My primary responsibility is as a portfolio manager and research analyst. I have responsibility for healthcare and financial services. In addition, I do the financials for the firm.

Our portfolio holds about 30 to 40 companies. By narrowing our focus, it allows us to spend a lot of time listening to these companies’ feedback on a regular basis about how business is going and what they’re experiencing in the marketplace.

We’re always looking for growth. So healthcare, technology, and financial services—they can be completely different in the dynamics that drive them. In healthcare—maybe it’s an unmet medical need. Or, a significant advancement in the technology that’s being used or applied. Same thing goes for financial services.

It’s also watching the people I know. You do learn a lot from that. You try to ask why. Being as inquisitive as you can helps you understand the dynamics that are driving some of the products that these companies are offering.

We own a company that does telemedicine. It’s a way of reducing costs. They’re seeing growth from people migrating out of the emergency room, or the doctor’s office. They do that by making a phone call or using an app on their phone or computer.

The questions I ask management teams have a lot to do with growth. The drivers, whether it’s unit growth, pricing, market, the addressable market. What’s your marketing message? How are you driving your sales force? What are your risks? Where could you be wrong?

I’ve done a lot of work over the years on valuation. That’s the piece that when you come in as an analyst you can do the numbers, you can ask the questions, but I think one of the more important pieces of what we do, is understanding how to value a company.

“What I ask management has to do with growth. The drivers, whether it’s unit growth, pricing, market, the addressable market.”

My artistry is perspective. I lean glass half-empty. But it’s a great balance. We have a very open dialogue on our team. That gives us the opportunity to voice those concerns and come to a collective decision. That makes me feel more confident about the companies that we own, and also it makes us feel confident in the decisions for our clients as a whole for the portfolio.

Recently I was looking at some quotes related to savings and wealth. I came across one by Warren Buffett. ‘Save for security, and invest for prosperity.’

My dad gave me some great advice. I was working for a bank. There was a lot of job security; I was climbing the corporate ladder and so forth. Nancy approached me to take this job, and my dad just said, ‘Take the risk.’ It’s been great advice.

I’m an avid, avid sports fan. My husband’s a cyclist, so I watch the Tour de France. I watch soccer, and I watch Formula One. I love football.

The best part of working here is that every day is never the same. Even when it’s ugly, it’s never the same.