Paula Sabbagha: Hi and welcome to the chat TCG podcast. I am Paula Sabbagha, Financial advisor and I'm joined with my teammates Zach Brown, Senior Wealth Strategy Associate, and Matt Anderson, participant in the Skill Bridge program. And we are located in Columbia, South Carolina. We can be reached at (803) 873-9850. Paula Sabbagha: Good afternoon, Zach and Matt. How are you today? Matt Anderson: Doing well. How are you? Paula Sabbagha: Good. Thanks for being on the podcast. Matt Anderson: Of course. Zach Brown: Matt. So, we'll just bust right into it. Obviously, you and I have known each other a long time, and, was really excited that we were able to put this together. And, get you some experience with the skill bridge program. Obviously, you're transitioning out of the Marine Corps back into civilian life and excited to be able to, be a part of that process and maybe get you some experience in the wealth management industry and see if this is an area that you might want to build a career out of. Zach Brown: So, let's start with a little bit about your military background. Tell the folks about kind of your service in the Marine Corps, any specifics about your role, any deployments that you had or any defining moments that, you want to discuss? Matt Anderson: Yeah, sure. We'll dive right into it. So I stepped on the yellow footprints April 1st of 2019. Parris Island, South Carolina, as an enlisted marine 13 weeks through boot camp. Graduated in, on June 28th, took a little ten day leave, then went to combat school after that, was air traffic control school. That was my MOS that was graciously assigned to me by the Marine Corps without my knowledge, until I graduated boot camp.
Matt Anderson: Yeah, that's how they do it. Sometimes they just give you an open ended code, and then you walk off the parade deck and they're like, congratulations, here's your new MOS. Zach Brown: A little bit of a Volun told. Matt Anderson: Situation, a little bit of volunteer situation. So after that I went to Pensacola, Florida, graduated from there on December 7th. Pearl. Ha. Actually, December 6th was the day that actually Pensacola had that shooting there. So while we were walking to my graduation, a terrorist shot up one of the. It was like a flight training center. So we got locked down all day, like FBI was in there. Matt Anderson: And crazy enough, it was right next to where my barracks were. So how we were walking the glass that all unfolded. We had no idea what was going on until I think one of us had a cell phone and was able to look at the news. But after that, I went to my primary duty station, reported in to Cherry Point, North Carolina. Matt Anderson: That is where the career actually took off. Little pun, a little air traffic there. I went through the tower. There's two options you can do in air traffic control. You can go down to the the radar room where you're looking at a scope, kind of like playing a video game. But way more, high stress. Or you can go to the tower and you use your eyes instead of a scope. Matt Anderson: So everything that you're doing, you're counting miles, you're controlling the rate of traffic, arrivals, departure, sequencing, spacing is the bread and butter of what that job is. Went through the Eiffel Tower, got flight data, ground control, local control, which, ground control is pretty self-explanatory. Local control is where you're controlling the aircraft in the air. And then after that, achieved the tower supervisor qualification.
Matt Anderson: And then the Marine Corps said, hey, congratulations. Thank you. You are going to go to the field now and join the Marine Corps mobile team, or MMT, as we call it, where anywhere in the world, within 24 hours, we can set up a expeditionary airfield and self-sustained for 72 hours. After 72 hours, we need new batteries, water and, and food or be relieved. Matt Anderson: So that was really cool. And along with that type of training, I did some really cool experiences where we had the first expeditionary use of the new F-35. So the first time I was able to land on the field on Am to I'm adding it doesn't sound very cool, but is a pretty big deal that we can flex our capabilities to the world. Matt Anderson: Sure. And then like, I got to go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and go through avalanche survival and mountain weather forecasting school. That was amazing. It was ten days in Jackson Hole on the side of a mountain making snow packs, you know, doing a whole bunch of survival training, forecasting, training. Paula Sabbagha: You might need that in Columbia. Matt Anderson: Yeah, I do need that in Columbia. It snows a lot here. It's what, 114 outside. So that was cool. And then I get back from that. I'm just kind of like at the tower hanging out. And my master sergeant pulls me in the office and he's like, hey, I got an opportunity for you. And I was like, that's pretty cool. Matt Anderson: What is it? He's like, well, you got to say yes or no first. And I was like, what? He was like, just trust me. So I was like, all right, what are the details? He sent me a PowerPoint, the PowerPoint basically stated, hey, in in Hawaii, they're starting up this new human unit called the third MLR. Within the third MLR is the third lateral Anti-Air battalion.
