In the Spotlight: Meet Michael Nusbaum

Michael Nusbaum is a proud Toledo native and a veteran of the financial services industry. We sat down with Mike to hear more about his personal life, his long-established career, and the advice that got him there. Check out our interview below:

Welcome Mike! First off–tell us a little about yourself?

Certainly, well I was born the middle child in a family of 5 right here in the Toledo area. I attended Sylvania Southview High School and decided to go to Ohio State University to study finance. I always considered myself a people person and knew I could utilize my skills best in a sales position after college. I started to notice that a lot of my colleagues and friends were going into financial planning after graduating, and it seemed like the perfect job opportunity for me. Having a career that allowed me to be my own boss was very important to me, so I figured I would give financial planning a shot.

After graduated from OSU I started my first job with New England Financial as a general agent, I knew right away that this was an industry I wanted to take root in, and here I am–what feels like hundreds of years later–still doing what I love!

You have been a financial planner for over 30 years now. What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of your career?

For me, having the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide range of people is the best part of my job. It’s very exciting to work in a field where I get to build relationships and support those looking to achieve their financial goals. Knowing that my clients are taking steps to protect themselves down the road really motivates me to come into the office every day. I have had some of my clients since the beginning of my career, and it is amazing to see the long-term impact of our work together!

Becoming a veteran in this industry is no small feat. What advice do you give those who are just starting out in the financial services industry?

My advice to people starting out in this industry is to understand the difference between activity and productivity–in the beginning of any career, a lot of people think these two words mean the same thing. Activity is work that might feel like accomplishment, but productivity is completing tasks and goals that are going to push your practice forward bit by bit every day. You might have had a busy day that wiped you out, but did you reach daily goals? Were you spending the right amount of time with the right person? If you want to be successful in this industry, make sure to always put productivity first.

I would also recommend that new advisors learn as much as they can while they are young, utilizing every resource possible to grow their business. Nowadays, there is such a diversity of resources at people’s disposal–investment platforms, online networking, and so on. These tools can do so much for an advisor’s professional career. One of the best resources to employ in my opinion is joint work with an experienced financial planner. This gives beginners a bird’s eye view of the industry and the constant support needed to build up a knowledge base.

Outside the office, what are you passionate about?

I grew up playing basketball, football, and golf, so sports are a huge part of my life. Athletics teach you so much about hard work and discipline and that has truly shaped me into who I am today. Besides that, spending time with my family is also very important to me. I have a daughter named Marnie who just turned 13, so I am very thankful to have a job that allows me to create my own schedule, so I can spend as much time with her as possible.

Faith is also extremely important to me. My sister Lynn runs Toledo’s local Temple, so I am very active there as well as other Jewish organizations and assemblies across the area. Finding balance between personal time and professional time is vital to life, which is one of the many reasons I love my job.

If you could go back in time and give one piece of advice to your 20-year-old self, what would it be?

The advice I would give myself sounds simple but couldn’t be more important. I would say to always try to live in the moment. Sometimes we all get wrapped up in the memories of the past or our anxieties for the future, but when we do that we lose sight of the present. It’s very important to look down the road and be prepared in life, but we cannot let it consume us. If you do your best to live in the moment every day, you will be rewarded with a life you can be proud of.

Thanks for sitting down with us, Mike!

Michael R. Nusbaum is a registered representative of and offers securities and investment advisory services through MML Investors Services, LLC. Member SIPC OSJ: 1760 Manley Road, Maumee, OH 43537. 419.893.9759.