Thank You Isaac Saffold!
This fall, we had the pleasure of working with Isaac Saffold, an intern from Georgetown University. Isaac joined us through a meaningful connection — he was referred by the Georgetown football coach, as SJS Senior Advisor Andrew Schaetzke also played on the team. It’s a great example of how strong relationships open doors and create opportunities.
At SJS, we believe in the power of connection and in helping young people gain real-world experience and practical life skills beyond the classroom. We invited Isaac to share what he learned during his time with us in the letter below. We’re grateful for his contributions and support, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.
My time at SJS has been nothing short of amazing. From my very first day, everyone I met showed exceptional hospitality and a genuine interest in my growth. I had the opportunity to meet most of the team members, all of whom were eager to explain their roles, share their career paths, and answer even my most basic questions. Although my internship was hybrid and I was only in the Sylvania & Perrysburg offices once a week, I learned far more than I initially anticipated. The team consistently made an effort to support me, expose me to new experiences, and ensure I was learning something meaningful throughout my time here.
With the amount of knowledge and advice I gained over the past three months, narrowing my experience down to the top three lessons was difficult.
First and foremost, I learned that the financial advisory business is built on relationships. Clear, consistent communication—reassuring clients, keeping them informed, and maintaining transparency—is essential to building trust and growing the business organically through long-term client relationships and referrals.
The second key lesson I learned was the importance of staying informed by following economic and financial news. During a significant portion of my internship, the government shutdown contributed to market volatility and uncertainty around inflation and potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Staying up to date provided valuable context for market movements and helped build confidence in investment decision-making.
Lastly, I gained insight into the firm’s day-to-day operations and how each role contributes to the bigger picture. Seeing how associate advisors support advisors and how structured systems and models guide investment decisions made the field feel far less intimidating. SJS showed me that investment advising is a disciplined, model-driven process focused on long-term strategy rather than short-term performance.
This experience reshaped how I view the industry and gave me valuable clarity around my own interests and career direction. While my future is not fully defined, this internship confirmed that this is a field I genuinely enjoy and can see myself pursuing long-term. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from such a knowledgeable and supportive team.
Important Disclosure Information:
There is no guarantee investment strategies will be successful. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Diversification neither assures a profit nor guarantees against a loss in a declining market.
Statements contained in this article that are not statements of historical fact are intended to be and are forward looking statements. Forward looking statements include expressed expectations of future events and the assumptions on which the expressed expectations are based. All forward looking statements are inherently uncertain as they are based on various expectations and assumptions concerning future events and they are subject to numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected.