We are clear. We don’t hide from people, challenges or accountability. We want to present our true selves in every situation. Our work requires trust and we earn it by being open, honest, and caring.
We aim to be accessible. We believe connection is the center of human experience. Caring relationships inform our deepest understanding of what it means to have wealth.
We are positive. We love life and we choose to see the good in everything and everyone. We are confident in our skills. Still, we model an open mindset. We are committed to growth and eager to learn more.
We are unified. We do this work together. We extend respect to our clients and require it in return. We intentionally set goals that are so ambitious they require full alignment to achieve them.
We illuminate. We believe our example shines as a better way to engage clients and care for their needs. Our mission is helping people steward wealth as a means to express their values and realize their dreams.
Without exception, people are the most important part of any business. The team at Motive brings together a diverse range of skills, backgrounds, and personalities so we can deliver the comprehensive and fully custom services our clients’ complex needs demand.
What Jay Close has to say about fellow Co-Founder Jim Niedzinski...
What He Does
Jim Niedzinski, CFP®, AIF®, leads the research and application of financial planning strategies for our clients. He cherishes the relationships he builds with clients as he helps them pursue their dreams and accomplish their goals.
Who He Is
It makes sense that Jim was a varsity letter winner on the University of Michigan track team as I watch him run tirelessly (and joyfully) to serve clients. In fact, I’ve never witnessed a more deeply-rooted commitment to the well-being of clients than I see in Jim. He’s famous for being extremely organized – a details-wizard – yet he maintains a clear perspective on the big picture and what strategically matters most. Jim might be best known for his uncanny ability to communicate the complex with clarity and make the intricate easy to understand. Jim isn’t just organized, strategic, and gifted in communication, his true superpower is that he genuinely cares right down to his core. Spend time with Jim and you’ll know he’s the real deal.
Jim’s Qualifications
For more than 20 years, Jim has been advising clients with complex financial situations such as those involving privately held businesses (often further complicated by shared family ownership); the knottiest of executive compensation packages; and the challenges of large tax liabilities. In addition to his breadth of technical knowledge, Jim also draws upon his two decades of experience to serve clients as their strategic advisor, helping them clarify their vision and make decisions that align with their deepest values. Before Motive, Jim served as a senior Wealth Advisor to over 100 families at a fiduciary wealth management firm. He was a member of their financial planning committee where he helped develop planning strategies for the firm’s clients. He also had served as chair of their investment committee where he was primarily responsible for the development of the firm’s investment strategy. Jim is graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) credential.
Jim’s Personal Life
Jim is gaga for Shannon, his wife of more than 20 years. I don’t think they’ve missed their weekly date in over a decade. They have two teenage children, a son and a daughter, they adore (both of whom seem to be the spitting image of Jim and Shannon, if you ask me). If you get to know the Niedzinskis, you’ll find that their faith is important to them and they are active in their church community. Jim reads constantly (maybe too much? I’m told he even reads while brushing his teeth). He loves the outdoors and conditioning through CrossFit, mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing, and rock climbing. While Jim enjoys his active lifestyle, I happen to know he also likes that it affords him the regular guilty pleasure of apple fritters from Donut Cutter in Royal Oak.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
What Jim Niedzinski has to say about fellow Co-Founder Jay Close...
What He Does
Jay Close, CFA, CFP®, directs our investment strategy and oversees the management of our client's portfolios. He creates custom investment solutions that are mosaics of our client's needs and values, insights from independent research sources, and our best ideas.
Who He Is
What stands out to me about Jay is his incredibly rare combination of complementary skills and his integrity in their application. First, Jay is, to be certain, a true technician. He finds research and analysis fun like most people might enjoy a good novel or night on the town. Yet Jay isn’t content, as many intellectuals are, to merely learn — Jay is a doer, driven to apply his discoveries. Finally — and this is what makes Jay a truly rare bird — he isn’t just satisfied with deeply intellectual pursuits, or the effective application of his work, but ultimately Jay finds fulfillment in making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Jay’s Qualifications
Since 2006, Jay has been serving wealthy families as a fiduciary, managing their investments within the context of coordinated financial plans. Jay previously managed client portfolios totaling over $1 billion as the Director of Investments of a privately held wealth management firm. Before Motive, Jay served as a Senior Portfolio Manager in the Private Asset Management division of a Fortune 100 financial services firm. Based in Ann Arbor, his practice focused on serving the needs of high net worth faculty and physicians at The University of Michigan. Jay is a CFA charterholder and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He graduated magna cum laude from Western Michigan University with a major in Personal Financial Planning.