Matt Anderson: Within that there's a thing called a battery. And AFA is another acronym because there's a thousand acronyms. AFA is a forward army and refueling point. And the whole premise of it was that we would go through the first island chain, bounce around the Pacific and set up FARPS, for helicopters to bring in the Marine Expeditionary Unit, to bring in the third MLR to do that. Matt Anderson: That was like the the broad strokes of what I was told. I was like, do you want to go? And I was like, yeah, I think that would be awesome. Let me call my, girlfriend at the time. And she was on board and I was like, all right, cool. Our marriage plans are going to get fast forwarded. Matt Anderson: As you're aware, you were there. You watched the whole thing unfold. So we got engaged, got married, moved to Hawaii, get to Hawaii. And I think, like, I checked in on a Saturday. And that Monday, the official email came out saying that the program that I came to Hawaii to do got scrubbed. And so now I'm jealous. Matt Anderson: Yeah. I was like, wow, great, thanks. Paula Sabbagha: Jobless in Hawaii. Matt Anderson: Yeah, I was just I was literally homeless in Hawaii because they don't have a problem with that. So I didn't have anything to do. So I found my way over to the tower there and went through that, tower and K Bay, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Got a tower supervisor call, but I bounced to, to the air station from the lab and back multiple times over there. Matt Anderson: We went to the Philippines. Twice. And that was a majority of, like, our overseas. I wouldn't call them deployments to deploy. We deployed, but it's not like a deployment. You're just kind of there. And then I did this other really cool program called Joint Pacific Multi Readiness Conference Call, or JPM, RC. There's another fun acronym, but we teamed up with the Army and did some expeditionary notional battles on like North Shore, which was really cool. Matt Anderson: You know, like in Paradise. But you're for you know you're playing playing marine playing soldier. It was very, very cool, very good experience. Lots of lots of new experiences with that. That was probably one of my most defining moments was JPM, RC with the Army. Those guys were just awesome. Zach Brown: Yeah, that sounds like a, whirlwind experience that you had for several years there.
Matt Anderson: Yeah, it was, it was definitely like a running gun. Always on the go, not sitting in one place for too long, but it took its toll. And I was like, all right, I want to get out, start a family, not move around. I had the Marine Corps, as will, I love the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps is going to be a very special you know, it's a very special thing in my heart. Matt Anderson: Right? But it just doesn't match with the long term goals that I have. Sure. Like job wise. And my body can only take so much. Right. The air traffic control is not that hard on the body, but like the field stuff can take its toll and just being a marine in general takes its toll. So I made the decision to transfer or transition out of the Marine Corps, went to a transition readiness class, and they had a class about skill bridge. Matt Anderson: I was like, oh, I wonder what skill bridges and I have this website and I start looking at it. I think you and I were texting at the time because the way the classroom is, it's just like, like 60 computers in one person in the front talking. So I'm it's pretty lax. So I'm over there, like texting you and I was like, hey, there's this thing called skill bridge. Matt Anderson: You're like, oh, what programs does it have? I was like, I don't know, finance seems kind of cool because you always hear about people in finance having a good work life balance. I was like, okay, start looking at it. And I was texting you and you were like, well, what companies that have I listed off a couple? And I was like, there's, UBS, have you ever heard of that? Matt Anderson: And I was like, yeah, that's actually literally where I work. I was like, no shot, dude. So that's when the ball started rolling. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Zach Brown: Yeah, yeah. So perfect Segway we we'll we'll get into kind of the the skill range program and the transition experience. Obviously you touched a little bit about kind of what the catalyst was for you wanting to participate in the skill bridge program, realizing that you wanted to transition out of the Marine Corps, out of service, and come back to civilian life for the long run. Zach Brown: So talk to me a little bit about the skill bridge, application process. How did all that work? Specifically with moves, but also just, you know, more broadly speaking, with the Department of Defense and with the Marine Corps, any challenges or surprises that you encountered as you were going through that process, whether on the UVs side or the Marine Corps side of the process? Matt Anderson: Yeah. So with the side, you guys were were great and you were very transparent and streamline through the whole process, like getting the, necessary paperwork. And due time was a breeze. The Marine Corps, as it does it did, takes a little bit more steps to get through. The way you start the process is you go on to the Skill Bridge website. Matt Anderson: Each base has their own Marine Corps community service website that has a link to it. You download the PDF which unfortunately unfortunately is not fillable, but you make do and you just kind of like copy paste or hand jam it and then push it through. You fill out the packet and then you have to submit it for review. Matt Anderson: For grammar and for the, the like, the, the way it's set up, the formatting to use it that, that and then that's going to take at least five business days and then you get it back and it's covered in red pen, and then you have to go redo it. And then inevitably you're going to submit it again.
