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Our Team Has Been Featured In:
We seek to maximize your money, so you can maximize your life.
Helping clients gain their Creative Edge through out-of-the-box financial strategies.
At Creative Edge, we seek to empower you to maximize your money, so you can maximize your life.
We're committed to building genuine & deep relationships so we can help you when you need it most.
As a next-generation firm, we exist to provide full service wealth management to you and your family.
Our Commitment to You
We value your trust. Here is how we show our commitment to you.
Accessible.
At Every Step.
We're committed to helping you no matter your financial situation.
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To show our dedication to the accessibility of quality financial advice, we have no minimum asset or income requirements to work with us.
Your Interests.
Protected.
We are obligated to provide guidance that is in your best interest, at all times.
Our goal is to provide you unbiased, objective solutions & strategies for your situation.
Simple Fees.
No Quotas.
As a fee-based firm, our process is built to put your interests first so that when you do well, we do.
Unlike brokers, we are independent of specific products or services and have no sales quotas.
Our Passion is Seeing You Succeed.
How We Help
Together, we partner to create a personalized action plan that builds your financial foundation.
Financial Planning Advice We Offer Covers:
We provide advice on all facets of your personal finances including the aspects below.
Professional Investment Management
Tax Minimization Strategy
Cash Flow & Debt Management
Business Planning
Retirement Planning
Education Planning
Career Asset Management
Risk Management
Estate Planning
Charitable Giving
Discover Clarity For Your Today.
Our No-Stress Onboarding Process
Before we charge a penny in fees or manage a dollar of your hard-earned money, we'll prove our value to you.
Here's our no-cost, no-commitment, pitch-free onboarding process where we demonstrate the impact our advice can have.
"The Story & Not The Numbers"
Intro Chat
During your intro chat, we'll have a relaxed conversation where we get to meet you and you get to meet us. We'd love to learn all about where you've come from, where you are now, & discover together whether working with us will help get you where you want to go!
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Many people view meeting with their financial planner like reading a book they don't want to - "It's going to be a bit painful, but I'll be better off for it in the end". We make sure it isn't that way. That's why we like to say this meeting is all about "the story and not the numbers". It's all about what's important to you which means we may not even discuss "the numbers" until the Discovery meeting.
Discovery Meeting
If, based on the information uncovered during your consultation, we both believe there may be a possibility we can help you, we'll use the Discovery Meeting to learn more about your situation. We'll ask you all about your current financial standing, what you're hoping to accomplish in life, and what you're looking for in an advisor. We invest a significant amount of time in our discovery process because the better the information we have, the better our recommendations will be.
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At this time, we will gather any relevant info appropriate to your situation including asking you to organize several documents that will provide us with key information on your financial picture.
"The Numbers Behind The Story"
"Let's Get
To Work!"
Financial Plan Preview Meeting
Equipped with the information we've discovered in conversations with you, we'll present your Financial Plan Preview. This short document will include exactly what we believe we'll accomplish during the first year of our engagement, a detailed quote for your specific situation, a proposed annual service schedule, and other information to inform your decision on whether we're the right people to help you build the life you desire.
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At no point during this meeting or any part of our onboarding process is there a hard pitch or expectation you make a decision. We believe the best outcome for both of us is one where we've both extensively considered whether it'd be right for us to work together before a decision is made.
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If you decide to move forward, we'll get right to work on the items in your Financial Plan Preview and begin service based on our annual service calendar.
You're In!
How Ongoing Planning Works
You're in! Here's how we serve you on an ongoing basis.
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During your regular strategy sessions, we'll cover what matters to you while also assessing your current situation, reviewing your progress, and making recommendations to propel you toward your goals.
Regular
Strategy Sessions
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Everything is designed to be centered around what matters to you. Our advice covers:
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Cash Flow & Debt Management
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Investment Direction
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Tax Strategies
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Estate Planning
Holistic Advice On What Matters
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We understand your life is moving fast and you may need advice during our meeting off-season.
For that reason, we designate several days every month where we're available for impromptu client meetings.
On-Demand Access to Your Financial Planner
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We'll assist in coordination of your tax return preparation & filing with a third-party firm so your tax season is as stress-free as possible.
Stress-Free
Tax Coordination
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Our goal is to provide professional portfolio management that will give you peace of mind so you can spend your time on the things that matter to you, instead of wondering how the market is doing.
Professional
Investment Management
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As your financial planner, we're at the center of your professional team.
For the services we don't offer (estate, insurance, etc.), we coordinate your team of professionals to help ensure you're served well.
