That Ryan Long appeared again On Wall Street’s Top 40 Under 40 ranking isn’t as remarkable as where he landed: He jumped 14 spots from last year.
The UBS advisor came in at No. 10 and
“It's always the most fulfilling when you look back at a year where you made great progress and your clients are pleased with your work,” Long says.
Here, the Dallas-based advisor talks about teamwork, trends to watch in 2020 and what he’s streaming on Netflix. Scroll down to read more.
To see who else made this year’s Top 40 Under 40,
What type of clients do you serve — and how do you meet new ones?
Our business is primarily focused on meeting the needs of high-net-worth and ultrahigh-net-worth clients and their families. I really enjoy working with, helping & serving families that value our advice and our friendship. We grow our relationship base through our existing clients and also through events that we host throughout the year focused on caring for our clients and their friends.
Have you ever turned away a client for being a bad fit for your practice?
Our clients and the people we choose to serve and work with are all wonderful people. If someone doesn't value the advice we give them, or treats us in a way we find to be disrespectful, then we respectfully ask them to work with someone else.
What was your biggest work accomplishment in 2019, and was there something that nearly kept you from achieving it?
2019 was a great year for our team. We were named in Forbes' Top Next-Gen Ranking as the No. 1 advisor for the state of Texas, and to On Wall Street's Top 40 Under 40 ranking. Most importantly, it was a great and prosperous year for our clients and the book of business that we serve. It's always the most fulfilling when you look back at a year where you made great progress and your clients are pleased with your work. That's what we strive for, to serve them better and make progress on their behalf where we can each and every year.
These advisors oversaw $26 billion in combined client assets.
What was your biggest personal accomplishment in 2019?
The first thing that comes to mind is looking back and remembering all the great memories my family and I had doing fun stuff together outside of work, whether it's the vacations that we took together, or the lazy Saturday afternoons grilling outside and watching lots of college football in the fall. 2019 was a great year full of lots of fun memories that were made with my family, and that's what I'm most proud of personally.
How do you keep abreast of changes in wealth management?
I've been fortunate and privileged enough to serve on UBS's FA Advisory Council over the past four years, with two of those years spent as co-chair. The pulse on the changes and things we work on with senior management from an internal standpoint keep you very much dialed in to what is going on across the broader wealth management industry.
What trends are you watching in 2020?
Political headwinds and uncertainty goes without saying as something that will continue to linger over the markets until at least early November, once we get more certainty over the U.S. election. We are watching the energy space closely to see how things progress there, as we've been underweight in that sector for some time in our portfolios. Information technology has been great the past few years and we are overweight that sector in our equity models. Lastly, top of mind is how interest rates will move in the coming year, as interest rate moves either up or down can have an effect on our economy as a whole.
What qualities do you admire in your team members?
Their willingness to complete and finish tasks, and ability to persevere no matter the obstacle. I also love their care and desire for our clients to be better served each and every day, to help make their financial lives a little easier.
What was the last good book you read?
Would definitely have to be one of my children's books that we read together. Those are more fun anyway!
What TV show are you currently streaming?
“Longmire” on Netflix.
What goal, professional or personal, do you want to achieve in 2020?
Professionally, to continue to push growth within our team to increase capacity and better serve our clients. Personally, to start up and coach a soccer team for my youngest son who is 4 and itching to play sports, as well as continuing to spend quality time with my family. A great friend and mentor once told me, "You'll never look back at the end of your career and say, gee, I wish I'd have spent less time with my kids." So I always try to maintain my focus there and knowing that work is important, but family is even more important.
