Have you ever read a book or article and thought, "Wow!... that really hits home"?
That was me after finishing Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life by James Kerr.
To be clear, I never wore the jersey of the New Zealand All Blacks, the world-renowned rugby team. But many of the lessons they live by felt remarkably familiar.
Growing up in Philadelphia, I played rugby from age 12 into my early 30s. (My third broken nose and the arrival of our first child were pretty good signs it was time to hang up the boots.) Rugby was a huge part of my life, and throughout those years, the New Zealand All Blacks were the standard everyone looked up to. Their culture, discipline, humility, and sustained excellence made them different.
As I worked through the book, I kept finding myself thinking about the culture I'm fortunate to be part of at Ullmann Wealth Partners. Not because anyone was trying to imitate the All Blacks, but because many of the same principles naturally showed up.
A few stood out.
"Better people make better All Blacks."
One of the core ideas in the book is that talent alone isn't enough. Character matters just as much.
Most of us have been part of a team, club, or company where someone didn't really fit. Maybe they were exceptionally talented or well-connected, but they made the organization worse instead of better.
The All Blacks refuse to compromise on character.
That's something I've come to appreciate at Ullmann Wealth Partners. It's one of the reasons I get excited whenever we hire a new team member. Great organizations are built by great people, not just talented ones.
"Sweep the shed."
After matches, even the biggest stars clean their own locker room.
The message isn't about cleaning. It's about humility. No one is above doing the small jobs.
It's something I notice all the time around our office. Partners unload the dishwasher, pick up trash, scan paperwork, or help with whatever needs to get done. No one keeps score of whose job something is.
That kind of culture doesn't happen by accident.
"Pass the ball."
Of course, passing the ball matters in rugby. But in the book, it's really about leadership.
Sometimes the best leaders step aside and trust someone else to lead. They give others the opportunity to make decisions, learn from them, and grow.
I've experienced that firsthand here. People are trusted with meaningful responsibility, and with that comes accountability. That's how leaders develop.
A couple of years ago, I stepped away from a company I had co-founded. (That's a story for another day.) My plan was to launch Gunn Private Wealth. The filings were complete, the paperwork was done, and I was ready to open the doors.
Just before I did, someone introduced me to Brian James, Managing Partner at Ullmann Wealth Partners.
After that conversation, I wasn't so sure about going out on my own.
Then I met Glenn Ullmann, the firm's founder, and everything changed.
The conversations weren't about growth targets or revenue projections. They were about people, culture, doing the right thing for clients, and building something that lasts.
As I read Legacy, I realized that many of those were the same qualities I'd admired in the All Blacks for years.
That's what ultimately convinced me to join the team.
One line from the book has stayed with me:
"Leaders create leaders."
The longer I'm here, the more I appreciate how true that is.