Matt Anderson: It's going to go to another person who wants it done a different way, and then they're going to send it back full of red pen. Finally, you get it kind of close to where it needs to be. It gets pushed through, and then you have to go through a bunch of different hurdles to get it approved by the chain of command, and that that takes time. Matt Anderson: One of the hurdles I faced was that my C.O. for the lab was deployed in the Philippines for like six months or something like that. So you we're talking about, you know, two different time zones, almost like halfway across the world trying to get all this done. And I guess all things considered, it was done in a timely manner. Matt Anderson: But it came down to the wire at the end. The biggest obstacle definitely was communicating with his office in the Philippines. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Zach Brown: Definitely seemed. And you kind of alluded to this earlier, but you and I were in communication throughout the process trying to get it pushed through. And, and definitely a different timeline that, the EVs seemed to be on as, as compared to. Matt Anderson: Yes. Zach Brown: Or, something that maybe, maybe we can work on going forward in the future for future skill merge candidates. Matt Anderson: Yeah. I definitely think that the timing could be worked out. I mean, it's not that you guys did anything incorrectly. It's actually you guys were too efficient and you were outpacing the Marine Corps. You were like, oh, yeah, we'll get you taken care of. And like, you could do everything in under a month. The Marine Corps is a large machine with a lot of little cogs in it, and I'm just a tiny little cog in it. Matt Anderson: So they're not going to pay the most attention to what you need. Like they're going to help you. Marines always take care of each other, but it's going to take extra time to get all that paperwork done, get it organized, and then be able to ship it back to you. Yeah, sure. Zach Brown: Yeah, absolutely. Thankfully, it it all worked out. You're here now. You're currently kind of right about the halfway point of your four months original with, with you guys and our team. So talk about any roles that you have sailed, so far in the program, any projects that you've been assigned? What is your day to day look like? Matt Anderson: Yeah. So the day to day usually get in around like, eight ish. My biggest job here is, is learning. And I know that sounds pretty obscure, but it's getting prepared for the, series essentials exam right there. So. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And the series seven and the series six six. So diving into all the the literature for the studying the educational like online programs that the that that UBS has provided.
Matt Anderson: It's just been it's been great online tests. They have like flashcards all set up through the the program that was provided. So that's been a majority of my time. The rest of it is any other sort of project around the office, right. Manual data entry, looking at all these different products that the financial advisors are presenting to clients like prospect clients. Matt Anderson: Right. And then they want to look at cumulative data. They will come to, you know, a skill bridge intern, another intern. And we'll sit down, process all that data, put it on an Excel spreadsheet, make it a little bit more, you know, palatable to the eyes and then forward it back up to them. They use that data and do what they do. Matt Anderson: I can't speak to what they do because I don't really know. But I'm trying to learn. Paula Sabbagha: And what you were describing about your application process, that seems a lot like what we do with clients too. Like it's time that you're you're on a different time than maybe the client is, and there's approval and kind of going back and forth to everyone agreeing on it. So it actually reminded me of like what we do to how your process went. Zach Brown: Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. But that's a that's a really good point. Paula Sabbagha: Because it's timing. Like we might have timing, you know, on our own, but the client's ready to do things on their time. So we're kind of at their mercy. And then we're all trying to agree and submit things back and forth. Yeah, that red pin is not really a red pin. It's more of emails. And here's my idea. Paula Sabbagha: What's your idea. Matt Anderson: Yeah yeah yeah for sure. Paula Sabbagha: So that's pretty cool. Yeah a lot of the same stuff you went through. Yeah. Matt Anderson: Well I mean what I always said to everyone who is, you know, that I would talk to along the way is like anything is literally possible with coordination, you can get any goal accomplished by just coordinating and verbally speaking face to face. Yeah. Or via phone call. Right. Like an email can only do so much. Oh, no, there's a joker. Matt Anderson: This meeting could have been in an email, but like, you lose so much value out of just sending emails. But, like, communicating directly with you guys and directly with Linda Abbott up in Charlotte. Like, it was just it was crucial to get it done. Yeah. It wouldn't have gotten done without that streamline communication on going to be able to have that, be so transparent on the Marine Corps and yeah. Zach Brown: So, obviously you mentioned a big part of your your role so far has been just the educational component. Yeah. Obviously.
