A local family business in Bellefontaine celebrates 40 years of business.
From a small Court Street location opened in 1979 to its current Chillicothe Avenue location, 40 years later, Dodds Wealth Advisors brings the family touch to its business.
“I started the business because I wanted to be able to help people save and invest,” Pat Dodds, Dodds Wealth Advisors CEO, explained. “I was looking for ways to do something different and heard someone say, for a long time, ‘If you wanna be successful, you find a need that somebody has and you fill that need.’ I thought people need help with money and saving. The dollar doesn’t come with instructions. I found an opportunity that I could move into and help people with financial planning and investing and saving and life insurance and help individuals with families and businesses.”
Dodds Wealth Advisors has three offices, one on Bellefontaine, one in Dublin and one in the Jacksonville area in Florida.
Pat Dodds is joined in his business by his sons Ben and Nate Dodds and his son-in-law Scott Steiner, who are all wealth advisors. Pat Dodds also has another son, Brian Dodds, who manages the Florida office.
“They do what’s best for the client,” he said. “They do what’s best for the customer (and) put the customer first always.”
Ben Dodds said he just enjoys the opportunity to help people.
“I think there’s nothing better than doing a good job for a client and hearing the words that we gave them peace of mind,” he said.
Pat Dodds said it’s about seeing the relief on people’s faces.
“They come into the office and you see the confusion and fear of the unknown and we’re able to show them a path and show them a way,” he said.
Steiner said he likes being able to “walk beside people to help them achieve their goals.”
And at Dodds Wealth Advisors they do more than financial planning.
“It’s building and maintaining friendships and relationships,” Steiner said.
Dodds Wealth Advisors makes the complicated, simple, Nate Dodds said.
“There is a lot of complication out there with economy rules and regulations,” he said. “How do we make it simple to understand and have people confidence in us.”
Ben Dodds said what drives them at Dodds Wealth Advisors is the challenge of constant change — of the economy, the market, taxes and more.
“The financial planning aspect is not necessarily something that stays steady — it’s constantly changes,” he said. “It creates more confusion. That’s where we can help guide somebody. There’s a misconception out there if somebody has questions they can just go to the internet and Google something, but you end up wondering what the right answer is.”
Pat Dodds agreed.
“It’s complicated out there,” he said. “If you make the wrong mistake it can cost you thousands and thousands of dollars.”
Steiner said you can find out that “A affects B, but it doesn’t tell you how A affects C, D and E. We can do that.”
Steiner said what makes the office unique is that it has more than 100 years of combined professional experience.
“If there are issues we need to handle we bounce off of each other,” he said.
Pat Dodds said they take mistakes people have made in their lives and ensure others don’t make the same ones.
“The path is shorter for those who know the way,” he said.
Those at Dodds Wealth Advisors participate in more than 150 hours of continuing education per year.
“Everyday is a continuing education,” Ben Dodds said. “It’s the constant learning and the challenge that keeps driving us. That passion comes through to clients which is why they continue to work with us.”
Nate Dodds said another strong suit for Dodds Wealth Advisors is their communication with their clients.
“We are always staying in communication,” he said. “We’re always here for them.”
Ben Dodds said being in a small town has made those at Dodds Wealth Advisors very conscious of their reputation.
“If we’re doing the wrong things for people word of mouth can work against us pretty quick,” he said. “So we communicate and do the right things for people and act as a fiduciary all the time and in the best interest for the client not the company.”
Nate Dodds said Dodds Wealth Advisors wants so much more for its clients than it would ever want from them.
“If they only knew how much we cared about doing the best thing for them,” Pat Dodds said.
“We want them to be comfortable and happy with their decisions,” Steiner added.
Ben Dodds said: “We would rather us lose sleep at night than them.”
