When Mint Hill was founded, the plan was to have three partners who each focused on a different area of the business. Tim, Tyler, and Matt brought unique skill sets and interests that contributed to a distributed, balanced set of roles and responsibilities. Equally important, they had chemistry as partners that worked, and they did not want anything to disrupt it.
As the company’s hard work paid off and the business grew, the workload intensified – particularly for Tim, who was not only acting as a full-time financial advisor, but also launching Mint Hill Capital and running the private equity segment of the business. His plate was getting full, and the need for another advisor became pressing.
While the Charlotte area was full of qualified financial advisors, the decision was not quite that easy.
As Tim recalls, “We had all been in this business for over a decade. We knew many advisors, including several that were highly competent and served clients well – that wasn’t the issue. The challenge was quality of character. When we launched Mint Hill, we did so on the basis of six non-negotiable core values. As we considered various candidates, we kept running into walls regarding alignment in this area.”
Enter Jake Stevenson.
At the time, Jake was already a successful advisor. He had ten years of experience working with physicians and dentists and lived in Charlotte with his wife, Lena, and their two children, Grey and Levi.
Jake admired what the team was doing with Mint Hill, and the admiration was mutual.
“I remember when Jake’s name came up for the first time among the partners,” Tyler recalls. “It was a pivotal moment because it marked the point at which our collective tone shifted from hesitancy to enthusiasm. It’s like something clicked – we suddenly saw that it was possible to not just fill a need for the company, but to make it significantly better.”
Each of the partners had worked with Jake at a previous firm. They knew him to be an excellent advisor and a person of unquestionably high character – which was imperative. But when his name came up as a potential Mint Hill partner, it was almost a déjà vu experience for Tim. Six years earlier, Tim had just moved his family to Charlotte, NC to be a regional director for a different firm. He oversaw several new advisors, each demanding considerable time and attention. He was spread thin and needed an advisor to lighten his load.
Enter Jake Stevenson.
Within five months, Jake moved his family to Charlotte to focus on three underperforming states in Tim’s territory. Jake’s presence elevated the performance not only in these states, but also throughout the territory as Tim was able to refocus his attention to other areas.
Collectively, the partners knew that this was exactly what Mint Hill needed – a team player who would represent their core values and thrive on identifying weaknesses and turning them into strengths. This is Jake Stevenson.
Mint Hill brought Jake on as a partner exactly one year ago. And, true to form, he has not only fulfilled his role as an advisor, but also elevated the firm through his approach to leadership.
Jake explains, “There’s an economic saying that says, ‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’ My approach in business – as both a team member and financial advisor – has always been to focus attention on areas that have the biggest impact on raising the tide for those around me.”
For Jake, a big part of this has meant integrating with Tim’s financial advisory practice to create space for Tim to manage the private investment segment of the business. Jake has approached this role with the same care and fervor he always has, with particular focus on the client’s experience.
He says, “I do not take it lightly that I am given the chance to speak into people’s financial decisions. My focus has been on building trust early by demonstrating competence and character in every interaction. In my experience, this is the best way to build strong relationships over time, and I thrive on this process.”
In only a year, Mint Hill has seen the fruits of this approach, as have our clients. We are proud to share Jake’s journey and are grateful to have him as a partner and financial advisor at Mint Hill.
About the Author
Matt Lessman is partner and Chief Operating Officer at Mint Hill Wealth Management, an independent, boutique wealth management firm serving physicians, dentists and their families. With over 10 years of experience, Matt’s role is to oversee operations and assist in developing the private equity arm of the firm. He spends his days steering the Mint Hill ship, bringing organization and process to the growing firm and using his analytical and strategic skills to enhance the team.
Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Truman State University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. When he’s not in the office, you can find Matt spending time with his wife, Katie, and their four children.
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