A planner's recipe for success

Many financial decisions are made around the dinner table rather than a conference table, according to one financial planner and foodie who believes in presenting financial planning concepts in a more digestible way. That is why Methuen, Mass.-based Grella Financial Services has cooked up a recipe for a happy retirement. “People don't want to feel uneducated about financial planning,” said Tom Grella Jr., a partner in the family-owned advisory business, which has $100 million in assets under management. “And people do understand food.” The firm's “gourmet recipe” names three ingredients for clients: Align your values with your finances, make time to develop a strategy and avoid the temptation to follow trends. The “recipe” is a new way of presenting what the firm has done for 19 years, said Mr. Grella, who with his wife, Bridget, joined his parents, Tom and JoAnne, in the business in 1999. It is also a natural way of working with clients for Mr. Grella, whose passion for cooking is a big part of his life. He was a contestant on the Food Network's program “The Next Food Network Star” in 2007. Just 11 people were selected to compete out of 3,000 applicants, Mr. Grella said. Competitors cooked over multiple episodes, working to impress such celebrity chef judges as Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis. Since then, Mr. Grella has made cooking appearances on local television stations such as New England Cable News' “TV Diner.” He has also been a guest chef at the Disney Wine and Food Festival and the Atlantic City Food and Wine Show. And Mr. Grella uses his cooking skills to benefit local charities by cooking for events or auctions. As much as he loves food, however, he said that even if he had won on the show, he would still be a financial planner.