Matt Anderson: Hitting the books. Zach Brown: Yeah. Working in this industry, you know, there's different levels of licensing and registration that you can get and hopefully, you can get kind of a head start on that. As you're looking to start your career in the wealth management industry, or any particular skills or training, that have stood out as kind of immediately relevant, specifically to your transition, from the military to a more corporate environment. Zach Brown: Obviously, we've already touched on a few of the key differences between those two types of environments. But, if there had been any skills or training that stuck out to you is as helpful as you've started to make this transition back to a civilian lifestyle? Matt Anderson: Yeah, like skills that I learned in the Marine Corps of that transition in the. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So air traffic control is stressful. So the ability to handle stress and then make timely decisions in a very fast paced environment, I think is going to be a very big transferable skill. And to the finance world because I mean, there's the markets are always moving there. Matt Anderson: It's like a living thing. So you got to be able to make like a game time decision, game time advising and then another one like the Marines where we are very very very particular about attention to detail. So organizing files for clients manually interpreting that data like I'm sitting there I'm triple checking things because I don't want to be the one that drops the ball or does something incorrectly. Matt Anderson: So making sure that, you know, in the Marine Corps, our ribbon rack is an eighth of an inch above our breast pocket, right? It's not for any particular reason just to have it at a precise area to show attention to detail. The commandant put it like, if he asked you to set your gun on a two, seven, eight azimuth, he doesn't know.
Matt Anderson: It doesn't mean A279 doesn't mean A277. He means A278. Attention to detail is crucial. In any job throughout the the military, the Marine Corps, or in the civilian world, keeping things from slipping through the cracks ultimately just keeps the ball rolling. Keep keeps that car going, right. Communication skills and the, the the ability to be adaptable and moldable. Matt Anderson: I mean, walk in the Marine Corps on April 1st on the yellow footprints. I was a clean slate. I was, literally probably a little bit soft, right, moldable clay that they could transforming anything they needed. But I took that, ability to learn. I kind of kept it, no matter where I go, even if it's a new tower, it's going to be a little stressful, because I think I know some things that other people don't know. Matt Anderson: They know some stuff that I don't know. But you got to be moldable, being able to go into a new role and being able to soak up all that knowledge, I think, is a phenomenal skill that can be transferred over, from the military into the civilian world and then the ability to learn. I said that before, and and loyalty is another big one. Matt Anderson: Sure. I feel that if you show somebody loyalty, they're more likely to show loyalty to you. And, you know, you can go so deep down that rabbit hole about loyalty. Yeah, but those are some of the main, probably some of the main skills. A lot of the other ones, like the ability to learn, keeping up with the, the pace of studying for the second timeline, being able to crunch that information and, and process it, and learning how to study. Matt Anderson: Well, I learned that in the air traffic control school better than I did in college. Honestly. Paula Sabbagha: And one thing I've noticed, you're always here at 8:00, like you mentioned. And the first time I saw you, I was like, are we being audited at 8:00 in the morning? And you said. Matt Anderson: You said I look like a wholesaler. When I was, I was wearing a tie, like a suit with a pipe. Paula Sabbagha: But I was very impressed. That was that's what that was. But yeah, that's. You don't normally see that was just an intern for sure. Matt Anderson: So yeah. Zach Brown: Yeah, I definitely think the adaptability and and you know, being flexible and then the other skills that you mentioned, those are all excellent skills that that pertain to a lot of jobs in the civilian world, but especially a job like wealth management where we're serving clients. We have to be adaptable to evolve, as you mentioned, their needs and their desires.
Zach Brown: And the market obviously is an ever changing, entity of its own. So definitely think those are pertinent. A lot is made about, you know, the difference in culture between the civilian world and military world. Matt Anderson: It's a little different. Zach Brown: Yeah. So how has that experience gone for you? You know, thinking about maybe other military personnel that that might be interested in in the future and doing something like a skill bridge, transition. What has that difference been like from a culture perspective to you? And are there any tips or tricks that you might be willing to offer to, to future military personnel there, going through that transition as well? Matt Anderson: Yeah, the the major difference, it's a culture shock. It's definitely a culture shock going from the Marine Corps where everything is very crude and, rigid. Right. And then you walk into a civilian job and everyone is like, I walked in, everyone was so nice. I was like, whoa, I'm just so happy to be here. Like, no one's just down in the dumps. Matt Anderson: And just, like, getting the daily grind on, right? Yeah. Everyone was so positive. And if you needed something, I didn't feel like, like I was being a burden and asking. Sure. Sometimes in the Marine Corps, like you, you ask somebody something, and they, they're kind of like, oh, get over here. Let's figure it out real quick. Matt Anderson: And then you get into kind of like, you could dig yourself in a hole. Yeah, by helping all these people. But everyone's just kind of like everything's so streamlined, like, I, I can't come up with another word than streamline here is that if there's a job and I need like a tool to complete the job because, like, here's the tool and I'm able to take it and hopefully run with it and figure it out, with minimal questions. Matt Anderson: That's my goal, is to ask me no more questions, but still get the big picture and the scope of what needs to be done. Sure. And then using that adaptability like improvise, adapt, overcome and transfer that over into the to the environment, the civilian world. But I think one of the main differences, yeah, is everyone seems so relaxed and I don't know if that's coming from like air traffic control world or just a world where everything is is pretty transparent.
