Born and raised in Portland, OR, Russ was Valedictorian of his high school class and studied economics and finance at Pacific Lutheran University. Outstanding as a collegiate track & cross country runner, he was named team captain, most valuable and most inspirational, while winning conference and district champion and even All- American honors. He was inducted into the PLU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. Russ graduated Cum Laude from PLU and joined MassMutual in 1987 to begin his career in financial planning.
Russ worked 20 years at MassMutual — MassMutual has its roots deep in a tradition of estate planning and insurance. He joined Sage in 2007 and purchased the company in 2008. His Goal: To build an independent financial services firm wholly committed to client-centered, first-class financial planning and asset management.
Russ equates financial success to success in athletics. Perhaps it is less about talent and more about dedication, effort, discipline, and years of commitment. Of his honors, he finds "most inspirational" the most meaningful; in that leadership by example and encouragement are the keys to helping people become the best they can and meet their personal goals.
Joe joined Sage shortly after its founding in 2007. He immediately began working closely with Russ and his team on the insurance side of financial planning. It quickly became clear that Joe possessed the prowess to be an advisor.
He has been building relationships with clients of Sage, each with diverse hopes, dreams and needs. Joe helps individuals and families build, maintain, and distribute their wealth; he consults with business owners needing to increase profitability while maintaining a healthy personal wealth management plan.
Hailing from Garfield, WA in the rolling hills of the Palouse, he attributes his patient and calm demeanor to his small town roots. Joe enjoys getting to know clients on a personal level and doesn’t mind spending whatever time is necessary to ensure a client understands the complexities of financial planning. Under Russ' mentoring, he upholds the firm’s high standard of commitment to clients.
Joe is an active member in the Puget Sound chapter of the Financial Planning Association and also volunteers for Washington Women in Need, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the lives of low-income women through financial and healthcare assistance. He lives in Seattle with his lovely wife, Jessica, and their friendly dog, Pepper.
David began working with Russ Cole at MassMutual in 1996 after graduating from the University of Washington. Originally from Seattle, David calls Shoreline home. A volunteer docent at the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, he is also a professional food judge at several fairs around the state.
For Sage clients, his hope is to help people be more educated and more confident as they work with Sage to develop realistic goals and put their money to work for them.
After working with Russ Cole for 10 years at The Richards Agency in the role of Coordinator of Agency Services, Michelle became semi-retired in 2001 in order to spend more time with her pre-school age children. Once her son and daughter were both school age, Michelle was thrilled with the opportunity Russ offered to join his firm while working from home in 2004.
Michelle provides customer service, administrative, and scheduling support for Russ and his team. She is an active participant in her children's Parent Teacher Associations, as well as a consistent fan and supporter of all their soccer, football, and basketball games. A tennis player, Michelle is also a recent convert to running and is an avid reader.