Fusion Financial Group
Keri Pugh is Co-Founder and Wealth Advisor at Fusion Financial Group, an independent wealth management firm based in Colorado. Keri comes from a family legacy of financial service, and through her experiences working with advisors and clients alike, she saw the many benefits that sound investing, financial planning and coaching brought to people’s lives. Grounded in these experiences, she is passionate about helping people through the very important journey of planning and creating a framework for the future.
Through a strong process, careful attention to each client’s needs, and a desire to both understand and empathize, Keri gives her clients confidence to make decisions and to find direction through their life journey. Being a wife and mother, Keri is particularly drawn to working with families and women. This is not only reflected within her practice, but also in her regular involvement with local PTA and boosters, as well as within her community. Keri also puts her affinity for details to work on volunteer planning committees for functions and events, and she’s worked on community outreach programs along with supply drives for local charitable organizations supporting displaced mothers and children. Leveraging the power in using her voice, Keri serves on the Advisory Board of LPL Financials’ Political Action Committee, working hand-in-hand with their Government Relations team to represent issues important to financial services and small business owners.
Keri has over 20 years of experience in the industry, as both a financial advisor and Principal. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Northern Colorado and is an alumni of national sorority Delta Zeta. Keri holds a variety of professional licenses, carries the esteemed mark of Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), meeting rigorous education and experience requirements in key areas of financial planning, as well as the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). Keri has participated in a variety of speaking panels on succession planning and marketing for financial advisors, career advisement for business students, and is a CFP® Board mentor, helping women and young people prepare for CFP® exams. She is an active member of the Colorado chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA®), volunteering with both the Foundation of Financial Planners and Homes for Our Troops pro bono financial planning programs.
Outside of the office, Keri enjoys traveling, skiing, and the Colorado outdoors with her family: husband, Mike, high schooler, Jackson, middle schooler, Ashley, and fox red lab, Harley. She often lines up movie or music video marathons for the family and, in line with many clients, is a good-enough golfer and a wine enthusiast.
The INTERVIEW
Q: First things first... what is the name of your business and how did you choose it?
A: Fusion Financial Group; the name came to fruition, during a rebrand. We wanted to convey energy and the power of a team.
Q: What excites you about the community of Women-Owned Wednesdays?
A: As a female entrepreneur and business owner, I find so much value in connecting with other women, who are in a similar place. I find that conversations with women like this tend to go far deeper and are more rooted in sharing and helping than with my male counterparts. Being around like-minded women tends to motivate and energize me!
Q: Where did the idea for Fusion Financial Group come from?
A: Fusion Financial Group was born out of a desire to assert the energy and power of a team of financial professionals, who offer robust planning, dynamic investment strategy, and stellar client service. We view our relationships with clients as just that, relationships, and we wanted our company name to reflect that idea of fluidity versus a one-time transaction.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: I have been blessed to have the mentorship of a group of female financial advisors early on in my career, as well as access to regular women advisor groups. Because of this support and these networks, I have gained confidence in myself as a leader, entrepreneur, business owner, and professional. When I have hard days, sayings that come to mind include "just keep pressing play" and "do your best, forget the rest", from P90X’s Tony Horton, inspire me to keep moving forward towards my goals!
Q: How do you start your day?
A: I start each day with a cup of Hawaiian coffee, while watching the news and scrolling through social media posts. I feel that this allows me to wake up into the day, in a leisurely way, since most of my days are anything but leisurely! Having that time to get my head on straight leaves me feeling ready for my day, which is quickly followed by a morning workout.
Q: What have been the most important factors that you have learned with the success of your business?
A: Building and implementing processes make for efficient management of both client relationships and the practice. This efficiency leaves me more time to work on the creative aspects of working in and on my business. Another factor to my business success is aligning myself with other professionals whose interests and strengths compliment mine!
Q: What have you failed at recently and how did you overcome it?
A: I had not put much effort into offering a formal financial planning option for prospective clients and lost a couple of opportunities to onboard these people. After much thought about offering formal financial planning, it occurred to me that we needed to do something, since people were coming to us for help in that area. It has taken months, but we are about to roll-out an official financial planning experience complete with price tiering, materials, and personalized output!
