Abstract Essay, in its sixth season, features Mike Proctor, Founder and President of StewardRight, as my guest. In this compelling conversation, Mike shares his insights on purposeful leadership, responsible stewardship, and how organizations can create m

Michael Proctor Founder and President of StewardRight My name is Michael Proctor, founder of StewardRight. I built my RIA from the ground up alongside a team committed to excellence and deep responsibility. My work is supported by credentials as a CFP®, RICP®, and CVGA, but my perspective has been shaped by something more personal: wealth is rarely simple. It is emotional, relational, and often messy. Stewardship Is a Calling For me, stewardship is not a marketing slogan or a branding exercise. It is a calling and a heavy responsibility. My Christian worldview teaches that every dollar is a resource entrusted to us, meant to be managed with wisdom. That responsibility extends beyond portfolios and into the home, where money often becomes a source of friction rather than a tool for unity. The Industry Has Trained People to Expect Too Little The financial industry has conditioned clients to settle for far too little. Many firms charge high fees while delivering average, index like outcomes that most investors could achieve on their own. I believe that if a client can do it alone, we should be honest enough to say so. If you are paying for professional management, you should receive professional value. The Friendship Tax and Emotional Shortcuts I often hear people defend an underperforming advisor because they are a longtime friend. They say, “It’s not about the rate of return.” To me, saying investing is not about return is like saying going out to eat is not about flavor. Personally, I could open a dog food restaurant and charge twenty dollars a plate if the market was there, but I would not call it fine dining. Too often, we undermine our financial health with emotional shortcuts just to avoid social awkwardness. Who I Serve I serve disciplined savers, people who have already done the hard work of building a foundation. Now they are ready for high end stewardship and a clearer path toward building lasting family wealth. Much of my work involves bridging the gap between spouses. It is difficult to talk about money when you cannot see your spouse on the other side of the coin. Because couples are wired differently, financial planning often becomes a series of relational missteps. A Student of People I am a student of human wiring, communication, gifting, and the way people are built. My goal is to help individuals and families operate in alignment with how they were designed, and to have direct conversations about the weight of stewardship and the shortcuts that compromise the future. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.