Jay’s Personal Life
Jay’s family includes his wife Jackie (truly his better half) and their three adorably rambunctious daughters. After living in Beverly Hills, Michigan, for many years, the Close Family moved to Brighton Township where they’re surrounded by extended family, big sunrises, and sandhill cranes. If Jay isn’t exploring the woods with his family, he’s probably reading, or fiddling with a chisel and plane, intent on becoming a more capable woodworker.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, and the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
As Client Service Manager at Motive Wealth Advisors, Alexis seeks to provide exceptional concierge-level service to clients for all their administrative questions and needs.
With over 15 years of consulting, project management, and client service experience, Alexis takes pride in developing close, supportive relationships with clients while ensuring they receive the highest level of care.
Alexis received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Washington University Olin School of Business in St. Louis. She majored in International Business, Marketing, and Spanish. She began her career working as a Strategy and Operations Consultant for Deloitte Consulting, later transitioning to client relations at a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund in New York City. Most recently, she worked as a Director at Ducker Worldwide, a global market research, consulting, and advisory company.
Her joy comes from spending time with her husband Sean and their four children. They love taking advantage of all Michigan offers, including traveling north in the winter for skiing, summer outings swimming and boating, and exploring Detroit's fantastic restaurant scene.
Che
lsea is a Client Service Associate at Motive Wealth Advisors, where she serves as a key point of contact for clients, assisting with various administrative needs and supporting the team’s day-to-day operations. Chelsea is committed to fostering strong, long-term relationships with clients by ensuring their needs are met promptly and effectively.
With eighteen years of experience in residential mortgage lending, Chelsea has developed a strong foundation in curating loan options, negotiating terms, and enhancing the client experience. Her background in finance makes her a valuable resource for both clients and colleagues.
Chelsea earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, where she was a four-year varsity letter winner in cross country and track & field.
Outside of work, Chelsea is dedicated to training for road races and, together with her husband Kachi, enthusiastically supports their three children at soccer matches, gymnastics events, and basketball games. During the summer, she enjoys spending quality time with her family in her hometown of Traverse City, Michigan.
Charles Schwab | Account Custodians + Traders
Schwab Institutional is one of the largest custodians of Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) fiduciary assets, providing custodial, operational, practice management, and trading support to more than 7,500 independent RIA firms.
Fidelity Investments | Account Custodians + Traders
Fidelity Institutional offers clearing, custody, investment products, brokerage and trading services to more than 13,500 financial advisory firms and nine million accounts.
We could outline a laundry list of services relevant to our high net worth clients. Things like custom-tailored portfolio design; business succession planning; tax-reduction strategies; and multi-generational estate planning. Yes, Motive handles them all. But what we really do amounts to so much more…
In real life, our engagements look like full scope investing, planning, professional services coordination, and strategic guidance merged powerfully and seamlessly into one easy to embrace relationship grounded in what we believe are the deepest levels of connection and trust. Our clients tell us where they want to go and we develop the comprehensive solutions to help them get there. Then, we remain alongside every step of the way.
One highly competitive, all-inclusive fee provides unlimited access to our full range of services. We are able to engage clients in this manner because Motive expresses its greatness in ways we find more meaningful than scale.
We help eliminate the anxieties and burdens associated with stewarding wealth so our clients can feel healthy, free, connected, and understood. That's how Motive defines its services.
We are convinced the best definition of wealth is a way of living. And Motive Wealth Advisors exists to help clients achieve it.
To learn more about our firm, please complete and submit the contact form below. We look forward to speaking with you and considering your specific needs.
If you are an existing client and wish to schedule a meeting, feel welcome to use the option in the navigation menu at the top of the page.
