Today we’d like to introduce you to Byron Green.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Byron. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We are all influenced by our childhood experiences. For most of us, our families are highly instrumental in shaping our early lives. They pass on their life lessons to us largely by example, and we learn from them regardless of how gratifying or difficult those lessons might be. I am fortunate my parents and two wonderful sisters were that type of inspiration to me.
My father was a Greyhound bus driver. His job sometimes took him away from home for days at a time. After years in that occupation he surprised us all by starting a florist at the age of 47. Opening a new business is challenging enough, but my father did so while continuing to drive for Greyhound. It was an enormous undertaking, requiring the efforts of the entire family to make it work. My mother’s efforts to support my dad were remarkable. We all worked extremely hard, but the shared experiences and the pride of accomplishment made it all worthwhile.
My father’s middle-age endeavor gave me valuable firsthand knowledge of the ins and outs and ups and downs of owning a small business. The experience was so motivating to me that I graduated from college early, so I could get a jump on my own ‘American Dream’. After my first job out of college I started a securities brokerage firm with a friend of mine. It seemed like the best way to leverage my finance degree with the business know-how I acquired in the family business.
My initial instincts were right, and the new company grew rapidly in its early years. Over time, the business morphed into a fee-based advisory and money management firm. There were plenty of ups and downs, growth spurts and plateaus along the way, but I tried to meet the challenges with bold resolve. I didn’t always make the right choices, but fortunately I had great co-workers that traveled along on the journey and helped make each challenge more manageable and success more achievable.
When VoyageDallas invited me to tell my story, I hesitated for a moment. I meet many successful people through my business that have very inspiring stories and I wondered if my story would be inspiring enough. After some reflection, I realized that we all have the potential to offer an inspiring story, much like my father did for me. Plus, the story doesn’t end with our life or with the life of our businesses. It continues through the lives of the people that have been or will be touched in some way by the experiences shared with us and our companies.
Over the 34 years that Green Investment Management (GIM) has existed, many clients, friends and family members have graced the doors of this business. We have worked hard to help clients achieve their financial goals and to contribute to their success. Great employees have built their careers here and continue to contribute daily to the company’s mission and vitality. Several former employees have used GIM as a stepping stone to become tremendous successes in their own business and personal lives, hopefully spurred on in some way during their time with GIM.
I’m very gratified my kids participated in a meaningful way in the business before they moved on to pursue their own dreams. I am also thankful for a loving spouse that puts up with my hours
My story grew from the seed of my father’s inspiration. It has expanded from there to something even bigger. I am encouraged that inspiration can spread like that. I am even more excited that we can make it happen.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A business doesn’t exist for 34 years without experiencing some bumps and bruises along the way. At one juncture our company made a very large expenditure for software that promised to raise our capabilities well above most of our competitors. After two years, thousands of dollars in expenses and countless hours wasted, we realized the software company’s capabilities were not on par with their promises. Not only did we have to change our business plan, but the competitive edge we sought was significantly delayed.
Please tell us about Green Investment Management.
Green Investment Management, Inc. (GIM) is an established investment firm with a 34-year history of managing global asset allocations and focused investment strategies. We use a rigorous risk management process to provide our expertise to investors across the nation. We serve clients primarily through separate account and wealth management platforms. We are recognized as an experienced ETF strategist and separate account manager. We work with clients and their advisors to design and implement an investment portfolio intended to grow their assets in a conservative way.
We are most proud of our ability to compete with investment firms much larger than ours, but with a level of service and personalization that goes far beyond theirs. We want our clients to view that level of service as an expectation, rather than an exception.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
That is a great question. I suppose if I had taken a different path, there would have been different obstacles that would have presented themselves. The outcome may or may not have been any better. Fortunately, the path I took has never been alone, it was shared with great friends, clients and family. I couldn’t ask for much more.
Contact Info:
- Address: 309 West 7th Street, Suite 101, Fort Worth, TX 76102
- Website: https://www.GIMlink.com
- Phone: 817-335-1178 ext. 104
- Email: byron@gimlink.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GIMInvestment/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/GIMlink
Image Credit:
Annie Kinser of AnnieKinserPhotography.com
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