I’m happily married to my wonderful wife, Gina. We are proud parents of three adult sons, and prouder grandparents to seven grandchildren. I’ll admit that I love my English Cocker, Sadie, only second to my grandbabies! Without hesitation, all of them will agree that my second home is the outdoors - fishing, hunting or landscaping my country yard. And there’s no better way to end such a day but with a porterhouse steak and Grey Goose Martini. Mention those two treats and I’m your new best friend!
Brian is the founder and owner of Action Financial Strategies, which he runs with his son, Bradley in New Holstein and De Pere, WI. Since 1989, Brian has been helping people achieve their financial goals by being thorough and leaving nothing to chance. Although Brian is nearly deaf in one ear... and hard of hearing in the other (due to his earlier years of helping his grandfather run a masonry business during summers off from teaching science at Chilton Public Schools) his clients will assert he is an attentive listener!
With decades of experience, Brian specializes in guiding small business owners and professionals through the complexities of building a secure financial future. He works closely with CPAs and attorneys to design tax-efficient strategies, business succession plans, and comprehensive estate solutions tailored to help protect and grow client assets.
From financial and investment planning to comprehensive estate and tax strategies, Brian’s collaborative approach helps ensure clients have a solid foundation for lasting success.
Brian has been a New York Life agent since 1989, and is a Member Agent of The Nautilus Group, a select group of under 250 member agents nationwide focusing on Business and Estate Planning. The Nautilus Group® is a service of New York Life Insurance Company. Since 1993, he has earned a seat at the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT is recognized throughout the industry as the standard of excellence in life insurance and financial services professionals), consistently reaching the highest level of MDRT, Top of the Table, placing Brian among the top professionals in the global life insurance and financial industry. He is also a twenty-year Chairman’s Cabinet Member with New York Life, qualifying most recently in 2021.1
1Council is an annual New York Life recognition program based on agent production from July 1- June 30.
Childhood Nickname
Pooh Bear
Dream Vacation
Alasklan Cruise
Favorite Music
50s/60s/70s Oldies (especially Roy Orbison)
First W2 Income Job
Henning’s Cheese Factory (now one of my longest and best clients)
First Car
’66 Pontiac, which I remember driving up and down Main Street in Kiel. Back then we called it “Bombing the Gut”
All-time Fave Food
Porterhouse Steak at Schwarz’s Supper Club
Biggest Pet Peeve
Poor weather on weekends
Love People Who
Are honest and open
12 is the number of times I have
Caught a Musky over 50”
Fun Fact
Need a Schwarz’s Supper Club “fix” at least once every 2 weeks
Fun Fact
I collect (with my wife’s help) Snow Globes and Santa Clauses
I seem to find my life being run by women… both at work and at home. This includes my awesome teammates (Krista, Teresa and Wendy), my beautiful wife Sharisa, my three sweet daughters, and even our family dogs! So it should come as no surprise that if you mention ‘bourbon,’ you will have my attention! When I’m not hanging out with my kids or golfing with friends, you’ll find me woodworking in my shop.
Whether guiding individuals or business owners, Bradley guides clients through a personalized Second Opinion Process and Strategy Activation Plan, designed to simplify their financial lives and empower confident decision-making. Through open conversations and collaboration with attorneys, CPAs, and other trusted professionals, he delivers tailored guidance with the goal of shaping each client’s ideal financial future.
“Providing innovative, cutting-edge products and services... that’s how we help you grow, protect, and conserve your wealth through all stages of your life.”
Bradley has been a New York Life agent since 2010, and a Financial Adviser through Eagle Strategies LLC since 2011. In 2014, Bradley earned the right to be called a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), which at the time placed him within 3% of the CFP® registrants under the age of thirty (there are >80,000 CFP® registrants.)
Dream Vacation
Over-the-water Bungalow in Bora Bora
First Job
Residential construction
All-time Fave Food
If I had to eat the same thing every day, it would be sushi. I’d be broke, but blissfully broke.
Biggest Pet Peeve
The sound of someone chewing
Love People Who
Are perpetually excited and optimistic
Life Goal
(non work-related)
To always seek knowledge through books and people in an effort to enrich the lives of those I spend time with
Fave High School Class
Show Choir
7 is the number of times I have
Eaten an entire Schwarz’s Supper Club Prime Rib for 2 (52 oz. of meat... sweet joy!)
