Botsford Financial's Kyle Shores Carrying on the Family Trade in His Own Way
Kyle Shores attended three different high schools as he grew through his teen years, a result of his father’s career as a high school football coach and mother’s career as a high school teacher and their transition into school administration.
“I got to see what it was like to be in a class of 1,000 students—and a class of 40.”
Kyle grew up in Mansfield, just outside of Arlington, and the town was booming when he entered his freshman year. He was one of a thousand students in the freshman class, and learned quickly that with that many students, you had to specialize in a sport or certain academic field.
But a year later his father took a job in tiny Maypearl, just outside of Waxahachie, and suddenly Kyle was one of only 40 students in his sophomore class. He liked that he could play more than one sport, “because in a small school like that, every coach is recruiting for their team!” He got to play more than one designated sport, and enjoyed the freedom to do so.
Then senior year his family moved to a small town on Cedar Creek Lake called Malakoff. Although he was only there one year, Kyle made good friends in his senior class of 60. His 20-year high school reunion is coming up, and he feels he’d like he could go back to any of the three towns and enjoy catching up. “For me, the smaller school experience was better,” he says, able to make that assessment when remembering his three former high schools.
He played football, basketball and ran track in his high school career. At 6’1”, he was a natural at wide receiver; he also played forward on the basketball team, and in track ran hurdles and competed in the triple jump. “I liked all three sports and I think the teamwork I learned is still used today,” he says.
He graduated and took off to college, ready to major in sports medicine, but realized early on that his skills were not the medical field.
UNT had a degree in Financial Services, and although he had an interest in Texas Tech and Kansas State, UNT made the most sense for this future financial advisor.
He graduated in 2001 and after a few weeks, was on board at Botsford Financial, hired on as the first full time male employee. He’s now the financial advisor to over 180 households, and his advice as their financial officer is a blessing he feels determined to do right by. “Much like my parents, my job is to educate, just in a different field. I assist families make educated decisions on their portfolios, life insurance, estate planning and more,” he says. ???
This means Kyle has to perform a lot like an athlete: he spends a lot of time on a computer, researching investments, like a pro athlete watches film of his future opponent. As Chief Investment Officer, Kyle’s job is to coach his households into a suitable financial position. And, like a coach, he cares about and is concerned for the families he advises.
He says his job is really very simple. “Erin Botsford is conservative with her money, and so I look at all investments I research as if I am recommending them to her. If it’s good for Erin, it’s good for our client families.” He says the tag line, “Win without losing,” describes his investing motto well, and is being used now by a number of companies in the business, years after Botsford adopted that strategy. “That’s been our strategy since 2001.”
A devoted father to two boys, Cameron, 7, and Dalton, 3, Kyle already has their future protected, should something happen to him. “The key is to plan for the unexpected. Unexpected tragedies do happen all the time—it’s why we are here, helping families with small children, or teens, or elderly parents, plan ahead—just in case.”
Kyle is a planner, but says when it comes to his boys, the joke is on him. “I played four sports growing up, and the one—baseball—that I gave up on, turns out to be the one my son loves the most.” He took Cameron to a professional baseball game and now he’s a huge Texas Ranger fan. “He wants to see all the major ball parks now, and I’m like, geez—that’s a lot of travel from Dallas, Texas!”
But Kyle is happy to help his son dream about those trips to far away baseball fields of dreams, because his job is to prepare families for their futures. A self-described “Middle of the road, boring guy,” he did travel to Barcelona to run with the bulls in Pamplona one year. “I was actually more afraid of tripping on the mass of guys running all around me than the bulls behind me,” he says now, and admits his days of running with the bulls is over. Now he enjoys an occasional live concert: Country Western, Rock, Jazz. He’s a music lover, and likes a variety of artists and bands.
His goal is to make sure growing families like his are well protected in the case of an unforeseen disaster. “It may be five years since you’ve checked your home owner’s insurance, and now it’s time to update it, or add a rider for something you’ve purchased recently.”
Kyle says a lot of things we take for granted need to be considered: “Why do I need umbrella liability coverage? Or to increase my home owner’s insurance? The truth is, as families grow, and incomes grow, your coverage needs to grow too.”
As his sons grow, Kyle finds himself always thinking about them. “My dad got tickets to Opening Day at The Ballpark this year to see the Rangers, and I almost felt guilty going without Cameron, because I knew he’d love to go.” It’s Kyle’s concern for others that makes him an excellent Financial Advisor. His loyalty is also strong: he’s been at Botsford Financial for 15 years, and sees his future right there where he began after college. He knows there are bigger financial institutions out there, but he’s happy to be where he is.
After all, he’s been one in a class of a thousand, and one in a class of 40, and prefers being in the smaller arena, where he can do more, make stronger relationships, excel in a number of areas… and occasionally take an afternoon off to bring his young sons to a baseball game.
For more information on how to invest for your future and family, contact Kyle at kshores@botsfordfinancial.com or call 214-423-4200.
Content in this material is for general information only and not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Investing involves risk including loss of principal.
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered though Stratos Wealth Partners, A Registered Investment Advisor. Financial Planning offered through Lifestyle Planning Solutions, LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Botsford Financial Group, Lifestyle Planning Solutions, LLC and Stratos Wealth Partners are separate entities from LPL Financial.
Judy Porter a writer based in Dallas and can be reached at judy-porter@sbcglobal.net