We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jonathan Bird a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jonathan, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

When I started my career in financial services as a customer service representative, I worked for a manager named Evan Soso. One of the first questions he asked me was what my long-term goal was. I shared that I wanted to start my own investment advisory firm someday. After the initial shock, he shared exactly what the pathway looked like and what I needed to do. He supported me every step of the way and was a huge advocate for me which made all the difference in the world. Fast forward six years and I successfully launched my firm. Today Farnam manages over $100 million for clients around the country. I’ve told him before and I’ll tell him again, “Thank you, Evan!”

Jonathan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I don’t come from a family of financiers. I graduated from a Jesuit high school, Brophy College Prep, in Phoenix, Ari- zona, and went on to attend a Jesuit college, Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I mention my education not because it made me a financial advisor—I graduated from Creighton with a degree in philosophy. Instead, I mention it because my philosophy degree taught me how to think—specifically about the power of “why” questions that other people don’t ask. That habit of thinking didn’t lead me directly into finance either. When I graduated from Creighton in 2010, the economy was in the tank. We were mired in the midst of the Great Recession, and I needed a job.
One day my father phoned with a suggestion. “JD,” he said—my middle name is David—“I just took this trip to a golf resort called Bandon Dunes. That might be a great place to work.” My dad had taught me the game of golf as I grew up. I took his advice. I made the call—and they hired me as a caddy.
The Bandon Dunes Golf Resort sits on a rugged stretch of the southern coast of Oregon that you might mistake for Scotland: rolling, grassy dunes that drop abruptly to the sea. I would carry one or two golf bags at a time for one or two rounds every day with golfers who were there to lose themselves in the beauty and the game. My job was to tell them what club to hit, where to hit their putt, and how to get the most enjoyment out of the course.
One day someone posted a flyer in the caddy shack—yes, we had a caddy shack, just like the movie. Sign your name here, the sign said, if you want to caddy in New Zealand. I scoffed. “Why would I want to go to New Zealand?” I said. Fortunately for me, my buddy Dave was standing nearby.
“This is a no-brainer,” he said. “Write your name down immediately. Just do it.”
To my surprise I got an interview—and the job. Only then did I learn who I’d be working for—Julian Robertson, the hedge fund billionaire—and where: at Kauri Cliffs, a golf resort he developed on the eastern shore of New Zealand. It’s ranked thirty-seventh in the world by Golf Digest. “He’s going to fly you out,” they told me. “He’s going to pay for you to live there, on the resort. And you’re going to work for him.”
That sounded good.
In January of 2011 I arrived in New Zealand, unpacked in my lodgings on the sheep farm—and spent a year working as Julian’s caddy. Words cannot begin to describe the course’s dramatic, seaside beauty. We walked and we talked. I listened as Julian shared remarkable stories of the clients he had helped become millionaires, and then ten times over millionaires—changing lives for the better. I thought, if I could have a fraction of that impact for my own clients, that would be so rewarding and fulfilling.
I began asking questions. Julian’s answers were my introduction to the world of finance and investing—a world I had never given any thought to entering before. I had so much to learn. I did not know where to begin.
“JD,” Julian told me, in his soft North Carolina accent, “I’ve got this friend, Warren Buffett. He’s great. You should
really read his letters.”
Buffett, of course, is the chairman and CEO of the legendary investment firm Berkshire Hathaway. By one recent tally, he is the third-wealthiest person in the world. Every year he writes a public letter in which he provides updates to shareholders on the business. He also explains his investment philosophy and insights about various topics. They are all posted on the Berkshire Hathaway website. I’ve read each one of them more times than I care to admit.
Buffett’s letters caused fireworks to go off in my brain. Buffett is an inspiring man. So is his business partner, Charlie Munger. They opened my mind to a world of finance and investing. Their investment philosophy was so simple and powerful that I connected with it in a way that I had not connected with any other subject before. It wasn’t only that he had made himself wealthy through his work; he had made his investors wealthier too. Most importantly, he has committed to giving away 99 percent of his wealth to charity. Like Julian, he had made life better for others— many others.
As the prospect of my life’s calling, I found that thrilling. I called my parents after I finished reading. “You guys will
never believe what I’m learning from this,” I told them. “I value these letters more than my college degree.” (I’m sure my dad was thinking, maybe that’s because you majored in philosophy…)
I had enjoyed an idyllic year carrying golf bags along the gorgeous cliffs of New Zealand. After reading Buffett’s letters, I was ready to pack my own bags, make the long flight home, and dig in.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

There’s a famine mentality that exists in people – that there’s not opportunity for everyone, or not enough resources to go around. Often this manifests itself in an unwillingness to share what you know and to support others. This famine-perception is an illusion. There is more than enough for everyone, and by supporting each other we can all be better off. I’ve tried to build my reputation with clients and other financial advisors by sharing what I know and being as supportive as I can. I can confidently say this practice has never hurt me – it’s only helped me.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I worked as an employee for Charles Schwab from 2014 to 2019 and each year I saved between 50% to 60% of my income. This was made easier by doing roughly 1,000 hours of overtime each year which all went to savings. I built up a pile of cash that I could use to start my firm and to fund my living expenses. This created a huge opportunity for me. All of the profit I earn in my business can be reinvested back into growth – quickly compounding the number of clients I’m able to serve and the quality of service I’m able to provide.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.farnamfinancial.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbird-cfp/