After the interrogations, observations and appraisals are complete, the really hard part begins. Now you receive a sometimes sobering review of your situation from someone who is not a family member or beholden to you for their retirement. This is the baby-ugly moment and we’re not going to lie: sometimes it hurts. But without friction there can be no growth. Our goal is to compare and contrast the current state we assessed with the desired state we brainstormed and then build a plan to attack the resulting gap analysis.
Our advising process is more than a simple list of things that are wrong; we outline concrete ways to improve your condition. Maybe your ugly baby just needs a hat. Maybe your ugly baby needs plastic surgery. Some solutions we suggest may involve us, but many will not. (Note: We do not actually recommend plastic surgery for infants.)
This sounds painful; in reality, this process can be very liberating. When our clients trust us to get to this point, we know there are some exciting times right around the corner. This is how we learn. This is where we grow. This is when the fun starts.