Kelly Sturmthal: Protect. Plan. Prosper.

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio Beyond the Uniform Series. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Kelly Sturmthal, attorney, certified exit planning advisor, entrepreneur, military spouse, and founder of Kelly ESQ, and Kelly’s Briefing Room. For more than 25 years, Kelly has helped families, business owners, active duty military members and veterans create estate plans, succession strategies, and legacy plans that protect both people and the values they care most about. Kelly believes that great planning isn’t just about legal documents, it’s about creating clarity, strengthening relationships, and building a legacy that lasts for generations. Kelly, welcome to the show.

Kelly Sturmthal: Thank you so much. Pleasure to be here.

Trisha Stetzel: Um, so excited. Well, and I think we, we met through other people through networking. And I’m just so excited to have you in my circle.

Kelly Sturmthal: Thank you, thank you. I know, me too. I just, I felt like we clicked right away, which is a wonderful thing.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely.

Kelly Sturmthal: Thanks to our to our friend.

Trisha Stetzel: That’s right. Our inner circles. Right. And reaching out. So networking is definitely a way to meet amazing people like you. So tell us a little bit more about Kelly.

Kelly Sturmthal: Oh, yes. So, um, love the military. I think that is, you know, so thank you for your service. I, um, I am a military wife and also a military mom and my other son’s an aerospace engineer. So that’s like a hybrid, right? Yeah. Um, I, um, have always found a way to pour into that community because the people in it are, um, just so special to me when they said yes. Um, my, my education is finance, a finance background, uh, entrepreneurship and being an attorney leaning towards estate and business planning. So it really is combining them. I think that educating is a critical part of all these chapters. You know, as we hit different stages in life, uh, you’re, you may need a sounding board, you might need someone that is ahead of you. So that’s pretty much what I’m creating through Kelly’s briefing room as an education arm to port. And then if legal documents are needed to, um, head on over to my law office in Florida. Can I find you somebody in, like, Texas?

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. So what what drew you to this work in the first place? Kelly.

Kelly Sturmthal: So I, um, as an attorney, I wanted a practice area that I was really paying attention to families. Uh, I believe that that relationship and the communication element of families as I was watching it work and not work. And, you know, even in my own life of being a married to a guy in the Air Force, just watching how that it was really important that we stayed on the same page or we were constantly reconnecting and, um, estate planning and business planning were the connection. I love business as well. I think it’s pretty cool that somebody comes up with an idea and they create a business that is, uh, income for their family or future for their family. So I combine the two with the estate planning and business planning. And then, you know, after you do it for a while, you want to pour into families or answer questions. Uh, I always joke one day, one day, I want like a room where I’m just sitting here and people are walking by asking me questions. I’m like, okay, let me see if I can come up with the answer or I’m going to find it for you. So it’s just a, I think I’ve hit the stage that I’ve seen so many different variations and, um, advising and guiding is important. I really like those three tenets of are you protecting? Are you planning and are you? Then you’re prospering. So it’s a an element of you’re always in one of them or maybe all three.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. So combining all of the things, uh, throughout your career, being an attorney, an entrepreneur, opening your own business, being a military spouse, a business advisor, a veterans advocate, looking back at all of the experience and leadership that you bring to the table. Give me an example of one experience that really shaped the leader that you’ve become today.

Kelly Sturmthal: Uh, I would say that when I’m working with two sets, either someone that has just started their career, um, typically in my world, that’s a new military officer or a, um, a new business owner at the beginning. There’s so many questions, and when I have met with them through networking, typically I find that I’m just able to push them over the questions, the initial questions. Uh, I think that that is probably the, the most important to me and the most impactful because you’re, you’re really the reason that they can move forward and then they just grow and blossom. And then as life goes on, other questions come up. And, you know, I would like to be that sounding board. I can recall, as you say, that I’m thinking, um, sadly, my dad passed away in 2011. Um, my parents were married for 46 years. He was an entrepreneur and there was, uh, they had several properties and all the estate planning was in place, but I had a real estate question. And this one attorney just answered one question for me. And I was like, oh, I can breathe. I can think, you know, I’m grieving. My mom’s asking me questions. I’m trying to help her. My brother’s involved. And that person just was so important to me moving forward. So it was really the reason that I wanted to be that person. However, I could enter someone’s life at a stage where they had a question. And so that’s a big part of the education. Part of Kelly’s briefing room is like, tell me what you have. Like, what do we need to do? What’s the question? So.

Trisha Stetzel: So tell me more about Kelly’s briefing room.

