As a veteran himself with eight-and-a-half years of service time, Rob is passionate about helping ex-military members understand and utilize the resources they have available to them. He also realized that veterans and active-duty service members are underserved, oftentimes being left to fend for themselves when it comes to both the present and the future.
“In all my time in the military, I put a total of zero dollars and zero cents into my TSP because nobody told me about it,” Rob says. “I could have been saving for retirement that entire time, but I didn’t even know that was an option for me. I want every veteran to know that it’s never too late to start saving, and there’s somebody out there who respects them as a person and respects what they did for our country.”
After spending the first two years of his Army career in Korea, Rob transferred to Fort Bragg in North Carolina in 2006. He was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 as part of the 82nd Airborne Division, which is why we’re called Airborne Financial Solutions. “I was a sergeant, so I had soldiers under me,” Rob says. “We were an artillery platoon, so I learned what it really meant to care about those standing next to me. It inspired me to continue helping, even after I left the Army.”
Rob sustained an injury to his ankle in 2008, leading to a medical discharge, but he continued to serve, going on to work for the VA for another eight years helping veterans with enrollment and eligibility. He found his work at the VA extremely fulfilling while also becoming intimately familiar with the options available to veterans, making him a more informed, effective advisor in his career in financial services.
He eventually received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fayetteville State University, giving him the business acumen to run Airborne Financial Solutions, but his experience working with teams and his strong desire to help truly drive his abilities as an advisor. “I just love connecting with people. I don’t care where you’re from, what job you’ve done or what your goals are. At the end of the day, we’re all people, and we all need a little bit of help sometimes,” Rob says.
He also believes in educating and empowering his clients to make the best decision for themselves. While he may have achieved licenses and registrations, sometimes only a client can know what might be most comfortable and what might work best for themselves. That said, Rob will do everything in his power to show them all of their options and how each one works in conjunction with the rest of their financial plan. “I will never put a client into a product that they don’t fully understand,” he says. “That’s not who I am. That’s not who I’ll ever be.”
Rob now resides in Longs, South Carolina, with his beautiful wife Natalie, whom he says is the most amazing person he has ever met. The two love cooking, smoking food, fishing and walking on the beach together. Rob says, “I feel incredibly lucky to have found someone who enjoys the same things I do, but most of all, we truly love each other’s company.”
He also has six children and spends much of his free time coaching two soccer teams for his sons. A former soccer player himself, he initially coached just one team, but when his youngest came to him and asked him to take up coaching duties for a second team, he couldn’t say no. Though most of his nights are now busy, he couldn’t be happier, as the practice and game nights offer the perfect chance to stay close with his family. Additionally, Rob has three dogs, including a cane corso, a German shepherd-Rottweiler mix and a German shepherd-Chow mix. He also has a cat that fits perfectly in a house of dogs.
Airborne Financial Solutions was built on the foundation of family, and with Rob so close to his, he always looks forward to the opportunity to help individuals and couples protect what’s most dear to them. “We always welcome our clients in as members of our own family, and we know how personal money is. That’s why we aim for a personal relationship and put your best interests first,” Rob says. “I’d never want to see a client around town, only for them to recognize me as the person who couldn’t help. I think our approach and our welcoming atmosphere shows our clients that we’re always here for them, no matter what they might need help with.”
