Darren VanHevel, FIC, RICP®, CLTC®

Imagine this… It’s your first day on the job—a job you’ve been dreaming about and training for longer than you can remember. You get your first important assignment. This is what you’ve been waiting for! So what do you do? You blow it, of course. Worse—you blow it in front of thousands of people!

Yup. That was me.

Hi friends! I’m Darren VanHevel, Founding Partner and Wealth Advisor of Sea Glass Wealth Advisors. I educate, guide, and counsel folks like you on how to make better decisions with your money…so you can enjoy confidence in your future, secure what matters most in your life, and make a lasting impact on the people you care about.

And that job? I still have it. Still love it, in fact. I’m a college football referee. The reason I love it—despite the embarrassment of blowing my very first call in my very first game (in the UP Dome, no less)—is because to me…officiating is not a job. It’s a passion.

Unfortunately, for the longest time I couldn’t say the same thing about my professional life. Which was weird, because with a Commercial Recreation degree from Central Michigan, you’d think a guy like me would love managing sports facilities. But the problem wasn’t with the sports part. The problem was with the managing part. It’s kind of like in football. The best referees—the ones I’ve learned the most from—aren’t there to manage. They’re there to serve. To serve the players. The fans. The game. A great ref brings out the best in others. And that makes the game better.

Lucky for me one of my younger brothers already had a successful career with Thrivent. He saw what I couldn’t. Just because financial services isn’t related to sports didn’t mean I couldn’t find my passion there. Good call, Brian.

These days I educate people preparing for retirement. I help them better understand their benefits…avoid common mistakes…take advantage of opportunities they didn’t even realize they had. The amazing thing? I haven’t had a single day yet where this felt like a job. And… Serving others—instead of trying to manage them—generates the passion that was missing from my professional life. It sure helps when who I serve starts with my beautiful, loving kids - Addison and Gavin. But also the dynamic team my business partner Catherine Gateman and I get to lead at Sea Glass Wealth Advisors. And you.

Now, whether I’m working with an executive mapping out sophisticated strategies, maximizing complex compensation packages, stewarding multi-generational wealth for a family, or educating professionals on retirement planning, my approach is the same… Personal attention comes first. Because your dream is my dream. If you’ve been working hard for decades, saving and investing, paying down debt…and you’re looking forward to spending more time with loved ones, growing more as a person, and making an impact on your community… That’s the kind of future that deserves a dedicated, passionate guide to partner with. Let’s visit soon.