Chapter 2 A Total Rebuild
a total rebuild
Talia
I have about fourteen boxes of paperwork to fit into three drawers of a file cabinet.
It’s actually surprising how much business my boss, Harold Shaw, managed here in Vegas, even from his home base in San Francisco.
He sent me here with the historical files, even for clients we no longer manage.
Now I have this monumental logistics issue to figure out.
Maybe someday I’ll convince him we need another person here, just an administrative assistant to help digitize the files, answer the phones, manage the calendars. Good thing I can do all of that too—otherwise, I’d be tearing my hair out right now.
I mean, I guess it makes sense that a financial advisor would be somewhat organized, right? It would be weird if I was really good at analyzing market performance and investment strategy but unable to figure out how to organize a few files.
When Harold offered me the opportunity to rebuild Baseline Investments here in Vegas, I jumped on it in a heartbeat.
He once had a respectable market share here among the sports and entertainment professionals, but he has many high-profile clients in San Francisco now and he can’t get down here as often.
Some of his clients have moved to other markets and are handled by other members of the team.
He realized this was an untapped market, ready for someone hungry to come in and build it back up.
I mean, I know it was a favor, too. This opportunity spared me the need to dig a hole and jump inside. He’s been supportive and discreet, but it’s never a good thing when your boss realizes you’ve been sleeping with a client. A very rich, very married, very important client.
I can’t stomach seeing the guy and Harold can’t stomach losing me from the team, so this is our compromise.
This office is a box. It’s probably ten feet wide by seventeen feet long with one window to the outside world and a tiny, attached bathroom.
It’s nothing special, and I know it’s temporary, only until I can get enough clientele booked to justify a better space, but still.
It’s kind of a hole. Well, I guess I did jump in a hole after all, now, didn’t I?
A hole you dug for yourself, one shovelful at a time.
I push my glasses up and gaze out at the street below.
It’s busy with what I presume is a wide mix of tourists and locals.
My office is not quite on the Strip, thankfully, but it’s close enough, and there is a row of restaurants just outside my office doors.
I found an apartment within a safe walking distance, though I bought pepper spray and a set of knuckledusters that both hang on my key ring just in case.
My first client of the day comes wandering in as I’m staring outside. The sound of the bells on the door make me jump to attention. I smooth my skirt and toss my long hair behind my shoulders as I reach out to shake his hand.
“Imari,” I say, “good to see you again.”
“Thought I might not see you again after I moved here. Good news for me, you got traded, too.”
I grin. Imari is tall and lean, a forward who played for Golden State until he broke his leg.
He started coaching for the Dons in San Francisco and came to us for money management advice.
Namely, he wasn’t making as much as an offensive coach as he’d been making as a pro player, and he needed to figure out how to better protect what he had.
Now he’s head coach at UNLV and feeling much more comfortable with his salary.
“Sorry for the mess.” I look around and realize I don’t have a chair to offer him, so I move two boxes to the floor to open up one of the guest chairs before heading around to my office chair to pull out his files.
“Why no assistant? This place is like a little, tiny prison. You get promoted or put in prison, Talia?”
I laugh. Probably too loud because I’m socially awkward like that. And he kind of hit the nail on the head. It’s both a chance to build my client list and serve a good strong dose of career-purgatory as punishment for doing something very, very stupid.
“Maybe both?” I answer, cringe-smiling. Ever done that?
Smile and cringe at the same time? It mostly looks like you’re passing gas.
Not pretty. I school my face to what I hope is neutral and add, “Harold wants me to get a few new clients before he’ll spring for extra help.
A few more than that and I may be able to get new digs.
So please go out and say nice things about me to people who need an awesome financial advisor. Baby wants a new office chair.”
“I’ve already done that, girl. Expect a few calls in the next week, for sure.”
“Yay. You’re the best.” I offer a fistbump, which he reciprocates. “Speaking of…how’s your better half?”
“Shai’s good,” he says. “And the girls are growing up fast. They’re having their seventh birthday party in a month and they literally won’t stop talking about it. You should come if you’re into that sort of thing.”
