Ashley Patterson, co-founder of DNA Wealth Partners, has service in her blood.
DNA Wealth Partners was founded on service-based principles and the hope that we could be the ones to provide little-known solutions typically reserved for the exorbitantly wealthy to everyone. We also believe that after a long life of working to provide for yourself and your family, you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor when it comes time to retire.
When Ashley Patterson set out on a mission to bring those dreams and philosophies to life, she did so with a fire in her heart and passion for serving. “I’ve worked in the financial services for decades, so I understand how this industry works,” Ashley says. “I understand why it’s difficult to find the help you need from service providers you can trust. Now, I’ve established the connections and put in the years of searching to give every single one of my clients what I honestly think is the best chance to succeed, and I’m excited to be able to help each day.”
Ashley comes from a long line of financial professionals, with about 125 years of experience spread out among her family members. “I entered this business with a family tree full of insurance and financial professionals. It’s a bit strange because when I was younger I thought I might buck the trend and try to do something else, but I guess advisory and financial services are just in my DNA,” Ashley says.
While her initial driving factor was the desire to help clients, Ashley has continued to pursue work as a financial advisor because of what her grandmother experienced when she retired from AT&T during the dot-com crash in 1999. In a retirement plan, her grandmother had the choice between a “cash-and-stocks” option and a pension. Because of the hype and funding surrounding new internet-based startups, she opted for the cash and stocks option that she thought had the potential to grow exponentially.
“My grandma bought into everything she was hearing about newly developed companies based on the internet. At the time, I’m not sure she understood what was happening, and she certainly didn’t have anyone willing to take the time to explain the situation and how her choices could affect her later,” Ashley said. “I just wish I could have been there to educate her. When these companies went belly-up, she lost nearly half of everything she planned to have in retirement, forcing stress and headaches on herself and her family members.”
Furthermore, Ashley guided her clients through the Great Recession of 2008, providing advice and financial service that helped them survive the crisis. It’s these moments and events that Ashley believes define a financial professional. “When everything goes wrong, how does your advisor or financial professional give you the confidence to push forward?” Ashley asks. “For me, it’s about planning. I construct plans that are meant to withstand difficult market conditions and take advantage of opportunistic scenarios.”
Ashley is also passionate about crafting custom plans for each of her clients. She knows that retirement planning deserves more than a cookie-cutter approach, and each individual comes with a unique set of circumstances and objectives. She’s also aware that talking about your financial outlook isn’t always easy or comfortable, but she loves working with clients who face that discomfort with strength and bravery. “As a boutique firm, we don’t work with everyone. We form mutual partnerships based on aligned values and goals. That allows us to provide a more personal experience to all of our clients,” she says.
An avid animal activist and dog lover, Ashley spends much of her free time with her two adopted boxers Bodhi and Bianca. She enjoys taking them for walks in the beautiful weather, playing fetch at the local dog park and cuddling up next to them to watch movies. “I’ve always loved animals, and while I’m beyond passionate about helping my clients plan for the future, I’m equally passionate about helping animals find the love they deserve,” Ashley says. “Unfortunately, they can’t advocate for themselves, so I’m always happy to be the one to do it.”
She splits time between her homes in Austin, Las Vegas and Scottsdale, but she feels equally close to all three places. Each of the three cities gives her a sense of home in some way, whether it be from her roots or her professional path. She takes pride in her ability to find something special about each place she’s been lucky enough to call home, believing it’s incredibly important to have a sense of belonging. She says, “I’ve always been blessed enough to have somewhere to call home. Now, I feel like I belong in three different places, giving me the freedom to connect with all of the people in my life whom I cherish so deeply.”
You can also catch Ashley live on the radio Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on KFYI-AM 550 in Phoenix. Each week on her show, The Wealth Lab, she and her cohost Don Spini take to the airwaves to cover the basics of retirement planning and discuss strategies they can help you implement into your plan. With a focus on minimizing tax obligation, protecting assets, achieving growth and creating pension-like scenarios to establish a lifetime of income, the Wealth Lab is a one-stop shop for financial news, tips and tricks. You can also listen to every episode by clicking here
