Back in March, we announced that 2022 marked 20 years of impact at Leisure Capital Management. This month makes it official. We opened our doors on October 1, 2002. Since then, we’ve only grown stronger. Our team has tripled from the original trio of Marr, Gideon, and Ray to include John, Patrick, Sandra, Christina, Avery, and Barb. We work seamlessly together to serve our client family that has blossomed to include more than 300 clients in Southern California and across the country, many of whom have been with us since the start. We launched the firm in the face of a market upheaval that we felt put investors at risk, and we made it our mission to focus on growing and protecting our clients’ portfolios—a stark contrast to the more accepted practice at the time of chasing returns in an attempt to outperform the market. With that mission and a long-term perspective in top of mind, we have helped our clients prosper financially for two decades.  

 As is often true when milestones are reached, the 20-year mark has each of us thinking about the journey. How did we get from our humble beginnings to where we are today? Here’s what our founders, Ray, Gideon, and Marr have to say: 

• Ray
  It was mid-October in 2002 and I was on my way home from my annual pilgrimage to a Las Vegas basketball tournament when Marr called to tell me his big news: he was leaving the firm where we had worked together for more than three years. The even bigger news: he wanted me to join him. I was honored, but it was a difficult decision. Andi and I had just moved from a condo to a small house after our second son was born. Leaving a secure job to join Marr was a risk. As I weighed the pros and cons, I knew there were plenty of unknowns, but one thing I knew for certain was this: Marr knew his clients better than anyone else at the firm, and I had complete confidence that he would succeed in his venture. I also knew that Gideon, who I trusted like a brother and had worked with side by side for the past 8 years, was joining the team. I chose to take the leap. 
   
  Over the past 20 years, I have often felt incredibly lucky. Lucky that I had the confidence to make that difficult choice, and lucky for the opportunity to work with people who exhibit conviction and quality every day. Andi and I had another child, bought another home, and supported a ton of sports while watching our three kids grow through grade school, high school, and college—all with the support of LCM. I’ve proudly watched our firm grow almost exclusively thanks to strong referrals from professional colleagues and our clients who value the quality of our people and the culture of family we have nurtured along the way. I am grateful for the past, humbled by what we’ve achieved together, and confident about the future. I often think that this is the best place to be; I get to work with great people and great clients, and the work we do matters.  
   
• Gideon  
  October 2002 was the beginning of a new era. The dotcom bubble had finally fizzled out, signaling hints of a new bright future. That’s when I joined Marr and Ray to be a Portfolio Manager at our newly formed Leisure Capital Management. At 32 years old, taking on a new opportunity with a young family in tow felt like a wild risk. But since day one, there was never a question that joining LCM was one of the best decisions of my life. When we started, it was just the three of us in the same office we share today. We woke up every morning with a passion to grow our business, and we were laser-focused on exceeding every client’s expectations and delivering value as trusted professionals.  
   
  As is often the case with business partners, we have spent more time together than with our own families. And just like family, we have supported each other unconditionally through the toughest of times, both personally and professionally. That term, ‘family’, has been the secret to our success. We built LCM on a strong set of core values, and today, 20 years later, we still share those same ideals—though with a much larger family of employees and clients with whom we get to share the journey every day. I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and for our ability to gracefully evolve into who we are today.   
   
• Marr  
  When we opened our doors in 2002, the financial world was on shaky ground. Following the dotcom bust and the events of 9/11, finding a path through that darkness was a challenge. But there were also incredible financial opportunities on the horizon as the country entered into a new phase of low interest rates and a boom in real estate prices and construction. Technology was also advancing rapidly: in 2002 alone, Apple sold an incredible 450 million iPods. Remember the iPod? It seems so long ago that these tiny devices were the greatest new invention! It is a great example of just how rapidly technology has advanced and changed our daily lives, all in just two decades.  
   
  Rapid change is evident here at LCM as well. From a technology perspective, our reporting systems, research capabilities, and system security have all advanced significantly in the last five years. We’ve grown our team, our clients, and our assets under management. And Ray, Gideon, and I have all earned our share of gray hairs. Yet there are many things that I am happy to say have not changed. The duty of care to our clients and their assets has always been—and remains—our highest priority. Though we have added new employees, to a T they have consistently demonstrated the high level of dedication and attention to detail that have become the hallmarks of our firm. From those early beginnings 20 years ago, our goal has been to deliver exceptional service and meet the needs of our clients. Though your lives and our own have changed over the years, we have never wavered in our pursuit of that ideal.  

With 20 years now behind us, we have all grown and changed. We have experienced humbling professional successes and tragic personal losses. We have expanded our knowledge through education, experience, and the addition of wonderful new team members. And we have happily welcomed our clients’ children and grandchildren who have chosen to work with us as they fulfill their careers and expand their own young families. As we move into a new decade at LCM, we know there will be new challenges to overcome, but there will also be opportunities. Whether you have been with us for 20 years or have recently joined our family, we look forward to continuing to guide you through the next decade and beyond. Cheers to 20 years! 

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