A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Sid is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, where he studied Political Science. As a native Virginian, Sid has spent his entire life here with the exception of a short time in Birmingham, Alabama. The yearning to return home coincided with the start of a sixteen year career with Merrill Lynch, ultimately working as a Senior Vice President – Investments, before starting Heartwood Wealth Advisors.
Sid learned several important values early in life that have had a profound impact on his professional career. His father, who was a football coach, taught him the value of hard work, and what can be accomplished through teamwork. His mother taught him to be courteous and pleasant to everyone – that being thoughtful to others offers rich personal rewards.
Chief among those values was empathy. Sid recognized early in his career that he was a far better advisor when he could visualize himself in his client’s situation. Sid believes that understanding a client’s goals and dreams is critical to offering substantive advice, and a key to appreciating a client’s unique circumstances is listening carefully to what they say.
“We think of client relationships lasting decades, and in many cases we work with multi-generational families. Throughout their lives, we will interact with clients in times of extreme happiness and in times of great despair,” Sid reveals. “Through it all we want to be here for them, even if it sometimes means just listening and being supportive. What we do transcends asset management”
Sid and his wife Cathy have three children- Win, Anna Catherine, and Nancy. Much of Sid’s time involves watching Win play football and lacrosse, watching Anna Catherine in a horse show or field hockey game, and singing back-up for Nancy during one of her concerts. An avid bird hunter and fisherman, Sid can also be found in the woods and on the waters of Virginia, possibly humming a Waylon Jennings or Elton John song.
