Acorn’s James Gambaccini On Small Business Expertise

James Gambaccini, Managing Partner and Financial Planner at Acorn Financial Services, took some time to talk with Julie Cooling, CEO and Founder of RIA Channel, about how his experience as an entrepreneur helps him now as a financial planner. Gambaccini considers himself a businessman first and a planner second. He started his career as a entrepreneur in the food industry, owning restaurants and a franchise company. He eventually ran a dot-com startup for a few years before getting licensed as a financial planner in 2002. About half of Acorn’s clients are small business owners. Business owners are typically able to articulate their vision for their business, but sometimes struggle to explain what they’re trying to do outside of the business. Gambaccini’s skillset as an entrepreneur makes him uniquely skilled at translating their goals. In addition, it can be difficult for business owners to know how to invest outside of their business. Gambiccini is able to take a client-first perspective, taking care of the client so the client can take care of their business. This relatability has helped Acorn grow organically through referrals on multiple centers of influence and even their own client base. Acorn Financial Services is a hybrid RIA firm with over $700 million assets under management.