20 Under 40 Q&A: Ken Kolquist

Get to know Ken Kolquist

Age: 29

Occupation: Financial adviser for Advisornet Financial.

What do you actually do? I manage my clients’ monetary assets in various capital markets based on their goals, needs and risk tolerance. I help my clients plan for and make retirement a reality. I also help clients that are simply trying to increase their net worth through investing in the various capital markets.

Years in your job: 7

Education: Bachelor of arts in applied economics from the College of St. Scholastica.

Family: Wife, Rikki Kolquist; “daughter,” Lola (our English

bulldog).

Community involvement: John Baggs Memorial Scholarship president, the Duluth Playhouse board of directors, Minnesota Ballet board of directors, Mars Lakeview Arena board of directors, assistant coach for St. Scholastica baseball, Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce member, Oulu Cultural and Heritage Center board of directors.

What brought you to the Twin Ports?

I was born and raised in Duluth, I have lived here all my life.

What do you like to do during your free time?

I love being with my family. Anything I do with my wife and bulldog is my favorite thing to do. I also enjoy golfing with my buddies.

Describe your favorite place in the Twin Ports.

My favorite place in the Twin Ports has to be Ridgeview Country Club. I love golfing, and I have yet to meet an employee or member up there that I don’t enjoy being around. Any day I can get on the golf course is a good day.

What do you like most about the Northland?

I love the people here. The kind, respective, passionate and hardworking people here make living and working here very enjoyable. I also enjoy the location and size of our city. I feel lucky to have that beautiful lake to enjoy in the summer and love the fact that the population allows there always something to do, yet small enough to recognize faces.

How can the Northland retain younger workers?

Well I think we have a couple of nice advantages when it comes to retaining the younger population. We have a number of great colleges and universities to attract them to the area. I feel once they get the chance to enjoy our city outside of campus life, most will naturally fall in love and want to stay. One way to accomplish this would be to encourage our businesses to open up more internships for those college students. We have almost every field of work imaginable, if the students have an opportunity to experience more of our city, I believe they will want to stick around and start a family.

Who or what has made the biggest impact on your life?

Coach Baggs from the College St. Scholastica baseball program. I was fortunate to play for Coach Baggs for four years and I cannot even begin to explain the impact he has on my everyday life. He taught me to strive for excellence every day by putting the other people in my life first.

What are you most passionate about?

I would say I am most passionate about my family, with the St. Scholastica baseball program and trying to be the best in my field of work a very close second.

How have social and business networking sites changed your life?

Well social media has helped me keep in touch with old friends. Sometimes life gets too busy and it is nice to have such an easy way to keep in touch and up to date with people you care about. I don’t use social media much for work, though it is another way to reach a different audience or to touch base with clients or meet potential clients.

What is your biggest accomplishment?

Marrying my high school sweetheart, Rikki, and being voted into the St. Scholastica Hall of Fame.

What goals have you set for the next 5-10 years?

My wife and I would love to have children and build our dream home. My business partner, Darin Hanson, and I would like to continue to grow and retain our client base. We work hard every day to not only grow our practice but more importantly retain our current clients. I think it is a better indicator if you retain your current client base than it is to grow a practice.

What advice would you give other young people?

I would tell them to step outside their comfort zone and get involved outside of their line of work. This city is filled with wonderful people that can help make their experience more enjoyable. Also to get passionate and dedicate themselves to making our community a better place.

Tags: 20 under 40, business