Sunday, June 16, 2013

Sara Seely Talks about Equistar

Sara Seely Talks about Equistar


Where are you from originally?

I grew up in Irving, Tx


What university did you go to?

Texas Tech University


What brought you to Austin?

My husband and I lived in Houston while he attended law school.  When he graduated, we knew we wanted to leave Houston before we were “stuck” in jobs there.  We had friends in Austin and loved the city, and we had family close by in New Braunsfels.  So we sold our home in Houston and moved here with no jobs.  We made it work, and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.


What is your group’s mission?

To provide real value to our clients through personalized financial advice and investment management to busy professionals and their families.


What need does it fulfill?

My partner Jenny Fleming and I have worked with a lot of entrepreneurs and people in transition.  Our clients are busy in their professional and family life, and they need advice they can trust to manage their personal financial life so that they can meet their long-term goals as a family. 

As a women-owned firm, we are especially well suited to work with females and couples who share decision-making.  


What exactly does it bring to startups?

In my experience, entrepreneurs do an excellent job of executing and getting the advice they need for their business.  However, so often I see their personal finances and planning fall through the cracks.  That is where we come in to play the role of personal CFO.  We offer proactive advice and make sure plans are implemented, not just discussed.  When a liquidity event occurs, we are there to help our clients work through the transaction from their family standpoint.


What type of startup would benefit from your group?


The most benefit comes to startups that are close to some type of liquidity event.  Prior to a transaction, good personal risk management and tax planning are very important.  We also provide charitable and estate planning, and ultimately investment management once a sale has gone through.  

Best regards,
Hall T.