When Stephen Maser became a financial advisor nearly two decades ago, he jumped at the chance to become an entrepreneur. And while his business has grown and expanded across the country, his priorities have remained the same: offer the highest level of service possible to every client who walks through his door. That not only means prompt communication and informed guidance in his role as a financial advisor, but it also means offering a high level of transparency and education as well.
“It can be intimidating to pick up the phone and talk to someone in an industry that speaks a language you’re not familiar with,” says Stephen, founder of Aura Wealth Management at Raymond James Ltd. “Our focus is to reduce that anxiety, and to give our clients the knowledge they need to better understand their relationship with us, as well as with their own money.”
He designed his business philosophies with an emphasis on empathy, making sure people came away feeling heard, and secure enough to ask questions.
“My grandmother was the last one-room schoolteacher in Southern Alberta and her love of teaching and learning was deeply ingrained into me at a young age,” he says.
These philosophies impact every aspect of the business, including the name itself.
“Aura Wealth Management is meant to elicit a certain mindset – a calmness. The name of the practice holds a lot of meaning for me, for many reasons,” he says, adding that one of those reasons is that it’s named for his wife, Laura, only with the “L” dropped.
Born and raised in Alberta, Stephen moved to the Okanagan in 2011 with his family. He quickly fell in love with B.C., and when he had the opportunity in 2015 to take over a business centred in Victoria and Vancouver, he jumped at the chance.
Now he travels out to Vancouver Island multiple times a year to support those relationships, maintaining an exceptional level of service that his clients have come to expect.
“I’ve got clients spread out all over in Canada and the U.S., and I feel it’s important to go there and see these people,” he says. “What took me there was business, but I enjoy going back quite a bit.”
While Vancouver has a plethora of cultural and culinary attractions, it’s the restaurant scene that always excites Stephen when he’s meeting clients here.
“I’m a big fan of Minami,” he says, referring to a contemporary Japanese spot in Yaletown that helped introduce the flame-seared technique into Vancouver’s sushi scene. And he also notes Nightingale – known for its award-winning wine list and farm-to-table excellence – as a regular favourite.
The 7 Sins
Envy: Whose shoes would you like to walk in?
Leonardo da Vinci. I’ve always found him fascinating and been really envious of his intelligence and ability to master multiple disciplines. After reading Walter Isaacson’s book about him, I began to wonder how one sees the world when possessing genius like his.
Gluttony: What is the food you could eat over and over again?
I grew up on a cattle ranch in Southern Alberta, so a great steak is always my go-to, paired with a red Bordeaux.
Greed: You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?
I’m not a hugely materialistic person, so I’d likely spend it on world travel. If I had to pick a thing, I’m a sucker for a beautiful car, so probably an Aston Martin DB9 Volante.
Wrath: Pet peeves?
Socks with sandals. I mean, come on, people. Really?
Sloth: Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?
Troncones, Mexico. Some wonderful friends of ours introduced us to this tiny little surfing village a few years ago. It’s quiet and relaxing with little to do but walk the secluded beach, read, eat at the local restaurants and generally unplug. It is old Mexico in the best way.
Pride: What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of?
I’m proud of the fact that I was able to successfully build my business from nothing, especially in an industry that’s very difficult to survive in.
Lust: What makes your heart beat faster?
Easily my wife, Laura. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also wickedly intelligent and accomplished in her own right. She challenges me in ways no one else ever has.
This story appeared in the winter edition of Boulevard Vancouver.