Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Cairo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in ELA from an immigrant mother (Italy) and first-generation Italian father. We were poor although I didn’t know it (my bedroom was a foldout couch) Both parents worked sending my sister and I to Catholic school where they taught us to work hard, treat others as you would want to be treated and life’s not fair, work hard, never give up and get over it as there are people out there who have it much harder.
As with many young persons, sometimes a career finds you vs you finding a carrier, thus while in college I had an older friend who was studying to be a stockbroker. I had no idea what that meant but all I knew he looked beat up as he was studying for his licensing exams. About a year later, I saw him driving a new Alfa Romeo, looking tan and my thought was, “I need to look into this”! I found a non-paying internship at Merryl Lynch in Pasadena and fell in love with the industry but not as a stockbroker as I felt it was too “salesy”. I research financial planning which was more of being a consultant and creating long term relationships, thus that suited more my personality. Upon graduation, I’ve only went on 2 interviews in my life and took one in my industry…100% commission, no benefits, etc. My dad was so upset ~ & I quote (“I sent you to school to be more dumb!? (my dad never graduated high school)”. I have a lot of ups and downs but what was ingrained was to never give up and while there is so much more to the career path that has taken me to where I am today after 39 years of being a financial services professional, over the last 4 years I’ve battled back through very difficult health issues. Upon me turning 60, I caught a virus that attacked the left muscle of my heart that put me into severe heart failure….never give up and over the next two years got my health back, on over the last two years had more health issues (too long of a story to write but I need to put out a book), I came down with lung issues that also put me back into heart failure. I was on oxygen and seen experts at Cedar;’s in LA, San Diego hospital and Stanford…I was diagnosed with having Pulmonary Capillary Hemangiomatosis which is one of the rarest lung diseases there is (only 100-200 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide) of which there is no cure, but the only fix is a lung or in my case a heart and lung transplant.
Never give up and even though I could barely get up the stairs in my own home…never give up and I continued to struggle to exercise as I knew that if I had to go through such a surgery, I had to be as strong as possible to recover. I am happy to announce that as of a few months ago all 3 institutions took me off their transplant list because I am now too healthy to be considered. While going through this, I continued work and since I received clearance to relive my life have been to Costa Rica and Italy…thus where I am today? Feeling very blessed and what I never take for granted is, you can have success (which many would consider I have…items, beautiful home(s), etc. but the gift of life and health is the most precious.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
already stated but to add ~ Personally, divorce; Business ~ I’ve had to restart my career 2 times. First with a company I helped build and was terminated after they moved me to Tuscon because I was a “threat” to ownership and via my compensation was making too much money; the breakup of a partnership which was very difficult as I treated him as a brother.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Since 1992, The Elite Financial Network, Inc. with over 25 advisors has been serving clients in all aspects of their financial lives.
We are more than money managers and financial planners, but by teaching financial self-awareness, We revealing how traditional finance practices are influenced by psychology. If investors want improved confidence, they must first improve their emotional competencies, which in turn, improves their decision-making behavior. It’s through this Behavioral Financial Advice that Dan seeks to establish a better future for his clients and the industry.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I feel the be happy and successful in life, you do need to take risk, but it has to be a calculated one. As mentioned, I only had 2 interviews in my life after graduation, the one was with McDonnell Douglas which paid more money that I had ever seen along with full benefits. Growing up poor I felt I could always get a job but not a career, thus how I entered my business.
I mentioned, having health issues where the only cure was a heart and lung transplant. When I got the news, I asked how soon can I have it done? Too many people associate “risk” with danger, I’ve always viewed it as having confident of your ability and its outcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elitefinancialnetwork.com
- Instagram: elitefinancial_net
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/elitefinancialnetwork
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-elite-financial-network-inc.
- Twitter: hhtps”//twitter.com/dcairo6
- Youtube: @Elite_Financial_Network
