the daily grind is done and I can sit with my husband, watch a little mindless television and relax—and, yes, he will watch all the bad TV shows with me unless there is a baseball or football game on. I love the balance of working hard and creating time to rest and rejuvenate.
Where is your favorite place to Party with Moms and what’s your favorite drink?
I love a nice glass of Chardonnay at Artisan in Southport—sitting outside on their patio in their comfy couches, on a beautiful day and catching up with friends.
Below is a synopsis of a recent article featuring Laurie and Catamount Wealth Management,
“Why Women Choose Boutique Vs. Large Wealth Advisory Firms”
A recent study from the Center for Talent Innovation shows that although women are opting out of traditional private bank and broker-dealer models, those with a financial advisor strongly prefer to invest their money through boutique firms. More women are creating and controlling wealth around the world and becoming the primary decision-makers for their household investments.
Boutique firms like Catamount Wealth Management of Westport, CT are able to provide personal and client-centric financial advisory services to families. The principals of Catamount departed larger corporate wealth advisors to follow through on their passion to focus on clients’ authentic needs. “I wanted to be able to create strategies and be able to react to changes in the market in real time,” says Laurie Stefanowicz. “Life happens, so, whatever may come, whether divorce or loss of spouse, we are able to react in real-time, switch gears, be creative and identify the best solutions for our client.”
The Top Advantages of a Boutique Firm
- Quality – Time & Access to Top Management
- Flexibility – Ability to Create a Different Client Experience – Client-Centric & High Touch
- Comprehensive Services – Ability to Coordinate All Investments, Tax, Legal & Other Advisors
- Collaborative: Team Approach vs One Advisor
- Personalized & Diversified Strategies: Customized Planning
- Holistic Wealth Management
- Freedom: To Act as a True Fiduciary: Clients needs come 1st
- Flexibility: Ability to Recommend an Array of Investment Solutions
- Real-Time Responses
- Lower Fees & Higher Returns