Kelly Sturmthal: So it was set up as a membership and then a 1 to 1 class. Um, I do some individual counseling and consulting over there, but I wanted to educate, I wanted to. I started with, um, working with some air force officers, um, single, married, you know, just having those initial questions with all that they had to deal with as they were starting their job. And then I found that there were so many people that had estate planning questions, as they were already probably had their estate planning. So that’s why I can work beyond Florida, but they just didn’t have the next step. Maybe it was funding a trust or they were thinking about getting married again. You know, as a widow or widower or having a baby. And so I really wanted to provide classes, um, to where they could just jump on and, and be with me for an hour and get a, an answer. So it really is an education, an education arm. It runs from free 97 197. And then when we are doing one on one, I mean, I can, I can get up there to maybe 5000. But, you know, I really feel like I could, I could speak to any particular person at any stage and, and not have them feel as though they can’t afford to have the conversation. Because often back to my original point is one answer, as you know, can push someone forward. And that’s, that’s a nice place to be to be able to do that for a person.

Trisha Stetzel: It is absolutely. It’s such an amazing, warm story that it was that one thing that really pushed you to do what you’re doing now. Um, I love and we understand why. I think we understand why you love working in the veteran community or active duty space as well. Uh, you have a passion for that. What do you find are the, the biggest challenges and even strengths in that community when it comes to working with them?

Kelly Sturmthal: Uh, combination because the new officers mostly are managing. They, however, they’ve gotten to their position, whether through school or, you know, other, many other ways in every branch. Very often they’re, they’re not getting some of the practical tips of life. Meaning what do I do with this loan? Or I’m thinking about buying a house. Um, I have a estate planning documents from the from JAG, but I don’t really know what they mean because we got them quickly. Um, so that is one one particular group that I. I’ve been working with some of the military academies just to push that group to the next step. Um, doing some seminars over there. And then I feel the other side is when someone is close to retiring or retired, they have, um, they’re either at that fork in the road where they’re starting a business and maybe talking to you and, um, or they’re, uh, they have a lot in place, but they haven’t been exposed to life outside of the military. And they just have some of those questions about, um, whether it’s, uh, their life together being aligned, you know, as husband and wife. Um, I love talking about that alignment side or is it just a conversation about talking their finances and their estate planning? Now, what do we do now that we’ve hit this retirement age or maybe starting another chapter? So really, I think is a transition stage. That is whether it’s at the beginning or later on that I’m really catering to in that in that group of wonderful people that are in the military.

Trisha Stetzel: Wonderful people or, or out of the military.

Kelly Sturmthal: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, you’re still always in the military or you always were in the military, right?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely.

Kelly Sturmthal: You know that.

Trisha Stetzel: Yes. Of course. So we’ve talked a bit about the estate planning. I want to talk a little bit about your exit planning, because before we started recording, we were having a really great conversation around how you’re there for the beginning and the back end for these businesses. So talk to me about the work that you do with business owners.

Kelly Sturmthal: The so business owners, it may be at the fork in the road when they’re starting because they’re not sure about the checking account and the, am I starting at, oh, everybody’s giving advice or, you know, they’re googling and, um, just more of a check checklist to make sure that their foundation is strong for starting that business that I think is important. And then the exit planning, I call it growth and exit planning because it really is something you’re you’re just addressing as you’re growing. I would say you’re very familiar with businesses growing. And that’s the concept. That’s 95% of what they’re doing, growing, growing, growing. So I’m just adding an element of, let me remind you, and this is from my exit planning world that let me remind you that your, um, your personal finances, your, what you’re doing with your time and how this business is transitioning from you to someone else. Those three elements are, are always sitting around and you just want to think about them. Doesn’t mean you have to have an answer because you’re in growth mode. But, um, I just hope that business owners don’t hit a point that today they are fine with their business. And then tomorrow they’re like, please, how do I get out of this and unwinding? Sometimes they really lose a big part of what they’ve grown because they haven’t taken a bit of time just to address some of those items. So I think that, um, those particular areas are just pinpointing, even if it’s twice a year talking to someone and saying, okay, what are you thinking about? Or how is your money structured? Have you, you know, do you know what your profit is? Um, so mine is more of a broad overview. I can go, um, I absolutely can go deeper with respect to the categories, but I would rather, um, I’d rather highlight what is important to move in that direction because then they can concentrate on growing and, you know, as an entrepreneur, they want to grow. I get it, I know it, you know it.

Trisha Stetzel: Yes. Well, and no one wants to get to the end of their business and just say, okay, I’m done. Right, right. There has to be some planning. And I, I always love to say, and I’m sure you’ve said it many more times than me is. Begin with the end in mind.

