This segment is a Veteran-Focused talk show that showcases individuals and companies in the community and is focused on Veteran leadership, service, stories, and transition. Our Veteran host highlights other Veterans who serve, have served and who are doing great things in their business and in their community. Today our host, Chris Budihas spoke with Bill Kastelz.
Bill Kastelz
Owner of Kastelz Wealth Management
Website Address: https://kastelzwealthmanagement.com/
What’s one thing we should know that makes your company unique?
Accessibility. We want our clients to be able to reach us easily and not have to go through a 1-800 number with 6 different prompts; our clients know and expect that we’re here to serve and communication is key.
What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome in your business?
COVID and dealing with a pivot from a very social and personal conversation with our clients to a more digital and remote conversation.
How do you define success?
Being blessed enough to do what I want to do when I want to do it.
How did you get started in your field of work?
After getting out of the military, I attended UNF in 2008 and one of my first classes was with a wealth advisor who was an adjunct professor. He said he was recruiting for an internship so I raised my hand, not really knowing what I was getting into and that was 17 years ago.
Transcript:
Chris:
Welcome to Five Minute Salute. I’m your host, Chris Budihas, and joining me here in the studio is Bill Kastelz with Guest Wealth. Bill, it’s good to see you. Thanks for coming in.
Bill:
Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Chris:
It’s funny, we just found out that we probably grew up less than a quarter mile from each other. Just a few years apart. You’ll never guess who’s older.
Bill, tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from originally, and what did you do in the military?
Bill:
I grew up in Clay County, specifically Middleburg. After my father passed away, we moved out there, and as you mentioned, we were probably about a quarter mile apart. After graduating high school, I joined the military.
I was a corpsman with the Marines, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. I did three combat deployments with them and figured that was enough. After that, I came back, went to UNF, and met Mike Halloran at Northwestern Mutual. He asked if I’d be interested in an internship, and that was 17 years ago.
We spent our first ten years in the business at Northwestern Mutual, which was great. Now we’re fully independent and serving a slightly different marketplace.
Chris:
That’s incredible. The 2/8 Marines have a storied lineage, and your deployments were during some very difficult times in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thank you for your service and for taking care of our Marines and sailors out there.
Talk to us about creating your own company. What motivated you to go independent rather than staying with a large firm?
Bill:
We wanted to reach a broader client base and bring ideas to clients that go beyond traditional planning. Today, we work with many business owners who’ve already done good planning, like buy-sell agreements, group benefits, and personal planning.
They often ask, “We’ve done all this, what’s next?” We call it “what’s next planning.” We bring outside-the-box ideas around defined benefit plans, pension plans, and other advanced strategies.
Chris:
Are you mostly advising businesses, or do you work with individuals as well?
Bill:
They tend to overlap. Most of the businesses we work with are closely held, so their business planning and personal planning are intertwined. We also work with a lot of physicians and physician groups here in town.
Chris:
What are you seeing in the Jacksonville market right now? There’s a lot of growth happening.
Bill:
If you’ve driven on I-95 lately, you can see the growth. There’s a huge opportunity here. While AI is changing the industry, nothing replaces sitting down face-to-face and understanding the “why” behind a plan. Why it matters to your family, your children, or your grandchildren.
Chris:
There are a lot of advisors in this space. What’s your value proposition?
Bill:
We don’t aim to be the biggest. We focus on delivering the most value and bringing ideas to the table that most retail advisors can’t. With larger firms, you often get an 800 number. Our clients can call me directly.
Chris:
That human connection matters.
Bill:
Exactly. We want to be the one point of contact for our clients.
Chris:
Are you primarily local, or do you have clients elsewhere?
Bill:
About 90 percent of our clients are local, but we do have some in California and other areas.
Chris:
What does the next three to five years look like for your company?
Bill:
We’re beta testing additional services, including commercial property and casualty insurance. We’re also adding bookkeeping and accounting services. Many business owners have multiple separate relationships, and we’re working to bring more of that in-house to create a more comprehensive plan.
Chris:
That’s valuable, especially for small business owners who don’t need full-time resources but still need support as they scale.
Bill:
Exactly. We bring in subject-matter experts for each area, but we act as the quarterback for the overall plan.
Chris:
What are some of the biggest issues you see when business owners come to you too late?
Bill:
Taxes are usually the biggest issue. CPAs tend to focus year-to-year, while we think generationally. We look at how decisions made today affect clients 15, 20, or 30 years down the road and how to mitigate tax impact legally and efficiently.
Chris:
How can people get in touch with you?
Bill:
The easiest way is my direct number, (904) 589-4631, or email me at [email protected]. I’m also on LinkedIn and all the social platforms.
Chris:
That’s important with five generations in the workforce today. Bill, thank you for coming on and sharing your story. It’s clear you’re focused on building long-term relationships and delivering real value.
Bill:
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Chris:
Connect with Bill and me on LinkedIn and social media, and reach out to learn how he can help you build a long-term strategy for your business and your family. We’ll see you next time.
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