Extol Summer 2020 | Page 55

“ An axiom is a closely held principle or truth. We knew we wanted a name that had meaning.” – Vaughan Scott, Axiom Financial Strategies Group founder and partner Axiom Financial Strategies Group 101 W. Spring St. 5th Floor New Albany 812.913.7701 www.axiomFSG.com Certified Financial Planner Michelle Konkle returned to her Southern Indiana roots to work with the firm. “I wanted to be a part of Axiom,” she says. “The respect and courtesy we give to clients shows we really do care for them. It’s not about production; it’s about working with genuinely nice people who care about their clients.” Scott agrees, “Our culture puts our clients first. We have a fiduciary mindset, but we also truly function as a team. Most industry advisors have internal competitions, but we just always have the philosophy that if we take good care of our clients and have a good team, we’ll always have a place in this business.” Now more than ever, Scott knows that personal touch is paramount. When the sky seemed to fall earlier in 2020, Axiom mobilized to stay safe, work remotely, and work quickly to secure their clients’ investments as much as possible. “We learned to communicate via email and phone in ways we never did before,” says Scott. “Mike and Gloria did a phenomenal job with our repositioning when the market was at its bottom. It’s one thing to absorb the shock of the market, but another thing to reposition for recovery. Mike and Gloria completed transactions for over 1,000 accounts in just a few days. As the market has recovered, our clients see the results of that.” Earlier in the year, Grau and Scott focused on upgrading technology efforts and saw the benefits immediately. “We’ve remained flexible,” Grau says. “Everyone has a long-term plan that we put together the day we start working with them. When markets turn downward, people look at their scores and see their score is still in the target zone. They can weather the storm, and we position the assets and work with a plan that allows them to see how they are doing. Most people are staying on track, despite the effects of 2020.” That personal touch highlights Axiom’s difference from larger, more national investment firms. Clients choose who they want to work with, says Grau, “We come in every day to serve our clients, our team members, and our community. That’s our mindset.” “It’s a focus on families,” Scott adds, “It’s more than just a financial business. We take on clients who do cool things and help them grow. I think about what I would advise my family, my parents, my grandparents to do. We help, and we just do it the right way.”