Q: What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?
A: I was an insecure, unconfident 17-year-old that was full of fear of the unknown, making a mistake, or taking a risk. I would tell that girl to work on getting right with herself (exercise, coaching, etc.) and to lean into her thoughts and feelings, because they were worth validation. Then, when opportunity shows up, I'd want her to go for it for ALL the right reasons!
Q: What are your favorite online resources for your business?
A: I really enjoy Twitter and the #fintwit community, as there are regular posts about the market, economics, practice management, and encouragement. Our broker-dealer, LPL Financial, also does informative posts, as does their Research team. As a CFP® professional and FPA member, there is a lot of valuable information in their chat forums, too.
Q: Share what you do daily/weekly to include personal development in your life for growth?
A: I exercise daily with routines from strength training to cardio to yoga. Working out makes me feel empowered, can clear the clutter from my head, helps with my focus, and can provide a release, too. I enjoy the thrill of pushing myself here, too! My goal has been to include more journaling and meditation, as a way to focus on myself!
Q: What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, build and grow a brand or a business today?
A: I would encourage someone interested in creating and growing a business to take the time to brainstorm ideas on the many aspects of running a business: brand, name, structure, staffing needs, location, etc. There are no wrong answers in brainstorming! Once those ideas are on paper, organizing and prioritizing can begin, which leads to a business plan. A detailed, well-honed business plan becomes the foundation to get started and to grow!
Q: What do you do to unwind and take time away from your business?
A: Vacation! I have begun to notice that when the office is especially intense, I "distract" myself with planning family vacations. This can range from weekend get-aways to holiday travel. I think that helps take my mind off work and allows me a little escape, as I look ahead to getting away with my family.
Q: What is your motto or mantra that you live by?
A: "Do your best and forget the rest" - Tony Horton, P90X
Q: What vision do you have for yourself in the near future, personally or professionally?
A: I see my business continuing to grow and my team continue to expand, allowing me to work more on the business and less in the day-to-day of the business. As I transition to that role, I think that will spur on ongoing growth for the firm but will allow me to do things like guest-speak and be more involved in mentor and leadership opportunities. I am beginning to see that I could be a resource, as a business owner, entrepreneur, and woman in business to both professional and personal networks.
Q: How do you support other women-owned businesses?
A: We have made the decision to partner with other women-owned businesses for a variety of facets of our practice: gifts, materials, coaching programs, etc. Personally, I have also opted to leverage the services of other women-owned businesses. It is important to me to stand behind and to support others like me!
Women-Owned VIBES
My guilty pleasure is: Wine and luxe bikinis!
The best book I've read in the past year: It’s So Easy: and Other Lies by Duff McKagan. I am a huge 80s hairband girl, so I relish any opportunity to read a bandmember's bio. Duff was exceptionally raw. What surprised me was his decision to go back to school for business, to better understand how to read their studio contracts. He has a degree in Finance and spent time in chat groups talking to others about money management and started an investment management firm. Pretty neat for a runaway with a serious drinking problem and affinity for writing music!
My most listen-to podcast, song or artist is: What I do takes a lot of energy and can be really hard. I am finding myself migrating to film scores radio or stations that play softer rock to decompress!
Greatest gift I have ever received: My family... they are at the heart of everything I do!
Three things that I cannot live without: Like just about everyone else, I cannot live without my phone, "I love you’s”, and a steak dinner, prepared by my husband, with a glass of red wine!
The coolest person I've ever met is: Eric Weihenmayer, a blind adventurist! We saw him on Expedition Impossible, an adventure race, in which teams competed in a variety of activity to get to the finish line. His attitude was just inspiring. We then got to hear him speak at a conference. His positivity, authenticity, humor, and grit through fear were amazing to experience!
Lake, Mountains, Beach? I love to ski, but my soul enjoys nothing more than the beach in Hawaii!
Quality I cherish most in a friend is: Loyalty!
The title of my autobiography would be: Blonde, Bubbly, and a Bad-ass Businesswoman!