Matt Anderson: Yeah. And then coming into that transparency from like kind of always being in a fog, it's her hurry up and wait in the Marine Corps, you're just kind of told where to be and how to do, but you don't really think for yourself a whole lot. Now, a blessing about being in the air traffic control is you have the ability to do that. Matt Anderson: Like you can't just be told what to do in the tower. You have to be able to have that critical thinking skills, problem solving skills. But it's just so stressful. But here everyone just seems so calm, cool, and collect all the time that it's just so refreshing. And some advice for anyone that would be wanting to look into a skill bridge is find, a program that would match the skills that you personally learned in your MOS military occupational specialty. Matt Anderson: So like if you're a mortar man, right? Don't just be like, they go apply for this job. And my skill is I can, you know, hang fire X amount of rounds and X amount of seconds, right. That's not that's a cool skill to have as a mortar man, but not as a person going into the workforce. Right. Matt Anderson: Mean you can use your ability to have attention to detail because. Right. We talked about the azimuth earlier. You have to make sure your azimuth is in the right direction. So you got a great attention to detail. Your communication skills are probably solid because you got to communicate with the forward air observer. Yeah, right. Or the Jtag, whoever's up there, it's just you have to really sit down, look at yourself, figure out what skills you have, talk to your friends, talk to your your families, and talk to your mentor. Matt Anderson: The Marine Corps is big about having mentors and mentee programs, and coaching and stuff like that. So I recommend sit down with the mentor. Don't do it alone. Don't do it just to just to get out of the Marine Corps early. Sure. Right. It's not free leave. It's to set you up for the civilian world and not a lot of emotions, transferable skills into the civilian world.
Matt Anderson: Now, air traffic control obviously is a phenomenal transferable skill to come out. You can make six figures right off the bat, but for me, it wasn't worth it, right? My mental health, I guess. I really hate saying that type of excuse, but like, I just get so stressed. Like I was having like heart palpitations. Had to go to the doctor and the doctor was like, oh, you find your young. Matt Anderson: The doctor was a Navy nurse and it but yeah, it's just the work life balance was in the civilian world. Seems to be I can't speak. I haven't been in the civilian world ATC, but it just doesn't fit what I'm looking for. Right. Long hours. You could be working weekends. You could be working by ten, ten hour days with breaks in between. Matt Anderson: And it's just it's it's different. Yeah. It's different. And I and I just didn't want to, transfer into that a. Zach Brown: Lot of what military service members might struggle with coming into a civilian. Environment role, what have you is knowing their place in the military, knowing their specialties, knowing their skills, they're expecting to be, you know, really buttoned up and to the point of maybe perfection. And, and they're transitioning into a world that they don't have a ton of experience with. Zach Brown: Perhaps, maybe they have never lived as an adult in the civilian world. Maybe it's been a long time. And, you know, I can't speak for other other firms and other, you know, teams maybe that have a skill bridge program. But at least from from our team's perspective, and my personal perspective is we genuinely are looking to help. Zach Brown: We genuinely are looking to educate and and assist with that transition. And so I've found myself not just with you, but with even other other, general interns and look, ask the questions, ask for help. You know, this is you get as much out of this as you put into it. And from my perspective, I would much rather somebody come to me and say, hey, I have a genuine question about this.
Zach Brown: I want to learn about this. Can you help me? Yeah. And I'm I'm happy to do that. All I know you've mentioned that as well. Paula Sabbagha: Well, like today with the rate cuts, one intern came and was asking me like, what's the importance or the significance of that? So we kind of had a chat about that. And that's something that, you know, I take for granted that everyone knows what those things do, but they don't. So it was yeah, I'm glad he asked the question because I don't think I would have just explained it. Matt Anderson: Kind of like mix it up a little bit. Yeah. Zach Brown: And I mean, so I, I guess for other military, personnel making that transition, it sounds like from, from your perspective, it would be don't just expect that you are. Matt Anderson: And. Zach Brown: Don't think that you're going to be expected to know everything about the environment that you're transitioning into. Ask the questions, use that. That program, to try to really gain an understanding of of the the role that you're looking to fill, long term, career wise and the civilian world. Let's not talk about outcomes and and reflections from the program. Zach Brown: So you you talked a little bit about, obviously the studying for the the licensing exams, the civilian series seven. That's obviously a skill, that, that hopefully you will have, have acquired by the end of your time, with us as a skill range candidate. Are there any other skills, whether technical or professional or even interpersonal, that you've acquired so far, during your time with our team? Zach Brown: That that might benefit you long term? Matt Anderson: Yeah. So, like, honing in on those team skills, right? So that having that communication front in the Marine Corps is a lot different than communication in the civilian world, right? It's a lot more, I'm going to say, subdued in the civilian world. It's a lot more PC. Yeah. So trying to trying to get out of that that was been in my had it for the last six years is in my opinion healthy.
