Our Team

Professional

Brian has a unique history of work and volunteer experiences to help him grow, understand, and serve his clients well.  During the summers he attended college, he was a camp counselor at a summer youth camp in Wisconsin for 2 summers, worked as a campground attendant in Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota for a summer, and was a deputy sheriff in Yankton, SD.

After college he was a full time Christian missionary with San Miguel School in the inner-city of Chicago.  The first year, he taught math and science to 6^th graders and was head coach of the middle school boys basketball team.  The second year in Chicago, he volunteered with San Miguel school again as a community outreach representative to get a new school and after school program started in a different area of Chicago. 

After his mission work, Brian traveled a few years working seasonal jobs.  These included working at a summer camp in Maine leading backpacking trips for high schoolers, working at South Pole Station, Antarctica for a winter, volunteering with the Red Cross to help near New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina, and being a wildland forest firefighter for the National Forest Service out of Idaho. 

After blowing out his knee he had to give up forest fire fighting so he took a sales job at the family RV dealership, Spader’s RV.  While at Spader’s RV, he helped run the dealership with his brother Tony.  Attending many business workshops and trainings, he learned how to run a business, the dynamics of working with family in a small business, and the joys and challenges of business owners.  His time of helping run the family business and all the business trainings/workshops he attended during that time, has given him unique skills to serve business owners in a dynamic way within his financial planning practice.  During the 7 years he worked at Spader’s RV Center, Brian also coached high school girls basketball during the slow time of winter.  His love of coaching brought him into the financial field to serve others through his “financial coaching.”

Brian and his brother Tony had the opportunity to take over ownership of the family RV business from their father.  It was a great offer, for a great business, but Brian knew in his heart that selling RV’s was not his calling in life.  After about 7 years at the RV dealership, he left to start serving other business owners, individuals, and families through a financial planning business. 

Brian started his business in 2015 and named it Footstool Financial in 2023.  He believes very strongly in continuing education to learn more comprehensive ways to serve his clients and keep up to date with the best planning strategies and tools.  He attained his Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation along with the Chartered Financial Consultant designation (ChFC^®) and plans to continue his learning throughout his career.  He sees his business as a privilege and honor to serve great individuals, families, and businesses. 

Personal

Brian grew up in Sioux Falls, SD and graduated from Mount Marty University in Yankton, SD with a BA in Criminal Justice.  Coming out of college he had a bucket list of experiences he wanted to accomplish before settling down; mainly 4 experiences: being a wildland firefighter, driving to Alaska, canoeing the entire Mississippi River, and serving as a missionary for a year or two.  After college he spent about 6 years traveling, working seasonal jobs, and accomplishing his bucket list.

Right out of college, Brian spent almost two years as a Christian missionary in the inner-city of Chicago, completing bucket list item #1.  In August and September of 2001, he completed bucket list item #2 when he drove to Alaska.   The summer of 2004 led him to completing his 3^rd bucket list item when he worked for the National Forest Service on a Wildland Firefighting crew out of Northfork branch of the Clearwater National Forest near Orofino, ID.  Then during the fall of 2005, Brian and his friend canoed 1,200 miles of the Mississippi River, after serving with the Red Cross to help near New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  Even though he didn’t finish the entire Mississippi river because of an injured shoulder, the 1,200 mile, 6 ½ week canoe trip down the Mississippi River is one of his greatest memories. 

After an injury, he moved back to Sioux Falls and took a job in the family RV dealership, Spader’s RV Center.  After 7 years Brian broke away from the family business to start his own business.  He wanted to serve people in a more intimate way through his work.  In January 2015 he started his Financial Services career with New York Life and named the business Footstool Financial in 2023.

He now resides in the town he grew up in, Sioux Falls, SD, with his wife Kelli, and their four children.  When he is not serving others through his work, he loves hunting and fishing with his kids and attending most any sporting event, along with helping coach his children’s sport teams.  He is also active with his church and serving his community through volunteer work and participating on non-profit boards.  Some of the different volunteer opportunities he has invested significant time into since moving back to Sioux Falls are the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The Banquet, Volunteers For Good, Volunteers of America, Central Church, Healing Hope Ministries, The Red Cross, and helping coach his kids sports teams.