Home to a top-notch team of diverse, financial professionals, Blue Ocean Wealth Solutions, a MassMutual Firm, is motivated by a mission to change people’s lives. Managing Partner Frank Scalese talks about the family-oriented environment he has cultivated and how it enables team members and clients alike to thrive.
What is Blue Ocean Wealth Solutions’ differentiator in the marketplace?
Culture is everything in an organization. It trumps business plans, mission statements, value statements, and vision statements because, without the right culture, none of those things matter. At Blue Ocean, our culture is about family, teamwork, caring, and respect, and to that end, we’ve essentially flipped our organizational chart upside down. From my perspective, I work for everyone else in the organization; they don’t work for me. Together we are all working for our clients. They are ultimately the ones at the top.
On an interpersonal level, let’s face it; we frequently spend more time at work with our colleagues than we do at home with our families. And so our work environments need to be pleasant, supportive, and motivating. What Blue Ocean provides is a workplace that is warm and inclusive and in which opportunities are plentiful.
What role does diversity play in the culture and atmosphere you’ve developed at Blue Ocean?
Our business is located in one of the most diverse areas of the country. I’m proud of that and have always believed in the importance of hiring financial professionals who reflect the communities they serve. Above and beyond that, we take every opportunity we can to celebrate diversity. One of our favorite events is our annual Blue Ocean Thanksgiving feast, which we’ve been doing for more than 15 years. Everyone brings a dish that is representative of their heritage, and it’s a great opportunity to get to know our colleagues even better and live that family approach to business that we embrace every day.
What qualities are you looking for in new team members?
We welcome both experienced financial professionals looking to join a more supportive culture as well as newcomers who are looking to build their own business in a lifelong career opportunity. We’re seeking people who wholeheartedly uphold our mission of helping to change people’s lives positively.
What is 3, 4, 5?
It goes back to our culture. If you’re at home telling your spouse, children, parents, and siblings that you love them, you believe in them, and you’re proud of them, why can’t you have a work environment where you tell your colleagues the same thing? So I came up with a concept we call “3, 4, 5.” The number 3 represents the three words in any language that resonate more than any others—“I love you.” e number 4 represents the powerful words “I believe in you.” And the 5 represents another powerful phrase, “I am proud of you.” When people in our organization send me texts, they will end their messages with 3, 4, 5. I do the same. Today I’d like to add a 6: