TheLiveBigWay® Digest: Same Standard

Enduring businesses understand what elements of the organization remain constant through change and what may evolve in response to a shifting landscape. Since its inception, Yeske Buie has worked diligently to clarify and preserve our foundational elements – the values, practices, structure, and culture that make up our core identity. And at the same time, as we look ahead to a future full of possibility, we’re feeling excited about the different ways we can show up for our Clients.

This duality – preserving our core identity and evolving with purpose – is one we actively embrace, and we’re using this phrase to capture the spirit:

Naturally, you may be wondering: What’s behind the ‘new energy’? And what defines the ‘same standard’? We’re looking forward to answering both of these questions, and we’ll begin with the foundation – Same Standard. The stories ahead illustrate what that means to us, and we hope they offer some new insights and clarity. As always, we welcome your questions and conversations on this topic and others.

35 Years Strong

This year, Yeske Buie is celebrating 35 years in business. Our Founders, Elissa and Dave, started their careers with their predecessor firms, Financial Planning Group and Yeske & Company, respectively. Each firm had its own strengths: Financial Planning Group ran like an efficient, well-oiled machine, and Yeske & Company led the way in the realm of technology. They had complementary strengths and their values were aligned, so they decided to merge their firms in 2008 to create the powerhouse firm as we know it today.

As Elissa’s and Dave’s careers progressed, it became clear that the duo were pioneers in the financial planning profession, which was only 20 years old when they began.

Elissa and Dave were involved in and partially responsible for the memorandum that started the Financial Planning Association (FPA), the leading membership organization for financial planners. They were there when FPA and the Foundation for Financial Planning were creating their logos. Elissa was in charge of the Foundation when it made its decision to focus on one-on-one pro bono financial planning. And Dave was President when FPA created the Financial Services Institute. They impacted the CFP Board’s decision to permit continuing education credits for research, as well as the fact that academic research is honored within the profession. They’ve created academic courses and mentorship programs and contributed to books and so much more.

They weren’t just there for these moments – not just on a committee – they were leading the committees and organizations and impacting major milestones in the profession. And they did it all while running and growing their business and deepening their relationships with their Clients.

Worldview Drives Everything

Though their intellect, compassion, and entrepreneurial spirit have played a large role in their collective success, Elissa and Dave’s commitment to living a values-based life is just as paramount.

Dave and Elissa have imparted certain fundamental values and worldviews on the firm that have given rise to our approach to financial planning, our investment philosophy, our business operations, and everything in between. And what’s beautiful is that these ideals aren’t simply accepted by everyone on the team (and most if not all of our Clients and colleagues!), but they are lived with a sense of ownership and duty in service to our Clients and each other which helps us feel confident that they will endure through whatever shifting landscape lies ahead.

The Standard

So why does this history matter to you, our Clients? We are highlighting these moments to show you that the standards and values we seek to uphold aren’t just for show. They are rooted in a life-long commitment to leadership in developing evidence-based financial planning, exceeding the fiduciary duty, encouraging philanthropy and pro bono financial planning, and cultivating a profession grounded in ethics and excellence.

Born from these experiences, and Elissa’s and Dave’s infallible passion, is Yeske Buie’s standard of excellence in how we show up for you:

This standard is in our DNA, and what started with Yeske and Buie individually has grown into a universal expectation that everyone at Yeske Buie is committed to meeting and exceeding in service of YOU – today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

And now for a little fun!

Though our standard is non-negotiable, our processes have changed (and we expect will continue to change) throughout Yeske Buie’s history. We invite you to take a trip down memory lane with us as we share a look at a few of the differences in how we’ve served you over the years and the standards that have stayed the same.