Name: Melissa Baldwin

Title: Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: January, 2011

My favorite thing about working at Sharkey, Howes & Javer is…

TEAMWORK! We all come from different backgrounds and have different views and insight on various topics and it is great to be able to use each other as a sounding board. Teamwork and collaboration opens the door for more perspective in problem solving and options for clients to reach their goals.

As a runner, what keeps you motivated to continue training and eating healthy?

As a Colorado native, I grew up being active and was always doing things outdoors. With a busier schedule, I now turn to running to stay active. Creating my own training plans, and signing up for different races with family and friends, helps keep me on track. Setting new personal records and reaching new distances is always encouraging. Eating well helps keep me healthy and gives me the energy I need to continue to run – and it tastes good!

Having grown up here, what is your favorite place to visit in Colorado?

I love to escape to the mountains any chance I get. My favorite places are Vail and Glenwood Springs. I love the feeling of being in a Swiss mountain town with all of the architecture in Vail Village. Summer and Fall are my favorite times to be in Vail. As for Glenwood Springs, there is no better place to be during a snow storm than the Hot Springs! It is a perfect place to relax after a day of skiing at Sunlight.

If you suddenly had the day off today, what would you do?

If I suddenly had the day off during the summer you would be able to find me by the pool with a book. In the winter, I would go up to the mountains for a day of skiing, so that I don’t have to fight the weekend traffic! If I can’t get away for a whole day, I would want to get all of my weekend “chores” done so that I would have a full free weekend and grab lunch with friends or family.

What do you find most inspiring about being a financial planner?

I chose this career because of my enthusiasm for helping others. I believe financial planning is a part of life that most people worry about but it gets pushed to the side because people don’t know where or how to start. I believe that financial planning and investing should be accessible and understandable to everyone. The financial decisions to be made over a lifetime can be overwhelming and being able to provide clients with guidance and a sense of security when it comes to their finances is inspiring.