This year marks Henderson Wealth Partners’ 30th year in business! We wanted to honor this milestone by sharing our history as well as our aspirations for the years ahead. We hope our story conveys the true passion we have for our unique, family-owned and operated business and for our clients who have played such an instrumental role in helping us build it.
The beginnings of this company took root in December of 1985 when I joined the financial services industry by accepting a position with one of the large Wall Street firms. At the impressionable age of 28, it was there that I learned the very basics of financial planning. As I grew individually and professionally, I realized that I could better serve the needs of my clients in a more independent role. My values and beliefs did not align with those of the large wire houses and I wanted a deeper, more personalized relationship with my clients, one that was long-lasting. It was my desire to be an integral part of their lives by helping them to see their financial goals and dreams come to fruition.
As I contemplated taking that leap of faith, I became more and more confident that this was the right move for myself, for my clients, and for our family. The opportunity would allow me the freedom to offer objective and individualized financial strategies for our clients as well as the independence and flexibility to run a business while also raising a family (our Allie was two years old at the time).
In 1990, I decided to go for it. I was fortunate enough to have the support of my clients, all indicating that they would join me in my new role. My closest friends and mentors that I had consulted gave me the encouragement that I so desperately needed at times. Many nights leading up to the move, Rina and I would lay in bed talking about the “what ifs” and uncertainties that presumably lay ahead of us. But in the end, she too, whole-heartedly gave me her support and even joined me as my very first marketing and administrative assistant. In August of that year, I handed in my resignation and that very same day, opened the doors to “Samuel S. Henderson, Independent Financial Consultant.”
Starting out, the new venture was not as I had anticipated entirely! And although I had brought my book of business with me, I now had to juggle growing that book as well as learning the ins and outs of operating a young business. It was tough at times and we were tired, but within weeks, Rina and I were hosting our very first estate planning seminar. We had over 30 people in attendance, most of them being family and friends whom I had promised a free breakfast to! Hosting the seminar ended up taking us over our budget and the operating capital that I had reserved had now dwindled significantly. But I was an “entrepreneur” now and if we had to eat beans and weenies for the rest of our lives to make it happen, by God we were going to! Twelve months went by and we had transferred over 90% of my accounts from the previous firm to SSHIFC and had brought on several new clients as well. We also had created enough revenue to hire on our first employee and from that point on, really began to build upon our foundation.
Over the last 30 years, together we have witnessed some astonishing events and are amazed at the resilience of our financial system, the markets, and our clients. Many of these events having humbly helped shape our core beliefs and disciplines as a business. Black Monday (the crash of ’87), the dot-com bubble, Y2K, 9/11, the Financial Crisis and now the Covid-19 pandemic, are all historic occurrences that have left marks not only on our hearts, but on our company as well. For myself, these experiences have taught me many lessons. During the crash of ’87, when the market fell 22% in just one day, I advised my clients to stay the course while emotions were running high and many were tempted to sell out. And I know that a lot of you are probably shaking your head “yes!” as you read this, remembering some of the handholding we had to do during those times. These experiences have solidified HWP’s philosophies and disciplines for long-term investment management. And today, I am proud to share that I have been fortunate and blessed to have retained most of my original clients over the past 30 years.
Although much has changed since we first opened our doors in August of 1990, a few things remain the same: our commitment to you and your families, as well as helping you pursue your hopes, dreams, and financial contentment in your life. Today, you can rest-assured knowing our business is well prepared for the next 30 years having proudly introduced our daughter and next generation wealth advisor, Allie, into the family business. Now, as a father and daughter team, we look forward to continuing to serve our clients and their families for many generations to come while continuing that commitment we made long ago. We are very proud to now be working with the fourth generation of families, in some cases.
Which leads me into the true purpose of this letter…and that is to say, “thank you.” Thank you to those who have played such an influential part in my life, both personally and professionally. Thank you to my family for making those sacrifices along with me so we could build something to be proud of. Thank you to Dolores Armbrust, my administrative assistant and friend for over 20 years, who retired a few years ago. And most importantly, thank you to our clients for believing in us. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for each one of you.
Over the years, we have met with you at your kitchen tables, we have shared in your many successes, your disappointments, your joys, and your sorrows. And through it all, we have created some beautiful, lifelong relationships and are incredibly grateful to you for allowing our family into your lives and for being a very big part of ours. We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone in our company’s history with you and want to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your dedication and continued trust in us as we look forward to the next 30 years!
In closing, as I sit here this evening watching Toy Story with my 19-month old grandson, Charlie, I realize that Buzz Lightyear said it best as we look ahead to the future: “To Infinity and Beyond!”
From our family to yours,
Sam Henderson