Coordination of Your Professional Team
Ready to build your financial foundation?
Unlock Confidence For Your Tomorrow.
How We Compare to The Competition
We're dedicated to delivering tremendous value to our clients.
In return for the immense value we bring, we charge premium fees. Here's what sets us apart.
While we strive for honesty and transparency, our compliance team would like us to note that this chart may not be a complete representation of services provided to clients of other firms.
Our Philosophy On Fees
We believe transparency & trust are at the center of any healthy relationship.
That's why we'll lay out the exact details of our partnership before we start working together.
The Heart Behind Our Fees & Our "No Pitch" Policy
Before we manage a penny of your hard-earned money, charge a dollar in fees, or any papers are signed, we'll demonstrate the tremendous value we bring through our Stress-Free Onboarding Process and your Financial Plan Preview.
At no point in the onboarding process will there be a hard pitch or expectation you make an immediate decision.
Engagement Methods
Instead of charging separate investment management and financial planning fees, we simplify things and charge one combined Wealth Management Fee.
For clients with significant assets for our team to manage, we charge our Wealth Management Fee as a percentage of assets under our management. In cases where our team would bring significant value but there aren't large amounts of assets for us to manage, clients can simply work with us on a fixed fee schedule.
Ready to get started?
Align Your Decisions With Your Values.
Get To Know Your Team
Our goal is to build a deep and genuine relationship with you.
Education:
Finance, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Focus Areas:
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Tech & IP-Heavy
Startups & Founders
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Real Estate Investors
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Self-Employed Professionals
Long Term Care Recipients
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Executive Benefits &
Equity Compensated Professionals
Jonathan
Dennison
Co-Founder, Financial Advisor
Jon is a passionate believer in expanding the definition of financial advice to include the many real-world financial decisions that people make every year. In his 10+ years as a Financial Advisor at Focus, Jon has gravitated to the most complex cases where there is no playbook to follow and a custom strategy needs to be carefully designed. These "uncharted financial territories" Jon finds himself comfortable in range from complicated tax strategies to surprise medical bills and everything in between.
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On the weekends, Jon enjoys anything that will get him out on water including wakeboarding, sailing, kitesurfing, and fishing - just to name a few. He currently resides in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Education:
B.S. in Business Administration,
Financial Planning
Focus Areas:
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Tech Founders
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Entrepreneurs &
Small Business Owners
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Equity Compensated Tech Professionals
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Real Estate Investors
Zechariah
Schaefer, CFP®
Co-Founder, Financial Advisor
Zechariah loves the challenge of communicating complex financial information and the joy of building long-term relationships with clients. His dedication to clients is evident in how hard he works to ensure they remain on track to reach their financial goals. With almost a decade of experience in the financial space and years spent serving High Earning Business Owners & Tech Professionals, Zechariah is well-equipped to deliver tremendous value to his clients.
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On the weekend, Zechariah is all about living life as the adventure that it is. His passions include his faith, getting to know people deeply, entrepreneurship, lifting, & just about every mountain/snow sport out there.
Education:
Design & Fashion Design, University of Cincinnati
Work Experience:
Visual Lead,
Pottery Barn
Visual Design Manager,​
Mall of America
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In-Store Marketing,​
Target
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Product Development,​
Polo Ralph Lauren
Natasia
Dennison
Client Service/Project Manager
With 15+ years of retail experience in visual merchandising, interior & exterior store design & planning, and in-store marketing, Natasia's organizational skills are paramount to the Creative Edge team. In her role, she keeps things running smoothly by identifying business opportunities, brainstorming solutions, and improving efficiency. By quickly mastering systems and adapting to new environments, Natasia drives timelines and projects forward.
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As a collaborative communicator, Natasia excels at building & maintaining relationships with key internal and external partners. Whether at work or on the weekend, Natasia's passion and enthusiasm for product quality, creativity, and people are infectious.
Ready to get started?
Schedule Your Free Intro Call
Step one of three in our stress-free onboarding process begins with seeing if our partnership would be a good fit.
Intro Call
During your intro chat, we'll have a relaxed conversation where we get to meet you and you get to meet us. We'd love to learn all about where you've come from, where you are now, & discover together whether working with us will help get you where you want to go.
​
Many people view meeting with their financial planner like reading a book they don't want to - "It's going to be a bit painful, but I'll be better off for it in the end". We make sure it isn't that way. That's why we like to say this meeting is all about "the story and not the numbers". It's all about what's important to you which means we may not even discuss "the numbers" until the Discovery meeting.
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We're excited to get to know you!