I grew up in Wisconsin Rapids and graduated from UW-La Crosse. Back up a few years to eighth grade and that’s when I met my wife, Krista. We’ve built our life together in Cottage Grove with two beautiful daughters that certainly keep us busy with their various sports/activities.
As is the case with most Wisconsin-ites, my hobbies vary with the season: in summer you’ll find me on the golf course, fall takes me to the woods for bow hunting, and winter sends me packing on a warm-weather vacation. I’m always up for a good book, so welcome your recommendations!
A colleague of Brian and Brad for over a decade, Jeremy joined forces with Action Financial Strategies in 2021. Being no stranger to helping teach, grow, and protect individuals, families and their assets, Jeremy’s expertise and vision seamlessly align with that of our team. His “why” undoubtedly lays in helping his clients with informed decision-making when it comes to their portfolios, their retirement planning, and their overall wealth preservation.
It's through regular and meaningful conversations with his clients that guide Jeremy in finding just the right mix of solutions to balance their current financial landscape with their (often evolving) goals for the future. Thus leading to the most rewarding aspect of his work – the long-term relationships he builds along the way.
Jeremy has been a New York Life agent since 2009, and a Financial Adviser through Eagle Strategies LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor since 2013. He is a member of NAIFA and has achieved membership into the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) since 2017 by demonstrating superior professional knowledge, experience, sales excellence and client service. MDRT membership represents the top life insurance and financial service professionals worldwide.
Dream Vacation
Fiji
First Job
Working on family-owned cranberry marsh at age 14
All-time Fave Food
Bacon-wrapped venison jalapeno poppers
Biggest Pet Peeve
People who don’t clean up after themselves
Love People Who
Have a great sense of humor
Life Goal
(non work-related)
To bump up my charitable giving & volunteer time each year
Fun Fact
Ketchup or Hot Sauce – I put one on pretty much everything I eat!
I have a house full of boys (with my husband, two sons and even our golden retriever) and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I live for summer… and Packer season! While my dream is to own a cabin on a lake someday, I am thankful for all the family cabins we’re able to visit. They’re where we spend most of our summers, relaxing on a pontoon while listening to country music.
I also love hosting get-togethers with family and friends; I especially enjoy cooking and baking for these gatherings… although I try to keep the baking to a minimum since I have a terrible sweet tooth and most of it ends up getting eaten during the baking process!
Before joining our team, Krista gained invaluable experience in administrative roles and proceeded to become a successful recruiter. It was through her administrative background that led her to Action Financial Strategies in 2010.
After joining our team, Krista very quickly realized a true interest in the financial planning arena, finding a real passion in working alongside our advisers as they craft financial plans for our clients. She describes the most intriguing part of her job as, “seeing the creative planning strategies that we shape for our client’s needs and objectives come together into a complete plan.”
Krista has most certainly continued to grow and evolve within our agency, first obtaining her Registered Service Assistant delegation in 2012 and later becoming fully registered as an Associate Financial Adviser in 2015.
Krista’s natural enthusiasm for planning and her spot-on organizational skills have dovetailed perfectly into her role of handling paperwork and schedules. She keeps the days running seamlessly for the whole team as the scheduling mastermind behind our intricacy of meetings and appointments. With true finesse, Krista navigates the underwriting and application process for our clients, guiding the process from start to finish.
Netflix Binge
Schitt’s Creek
Happy Place
Lake or Beach
Dream Vacation
Hawaii
Favorite Movie
Bad Boys II
First Job
Babysitting
Love People Who
Are easy-going
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
Cookies & Cream
Favorite Holiday
Christmas... minus the cold temps!
Abundance of
Pictures. I love capturing memories!
Life Goal
(non work-related)
To own a pontoon and cabin on a lake
Fave High School Class
Math
Bucket List
Parasailing
Fun Fact
I have a twin, yet we are more opposite than alike.
Home is where I grew up, in Freedom, WI where I live with my husband and our three children. And you could say that my yard is my happy place.
There’s not a better day than one spent getting my hands dirty while gardening, planting trees, or working in my yard. Which of course leads to harvest time and plenty of canning, jams and applesauce making. But when the work is done, hand me a good book to get caught up in.
We welcomed Teresa to our Service Team at the very start of 2023. She immediately proved herself with an avid willingness to learn and grow. In her service assistant capacity, Teresa helps with case analysis and client presentation development, thereby providing our clients with a clear perspective on their financial landscape.
