Redtail Advisor Hero: Lee Stoerzinger

Redtail Technology > Redtail Advisor Hero: Lee Stoerzinger

I have learned that service to others can break through all worldly boundaries.”

– Lee Stoerzinger, CFP

A Firm Built by Community –

Why One Advisor Gives Back

Most advisors enter the field by getting a job at a large wirehouse or financial advice firm, and then eventually decide independence is right for them. Lee Stoerzinger took a different approach. With his passion for economics, a drive to master new skills, and strong belief in himself, Lee decided to pursue his dream of becoming an independent financial advisor right after college. By 22 years old, he had partnered with an independent broker-dealer and was on his way to building his company.

Though he was determined to be thoughtful about who he worked with, Lee was just beginning his journey as a business owner and knew the challenges before him. After a friend invited him to a local Rotary Club meeting, Lee quickly learned the personal value of being involved in a community. This was an opportunity to meet new people, participate in volunteer work, and raise money for various organizations. It was a place to get involved with leaders who gathered selflessly to serve others. Lee was often the youngest person in the room, but it was there he realized the key to his business was working with people who shared his values and dedication to giving back.

That first glimpse of serving others was the tip of the iceberg for Lee. From there, he joined local business groups, the Chamber of Commerce, and educational boards. He also participated in Meals on Wheels, ran community awareness events, mentored youth, and volunteered at homeless shelters. He even started his own non-profit along the way. As Lee immersed himself in organizations dedicated to serving others, his business really began to grow, stitched together through relationships he built along the way.

Lee firmly believes service to others is a way to heal society. He has found that giving back breaks through all boundaries – it builds friendships that last a lifetime, binds the community together, and reveals the true meaning of gratitude.

Lee Stoerzinger, CFP
Founder and President, Lee Stoerzinger Wealth Management
Oakdale, Minnesota

AUM: $170 million
Founded in 1993
Six employees
Number of clients: 245
Current Broker Dealer: United Planners Financial Services
Favorite superhero: Green Lantern

I’ve learned that, if you just look around, there’s always someone in need. I’ve learned that friendships are what life is about, and community is what binds us together.

Not only is Lee’s business ethos built on the foundation of giving back to his community, but he also uses this shared belief system to build strong relationships with his clients. To him, a success story goes beyond business – it’s when his clients go out of their way to demonstrate to him how he has impacted their family and personal life. Lee believes the client/advisor relationship is more than managing money; it’s about guiding clients on their own personal journey toward what is truly meaningful to them. Says Lee, “True wealth is something that money can’t buy, and death cannot take. It is family and friends and the life that you live with them.”

I built my business on being involved in the community over the years and doing things to give back. When I look at all our clients, that’s where they come from.

Lee also utilizes these “true wealth” values in his personal life. At 40 years old, Lee and his wife were called to respond to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti that left hundreds of thousands dead and thousands of children orphaned. Putting faith and trust into action, Lee grew his family by adopting two children, Geraldine and Evan, from Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity home for dying children. After the turmoil his children have lived through, Lee considers them to be his personal superheroes. He admires their resiliency, their positivity, and their adaptability. In Lee’s words, “I’m in awe of them every day.”

As someone who has dedicated his life to building relationships on shared community-centric values, Lee is dedicated to igniting conversations about who we are as people and what we want our present moments to look like. He encourages clients to think beyond the “how” and look into the “why” to visualize the main reason we are here in this world. We encourage you to read his book on aligning the values we espouse with the values that we live – “On the Back Burner.”

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