State of Street - June 2024
Welcome to the first "State of the Street" blog - one of many steps we are taking to continue to build our relationship with our clients and our community. In "State of the Street," I’ll be sharing updates and news about Christopher Street. For this month, I’ll be talking about the Christopher Street Team and our partnership with Bluespring Wealth Partners.
Our Team
When it comes to providing “Relationship-based financial planning”, so much starts with our team.
Over the last few years, we’ve been thoughtfully growing the team at Christopher Street – new talent joining a group of long-time veterans who many of you know well. We are extremely selective in this process, intensely focused on hiring only those individuals who share our values. Yes, we want team members who have a passion for financial planning and investment management. But they must understand and appreciate what Christopher Street represents – the values we champion, the community we represent, and the clients we serve.
Today, there are 16 of us. And in a month, there will be 17 when another financial advisor joins Christopher Street. Each of us brings a unique perspective and skillset to Christopher Street and to our relationships with our clients. But we all share the same purpose, which is to create opportunities through relationships, helping people lead fulfilling lives.
So who are all of these individuals (and as I’ve been asking myself recently, where are they all going to sit?!)
They are all part of your team, a team of financial advisors, paraplanners, client service professionals, and critical administrative support. We pride ourselves on a true team approach. Yes, every client has a dedicated financial advisor who leads your financial planning relationship. But each and every one of us is here to support that relationship. We collaborate to ensure you receive thoughtful, thorough, and responsive service.
For the latest overview of our current team, I encourage you to visit the Team Page of our website.
Our Partners
Last September we announced that Christopher Street Financial had become a Bluespring Wealth Partner firm. While many of you reached out with congratulations upon the announcement, some were understandably curious, asking what this “partnership” represented. And while nine months seems like a lifetime ago, I imagine there are still some questions regarding what this means for the future of Christopher Street?
Has Christopher Street been swallowed by some faceless corporation?
Will Christopher Street lose its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community?
Is Jen Hatch retiring?!
No… No… and No!
Bluespring was interested in the opportunity to invest in Christopher Street because they recognize the tremendous value in what we have created. Over our 40+ year history, we have served literally thousands of individuals. Many of these relationships have spanned decades. Some of these relationships are brand new, including with your children, grandchildren, cousins, friends, and neighbors. We are always thrilled to work with people like you who share our values.
What’s more, there are members of our team who have been a part of these journeys since the very beginning, preserving knowledge and insight into your lives over that time. And we have new team members who bring new energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to these relationships.
Bluespring appreciates what all these relationships represent. They admire the fact that we have remained true to roots, our values, and to our community. They clearly see the talent and dedication of our entire team. In short, they wanted to partner with Christopher Street because of who we are, what we do, and what we will continue to be.
Looking back over the time since the announcement, this all remains true. Bluespring was thrilled by our decision to become a Founding Partner of A4TE. (Read more about our partnership here.) They are excitedly looking forward to our presence at the OutMontclair Pride Festival, asking us to “Send pictures!”
They get us.
… but will anything change?
The partnership is also significant because it provided Jen Hatch, long-time owner and continued President and Senior Financial Advisor, to ensure Christopher Street Financial would endure long beyond any single individual. It provided an opportunity to identify and elevate more leaders across the team, introducing a new generation of advisors to our existing client relationships and the generations to come.
This wasn’t so much the passing of the torch as it was an opportunity to light more flames.
While we remain fiercely committed to preserving the legacy of Christopher Street Financial and staying true to our roots, that doesn’t mean we are stuck in the past. We are informed by our history. We look back in admiration of what the LGBTQ+ community has achieved since our founding in 1981, and we remain humbly proud for having been an active part of that journey.
But now… 43 years later… we are starting the next stage of this trip. It’s an exciting stage. With a growing team, we are now better able to identify, connect with, and support an even larger part of our community. We can do more. We can be more. We can achieve more. And we will… but we will always be Christopher Street.