Matt Anderson: Yeah. And it's, it's bringing me back to where I was before I joined the Marine Corps because I have luckily already experienced what it is being an adult in the real world and not having Uncle Sam telling me what to do all the time. Right. A lot of these young kids, they joined right out of high school, and they don't know anything about the world except for what the Marine Corps has shown them. Matt Anderson: And that gives them a false sense of security when they are like, oh, it's been my four years. And I didn't get what I thought I was going to get from the Marine Corps. So I want to leave. Right. And then they have no plan. And then the one skill that every service member gets is that the military, in some capacity, will teach you how to be professionally homeless. Matt Anderson: It gives you the skills that you can use to survive on the streets, but not everyone is going to get a skill to get out of the military. So the military is going to take a lot from you, right? They're going to take your free time in some cases, they take your money, they take your youth in a sense because they're you're not doing the the normal thing that college kids do for these young guys. Matt Anderson: Right. And girls. Right. They're going out across the whole world, put in situations where most people aren't going to be put into. And so they, they miss out on a lot of those real world experiences in the civilian life ring. So they get a false insecurity. I think I'm going down on on a tangent, though, but with the, the skills that I've acquired here. Matt Anderson: Right? Yeah. Bringing it back in, honing, honing in on those team skills, being able to communicate appropriately and effectively as a civilian again is crucial. And everyone has been very, receptive and understanding. Right. So when for example, if we're talking about finances, I may use a long term, like if you and I are discussing some sort of product or something. Matt Anderson: Right? I'm going to use the wrong term. I am right, but you are aware that I have no clue what I'm talking about. And, you're just like, oh, hold on, I think you said the wrong thing. And then we go back, we review it.
Paula Sabbagha: It's a new set of acronyms. Matt Anderson: Yeah, yeah, the new set of acronyms. And I get to replace all the old ones with the new ones. Which is easy because I've been living on acronyms for years. Another interesting thing was like actual Excel skills. Yeah. So, like watching you, you don't need to put your hand on the mouse. You're just going crazy with a keyboard and making an Excel do Excel things, right? Matt Anderson: I'm over here on Google. Like how do I add up these cells? Paula Sabbagha: Did you learn the Vlookup yet? Matt Anderson: I have I don't think I have I'm gonna write that one down. They looked up. Zach Brown: Yeah. We haven't gone to that one okay. Matt Anderson: We haven't gone in that way. We're working on it. And then using this, experience to build a solid foundation in wealth management, being able to ask the questions like, I, I probably in your office multiple times an hour every day. Yeah. With that book in my hand going, what the heck is this? How does how do bonds do this? Matt Anderson: Why does this the interest rate go goes up, the prices go down, and vice versa, right? And it's just hard for my head to wrap around that stuff. So yeah, just kind of like bringing me back into the world from the. And another world is probably like the best thing that's going on, right? Zach Brown: Yeah. And to your point about communication, I mean, you and I were talking recently about how, you know, we we operate as a team, just like the Marine Corps operates as a team now, actually, we're doing very different things. Yeah. However, we still have a responsibility to accomplish what it is that we set out to accomplish, particularly for our client, the clients. Matt Anderson: Yeah, yeah. Zach Brown: If one person starts a task and then is out for some reason or can't complete that task for whatever reason, any other team member can reference are our CRM database and look at the notes and pick up on that task. And communication to that end is key, to make sure that nothing is is slipping through the cracks as it pertains to client service.
