For this month of September, we are delighted to spotlight one of our Small Business Members – Managing Director Justin Breece, the founder of “Breece Private Wealth Management”.
Justin Breece is an esteemed member of the Rocky Mountain French American Chamber of Commerce (RMFACC) Arizona and a multifaceted individual. With an extensive career in finance and private wealth management, Justin exemplifies a passion for excellence, expertise, and dedication to his clients. His commitment to strong values, passion for learning and human relations sets him apart in his field. He was recognized by Forbes best-in-state wealth advisors in Arizona from 2018 to 2022.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Justin has a deep appreciation for the French language and culture. He is a valued member of many French associations and is passionate expert of Bordeaux wines, all of which add a unique dimension to his profile.
Join us as we explore the rich experiences, profound insights, and inspiring passions of Justin Breece in this interview:
- Justin, could you tell us more about your background and journey?
I’m married and have two extraordinary daughters. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. My wife is French, originally from the Loire Valley. We met in St. Louis, almost 22 years ago and have been married for 20 years. Our daughters speak French fluently and I have been actively learning the language for seven years now. I am passionate about all aspects of French culture - gastronomy, wine, history, language and “l’art de vivre à la française”.
In terms of my professional journey, I started as a Corporate Attorney (No longer practicing) at a major law firm in St. Louis before transitioning into finance. I have over 20 years of experience in financial services. Prior to founding my practice, I held different high-level executive roles at Merrill Lynch, UBS, Morgan Stanley. I was also an Investment Banker to select families, business owners as well as the founder of a sports and entertainment agency representing athletes, actors, musicians and entertainers.
In 2022, my team and I left Morgan Stanley to create my own practice “Breece Private Wealth Management”. This decision led me to join forces with TSG Wealth Management, a dynamic and robust firm seeking to enter the Scottsdale-Phoenix market. It proved to be a perfect fit.
- Why did you move to Arizona?
My wife and I were aiming to create a more balanced lifestyle for us and build a family without sacrificing proper utilization of the hard earned skills that I had developed. Accordingly, after tremendous introspection, we arrived at a decision to go all-in on Private Wealth Management for a myriad of reasons; including, a deep love of investing and problem solving for others. Further, there was a collective desire to start something professionally and personally with my wife at the same level in a new city. It become apparent that Scottsdale made perfect sense given my older brother was already living in Phoenix and we saw significant growth potential of the market. Our diligence unveiled all the right ingredients: a large and growing city with an underserved financial services market. Plus, with the spectacular weather and lifestyle, we decided to take a chance and move to Phoenix, starting from ground zero.
- What led you to start your own wealth management practice?
After 18 years of working for large financial corporations, I wanted to explore the independent channel, to focus 100% on the clients, enhance their experience, and make a positive impact on their lives. This is why together with my team, we decided to embark on a new journey in 2022. Moving from a larger firm has afforded us the opportunity to prioritize what matters - our clients, heightened communication and to break free from the complexities of corporate politics and corporate goals. This is why and how I started “Breece Private Wealth Management”. It was truly the “the best of all worlds” in starting our own firm, yet, have the large firm resources of our partners at TSG Wealth Management and the independent channel resources of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network (bank that we clear through).
Amongst the full spectrum of Private Wealth Management services, we provide - Portfolio Management, Investment Planning and Retirement Planning, Business Advisory, Business Sales and other Liquidity Event planning, etc,…and fully enjoy what we do.
- How do you differentiate your wealth management services from others in the industry? What do you believe sets you apart?
I have a unique skill set thanks to my rich experience and diverse background, ranging from corporate attorney, investment banking to wealth management. By way of example, my legal background enables me to understand my clients on a much deeper level by asking a myriad of questions that forces clients to address the most pertinent and often emotionally complex matters. Moreover, I analyze situations differently and love complexity. Clients often reach out to me for problem solving. Helping clients find the appropriate solution and building a strong relationship with them is essential to me. I take the time to talk with each individual and understand their emotions, as emotional intelligence is key. For me the adage that “people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care” is my mission. If you don’t build a connection on the deepest emotional level, your advice will be ephemeral. Finally, trust, collaboration, accountability, transparency, listening, problem solving are values that my team and I cherish. All this sets us apart in the marketplace.
- How do you choose your clients?
As I mentioned previously, relationships are key to me. I only work with clients with whom I have a positive and trustful rapport. There has to be mutual respect and enjoyment working with a client. With respect to the level of wealth needed to be a client, I don’t set a strict rule; rather, I want to make sure the potential client: 1) meets the above rule 2) is someone with potential to grow together or 3) is someone with whom I will never make any money working together but is is a phenomenal ambassador in the community - worth the karmic value.
- In your opinion, is AI an opportunity or a threat for your field?
While always mindful of ways to improve, I do not consider AI as a threat. In my work, I rely on emotional intelligence and deep interpersonal connections - something AI cannot replicate. However, I see it as a valuable tool that can enhance efficiency and effectiveness in our work.
- Looking ahead, what do you envision for the future of your company and yourself?
Especially being Independent, there are boundless opportunities for my company's growth, including continuing to scale the business, add more talented advisors and team members,
and expand our client base.
On a personal level, I am passionate about teaching. Over the years, I’ve been invited as a guest speaker at Arizona State University, and I deeply enjoyed the experience. For me, I receive immense pleasure sharing knowledge, especially with young people. It’s astonishing that the youth are not being taught, at a minimum, the fundamentals of investing at the earliest possible age. By virtue of their youth, they are already in possession of one of the greatest investing tools - compounding interest - yet most are unaware. I’m embolden to transmit that gift. Sadly, when asking people about their goals, income alone is most likely not going to be sufficient; they need to find other areas of growth and investment. In reality, history shows quite clearly that those that save more than they spend, invest the extra savings and allow time and compounding interest to work its magic end-up in very positive financial positions. The formula is quite basic; however, the execution is tricky. Ultimately, money isn’t everything, but having it certainly helps as it provides optionality. For me, rather than focusing on some exoteric goal of retirement, I like the idea of focusing on the number that clients need to obtain work / life optionality. That is the true freedom.
On the personal front, there is no shortage of goals that I’m working on. Some of which include: Obtaining my Master’s in Burgundy Wine after having already earned a Master's in Bordeaux Wine, earning my French DELF C1 level this year, improving my classical guitar skills and write more articles, and, perhaps my first book.
- How can people reach out to you?
Contact:
Justin W. Breece
602-317-1171
15169 N. Scottsdale Road
Suite 340
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
We express our sincere gratitude to Justin Breece for taking the time to participate in this interview and to share his inspirational and motivational story with us. The RMFACC is honored to have “Breece Private Wealth Management” as a valuable member. We look forward to seeing its continued success and positive impact on the community.
2022 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors: Awarded April 2022; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/20 - 6/30/21 (Source: Forbes.com). 2021 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors: Awarded February 2021; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/19 - 6/30/20 (Source: Forbes.com). 2020 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors: Awarded January 2020; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/18 - 6/30/19 (Source: Forbes.com). 2019 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors: Awarded February 2019; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/17 - 6/30/18 (Source: Forbes.com). 2018 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors: (Awarded February 2018; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 6/30/16 - 6/30/17 (Source: Forbes.com).The Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.
Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. [Practice Name] is a separate entity from WFAFN
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