Thankful & Blessed

As we move through the holiday season at a pace that could pass for an F1 race, I want to step away from the charts and the markets to highlight the blessings in my life for which I am truly thankful.

1. My wife, Dara: She is literally the glue that keeps everything together. No matter what is happening, she has it covered. From planning family trips to planning random weekends when my daughters are with us, she takes care of most of the heavy lifting. I have never met a person who gives so much of herself and truly expects nothing in return. She is an amazing wife and mother.

2. My daughters: Sonya (12 years old) and Gabby (9 years old) are the sunshine and angel in my world respectively. The wonder with which they view all things is inspiring. I often wish that I could go back and see everything the way that they do. They are two of the kindest people I know. When I look at them, I see hope for all things, and it is a blessing to be their father. They are not with me every day, so the time that I have with them is truly special. This actually makes me a better father because when I am with them, I am "present" in a way that I might not be if they were here all the time.

3. My stepson: Mario (17 years old) went from being an only child to having two siblings in the blink of an eye. Not just siblings but sisters. Over the past five years, the basement that was filled with sporting equipment and video games has been infiltrated with the likes of American Girl dolls and more sparkly items than any boy should have to endure. More recently, the speakers have been pumping out an endless stream of Taylor Swift hits. But he watches over my ladies, includes them when he is with his friends, and teaches them to play video games instead of ignoring them. In a situation where he could have become resentful, he took to the role of "big brother" without a hitch. My girls and I are really lucky that he is in our lives.

4. My parents: I talk to my parents every day. I bounce ideas off of my father whenever I have a decision to make. I don't always take his advice, but I always value his input. He spent over 40 years on Wall Street, and if you ask anyone who knows him, they will tell you that he is a great guy... that's a big compliment in this business. As for my mother, let's just say that I am the first-born and leave it there. I am her "boy," and I always will be. But she is brutally honest and keeps me on my toes. She tells it like it is and sugarcoats nothing. Everyone needs a person like this in their lives, and for me, it is "mom."

5. My Mother and Father In-Law: Grandmom and Nonno are two of the nicest people that you will ever meet in your life. They will literally bend over backward to help whenever and wherever they can. They are at just about every one of Mario's soccer games, rain or shine. They treat my girls like they are their own grandkids and have welcomed them into their lives with open arms. They are amazing.

6. My grandmother: I was lucky enough to make it to the age of 36 with all four of my grandparents. Then in the span of 14 months, three of them passed away. Now at 46 years old, I have my "grandma." My mother's mother turned 93 years old in May. She is tough as nails and also "calls them as she sees them." If she doesn't like you, you will know. But if she does, she is your biggest fan. She came here from Italy, and most of the traditions in my family come from her.

7. Potomac Fund Management: My first job out of school was both a blessing and a curse. I was a starry-eyed kid walking onto the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the height of the dot-com boom. I had a front-row seat for the bursting of the bubble and all that followed; some good but mostly bad. Despite the "bad," the NYSE was the greatest place in the world to me. I loved what I did and had visions of never doing anything else. But technology is an unstoppable force, and it disintermediated the open outcry trading that we were doing. I left the floor in 2007, and while I stayed in the business, I did not love what I was doing the way that I loved what I did at the NYSE... until now. Managing money or trading is all that I ever wanted to do. Potomac has given me that opportunity, and I take it very seriously. We have a great team all around. And even though we are a fully remote company, there is a strong culture that makes all of us better.

8. Finally, I am thankful for our clients: You entrust us with the capital that has been entrusted to you by your clients. With every trade, we understand and take seriously the fact that there is someone else's financial well-being at stake. This fact is not lost on us... ever. We do not exist without your trust, and we are grateful to have earned it.

The entire team at Potomac wishes you all a happy and healthy holiday season filled with all of the people, places, and experiences that bring you joy!

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