Pete is an Associate with Cresco Wealth Management at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth. We asked Pete a few questions to help you get to know him better.
Tell us about your journey from finance to JUNO-nominated DJ and back to finance!
Early in my career I worked for a couple of years as an oil and gas analyst at a small investment bank in Calgary, but since high school I had also been DJ’ing in my spare time as a part-time job. When the music side started to take off, I made the hard decision to quit my day job and “ride the wave” so to speak. I eventually played Lollapalooza, toured Europe, and had a weekly residency in Las Vegas for a whole year. I parlayed this into opening multiple bars and nightclubs. When COVID-19 hit, it hit us hard, and I reflected on my path moving forward which led me back to the financial business. I’m very glad I did it as it’s a great fit for my current age and stage in life.
What do you think sets Cresco apart from other wealth management teams?
Cresco has a great team atmosphere but from what I can tell the main thing that sets it apart is the care and service for clients. It feels great to help people achieve their life goals every day.
As a native Calgarian, what do you like most about Calgary?
The spirit of Calgarians is unmatched. It’s a city full of hard-working, intelligent, bold, and supportive people. It’s these things that make it a great place to live and do business. So, in short—the people.
You’re a well-known guy, do your kids think you’re cool?
They do think the DJ’ing part of me is cool. But they are both big fans of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo which isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse.
What’s your favourite family activity?
We love to ski together in the winter, I play tennis with the kids on Sunday mornings, and family outings to Kinjo Sushi are a big favourite.
Did you go to post-secondary school? Where/what did you take?
I went to Western University and got a B.Sc. in earth sciences. I loved geology in school. Field school was especially interesting as we would go to remote locations and map the geology of the region. That was my favourite part of university.
You’ve had amazing opportunities to travel the world, what is your favourite place to travel and why?
Helsinki is up there. The people there remind me a bit of Canada—they love hockey and going out. London and New York are hard to beat, and Nicaragua is a personal favourite. But honestly Hawaii is like heaven on earth.
What’s your favourite deep cut album/song? What do you like about it?
This is easy, Sunshine Star by Open Sky Unit. It’s an obscure live recording from Belgium. They really captured some kind of spirit in that recording that only a live show can, and it uplifts me every time I hear it. The healing power of music.
Who inspires you?
Terry Fox is my all-time hero. He was unflappable, selfless, and determined to reach his goal—which seem like good things to strive for.
Who is in your dream festival line up?
This question needs context! Where is the show? Indoor or outdoor? Live or electronic? I went to Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl and that was close to a dream lineup for me.
Do you have a motto/mantra you try to live by?
Not really but I always liked this quote from Winston Churchill, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
