Don’t Hire Us Because You Like Us

There’s something worth saying out loud.

You shouldn’t work with us just because you like us.

When we meet someone new, I often ask how they chose the person they’re currently working with.

The answers are usually some version of:
“He’s a neighbor.”
“She’s a friend of the family.”
“We met through our kids’ sports.”

All perfectly understandable.

But those aren’t the answers I’m hoping to hear.

It would be refreshing to hear someone say:
“Our values really align.”
“I believe in their investment approach.”
“They’ve given us planning advice that has actually changed our financial lives.”

Because when something as important as your financial life is involved, that’s what should matter.

Likability is certainly a factor. We enjoy it as much as anyone. It makes relationships easier. It makes conversations more natural. And it tends to persist for years.

But it’s not a sufficient reason to choose someone to manage your life savings.

That’s where we’re different.

You should work with us because we believe in something.

Because our approach is grounded in decades of academic research, not opinion or prediction.

Because we’ve built real strategies, like the work behind EBI and LVIG, that are designed with intention, not assembled to match a trend.

Because we care deeply about financial planning. Not just portfolios, but the decisions that actually shape your life.

And because we are fiduciaries. We work for our clients. Not a brokerage firm. Not a bank. Just you.

In short, if you believe what we believe, that’s the foundation for a long and healthy relationship.

If you like us too, that’s even better. It makes the relationship more enjoyable. It makes conversations easier. It probably makes the whole experience better.

But it’s a bonus. The icing on the cake.

Because over time, we’ve found that the best outcomes don’t come from chasing what feels right in the moment. They come from committing to a sound approach and sticking with it. Taking the long view.

Performance, in that sense, isn’t the goal. It’s the result.

The best outcomes we’ve seen come from staying put when it was hardest to do so.

That doesn’t always win the popularity contest.

But in the long run, what matters isn’t who you like the most.
It’s who you can rely on when it counts.

So you can invest your money and your time in the people you actually like.

Take the long view,

Last month, we dedicated an issue of the journal to Odds On. As we were putting that together, I had a realization. The reason I’m actually here at Hill is because of this book I read years ago.

Before Hill, I worked at Dimensional Fund Advisors. That’s how I met Matt Hall, through a study group we were putting together of advisors who had an aptitude for media and marketing. In advance of that meeting, I read Odds On. What initially stuck out to me is how the book reads. It’s not a typical finance book. There’s no jargon. There are no equations. It’s simply a story about someone finding a better way to invest and building a firm that treats clients right.

Hill is a really special place. What is apparent to me now is that the values and the things that drew me into the firm years ago still ring true. The intentionality we put into every interaction. The hospitality we try to show our clients every step along the way.

Making the switch ultimately gave me the ability to use my CFP in a much more meaningful way. Rather than just focusing on investments, now I get to help and guide clients through some of the most important financial decisions of their lives.

Looking back, reading Odds On and meeting Matt felt relatively small at the time. Today it feels more monumental. It led me to where I am now, and it shaped the way I show up for this work and the way we want to treat clients every day here at Hill.

Since my introduction to Odds On many years ago, I’ve always shared the book as a recommendation for people who want to better understand our industry and the way we think about investing. It feels less like a book and more like a note from a friend, or a story passed along by someone you trust. It’s one of the easiest books I’ve ever read, and it’s stuck with me in a way that not many others have.

When I learned we were doing a newsletter issue all about Odds On, I found myself saying to someone on our team, “You know, it’s funny… I hadn’t really thought about this directly, but the book is actually the reason I’m here at HIG today.”

Before Hill, I worked at Dimensional Fund Advisors, a now $1T+ money manager and the pioneer of evidence-based investing. I met Matt Hall through a new study group we were launching, a group of evidence-based advisors we brought together from around the country who all had an interest and aptitude for media and marketing. Odds On put Matt at the top of our list, and he became one of the founding members of that group.

I had read Odds On in preparation for our first meeting, so I had a sense of Hill and its mission. But it was really through getting to know Matt in that group, hearing how he talked about his purpose, the people he works with, and the way Hill cares for clients, that made both him and the firm stand out.

In my role at DFA, I worked with hundreds of advisory firms across the country. It gave me a unique lens into how firms operate; what they prioritize, how they invest, and how they show up for their clients. Hill always felt different. There was a level of care and intentionality behind each decision, a real desire for clients to feel known and taken care of, and a culture of excellence. The kinds of things every firm likely strives for, but not all are able to truly deliver.

All of that made the decision easy when the opportunity to join Hill came along. I get to do work I love, with people I genuinely enjoy, and care for clients in a way that feels meaningful and aligned with who I am (a caring nerd!).

I don’t think I’d be here today without Odds On. So thank you to Matt for writing it. I doubt finding one of your lead advisors 10 years down the road was top of mind when you sat down to write it, but I’m really glad you did.