Hi, I'm Erik, Founder of Baskin Financial Planning — a fee-only financial advisory firm focused on improving the financial health of Military and Veteran families. 

In 2018, after graduating the U.S. Air Force Academy with an Economics degree, I began my professional career as a hospital administrator. As I was sitting in my apartment in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I quickly realized that this job wasn't going to be a career for me. I needed to do something that aligned more with my interests and allowed me to have a greater impact on others. I was captain of a Division I hockey team in college, and I still had that competitive drive that I needed to harness into something. 

For the next 9 months, I binged business and entrepreneurship books and researched business ideas. One book in particular, called The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau, said that you should find something that people naturally come to you for and something that you are passionate about. This was my lightbulb moment. For me, that thing has always been investing and personal finance. I was always interested in the stock market, and many times, I found myself in conversations giving people finance pointers.

From there on out, I was dead set on building a financial planning firm to help people align their money with their values. I began building Baskin Financial Planning in early 2019 while getting my MBA and passing the CFP exam, finally launching the business in 2021, all while serving on Active Duty.

The outdoors is so important to me and is part of my statement of financial purpose, which is to have the freedom to have more time to spend outside with family. Going on a walk, working out, or going hunting is how I have been enjoying the outdoors with my family for several years. This is how I like to unwind and reconnect with the world around me. 

Through my business, one of my main focus areas is transitioning Veterans. This is an underserved community that is typically sold many financial products instead of being given conflict free advice. 

Supporting Veterans by helping them achieve better financial outcomes is important to me because I truly believe that this is my highest and best use as a human. Using the abilities that I have to help transitioning service members improve their financial health and relieve anxiety through their transition is the way that I can make the most impact on this world.

Partnering with WTO means everything to me. After meeting Gabe and Gavin, I knew right away that I had to get involved. Their passion for helping Veterans through their transition through outdoor experiences aligns so closely with my values and interests. Being part of a mission to give Veterans a better transition experience is so invaluable to me and is something that will get me up every morning to come.