Zach Brown: And yeah, making sure that we're we're following through on on what we tell clients we're going to do for them. So I know you mentioned that, recently is something that even really impressed with and something that maybe your, your, communication skills in the Marine Corps as have assistant. Matt Anderson: With definitely. Zach Brown: Transition. Matt Anderson: The, like an air traffic control. Right. You're controlling airplanes in the air for some reason. You at the get off position, you have to give a brief. And the brief has to be. So it has to be detailed enough for the controller relieving you to be able to just step in, take over and it be, you know, seamless like a turnkey brief. Matt Anderson: And it's you guys are have it so honed that it is like a well-oiled machine. Like someone to just be like, oh I'm not coming in today. Oh, okay. Cool. We got it. Like the the two in the back, the dynamic duo Amy and and Rachel just back there just going to add like it's going crazy on the keyboard and email and like just they know there's such a wealth of knowledge that it's almost intimidating to sit down and talk to them. Zach Brown: Yeah, let's do it for their run. Matt Anderson: The show. They run the show. Yeah. I was like, I was like, so how do you do this? And the next thing I know, I blink and she's gone through like eight different pages on the, on the client portal. And I'm like, whoa, hold on, rewind. I gotta get a notepad. Yeah. Zach Brown: For sure. Yeah. Well, so it sounds like you've had a pretty positive experience so far. And thankfully we we still have another two months with you here, but, you know, based on the, the experience that you've had with, with our team so far and with us is, is a career in wealth management, particularly with UBS, something that you'd be interested in pursuing long term. Zach Brown: And if so, you know, kind of what what specifically about your experience so far has led you to want to continue with the firm? And and what role would you see yourself selling with UBS if you were to, to continue with the firm after concluding the skill range program? Matt Anderson: And that is a really good question. And I have so many answers, so many positive answers that we could sit here for a while. This place makes me feel like like me again. Like a, like normal Matt that you knew before the Marine Corps. Like the Marine Corps gave me a lot of good tools, but it was kind of turning me to someone that I wasn't particularly happy with.
Matt Anderson: Then I got here and everyone was like, super nice. And I felt like I belonged on, like, day one. Like I walked in and immediately started getting, like, picked on by Paul. It was awesome. She she was like looking at wholesale and I'm like, I had a half a million. What is a good thing? Bad thing? I was exactly like, take my tie off. Matt Anderson: You're like, you're like, take your tie off. I kept my tongue on all day, though, because I like my tie. But, you know, this has been a great team to be a part of. And the company itself seems like they truly care about the customer service. And I'm big on customer service because what is air traffic control besides customer service? Matt Anderson: Right. You you have a plane flying in the air full of your customers. Yep. And you're providing them service. So I'm, I'm thinking of it in air traffic control terms that it's it's just getting them to the ground. Right. Yeah. They're the pilot and they're, they had the finances. But where are the controllers that are going to take care of their wealth? Matt Anderson: Right. And give them the direction, maybe when they can't see out the cockpit window because the markets are going bad. Right. Or the markets are really good. And you got to provide some other advice to them that's going to keep them, you know level headed, not just start going crazy and taking money out. You know doing crazy stuff. Matt Anderson: No I really enjoy this company. I love to continue after Skill Bridge. I've been talking with, Jason Price up in in new Jersey. He's the head of Veterans Affairs, I believe I believe you, I interview with him. Paula Sabbagha: Yeah, he's on a podcast. Matt Anderson: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's on our podcast. And, he asked what my what my overall goal was, and I said, my wife not want to end up on the coast. And like, Wilmington, he was like, oh, there's I think there's an office down there. And lo and behold, there is. Yeah, I looked on on Danny Google and sure enough, there was there was a UBS office in Wrightsville Beach.
Matt Anderson: And so he said he would, he start reaching out. He might reach out to you, Zach. And then, Katie, the manager here and see if they have any openings and availability, but I would I would like to stay in the wealth management. I think it's fascinating. There's so much knowledge here that I had no clue was even a thing. Matt Anderson: It's hard to wrap my head around, like there's so much stuff, like retaining it. It's. It's difficult. Yeah, but it's manageable. Yeah. Learning how like the markets work and I keep telling you every day I like bonds. I don't know why I like Boston just makes sense to me. But like what it what an equity security is and like all this other and like how some some words have multiple words that mean the same thing, but they're used in different contexts like I. Matt Anderson: Yeah, yeah. Our way we won't, we won't go down the I bet this very but Yeah. No, I love it. I think it's fascinating. I think it's a new good challenge, but I think it's one of those challenges that I don't feel like I'll plateau. Right. Like it's all like it's an ever changing environment. Paula Sabbagha: And I think you can continue learning here and never feel like you've learned at all. Yeah for sure. And there's so many things changing. Zach Brown: Yeah I mean there are still things that I learn on a daily basis here and in the wealth management industry that yeah, the great thing about, you know, working with a team, you know, that's this is large and as tenured as ours is, there's a wealth of knowledge here from the senior advisors, that you can kind of tap into that and use that as a resource that, you can use to just be constantly growing and constantly evolving and bettering yourself for clients. Zach Brown: And you and I've spoken about kind of the, the progression that you can take in the wealth management. Yeah, the wealth management industry from a client associate being more on the service and administrative side. Yeah, into a kind of a hybrid investments role or something similar to the the seed that I sell. And then all the way up to a financial advisor and working directly with clients in an advisory capacity. Zach Brown: So I definitely think that, the learning and journey will continue, for, for a long, long time for you and super excited to see how that that unfolds for you. Matt Anderson: And you mentioned that that path. Right. Client associate and that feeling kind of like a role like you have. And then ultimately leading to a financial advisor, I think that's the the route that I would like to take. Yeah. Or, you know, try to take it. What do they say you make plans and then God smiles, right. Yeah.
