About Me
I’m Tristan Gates, personal finance enthusiast, based in Olympia, Washington.
As a kid I was fascinated with money. Partly because my family didn’t have a lot of it, so it was always a topic of conversation and source of stress. And partly because of its ability to spontaneously make more of itself when invested. It felt magical to me, like watching a new form life.
That fascination with money, plus my drive to be in charge of my own earning potential, led me into various business development roles in tech, including time at Amazon and other e-commerce companies. While I learned how large organizations go about making money, I spent my free time learning to optimize my own financial life. I got obsessed with the FIRE movement, not necessarily to retire early, but to build enough flexibility that work became a choice rather than a requirement.
As my life went on, I realized more friends and coworkers would come to me asking for financial advice. Coworkers would ask how much to put into their retirement accounts, and friends would ask me to look at their financial situation and tell them if they were on track.
I live for those moments. The ones where I can make a difference in someones life, where because I did something, even if small, set them on a course to give them more options down the line. That’s my Why.
I started Offseason Financial to provide specific information in a way that’s hopefully more palatable for the average people.
I’m going to write for the people in my life, and from my lens. That will be primarily people in Washington State (even more specifically Olympia when possible), tech sales professions, Washington State workers, real estate investors, e-commerce brand owners, and various other professions I think are underserved and often don’t have resources tailored for them.
I’m working toward my CFP certification. Nothing here is personalized investment advice. Think of it as a financially literate friend who has done a lot of the homework and wants to share what he found.
If you have questions or want to talk through your situation, reach out anytime.
Tristan Gates