Most people picture a financial advisor as someone who followed a straight path, graduated, got licensed and built a career. Someone who always had things neatly planned, never missing a step. Paul Szkotak, ChFC took a different route, one shaped by experience, not perfection. It is “realness” that’s obvious in the way he meets people where they are without judgment.
Before Paul ever sat across from a client to talk about protecting their business or planning their legacy, one might say he had “made it.” He had already built two self-storage facilities of over 1,200 units total, developed a portfolio of 152 rental homes valued at over $20 million and closed over 50 percent of his lending team's volume on Wall Street. He was also the second highest producer of commercial real estate appraisals at a national firm. And he had earned a finance degree from Rider University in three years, with concentrations in both accounting and real estate.
By every measure, Paul had built something strong. And then everything changed.
His wife, who had been leading a business with more than 70 people while raising their three daughters, became permanently disabled. That same year, Paul took on a 25-person construction company without fully seeing the financial burden it carried despite great due diligence. Yes, there had been research and advisors involved, but like many situations, each was focused on their own discipline. No one was overseeing the full picture. It’s an experience that now shapes how Paul works, ensuring everything is viewed together, not in silos, so risks can be recognized before they become real.
For even the most well-prepared business owners, that would have been devastating. Then his leasing manager and key members of his personal support circle all went through serious health crises simultaneously. The beautiful home he had worked to build – the one with a swimming pool, fishpond, gardens and statues, became a drain he could no longer sustain.
After the dust settled, one thing was clear, Paul had spent years building without adding the right outside guidance. It may sound cliche but often, we don’t know what we don’t know. Having the right trusted, objective advisor was Paul’s missing piece. That realization didn't just redirect him. It became his purpose.
When Paul chose to join New York Life in 2021, he saw it as his way to be for others the advisor that he didn't have.
Yes, he provides insurance protection and financial planning to enhance growth but so much more. He draws on his personal experiences to bring valued advice and ask the critical questions to business owners, families and real estate investors.
Because of his commitment to be the best for his clients, he worked for 2 years to attain the ChFC designation, has passed the CFP exam and continues to have an insatiable desire to learn.
That same mindset is what drew him to NAIFA.
Paul quickly recognized that NAIFA is something more than a typical professional association. It is an organization where advisors aren't just networking, they are advocating, building community and taking responsibility for the reputation of the entire profession. That resonated.
Today, Paul is in his second year as National Vice Chair of Membership. His focus isn't on filling a roster. It's on understanding what brings people into this profession, what keeps them engaged and what NAIFA can offer at each stage of a member's career. He is particularly attuned to newer advisors who are still finding their footing and what it means to navigate a complex professional landscape without the right support structure.
The NAIFA community itself has been one of the most meaningful benefits. Paul has built relationships with advisors across the country who share not just technical knowledge but a genuine commitment to business owners and families. He is equally dedicated to his peers and was a speaker at the NAIFA National Leadership Conference 2025. Advocacy is another aspect he takes seriously. Paul has traveled to Washington, D.C., Harrisburg and Trenton on behalf of advisors and their clients. Why? Because he understands the policy decisions made in those rooms have direct consequences in real families' lives.
Asked whether he would recommend financial services as a career, Paul doesn't hesitate. What he tells people is this: “if you genuinely want to serve people in a way that really matters, this is a field in which each conversation can have real stakes. Every plan you help build means a family or business owner can sleep a little better at night. The credential on your wall pales in comparison to the moment a client realizes you saw something they missed.”
Just as the bronze giraffe reflects an ability to see above the day to day and see far into what’s ahead, Paul brings that same perspective to his work, helping clients anticipate what’s could be in their future and protect what matters most. It’s a commitment and an ‘others-focused’ mindset that extends beyond his work, reflected in his decision to donate the sculpture, not sell it, as a thank you to the community that had given so much to his family.