Good morning!

As June draws to a close (already??) we thought we would share some stock market news and then introduce you to Cynthia Gill, a key team member at Obsidian.

Stocks wobbled on Thursday morning since investors seemed concerned about the rise in COVID-19 cases and the global output for 2020 is now predicted to shrink to 4.9%, according to the International Monetary Fund. “The equity market does seem to be a little bit ahead of my view of the future earnings performance of businesses,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said on Wednesday. He then went on to say he sees a V-shaped recovery for the U.S economy, even with the spike in COVID-19 cases.

Let’s talk to Cynthia!

How long have you been working with Obsidian and what is your role there?

I started last August. I’m the scheduler. I schedule appointments and help in the office. I do a lot of different things, which I enjoy. It varies from day-to-day. I’ve been helping a lot with the interns, getting them hired, going through the interview process, and getting them onboarded. And now I’m meeting with them every week and helping them get used to working in an office. They’re college students, we have two of them this year. I think it was good of Pat to go ahead with the program because with COVID, many internships were canceled and others went online. It’s hard to get the same experience. We were able to organize the office so they’re in there every day, working out of the small conference room. They’re socially distanced and everyone is safe and they’re getting the office experience. The interns always bring something new, and a young vibe to the office.

What is your life like outside of the office?

I’m married. My husband works at Total Wine, that’s what brought us to the area. We moved here not quite two years ago. I grew up in Tennessee and then spent 23 years in Nebraska, and then moved here for a job. It’s a different part of the country but we’re enjoying it. Around 30 years ago I did an internship in DC, so it’s cool to come full circle and to work with the interns again here.

I have two daughters. My older daughter is a food scientist in North Carolina. She also works in the beverage industry, in tea and coffee. We’re planning her wedding, she’s getting married next June. My other daughter was in the Peace Corps. She graduated last summer and then joined, and of course, got brought home at the start of the COVID stuff. She’s working for a landscaper and got a puppy, so we have a puppy. He’s adorable, he has his own Instagram (@radarthetinycorgi). He is so much fun and so much work. I usually get the 5:30 AM potty break. It was a ploy to keep her from going back to the Peace Corps. She was in The Gambia and doing good work, but we’re glad she’s home.

I enjoy gardening and have a much bigger than normal COVID garden for my size lot, and I’m a quilter. Recently I made a big purchase and I got a long-arm quilting machine. I’m excited to learn how to use that. I had the opportunity to buy this one at a big discount. I also love to read, just about any genre.

How has COVID impacted your life?

It brought my daughter home and has definitely curtailed our travel. We have a plane–my husband and my daughter who was in the Peace Corps are pilots. We like to travel but we haven’t been able to go anywhere. We go to Tennessee quite frequently, where my family is. We like to fly down to southern Virginia to see his brother, and to North Carolina to see our other daughter. We just moved here two years ago so we haven’t had a chance to go too many places locally. But we’re planning a trip to Cape May in July. It will only take us about 40 minutes to get there.

As far as changes to working, Pat really had us ready to go. With the telephone system, which was one of my primary tools, of course, the computer-based telephone system works great. I just use it from home, so it’s been great. Everybody is so good to work with and we’re all in the same boat so everybody is patient with each other. I kept scheduling appointments and reviews and meetings and we’ve been holding them virtually. It’s worked out well, although I’ve missed seeing people in the office.

Happy weekend!

Past performance is no guarantee of future results.  Securities offered through Triad Advisors, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services offered through Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC. Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC, and Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, Inc, are not affiliated with Triad Advisors.