Matt Anderson: He has other he has other stuff for us. Right. That's going to be the you know the ten year goal. That's going that's going to be the ten year goal. And then you know and just maintain that that loyalty to the company and then hope that the loyalty is reciprocated. And I have no doubt that it will be is it just seems like such a well-rounded team here. Paula Sabbagha: Yeah. Well and it's so nice to hear that the team and the company have meant a lot to you. But I feel like we've also learned from you. I know I don't have a lot of military experience with dealing with military stuff, so it's been nice to know, like hear from you and learn from you and really just see your habits too. Paula Sabbagha: Like you're you're here on time every day. Like there's certain things that like, I don't know if you noticed, but like people are noticing those things. People notice, like your hard work. You're always working, you're focused, you're asking for help. Those are very good qualities. Matt Anderson: So thank you. Paula Sabbagha: I think that just sets the bar high here for all of us too. So I think we're all learning from you as well. Zach Brown: Yeah. And you know, you mentioned Jason Price and he and I have been in communication about really trying to develop and expand the skill bridge program within UBS. So, you know, trying to find other candidates that that possess those qualities, like you do that the attention to detail, the timeliness, the professionalism, you know, definitely, military personnel are typically just a different caliber of, of candidate that, that we would love to interact with. Zach Brown: And, bring to our firm as, as quality employees. So as we look to build upon the skill bridge program going forward and, and expand our reach into the military community, you mentioned a little bit of advice already. Me any other advice that you would give to other service members considering either the UBS skill bridge program or just any skill bridge program in general?
Zach Brown: And then are there any things you wish you had known or done differently before starting the program that that maybe others can learn from? In the future? Matt Anderson: So a couple more things for those service members coming out. Right. You're sitting in your TRS class. Well, that's what the Marine Corps calls it. Whatever. Transition class that your branch calls it, right? You're sitting in there, come up with a plan, come up with a plan, start budgeting now, start really preparing into your future. And like, take one, take control of your finances. Matt Anderson: Make sure you're not in debt. Just prepare yourself. And then if you want to do the skill bridge program, take advantage of the program. Find something. There's there are so many opportunities on there all over the country. Find a place that you think looks appetizing to you where you want to live right, and take the job. Don't be scared. Matt Anderson: Take the job. But if you don't have a plan, if you don't have any sort of program that stands out to you, or you have no idea what you want to do, stay in. Stay in, reenlist. It's safe. You've already been through the hard stuff. You're getting a steady paycheck. You're it's it's one of the easier jobs you'll get as a as a marine. Matt Anderson: They tell you what to wear, when to when to be where, right. They give you your allotted time for food, and then you're just supposed to show up and show out and do your job. Pretty straightforward. But if you're thinking about transitioning out, find a program, take the job and just let let the wings spread and see, see where it falls. Matt Anderson: Right. But yeah, definitely if they don't have a plan staying in some other stuff, I wish I would have known, be a little bit more vocal and ask better questions to know how to frame your your package before you send it up.
Zach Brown: Yeah, yeah. And that makes a lot of sense. And maybe too, it's something that we can be, a little bit better on our side about kind of working with the branches, working with the services to, to kind of streamline that process a little bit more. Yeah. We can we couldn't communicate the process from, from our side too, to kind of grease the skin, so to speak. Zach Brown: But oh yeah, man, it's been a pleasure having you so far with the team. Super excited to have you for another two months. And thank you so much for for joining us on the podcast today. Your insights have been been really invaluable. Paula Sabbagha: And we're excited to see where your career goes. Well, hopefully we can be a small part of your future. Matt Anderson: You're going to be a big part. And that makes two of us. And I just thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here and learn a new skill and being so receptive to, to all my questions. Paula Sabbagha: Awesome. Thank you guys. Matt Anderson: All right. Thank you.
Disclaimer: This podcast is presented for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice or the basis for making any investment decisions. It does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any specific product or service. UBS does not provide legal or tax advice, and we would recommend listeners to obtain appropriate, independent professional advice. Disclaimer: Some of the views and opinions expressed may not be those of UBS Group AG or its affiliates. UBS Financial Services, Inc. offers investment advisory services in its capacity as an SEC registered investment advisor, and brokerage services in its capacity as an SEC registered broker dealer. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways, and are governed by different laws and separate arrangements. Disclaimer: It is important that you understand the ways in which we conduct business, and that you carefully read the agreements and disclosures that we provide about the products or services we offer. For more information, please review quality relationship summary provided at ubs.com/relationship summary. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS Group AG and is a member of Finra and SIPC.