Kelly Sturmthal: Right, right. And that is. And then I think people do that. But I think as they’re growing, it gets lost a little bit because there’s so many decisions and so much going on as their business is blossoming. That is, um, one group of people that I will get a call from saying, okay, I can hear the sigh over the phone like, oh yeah, we’re going, we’re getting, we’re so big. And I have a business partner and they’re on a different page. And I, I just need somebody to talk to that to me is where I really can play in. I try to do a, a one time fee to have a conversation because very often it’s just pushing them in a direction. Um, you know, I want to, I want to be a sounding board and that is more, um, more accessible for the people that I’m interacting with instead of at that stage because they’re growing and they’re busy and they just have a few questions, then signing up for a program that they may not, you know, be able to give the time and energy to. So now I’m, as I love to do, push them forward. I always my favorite term is back to basics. Let’s go back to basics. It’s a little play on the military, but because you, you do lose your basics, the basics of your business or what you’re trying to accomplish when you’re so busy. And I just like, you know, remind, get a few little one, two threes and then they move forward and, and, you know, they’re so busy, I don’t hear from them. And then they call me in six months and say, okay, what was number two?

Trisha Stetzel: I’m just now getting to number two. It’s eight months later.

Kelly Sturmthal: I know, I know, right, right, right.

Trisha Stetzel: All right. I know people are already interested in connecting with you. They probably want to know more about Kelly’s briefing room. They want to know more about your exit strategy coaching, what is the best way for people to contact you or to learn more?

Kelly Sturmthal: So I have a 15 minute intro call on my website, ask.com or Kelly’s briefing room.com. And I’m also having fun playing on Instagram. So I’m on Kelly’s briefing room is on Instagram and also Kelly SQU, you know, like university, um, as well as I’m on LinkedIn. So, uh, it’s LinkedIn is my name though my last name. And have I said it yet? You said it very well. Thank you. I’m, I’ve been married 31 years. Great husband. We have boys. So this name is going on, but it’s hard to spell. So my last name is Sturmthal and very German. Uh, so good husband, as I said. But, um, so that’s where I am on LinkedIn, so it’s easier to catch me at Kelly S q and click the LinkedIn. But yeah, I just really try to pop in a lot of, um, practical comments there, um, military, you know, um, lots of patriotism and, uh, hopefully a, um, a good smattering of some practical implementation of ideas on both areas. So I look forward to seeing you. Follow me. So what I’m supposed to say?

Trisha Stetzel: Follow me. All right, you guys. Uh, Kelly is spelled KELLY. Her last name is Sturmthal, STURMTHALE. Go find her on LinkedIn. If you can’t message me, I will.

Kelly Sturmthal: Help you, right?

Trisha Stetzel: And if you’re sitting in front of your computer, you can point and click. Just grab the show notes. All right, Kelly, I want to go back to kind of where we started with networking. Um, you and I talked about it before we started the show today. We talked about our last conversation. Um, networking should become more intentional, I believe as, as businesses mature especially. So what have you learned about building meaningful relationships instead of simply just collecting contacts?

Kelly Sturmthal: Right. I just so enjoyed our conversation initially because it really is about that relationship and the communication. And I think that with so many different platforms and ways to communicate. We’ve lost that. And so the intentionality is really, who am I trying to meet to both grow? Um, instead of that chamber meeting where you go in and you leave with 50 cards and, and you’re just everyone’s not someone that you’re going to be able to interact with where you’re both growing. So I have tried to be, um, a combination of creating my own group. Um, just because those are the people, you know, you probably already referred to. And then it broadens. That’s one option. And then secondly, when I do get into a networking group, um, really thinking about who would benefit me, you know, you’re you, for example, I’m actually going to throw this back to you in your company that you’re in a situation that you’re, if my business owner is, I just need like somebody that, that really can get me extreme results, you know, really pour in. I, I would say I would rather introduce you to Tricia than push to a point that, you know, I’m, I’m not feeling all your gaps. I’m going to take the big picture. I’m going to, um, give you some points to hit for the next year or something or the next six months. But if you want someone really pouring in, you need this person. So I think networking is about referring the right person. It’s a matchmaking almost where they your initial conversation is about the two of you. But then that next level is connecting in a way that is beneficial to everyone. Sometimes you do push them off, but you know, I, I think that’s pretty cool that they would have never met your referral if they hadn’t met you first. So that’s intentional networking to me, it’s a deeper relationship with the people that you’re meeting.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. How important is it to have to surround yourself with people who are going to support you, whether it’s networking, your family, your friends. What would you say about that?

