Name: Paul L Gaudio
Class Year: 2017
Title: Client Advisor
Organization Name: Crestwood Advisors
1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
I provide personalized, comprehensive financial advice to help individuals achieve their goals and live their lives to the fullest.
2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross?
During my Sophomore year at Holy Cross, I randomly stumbled upon a list of over 100 financial advisors in an issue of Boston Magazine. At the time, I didn’t know anything about financial planning, but I knew I should be looking for internship opportunities. I ripped those pages out of the magazine and emailed every advisor asking if I could work for free to gain experience. One of the advisors responded and mentioned that he had also gone to Holy Cross and would love to help me (Thank you, Tom!). This led to a paid internship the next summer, my first job out of college, and a passion for financial planning that grows stronger every day.
3. How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?
After just a few client meetings, I realized that being an advisor is an extremely rewarding experience. When you are someone’s trusted advisor, you get to experience and share their full range of emotions. You feel the thrill of giving them the green light to retire, or go on their dream vacation, but you’re also there to guide them through the most difficult times in their lives, such as losing a loved one. At every step, you are the one providing reassurance that they are going to be ok. I knew it was a good fit for me because I was having a positive impact on people’s lives.
4. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
I was a member of the Holy Cross Rugby team and a site manager for Working for Worcester. I also spent a semester during my senior year as an intern for the Holy Cross Investment office.
5. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was a Math Major, which kept me busy! In this industry, it certainly helps to be good with numbers. Does that mean you need to be a Math, Econ, Accounting, etc. major to be a successful financial advisor? Not at all. Being skilled with numbers is valuable, but more importantly, you need to be curious, empathetic, and a good listener. This industry is shaped by constant change and innovation, which keeps the work exciting and the learning never ending.
6. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
At Holy Cross, I truly learned to enjoy being a man for others. When you find something that you are passionate about and translate your passion into an opportunity to help others, it is incredibly powerful. If you continuously capitalize on opportunities to help others in your profession, you create value that will naturally lead to success.
7. What advice do you have for students on campus today?
If you think you might be interested in something, then pursue it— it could lead to a passion! In college, it is ok to feel unsure of what you want to do, but you need to put in the work to allow opportunities to present themselves. The reason I am where I am today is because I took the initiative to email 100+ advisors asking for an opportunity to learn. Take advantage of the Holy Cross community to help you find your passion and think outside of the box!
