Client's corner

Celebrating our Client's Passions and Interests

Our passion is helping our clients achieve financial freedom to pursue their goals and ambitions.

At Corsalus, we place a very high importance on our clients' loving their lives, including all areas that bring them joy. As such, we want to highlight some wonderful passions and joy-inducing areas that some of our clients are doing with their time.

If you are a client or know of a client that would be willing to be featured on our Client's Corner page, please send a brief description of the client's hobby and contact information to Liz at eotto@wradvisors.com. Thank you!

Alan Jirik: Nature Conservationalist

Mary Ann O'Neill: Painter

Jamie Paske: Photographer

Peggy Ehrisman: Designer

Leslie Rough: Equestrian

Janet Amedio: Equestrian

Brad Wigton: 3D Printer Enthusiast

Alan Jirik doesn’t view his time spent raising butterflies as work. “It’s too much fun to be work!” he chuckles.

Alan has been raising butterflies for over fifty years! As a young child back in the 1960’s, he and his friends enjoyed catching and collecting butterflies. A parent of one of his friends took time to show the boys how to raise and release butterflies instead of catching them for their collections. He credits that interaction to a lifetime interest in raising and releasing butterflies including over a thousand monarchs - and loving every moment of it.

Alan’s hobby has turned him into a great source of information, and he has spoken about his work with butterflies at schools, garden clubs and other groups. Raising butterflies also ties nicely into his love of gardening not only for butterflies, but hummingbirds as well. He is actively working at his church to start a garden with the intention of providing produce for food pantries as well as adding some milkweed plants for the butterflies to enjoy.

In answer to the question, “What is your favorite thing about butterflies?” Alan remarks, “The stunning colors. Each butterfly has unique and often dramatic coloration that is awe-inspiring. Each one is more beautiful than the next”. What a wonderful passion to nurture: butterflies that give us joy with their beauty, and benefit us by pollinating fruits and vegetables we like to eat!

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Alan for taking time to share his passion and work with us.

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Mary Anne O’Neill’s love for art began early in life.

When she was young, trading cards were all the rage, and whenever she received one of the English Masters, she would not trade it because she enjoyed looking at the images again and again. Her kindergarten teacher wisely commented on her report card, “She loves Art and Music.”

Mary Anne began painting in High School, working in both oils and watercolors. Oils, her favorite medium, tend to be larger, more complicated works. When painting, Mary Anne often uses photographs for inspiration. They are mostly personal photos, but sometimes from current events or advertisements. She is always searching for images that will convey an idea or mood that she is trying to express. When Mary Anne comes across an image that she thinks is appropriate, she will sometimes adjust the color or size to fit the mood of the work. She says that in her larger works, she sometimes uses more than one photo in an overlapping composition, and that most of her painting involves personal memories.

The irony found in the richness of design and color in the most mundane objects is fascinating to Mary Anne, and she enjoys the challenge of creating real space in a shallow format. Ideas come to her in many ways, but often when she is waking up. She also loves and is influenced by the Impressionists for their glowing colors and Dali for his fantastic ideas.

Mary Anne received a BA in Art Ed from St. Xavier University, Chicago, Il. and taught Art at Reavis High School. In her twenties, she worked at the Art Institute of Chicago and was accepted into their Degree program. At that time, she was greatly influenced by the Chicago Imagists, many of whom were graduates of SAIC and were working in Chicago.

Mary Anne notes that when she begins a major painting, she gets lost in the work and loses track of time. Now that she is retired, she has time to paint as she pleases. She says that painting is both relaxing and exhausting at the same time, but there is always the next painting to be done.

Winner in the Moraine Valley Community College Gallery 2017, “Philip’s Journey” by Mary Anne O'Neill.

Oil on canvas 30 x 40.

"Simpler Times" by Mary Anne O'Neill.

Watercolor, 16 x 20.

"Simpler Times" by Mary Anne O'Neill.

Watercolor, 16 x 20.

“Into the Light” by Mary Anne O'Neill

Watercolor, 14 x 20.

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Mary Anne for taking time to share her passion and work with us.

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Jamie feels her photography is a sacred act of sharing encounters of true joy. She sees the remarkable moments in everyday life and often stops and offers up a thank you for the opportunities she is given. When talking to Jamie about her photography the most recurring words were: blessed, peaceful, and pure joy.