Customer service is an integral aspect of Teresa’s role. While providing clarity to client questions and helping them get their financial house in order, she really gets to know our clients on all levels throughout their financial journey. Phone calls, inquiries, updates and changes – she handles it all with grace.
First Job
Cashier at Piggly Wiggly
All-time Favorite Food
Gyros
Biggest Pet Peeve
The word “unprecedented” (completely overused)
Love People Who
Are honest
Favorite Color
Yellow
Can’t Live Without
Sunshine and being outside
Favorite High School Class
English
200
200 is the number of times I have planted a tree in my yard (Everytime we plant one, I say “this is the last one”, then I buy more!)
Fun Fact
I enjoy campfires all year round, but if I see a bat, I’m out!
I without a doubt live for the summer months and am convinced that the clock does in fact move faster from June through August. My husband and our two sons share my love for the outdoors, especially spending time on the lake near our house – (though the amount of water toys sure increases each year as the boys get older!) The long WI winters are broken up with my boys’ sporting events, my LOVE for Christmas, Badger & Packer parties, snuggling with our three furry felines and warm-weather vacations.
My passion for making things look good definitely spills over into my personal life with a love for decorating...and redecorating! My husband gets scared when I pull out my deck of paint swatches! What did I ever do without HGTV??
Wendy joined the team in 2016 as our Marketing and Event Coordinator. She heads the firm’s marketing strategies with a crystal-clear focus on setting the stage for the ultimate client experience.
Before joining our team, Wendy provided a wide array of marketing services to a diverse client base ranging from small town businesses to luxury yacht builders. She has enjoyed using her creative marketing and graphics tools to coordinate comprehensive branding and marketing strategies; from logo design and literature development to website and social media management to event preparation and execution.
In supporting our firm’s relationship-centric approach, Wendy steers us to consistently deliver on our brand promise through appealing materials, relevant content, and a compelling digital marketing foundation. She is the driving force behind our events, from business owner seminars to continuing education for our centers of influence to our not-to-be-missed client social events.
When asked about the best part of her job, Wendy answers “making things look good! I love the process of turning something -- whether it’s an event invitation, a welcome brochure for new clients, a seminar presentation packet, or our digital marketing presence -- into something that’s appealing and easy-to-understand.”
Netflix Binge
Selling Sunset
Happy Place
Water
Dream Vacation
Hawaii or Greek Isles
Love People Who
Make me laugh
All-time Fave Food
Toss-up between Nachos or a Soft Pretzel
Biggest Pet Peeve
Clutter
Abundance of
Sunglasses
Life Goal
(non work-related)
To express appreciation for something each day
Fave High School Class
Desktop Publishing
Can’t Live Without
Camera (No such thing as too many pictures!)
Fun Fact
Ultra-competitive! Ask my kids – I never let them win.
Fun Fact
I love planning things, but delight in a day without plans
After graduating from UW La Crosse, Sam headed to Appleton, WI, not far from his hometown and family in Freedom, WI.
One to enjoy getting out to see live music, hitting the snowboard slopes in winter or getting in a round of golf during the warmer months, its no surprise that an ideal day off for him involves meeting up with friends to take in a social event. In fact, he and friends recently completed a 52-hour roundtrip drive to Arizona. (And they’re still friends!)
Sam joined the Action Financial Strategies team in 2023 where he launched into his role of assisting the estate and retirement planning process for our clients. He is driven by the desire to guide people in achieving their financial goals. That, combined with his education in finance and economics plus a passion for continuous learning, makes him a tremendous asset to our team and our clients.
Dream Vacation
Australia
First Job
Culver’s Fry Cook
All-time Favorite Food
Ribeye with Corn on the Cob
Biggest Pet Peeve
People driving slow in the left lane
Favorite Store
Kwik Trip
Can’t Live Without
Caffeine
Favorite High School Class
Art/Drawing
4 is the Number of Times I Have
4 is the number of times I have lost expensive (Rayban) sunglasses
Life Goal
(non work-related)
To witness the Milwaukee Brewers winning a World Series
Fun Fact
In college, I bought a cat to keep the mice/bats away from our prehistoric house. His name is Carl.
Fun Fact
I was outside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee when the Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021
Action Financial Strategies LLC | New Holstein, De Pere & Cottage Grove, WI
