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Our Goal – to Help You Achieve Yours
When you create your financial plan with us, you walk away with a clear vision, path, and journey forward to the goals you set for yourself and your family. You’re equipped to make the financial decisions that arise today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Our Origin and Evolution
What started as Ponderosa Financial in 1999 has evolved into Sonder Financial Strategies today. Founded by Dan Chamberlin, Ponderosa soon grew into a team of advisors renamed the Chamberlin Group. After Brian “Odie” Otterstrom joined the firm in 2015, he partnered with Dan to gradually transition management as other advisors retired, then assumed ownership as Dan later retired himself. Today, Odie leads the firm with a new team of savvy advisors. Renamed Sonder Financial Strategies, we are an independent financial advisory firm working with LPL Financial as our broker dealer.
The Meaning Behind the Name Sonder
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We chose Sonder for our name because its definition is “the feeling one has on realizing that every other individual one sees has a life as full and real as one's own.” That truly speaks to us as we understand that everyone we encounter has a complex and interesting life, even if we aren’t aware of all the details about what’s going on.
We embrace the sense of inclusiveness that Sonder conveys because it fits with the casual, tight-knit, small-town feel of Helena and all of Montana, our lifelong home state. We’re more of a “Mom and Pop Shop” than a “firm,” which makes us stand out in the industry. When you sit down with us, you’ll see it’s a whole different experience. We’re just like many of you, our clients – entrepreneurial, small business-focused, family-oriented and caring about the people and community around us. It’s our intention this relatability and the combined strengths of our team give you a sense of stability, safety and assurance that you are building a financial strategy written just for you.