Jamie began her craft to share the beautiful and wonderful things in nature she experienced with others. She sees the wonder in the color and the magic of nature and wants to share that with others. She goes for nature walks every day in the Morton Arboretum and within her neighborhood but most things she sees out of her patio window. Keeping her camera ready and available to shoot is key.

Jamie bought a DSLR camera and started shooting in auto mode in 2011. When medical leave restricted her work as a mechanical engineer in July 2015, she began spending more time working on using manual mode and hasn’t looked back since. She says that her work in engineering has honed her art of noticing details. She feels that she’s less linear than some of her engineering colleagues and has the opportunity to take the time to stop notice all of the beautiful details. She does not use photoshop because mechanics aren’t as important to her as sharing moments and experiences. She says that all she has to do is look out of her patio door to see incredible and amazing sights.

Jamie has also participated in the Your Shot Community through National Geographic magazine and had her work featured. She was also was able to participate in their Street Photography program which completely pushed her boundaries, but also resulted in some of her favorite work, one of which is Reflections, above in the top left photo.

She has shared her gallery of work in her local library in Darien and also loves to see her work displayed in the homes of friends and clients.

To see more of Jamie’s photography at her National Geographic Your Shot profile here.

It was so hard to choose specific photographs to feature because we felt such a connection to so many of her photos; we encourage you to check out all the of the different photographs to see the connection and meaning within her artwork. It’s amazing to see what creativity, joy and appreciation will spark! Jamie wakes up every day is thankful for these opportunities to capture the gifts that are given to her.

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Jamie for taking time to share her passion and work with us.

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Peggy has loved designing for many years.

After attending The Tobé–Coburn School for design, she worked for Higbee’s in Cleveland in interior design. Being hands-on and creative has always brought Peggy joy. After staying home to raise her two daughters, Megan and Karen, she decided to continue creating and designing something personal that she could share with others. In 2004, Peggy was connected with a company called Stampin’ Up, which sells scrapbooking and card making supplies online and at private parties. She hosted booths at craft and church bazaars where she sold her cards and scrapbook pages. Peggy was recently honored at a Stampin’ Up event for her fifteen years of service with the company.

Peggy is a long-time parishioner of Trinity Episcopal Church in Wheaton, IL. In 2014, when asked for ideas to connect with parishioners within different ministries, Peggy offered the idea of sending cards to members on the church’s prayer list. The church agreed and offered to cover postage to send Peggy’s homemade cards. Peggy has expanded her Prayer List Card Ministry by bringing stamped cards for Sunday School classes and having the children color in one card and keep one for themselves. She has also hosted Coffee Hours for the women of St. Julian’s Guild to decorate cards as well.

As Peggy is preparing to leave her Naperville home within the next year to move to a Retirement Community in the greater Cleveland Area, she plans to bring her stamping and card making supplies with her to continue her card making in her new location. Although she will be passing torch to a new “Prayer List Card Fairy”, we know that her love of others and her creativity will remain one of her lifetime legacies.

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Peggy for taking time to share her passion and work with us.

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Leslie Rough says it’s a compliment to be called a “horse person”. She remarks that she was just born with the desire to ride. She laughs, “You either have that need, or you don’t. Horse people: they have a love for the animals and a heathy addiction to riding. I’m lucky to be a part of that group”.

As a child, Leslie’s mother would take her to feed the apples horses at Healy Farms in Oak Brook. She has been riding from the age of eleven and says she couldn’t imagine her life without the horses being a part of it. As a pre-teen, she would pay for her riding by working in the barns to clean to out the stalls.

When she was thirteen, in eighth grade, a man was donating horses to the YMCA and Leslie was able to buy her first horse. She rode all over the western Chicago suburbs, in the open farm land in Lemont from Route 53 to Boughton Corners. She had a hand in raising a barn near the Joliet Speedway in the early nineties, and she has friends from many different barns and facilities around the region. She loves to ride her current horse, Baylee, on the forest preserve trails and Baylee also does barrel runs with Leslie’s friend, Tiana. She says that she loves to see how Baylee can appreciate both of them for the different experiences she can have with each of them.

