A financial advisor with over two decades of experience, Aaron Werner offers clients investment advice, portfolio management, retirement planning, and charitable giving services. Mr. Werner serves as a financial advisor and Vice President, Investments at Raymond James in the Greater Los Angeles Area.
In addition to his work with individuals and families, Mr. Werner helps nonprofit organizations and foundations, working with boards and finance committees to establish investment policies that align with each organization’s mission and investing their short-term and long-term reserves. He also periodically delivers presentations at the Center for Nonprofit Management in Los Angeles.
Mr. Werner maintains memberships with the Financial Planning Association of Los Angeles and the FBI Los Angeles Citizens Academy Alumni Association. Mr. Werner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner, holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and an MBA in finance from the University of Florida, Warrington College of Business.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.
Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.
Raymond James is not affiliated with the above organizations and/or charitable causes.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC
301 N Lake Ave Ste 1150 Pasadena, CA 91101 213-327-1059
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day starts early. I start with some quiet time and a few minutes of reflection and gratitude. This practice helps remind me of what is important. Then, I have a cup of coffee. Throughout the day, to help myself be more productive, I refer to my one-page, handwritten to-do list. There are three or four different categories of tasks on this ever-evolving list. Each task is listed in fewer than five words. Keeping the list to a single page is key.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring an idea to life by first asking questions and approaching the idea with caution. This may sound pessimistic, but it saves time. The answers may lead me to toss the idea aside, or they may become the seeds of progress. If the idea passes my own due diligence, I share it with a trusted colleague or someone else I respect, so they can offer their own skeptical questions and viewpoints. Should the idea make it past this point, I start to think about execution. With careful refinement, planning, flexibility, and adjustment, the idea has a good chance of becoming something great.
What’s one trend that excites you?
An exciting new trend is the accessibility of high-quality podcasts and audiobooks—it’s such a new and effective learning mode. I’m able to listen to and be fully engrossed in an audiobook or a podcast while I’m walking my dog, working out, or driving; it’s a great way to maximize my time at the end of a day.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I read the newspaper. I don’t typically get new investment ideas from anything I read there, but it helps me maintain a pulse on what my clients are thinking is happening in the markets and in the world generally. Perhaps more importantly, it helps me anticipate questions I might get from them. It’s always funny to me when someone sees the Wall Street Journal lying around my house somewhere and exclaims, “Wow, you still read an actual newspaper?!”
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self just to keep in mind that things won’t always go your way. And when they don’t, what’s most important is that you maintain your composure and your balance. Don’t lose patience and give up or give in to whatever obstacle you’re facing. The greatest personal growth will come from the times when things don’t go your way. As they say, you don’t learn anything new when you’re winning. Hang in there and keep moving forward.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
A hot dog is a sandwich.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I recommend drinking a glass of water right after getting up in the morning. There are lots of health benefits to doing it and it’s easy. Google it.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I usually work out or go for a long walk with my dog.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I’m not sure this is a strategy, but I make an effort to be authentic when helping people with their finances. To just be my natural self and not try and “sound like” a financial professional with all the jargon that goes along with that. I’ve found most people are interested in working with someone who is real and who listens, no matter what the industry. That approach—rather than trying to be someone or something you’re not—has helped me tremendously.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Like most people, I’ve made decisions in my career that haven’t worked out the way I would have liked. One helpful lesson I’ve learned is to fail fast, as they say. In other words, identify and acknowledge your mistake quickly rather than letting it persist. This minimizes damage, saves time, and lets you move on to something better, faster.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
It sounds simple, but I use the Clock app on my iPhone all the time when I’m working. Because I get so engrossed in what I’m working on at any particular time, I set multiple alarms every day to remind myself of meetings, phone calls, when I need to leave for a meeting, or just begin new tasks during the course of the day. I also use the app all the time outside of work—when I grill, when I walk the dog, or pick up the kids. I use that app constantly. I highly recommend it.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I really love the podcast Acquired, hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal. It is a long-form podcast, so every episode is usually around 2.5 to 5 hours. Because of the length, it usually takes me three or four days per episode. Each episode focuses on a different company, and the listener gets to learn everything there is to know about that company—its history, leadership, strategy, successes, failures, etc. It’s casual, conversational, and thought-provoking. I really appreciate the time and research the hosts put in to create each episode.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I really liked the show Bloodline on Netflix. It’s about a dysfunctional family living in the Florida Keys that gets into all kinds of trouble. The character depth and plot twists are incredible, and I really enjoy Kyle Chandler and Ben Mendelsohn. They are both fantastic actors. Shows about dysfunctional families—when done right—are the best!
Key learnings
- Be authentic in your professional life. Lose the jargon.
- Most growth comes when things don’t go your way, not when they do.
- Fail fast. You’ll save time and move on to a better idea more quickly.
- Hot dogs are sandwiches.