Kelly Sturmthal: I obviously important because as you get older and you know, your kids are adulting, your husband is, you know, doing his thing and or getting to retirement that you really now are your time is important. So you’re trying to be more efficient with this group of people. So now if someone knows you already, you’re not spending, you know, I think a lot of us in networking, we chase, you know, the shiny new object. And it’s a description of always trying to meet more, more and more and more people where sometimes if you could pause for a minute, I love, I call it think time, where you’re just pausing and you think about the people that know you already and have either used your services or you just get along with if there’s a, if you’re checking in with them, That is true support and networking where you both are. You’re building the relationship, you’re communicating, and now you’re together seeing if there’s a way that you can assist each other in your business, or just being friends or you know, your own because they know you, you’ve already built the rapport. So don’t forget the people that already know and love you. I think that’s a critical factor of networking and support. Supportive people around you.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. I always come back to we become the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

Kelly Sturmthal: There you go. Right, right. If you write those people down, what do you think? Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, exactly.

Kelly Sturmthal: I don’t know. It’s a good double check.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m just kidding.

Kelly Sturmthal: Eagle. Eagle.

Trisha Stetzel: More silly.

Kelly Sturmthal: Right? The season that you’re in, it changes. You know, when you think about all the different chapters of your life, the people, you just have different groups of people you interact with at different stages. So you’re not assessing the level of friends or, you know, strategically assessing your people, but you’re, you’re really building the relationship with the ones that you enjoy being with and they enjoy being with you. It’s just a, isn’t it just expands into this amazing, whether it’s business or personal. It just expands because you like each other. So that’s cool. That’s what we should be doing.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, exactly. And Kelly. Kelly. Kelly doesn’t have to back me up on this, but if you have people in your room that you don’t like, you don’t have to hang out with them.

Kelly Sturmthal: Yeah. Right, right. I know. It’s like, okay. I mean, we’re in a safe space, but that’s okay. Yeah. We don’t.

Trisha Stetzel: Why be miserable?

Kelly Sturmthal: I know. Alright.

Trisha Stetzel: I so we’ve talked about all of the things that you’re doing in your business. I’m going to circle back around to that in a minute with you doing all the things that you do. Uh, but I’d love to know. What’s been your biggest challenge as a business owner?

Kelly Sturmthal: Oh, all this technology. I’m saying it out loud. Okay, so you know, your cell phone and your. I think that, you know, we all have, um, been part of this generation that is getting new platforms and the platforms are changing simple. Whether you’re using a gmail account or a Microsoft account, they’re changing, they think it’s better, but you’re adjusting. So I think that and most offices don’t have an IT department, especially entrepreneurs or, um, you know, anyone in the military had an I t department. They called somebody, they didn’t have to worry about that. And um, our business owners especially, uh, they, so I think it’s really important. Um, I would say my challenge is I’m constantly trying to reduce the number of platforms that I’m using, uh, because you’ll talk to someone and they’ll say, I love using da da da. And you know, like Trello. Remember? Is that still a thing? I don’t know, it was like a, a way you could write your to do list.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh, yeah. And it’s super fancy these days.

Kelly Sturmthal: Right. And now I think, um, Microsoft on the new teams has a planner and so does your outlook and so does your cell phone and Apple, you know, basically it’s. So I would just encourage everyone again in that now infamous think time that I’ve now coined the phrase that, um, you’re really just assessing what’s working and what’s not. And that’s hard to do. And I say that mostly because we’re, we’re deep into some of them, you know, we’re, we’re, we’re using them. So, um, it’s more of a quarterly project. Um, again, on my big picture philosophy quarterly project to say, all right, what am I using? What am I paying for? And what have I not touched? And can I get out of it? Meaning, you know, do you have data in there? Can you, um, you You know, even I just think the platforms are becoming so robust, which is fantastic if you have an IT department, but more difficult if you’re a smaller business. Mhm. So or starting a business which to choose. So, um, that’s kind of a conversation you have with that support team, you know, your favorite people like what’s working for them. And because then you’ll have a support to call and say, oh, I don’t know how to log on anymore.

Trisha Stetzel: So do I really have to pay for that tool?

Kelly Sturmthal: I know, do I need?

Trisha Stetzel: And you’re right, technology is moving so fast that we’re picking all of these tools out of the air and saying, well, I need that, I need that, I need that. But what I heard you say is you should have some kind of strategy. What problem is that going to solve? And do you already have a tool that solves that problem? Do you really have to go through the pain of getting yet another tool?