Her sons, Patrick and Shawn were raised riding. As children, they would ride one behind her and one in front of her; and now they ride beside her. Leslie was pleased to say that when her kids were growing up, she would pile as many kids as she could fit in her Chevy Chevelle to go to the barn to work and ride together.

Leslie is proud to have volunteered in the past at The Hanson Center for Therapeutic Riding, and says she has seen firsthand the benefits of the program for both the participants and the volunteers. It’s blessing and a responsibility to be near the horses, and she enjoys the camaraderie and family that has been created.

Leslie notes that it is such a relief and a joy to ride. She says she often tells friends to leave their troubles outside the trail, and to pick them up on the way out. As long as she can still throw that saddle up, she’ll be riding!

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Leslie for taking time to share her passion and work with us.

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Janet Amedio grew up dreaming of riding horses.

Janet’s mother was an avid rider in her youth, and often talked to Janet about her love of riding. Janet took a few lessons in her youth, but hadn’t continued into adulthood. When Janet was in her fifties, she looked up a riding facility and called one day, and began taking lessons. Some of Janet's most treasured memories including riding alongside her mother. She has been riding and showing for over fifteen years now.

Janet never expected to own a horse, and when her mother heard of her new hobby, she dissuaded Janet from the idea of owning a horse, citing the cost and upkeep. Despite the financial investment, Janet purchased Fizztastic, a saddlebred show horse. Janet said she couldn’t believe she had her own horse and it was a great joy and privilege. She loved riding and showing her until Fizztastic’s death in October 2019.

Janet deeply grieved Fizztastic’s passing and thought she would never get another horse. During that difficult time, her friends told her they couldn’t imagine her without a horse. At their urging, she sought out and found the horse she now currently owns, Summer Revival, in January 2020 from a breeding barn in Springfield, IL. Summer Revival just turned six and she likens him to a playful puppy. He loves to see her because she brings peppermints- his favorite treat.

Janet said that she has loved enjoying the personalities of the horses she has cared for and ridden. Janet delights in her training lessons and learning different disciplines of riding. She enjoyed showing Fizztastic in Rockford, Gurnee, and Hannaberry, IL. She is currently working with Summer Revival learning dressage. She eventually would like to show him in dressage.

Janet remarked that owning and learning to ride has been life-giving and a great outlet of joy, especially during times of grief and sadness. She said would throw her arms around her horse and was amazed by the size and strength of the animal, but was also so comforted by their presence. Janet currently rides 5 days a week at CR Ranch in Lockport and is enjoying this outlet, especially as so many things in our world have been affected by the pandemic and quarantining. The barn is closed to outsiders, so it has been a place of creativity and joy for Janet.

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Janet for taking time to share her passion and work with us.

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Anything you can design or imagine you can print. -Brad Wigton

Brad began 3D printing to make repairs to another hobby: model airplanes. Brad has enjoyed flying model airplanes for several years but as any model enthusiast knows, they are very pricey to repair and replace. Brad purchased a basic 3D printer from Amazon in the fall of 2015 with the hopes of creating a low-cost but efficient way to replace broken parts on his RC airplanes. Due to the hollow and light nature of the printed pieces, they worked exceptionally well for his model airplane hobby.

After becoming frustrated with the low quality of the product he purchased, and after fruitlessly troubleshooting over 3 months, Brad did what most would be too afraid to do - he built his own larger core XY 3D printer (Hypercube) by using the old printer to make the remaining parts. He uses Fusion 360 for designing but recommends Tinker CAD for young 3D printer enthusiasts.

After learning the basics of creating and upgrading his 3D printer, it has become a labor of love and a fun hobby to enjoy in his free time. He has printed RC airplanes, boats and started printing sports coasters and phone cases for friends with their favorite teams. He enjoyed creating replacement parts for items that had worn out or broken: spare parts for an antique railroad car, a latch for a kayak, and pool filter parts.

His enjoyment for the hobby grew so much that he’s created his own space for his 3D printer. He now has a small outdoor shed with heat and air conditioning dedicated to the printer and his creations.

Brad was kind enough to detail his design to print process in creating our logo and custom coasters in the images below:

Corsalus Financial is grateful to Brad for taking time to share his passion and work with us, and for our logo and custom coasters.

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_{Waddell & Reed is not affiliated with any of the entities referenced. The graphics provided are for entertainment purposes only.}

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