Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Calise.
Frank, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started this business over 20 years ago as a stock broker in Midtown Manhattan making 500 phone calls a day speaking with executives of mostly large corporations all over the globe. I would call England and Ireland in the morning, as it was too early to call the US, East Coast to West Coast as the afternoon progressed, and at night I called Australia and New Zealand. My job was to get them interested in our firm and a stock idea that would potentially make them money. After a year, I realized this pace was not sustainable nor the direction I wanted my career to follow. I joined David Lerner & Associates in New York and learned the bond industry and how to produce income for retirees along with many other areas of the industry such as REITS, Mutual Funds, and Public Speaking. However, after a few years I felt I could help my clients in a much bigger way. I started to realize the importance of helping families protect what they have rather than focusing solely on growing their net worth. This mindset helped me connect with clients on a much more personal level – I was part of making sure their family was financially protected and this really became a huge turning-point in my career. Once again, I decided to shift gears and became a Financial Planner in the summer of 2000.
After visiting Arizona numerous times during my baseball career, my family and I decided to make the move to Scottsdale in the spring of 2002 where I had the opportunity to work and ultimately become a minority partner of a great company that focused on achieving financial goals in a tax advantageous way. This ultimately paved the way for my practice today and how I approach all my client’s individual needs. In 2010 I was approached by H&R Block to merge our services and provide a “one-stop shop” for clients. I was skeptical at first of owning a franchise tax practice but quickly realized the resources and expertise H&R block has behind them would ultimately only benefit my clients. We’re now able to provide tax preparation, bookkeeping, auditing, and financial planning all under one roof. The decision to join forces turned out to be a great one.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced came from navigating the industry early on in my career. I knew I was passionate about this industry 20 years ago, I just wasn’t sure where my niche was. It was a lot of trial-and-error to find where I belonged.
I’m incredibly grateful for the last 20 years and everything I’ve learned. This path has proven to be the right one for me and I can’t wait for the next 20 years.
CFR Capital Group – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our team of tax professionals, advisors and support staff really nurture an environment where we’re able to continuously grow as a company and provide innovative, outside of the box solutions for our clients. Our client base has matured from only a couple of hundred a few years ago to over 6000 tax and financial clients we serve on a yearly basis between 4 locations in Scottsdale and Sedona.
Our Philosophy is simple “it’s not what you make, it’s what you get to keep”.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6929 E. Greenway Pkwy
Ste 170 Scottsdale, AZ 85254 - Website: www.cfrcapital.com
- Phone: 480-621-5851
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CFRCapitalFrankCalise/
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