Imari has twin girls with his wife, Shai.
They are such a nice family; I just adore them.
Which is why I spend an awful lot of time analyzing and adjusting his portfolio.
He got a bum, random deal when it came to that injury.
He was expecting to be able to play for at least ten more years and losing that time meant he had to face some unexpected realities when it came to his long-term financial plans.
“Seven-year-old birthday parties are my jam, so you can count me in. I’m reserving my own personal jumping session in the bouncy castle right now, so tell Shai.”
“On it.” He laughs at my ridiculousness and taps something into his phone. “Done.”
“Well, then, I’ll be on the lookout for my invitation. You’ll be pleased to hear I have good news that I can’t wait to share with you.” I veer us back on track to the purpose of this visit.
As we go over his financial statements, I show him a recent change-up I made to his investment portfolio, pointing out various line items of note.
“The market is super volatile right now, so I wanted to make sure that the bulk of your money was as bulletproof as possible. So, I moved these assets over here, but then put a chunk that was languishing in mediocre-town and threw it into these hot stocks. I watched and when they went high, I sold and then reinvested in a medium-risk mix. The value was instantly higher and should now have medium growth, with little chance of getting hit hard by market unpredictability.”
“Wow, Talia, you’re a genius. I didn’t know portfolio advisors could be so nimble. What a great strategy.”
“Well, I aim to please. And remember, I had you sign off so I could have that level of flexibility in decision-making. Other advisors could do it, but it would mean monitoring accounts individually on a day-to-day basis and most don’t want to do that much work.”
“What do people pay them for, then?”
I shrug. “The investment process is pretty complicated, and it does take an expert to make discerning choices at the right moment. Most good advisors can get great results without this level of service. I just like to play with the puzzle pieces when I can, when I’m feeling confident of a sure bet.
Maybe there will come a day when I can’t do this level of hyper-focus on accounts, but for now, I have the time and interest. Especially for my favorite clients. ” I give him a playful wink.
He presents his knuckles for a second fistbump as we finish up his review.
Once we’re done, I walk him to the door.
He gives me a side-hug, made awkward by the fact that he’s like a foot taller than I am, before heading out into the afternoon sun.
And I smile. Looks like I’ll have at least two friends in Las Vegas, after all.
I don’t have other client appointments today, so I hunker down in front of my computer to watch how the markets finish, then make some notes on a few clients’ accounts I want to change up. Before I know it, it’s past nine and my stomach reminds me I’ve missed dinner. Again.
After locking up, I make the short walk to my apartment.
I was lucky to find something affordable, with a doorman and security system, right within actual walking distance of the office.
I like living among the hustle and bustle of the high-traffic area just off the Strip.
It makes me feel like I’m part of something and feeling part of something is enough for me, since I’m an introvert by nature.
Inside my small studio apartment, I hear the tinkle of my cat’s little collar bell as she runs toward me, welcoming me home.
“Good evening, Miss LuLu,” I say, picking her up. She rubs against my face and purrs before squirming away and running toward the kitchen area. “I’m sorry I’m late. You must be starving.”
I get LuLu fed, then heat up another culinary delight from my freezer (chicken enchiladas suizas) and make a cup of tea before settling on my blue velvet chaise with a book.
My apartment is exactly two and a half rooms—the studio living space, a bathroom, and a tiny kitchenette space separated from the main living area by a small buffet bar and two stools.
I’ve got a chaise lounge, one of my handmade chenille blankets (hand knit by moi), and two full bookcases. It works for me.
I start reading the John le Carré thriller my dad gave me for Christmas in between bites of enchilada, the heavy hardback tome awkward to manage with LuLu and my dinner plate in my lap.
But I have some serious experience doing the cat/book juggle—which becomes a lot easier once the dinner is eaten—and settle in to read some more.
I keep nodding off, but I don’t stop to force myself into my bed or anything sensible like that.
No, I just keep on reading, or attempting to.
Eventually, I fall asleep on the chaise with LuLu and my open book on my chest…with my glasses still on my face.
Again.
At least my life’s predictable.