This is the latest in a continuing series of posts where we feature a member of our team using a Q&A format so you can get to know them a little better – both personally and professionally. This week we’ll be interviewing Ryan Csrnko, who joined Brown and Company in June of 2017 as a Client Relationship Manager. Ryan works with the team to help ensure all the pieces of your financial picture work towards your goals on an ongoing basis. As part of his role, Ryan ensures that all logistics of our clients’ situations are handled in a timely manner, such as requests for cash and account transfers. Ryan graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Finance, specializing in Financial Planning and a minor in Economics. Growing up in a military family proved to be an intangible experience, living among various cultures abroad and throughout the United States. He now calls Colorado home and enjoys skiing, golfing, and traveling. Q: Can you briefly describe your role at Brown and Company? A: Absolutely – I work in tandem with the rest of the client relationship team ensuring client questions are answered in a timely and informative manner. In addition to this we create, present and deploy the financial plans for our clients. Q: What is your favorite part about working for Brown and Company? A: I get to work with a team of people who challenge the norm and continue to push the financial planning industry. It is a constant learning environment that has helped propel my career and personal life. Q: What do you find most challenging at Brown and Company? A: There is something new every day and an opportunity to learn. It is both challenging and fun with obstacles at every turn, which means you need to be ready when the time comes. The ability to react quickly is good, but to anticipate takes patience and understanding which is something I work on every day. Q: What advice would you give to someone just joining the team? A: Be prepared and intentional with every facet of your role. Each person has something different on their plate which is an opportunity for you to grow and add value. If you can find a way to lighten that plate even by 5% and you can learn to manage a heavier workload then you can cut the learning curve. Now, we’ll switch gears to learn more what you like to do outside of the office. Q: What is your favorite movie and book? A: My favorite movie is “Miracle” about the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team. It is just one of those movies that really resonates with me. My favorite book was a tough one, but I ended up going with “The Richest Man in Babylon.” This book tells so many good lessons for the young and the old. Q: What is your favorite quote? A: “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard” – Not really sure who said it first, but it has always been a foundation for me since I was a child. Q: What is the first concert you attended? A: The Turtles at Fiddler’s Green – It was a cool 105 concert which is the radio station here in Denver that plays all oldies music. My brother and I were raised on oldies so this concert was an all-time moment for me when I was a kid. Q: When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried? A: I went to Comedy Works, here in Denver, not to long ago on a whim and one of the amateur comedians had a piece on pop culture. It was so funny that he had to pause longer than usual to let the crowd come back down to earth. That was probably the last time I cried while laughing.