Kelly Sturmthal: Right. And yeah, so it’s really an assessment. You know, I think, uh, assessments are a good thing. And again, if you’re starting something, my, my new family is you had a, you know, a baby, my, um, new officers, my fork in the road veterans or my retiring families, they are all starting another chapter. So take a minute and assess what you have so that you can determine if it’s, if you’re using it or if it’s working. So that to me is something I’m doing all the time. And it, it’s, um, I don’t know, I need a support group some days for it, right? You know, you’re like, okay, I don’t know, how do I get out of this?

Trisha Stetzel: But hopefully you have, you probably have a few of those.

Kelly Sturmthal: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Right. I know, so, um, but yeah, I think that it’s just, it’s really important to assess it because it, it helps you, but it also can hinder you depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. And we should be reducing them as we’re either getting further into our career, we should be reducing because now you’re like, okay, I’m only lining up with these that are working. Mhm. Um, yeah. And then you’re really getting to the, the important work of what you do.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Absolutely. All right. So Kelly, I think we covered soup to nuts here. You help businesses at the beginning, in the middle and the end with their exit planning. Uh, we talked about, uh, begin with the end in mind. You need someone like Kelly to help you with that strategy and what that plan looks like. And if you’re going through life changes, for gosh sakes, reach out to Kelly because she can help you make some of those decisions or maybe not decisions, but build that strategy on what you need moving forward. So, Kelly, if our listeners remember one thing, just one thing from our conversation today, what, what do you hope it is?

Kelly Sturmthal: Uh, protect what you’ve created.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Tell me more.

Kelly Sturmthal: Yeah. Protecting it has to do with, uh, the it’s the combination of protecting your family. So are you. Are you paying attention? Are you aligned? Are you are your, you know, that’s a we should only go on date night if you’re married. Um, no, you’re protecting your the assets that you’re building. If you’re growing a business extremely fast, is it protected? Um, just do you have the basics of whether it’s the structure of your business, the, the, the partners that you’re with or maybe the, um, the, uh, foundational documents. Um, do you have a plan in place that is protecting your spouse or your children? That is actually the plan that will work. And I say that because we often create a plan earlier and then your life changes a bit and you forget to revisit your plan. So protecting is, is a, is a concept of your main categories of life, your finance, your personal life, your legal documents. Um, those categories are if you’re protecting them or looking at them even once a year. Uh, one of the things that I suggest is looking at in February. It’s not December. You’ve gathered all your financial documents. You’ve thought about the end of the year. You’re dealing with the holidays, fun, fun, fun. You get into January, you’re pulling, you know, your taxes together, your accountants yelling at you going, don’t bring me a box. And, um, by February you now have a breather to actually assess your just look at your beneficiary forms, look at your legal documents for you. Look at your business. How’s your account set up? So it’s a protection protecting is a, is a, a fabulous word. It’s a word that just gives you a chance to say a double check. So you can do it in an hour. It’s really shouldn’t be overwhelming. It’s really just reminding you to check in.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Kelly, thank you so much for coming on and spending your time with me today. I love that you’re serving, supporting, and advocating for veterans and anyone who may be associated with them, active duty and military spouses. So thank you for your service and being who you are and the amazing work that you’re doing. Tell everyone how they can find you one more time.

Kelly Sturmthal: Certainly, check out Instagram at Kelly SQU or Kelly’s briefing room. Uh, two websites are Kelly S Q or Kelly’s briefing room. And then I’m on LinkedIn at Kelly Sturmthal but look at Kelly s. Q that’s easier if you’re watching. If you’re looking at this, you can see that, yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: If you’re watching, you can see it. It’s right on the screen. It’s easy. Or you can just point and click in the show notes or, you know, if you’re driving, please do not do that.

Kelly Sturmthal: Right. Or you, I think you said call, you call Tricia. Yeah. He knows how to find me. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: Kelly, thank.

Kelly Sturmthal: You so much. I mean, I just so appreciate who you are and what you do for your community. Um, I just really thank you for your service. So really, it’s a wonderful opportunity to know you. So look forward to continuing that.

Trisha Stetzel: Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much. All right, you guys, that’s all the time we have for today. If you found value in this conversation that Kelly and I had, please share it with a fellow entrepreneur, veteran or Houston leader ready to grow. Be sure to follow, rate and review the show. It helps us reach more bold business minds just like yours and your business. Your leadership and your legacy are built one intentional step at a time. So stay inspired, stay focused, and keep building the business and the life you deserve.