We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Blake Fortune, II and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael Blake, what do you attribute your success to?
Transparency and Trust. Like many millennials, I began my finance journey during the financial crisis. The housing market was crashing, and big banks were going belly up. One of the major contributors to the ’08 crash were financial products that nobody, including the issuers, understood. Families were torn apart from Wall Street greed, and retirement savings for many people were wiped away virtually overnight.
When my partner and I launched Hamilton Capital Partners, our goal was to provide our clients with modern, forward-thinking wealth and asset management solutions that they understood. We often tell clients they should understand 1) What they own, 2) Why they own it, and 3) What they are paying.
Trust is something that we take very seriously as fiduciaries to our clients and their families. Over the years, we have had the privilege of attending client weddings, birthdays and even funerals. Being a part of events like these makes our job that much more enjoyable.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Hamilton Capital Partners in an independent SEC-registered investment advisory firm that specializes in forward thinking wealth and asset management solutions. Prior to launching our investment business, my partner and I owned a TPA (Third-Party Administration) firm. This business was “paper-heavy” and we were dealing with the IRS and DOL on a daily basis. However, the TPA firm equipped us with knowledge on 401(k) and Cash Balance plans that few investment advisors care to learn.
Being an independent advisory firm means that we are not a subset of a big bank or institution. In other words, our firm is not “pressured” to sell clients proprietary products or meet quotas just for the sake of meeting quotas. We are able to be ultra-selective with our client base. This means that whether a client or potential client has $5,000 or $5,000,000, we can decide if our firm would suit their needs.
We often tell prospective clients that our firm is very “hands-on” with their overall financial picture. A potential client that would be a good fit for our firm is one that wants to be a part of the investing journey and understand what we are doing to better their financial future. If an individual wants to hire us to manage their portfolio and talk once a year, then HCP is not the right firm, and we have had those difficult conversations with multiple individuals on many occasions.
My partner and I are both 30, and we work in a very relationship driven industry. Most of our peers are in their 50’s and 60’s and are looking for “exit strategies”. Managing a little North of $200,000,000.00, we have been able to leverage our age and experience to build a successful investment firm.
We often refer to our firm as a start-up business. We don’t have a big bank backing us and sending us client referrals. Our business requires TONS of facetime and travel- which may be the most exciting part of the day to day. Being able to wear multiple hats and transition at any given moment has taught us how to prioritize. One hour, we may be working on our proprietary stock of bond portfolios and the next hour, we may be working on a new marketing campaign. My partner always tells potential hires “Noone is going to turn the lights on and off for us, noone is going to clean the desks, and noone is going to change the water cooler.” The day to day is a constant grind but it makes working for our clients that much more enjoyable.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Himitsu, Chops, Hals, Variety Playhouse, Terminal West, The Companion are a few of my favorite restaurants/venues. Checking out piedmont park would be a must as well.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I grew up working for my dad’s administrative company. At the age of 10, I was emptying garbage cans and helping shred old documents. Spending time at his office was special and it taught me the value of hard work, long nights, and persistence. The only barrier in life is yourself.
Website: https://hamiltoncapitalpartnersllc.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-blake-fortune-ii-m-h-p-36b273100/
Image Credits
Steve West Photography