IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sarah Faulkner

In the Spotlight for this edition of our newsletter is Sarah Faulkner. Sarah acts as one of our Executive Assistants and her skills in finding a way to make things happen are crucial to keeping things running smoothly for all. Her eagerness to serve and her efficient management of details begs the question what did we ever do without her? Each day Sarah delivers a heaping helping of thoughtful and efficient detail management and she does it all with a smile and a laugh. 

So,  just some basic information about you. Let us know where you grew up.

“I grew up in Bennett, Colorado. I'm one of those rare native Coloradans. So all of Colorado is not about the glitz of Aspen or the expansiveness of Denver. Bennett is way out East, on  the eastern plains. It’s not what you think of when you think of Colorado, because it looks kind of like Kansas. Yes, there has been a lot of  growth in the past few years. It’s funny that they actually  have a stoplight now. ”

And, as you went to college, how was it you came to pursue your current path?

“Like so many of my peers at WD Wealth, I have had several different careers and vocational paths. Out of high school, I went to CU Denver where I earned a bachelor's degree majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. I worked my way through college as a bank teller.  But the longest one that I had was working in a medical lab as a histotechnician.

After my undergrad work, I pursued a one-year certification from Dalton College in Georgia. At the time, on-line classes and degree programs were just becoming a thing. To actually become a histotechnician, it was required that I add to my degree this very unique 0ne-year certification program at Dalton College. Histology is basically processing biopsies and making slides for pathologists to diagnose diseases and formulate the most appropriate path of treatment.

After being fully certified I worked as a histotechnician for at least six years. I was really good at that and I did enjoy doing that work. When I had children, I was able to pivot to night shifts in order to be at home with my son. After my second child was born, my daughter, I did per diem work for a while and then I realized it was time to take a break in pursuing a traditional career to focus on home.

 I started work for a church as a Children’s Ministry Director a couple years ago.  And that brings me to what I do now as an Executive Assistant at WD Wealth Strategies. This job has been wonderful for affording me flexibility to be able to be very active in different events for my kids.”

Since you are a native, are you feeling the itch to move somewhere else, or see new horizons? Or is living in Colorado exactly where you want to be?

“Have you heard the phrase, “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl”? That tells my story in a nutshell. It's true, because now that I'm older, I dream about moving back to the country. I currently live closer to Commerce City. Of course, Colorado has grown so much over the last 15 years. It seems like it is one continuous flow of dense housing and industry from Ft. Collins all the way to Colorado Springs.  

I long for the simplicity of what things were like while I was growing up. I miss the sense of community that you have in a small town. It's hard to have that and build that in places that are more populated, I think.

 For me, my drivers are not so much about where I live, but are more about how I live. It goes back to my beginnings in Bennett. I grew up the youngest of five in my family and my dad was a pastor, so he was very much involved with the community, as was my mother. What was modeled for me by them was an entrenched commitment to community, and a passion for service. So,  who I am was defined by my parents who modeled being others-oriented, being a servant. It all happened in a small town. 

I think we all long for connection and community. If it's a really big community, sometimes the connection piece of the one-on-one gets pretty lost. All of that is to say that I am happy to be in Colorado; perhaps it might come to be that I can stay here and have the rural existence that I long for.”

So, please amplify the details about what you do at WD Wealth.

“I think that I am here to help serve the clients’ needs. I help communicate between team members to get those needs met. For me, it’s all about service. I feel like my biggest job is active listening, whether it is for the clients or it's for the team members. I feel like that's more my job than anything. And a natural outcome of service and active listening seems to involve helping to build processes and to organize things.”

Sarah, please share with us what you think is unique about working at WD Wealth? 

“What I like best about working at WD Wealth is the people. I love the people that I work with! So the flexibility is wonderful, but beyond that,  I highly value how we're able to connect with each other— and that our team has a real service mindset. I appreciate  the culture here because it aligns with my values. Put another way,  I think that  the culture here is cohesive to my values. The people here and each of their  drivers for service and integrity give me freedom to be who I am. I also appreciate how these individuals with  great talent are always  creating exceptional options for our clients. I am so glad that the viewpoint we all  share is that it’s all about doing what is best for our clients.”

If you had to name your favorite movie what would that be? 

  “Tombstone! Every time I watch this movie, I can’t help but laugh at the witty lines. I laugh just as much now  as I did the first time I watched it. I love Val Kilmer’s depiction of Doc Holiday, especially at the end when he is asked why he joined Wyatt Earp’s cause and he says “Wyatt Earp is my friend.” The man asking replies, “Heck, I’ve got lots of friends.” Doc Holiday simply replies, “I don’t.” The unique friendship and understanding between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday is a testament to loyalty and leadership. ”

Do you have an interesting or favorite quote you’d like to share?

   “My favorite authors are JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, who ironically, were very good friends. A couple of my favorite quotes come from JRR Tolkien’s book, The Hobbit: “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”  ~Gandalf”

What about recommended  reading? Is there a favorite book you are reading now?

“I’m currently reading The Servant by James C. Hunter, which is a book on leadership. It explains that before you can truly lead, you must understand and take action to serve. It seems like a simple concept, but the concept of servant leadership is easily understood and less often put into practice. I love this because it applies to every person-who leads in some capacity whether they are conscious of it or not.

I’m also reading The Body Keeps the Score: Brain Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. This book goes into depth about trauma and how the body stores and processes it. The struggles and perseverance of his patients are awe-inspiring, he brings such a depth and big picture understanding to trauma beyond the scientific and obvious details through his documenting of real world cases. ”

Can you share a favorite podcast that you follow that relates to finance?

“I enjoy Our Rich Journey, which focuses on FIRE and the steps it takes to get there. I like this one because it gives perspective and shows that early retirement is possible. I love the idea of having more freedom with how you invest your time in causes you care about. This is a personal goal of mine to have more freedom to invest in a life that honors my values. ”