Three Generations of Entrepreneurs
Steve’s practice is primarily focused on helping Canadian pre-retirees, retirees, and enterprising families find the meaningful intersection between their wealth and their legacy goals. Much of that perspective traces back two generations to his grandparents’ small-town Saskatchewan farm, where he witnessed firsthand the grit required to build something durable and the quiet generosity that often followed. Hard work, community, and stewardship weren’t abstract values there; they were simply how life was lived. Those early observations continue to shape how Steve thinks about money today: as a tool best used with intention.
That entrepreneurial thread carried forward when his father, Brad Willems, started the wealth planning practice in 1987. Growing up around the family business came with its quirks. During a kindergarten parent-teacher interview, two of Steve’s earliest recorded worries were rising gas prices and the effects of taxation. For better or worse, it became clear early on that he was wired to think about things most kids weren’t. Over time, that tendency matured into a career spent helping families think a few steps ahead — about retirement income, tax efficiency, and the long-term impact of financial decisions.
Leaning into Change
As the internet was coming of age, Steve saw opportunity in helping businesses adapt to a rapidly changing communication landscape. He launched a web design and digital strategy company, working with owners trying to navigate new technologies and shifting consumer behaviour. That chapter sharpened an ability that would later become central to his advisory work: translating complexity into language people can actually understand. Eventually, the pull back to the family practice proved stronger, offering a place where three long-standing interests converged — philanthropy, communication, and finance.
It was here, after all, where his three principle passions collided: philanthropy (helping people give), marketing (communicating well), and finance (how to handle money well).
Lifelong Learning
Personally and professionally, Steve is driven by curiosity. When he encounters unfamiliar situations, his instinct is to research, test, and learn until he can offer meaningful guidance. That mindset led him to complete his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® designation and later the Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) designation — a multidisciplinary program backed by partnerships with the Alberta School of Business, UBC Sauder School of Business, and Ivey Business School. His ongoing focus is less about accumulating credentials and more about expanding perspective: understanding how family dynamics, business interests, taxes, and investments intersect in real life.
A Relationship to Value
As a Wealth Advisor, Steve finds meaning in the relationships that naturally form over time. Financial conversations are often deeply personal, touching on fears, aspirations, and values that aren’t always discussed openly. His work tends to centre on helping families reduce unnecessary taxes, align investment decisions with income needs, and gain clarity around what retirement can realistically look like. While numbers and projections matter, the long-term goal is usually confidence — the quiet assurance that decisions made today will still feel right years from now.
Sharing What He Learns
Beyond one-on-one client work, Steve is active in financial education. His YouTube channel, followed by thousands of Canadian viewers who tune in weekly, focuses on practical retirement planning, tax strategies, and behavioural insights around money. He has been interviewed by national publications including The Globe & Mail and Investment Executive, and regularly speaks for local industry associations and community groups. The common thread in these settings is the same as in client meetings: simplifying complex ideas without oversimplifying the decisions.
Invested in the Community
The Saskatchewan values Steve observed decades earlier continue to surface in how he spends his time today. He served on the Board of Directors for the Abbotsford Community Foundation, chairing its Marketing & Communications Committee, and has supported multiple non-profit fundraising initiatives over the years. That investment in community is mirrored at home with his wife and three children. Just as earlier generations left their imprint on him, Steve hopes to leave similar fingerprints on the lives of his own family — and on the families he works with — by helping them use their resources thoughtfully, generously, and with purpose.