Since launching NorthStar Legacy Planning a few months ago, I wanted to provide some history regarding my decision to leave Equitrust Financial Group.
This has been an incredibly bittersweet journey, one that took careful consideration, serious planning, and no small amount of courage. But I can say with certainty: it was absolutely the right decision.
Equitrust Financial Group wasn't just a job. It was the foundation of my life, literally. My father built the firm before I was born, growing it through seminars held in high school gymnasiums, early mornings spent building portfolios, and long nights on the phone with prospective clients. Equitrust paid for the home I grew up in, the first car I drove, and my college education. Without it, my life would have looked very different.
It also gave me direction when I needed it most. I was miserable in a previous career, adrift, and my dad could see it. He suggested I come learn the business from him, something I'd never once considered. I was hesitant, but I needed a lifeline, and I took him up on it. He was upfront: I'd be making less money, at least at first. But if I put in the time and effort, he said, the future would be limitless.
I believed him.
I started as my dad's assistant's assistant, grinding through paperwork, learning the practice from the ground up. Days were spent learning how to open new accounts; nights were spent studying for my licenses. A year in, I'd passed my exams and begun laying the groundwork for my own client base. A few more years and a few more letters after my name, I was officially a Junior Partner at Equitrust Financial Group.
My dad, ever the planner, then introduced me toThe Five-Year Rolling Succession Plan. When the time was right, he would sell me the practice and step into the next chapter of his own life. Every year, he'd say, "Okay Josh, in five years, we'll start the transition." And every year, the clock reset. As it turned out, five years from our very first conversation was exactly when it happened. We just didn't realize it until we were already there.
Working with LPL on the succession was smooth and efficient. We explained what we wanted, and they made it happen. We planned for the sale to close on August 1st, 2023 perfect timing, we thought, with my first child (my dad's first grandson) due three weeks later.
Men plan, God laughs.
My son had other ideas, arriving five weeks early. So there I was in the delivery room, sneaking out between contractions to make sure the business transfer didn't hit any snags. In the end, both went off without a hitch, the baby was healthy, and the business transferred just as cleanly (figuratively speaking, of course).
I moved into the big office, bought my father's share of the practice, and started running the book of business exactly the way he'd taught me.
And for a moment, I thought:That's it. I've done it.
But staying still was never the goal. I wanted to grow.
The landscape had changed since my father's early days. Seminars in gymnasiums and cold calls weren't the path forward, especially with a newborn at home. After a lot of reflection, I concluded that the best way to grow was to surround myself with talented, like-minded professionals in complementary industries. Not competitors, colleagues. People to build alongside.
To do that, I needed to leave part of my past behind. The part that fed my family, bought me my first car, and put me through school. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. But after a long conversation with my father, my mentor, we both agreed it was the right move.
I found the right opportunity: an office of attorneys whose expertise complements my practice, allowing me to offer my clients a broader, more holistic set of resources from estate planning to tax advisement creating a one stop shop for our clients financial needs. All that was left was saying goodbye to my past so I could build toward my future.
I sold my shares of Equitrust Financial Group and founded Northstar Legacy Planning. The name isn't something I cobbled together, it means something to me.
- Northstar: I want to be your guiding light in your financial journey.
- Legacy: I have always believed in helping clients build something lasting for the people they love.
- Planning: We plan for your future. (That one's pretty self-explanatory.)
I am proud of everything my father built, and I will always carry the Equitrust name with me. He laid the foundation, and I am grateful for every brick of it. But over the past fifteen years, I have built upon that foundation: the clients I've earned, the expertise I've developed, and the practice I've shaped into something I can call my own. Northstar Legacy Planning is the next chapter of that story, one I am writing myself. I am excited for what it will mean for my clients, my family, and my future.