Fresh Brew with Dave Smetana
Welcome to our monthly segment, Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“There has to come a point where the research stops, and the decision gets made! It is too easy sometimes to stay in the ‘searching out all possibilities mode’ out of fear of making the ‘wrong decision.'”
Dave Smetana is the CFO at Saxon Financial Services.
Dave and his wife, Terry have 2 children, whom they vacation with whenever possible to places they have never been. A recent trip was out West to see the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and other amazing sites. For an upcoming trip, Dave will travel to Colorado.
Caffe Verona Dark Roast or Whole Bean Dark Roast
Dave enjoys sipping on a Starbucks Caffe Verona Dark Roast while at work or any Costco whole bean dark roast when he’s at home.
Banana Nut Muffins
Dave’s favorite mid-morning snack to enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee is a Paleo Banana Nut Muffin recipe he got from fellow employee, Amy.
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Fresh Brew with Brianna Louder
Welcome to our monthly segment, Fresh Brew, where we explore the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“Loving what you do every day is key.”
Brianna Louder, marketing and community outreach coordinator at Saxon Financial Services, is passionate about advertising, social media, and giving back to the community.
She was born and raised here in Cincinnati, Ohio and loves the outdoors. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her friends and family, especially her husband Kyle and their Miniature Pinscher, Slater. Her favorite hobbies include photography, home projects, and staying in and watching movies with popcorn.
Chai Tea Latte
“I love grabbing my favorite brew from Starbucks.”
Pita Chips and Hummus
Brianna loves munching on her favorite snack when she’s at home.
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Fresh Brew with Deborah Raines
Welcome to our segment, Fresh Brew, where we explore the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“I always try to anticipate the needs of the producer that I work for.”
Deborah Raines is an Account Manager at Saxon Financial Services. Deborah has been in the financial industry for over five years. She has worked as a customer service representative and as an assistant to a financial representative at a financial company.
When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her daughter Rebecca and exploring all of the different restaurants in Cincinnati. Deborah also loves to travel, some of her favorite travel spots include the beaches in North and South Carolina and busy streets of London, where she studied at the University of Westminster for a semester of college.
Chai Latte from Starbucks
Deborah loves a hot or cold Chai Latte from Starbucks.
Deborah isn’t much of a snacker when she’s sipping on her
favorite brew.
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Fresh Brew with Kelley Bell
Welcome to Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“Wellness…health insurance costs less for healthy people so, be a person of excellence which is a person that cares what they put into their body.”
Kelley Bell is a Group Health Benefits Consultant at Saxon. Kelley has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry. Kelley enjoys partnering with business owners and those responsible for choosing benefits for their employees. She understands that every business is unique and is dedicated, accessible and proactive in serving the needs of each client.
When not working, Kelley enjoys watching her son play college baseball. He is a sophomore at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia on a baseball and academic scholarship.
Water
Kelley favorite brew is water!
Fruits and Veggies
Kelley’s favorite snacks are fruits and veggies.
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Fresh Brew with Rich Arnold
Welcome to our brand new segment, Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“I enjoy helping people over 65 understand Medicare and the many options they have. Explaining Medicare in easy to understand terms, clearly showing them the options based on their doctors and prescriptions, and letting them make a choice which they are comfortable with has been one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done.”
Rich Arnold is a Senior Solutions Agent at Saxon Financial Services.
Over the years, Rich has been a teacher, an owner of several printing businesses, and retired after 10 years of running the Sharonville Chamber of Commerce. In his spare time, Rich is actively working with non-profits, helping with community projects and spending time with his 5 grandchildren.
Diet Mountain Dew
Rich is not a coffee drinker but enjoys a Diet Mountain Dew!
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Rich enjoys sipping on his favorite brew while eating Honey Roasted Peanuts.
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Raspberry Mustard Ham with Saxon
Happy Holidays! In celebration of the holidays, the Saxon crew has decided to share one of our favorite holiday recipes for this month’s Fresh Brew! We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!
Christmas Ham with Raspberry Mustard
Ingredients
- 1 cup raspberry preserves
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 fully cooked bone-in ham (18 to 20 pounds)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together the preserves and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.
- Score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern, about 1/8 inch deep. Bake according to the package instructions, 2 1/2 hours or longer. About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, remove the ham from the oven and brush the glaze onto it. Cook until it’s nice and glossy. Repeat with another layer of glaze if desired.
- Serve the remaining glaze in a dish alongside the ham.
This recipe was provided by Food Network. If you’d like to visit the original source, please click here.
**Holiday Hours
- Our office will close at 12 p.m. on Monday, December 24 and will be closed on Tuesday, December 25.
- Our office will close at 12 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31 and will be closed on New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1.
We wish you a happy holiday season filled with family and friends!
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Pecans, Marshmallows and Sweet Potatoes?
Happy Holidays! In celebration of the holidays, the Saxon crew has decided to share one of our favorite holiday recipes for this month’s Fresh Brew! We hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pecan and Marshmallow Streusel
Ingredients
- 12 large sweet potatoes
- 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted pecan pieces
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it’s crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.
- Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.
This recipe was provided by Food Network. If you’d like to visit the original source, please click here.
**Holiday Hours
Our office will be closed Thursday, November 22. We will be open Friday, November 23 from 8:30 a.m. – noon. We wish you a happy Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and good food!
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Fresh Brew with Garry Rutledge
Welcome to our brand new segment, Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“Always be willing to listen to others, as great idea’s come from the least likely of places.”
Garry joined Saxon in August of 2006 and his focus at Saxon is the strategic management of client assets with tax minimization and capital preservation as the foundation of his planning strategy.
Garry has worked for two respected firms in his first 20 years of being in the industry. He has been in the financial planning business since 1988 when he graduated from Wright State University with a degree in Finance and holds a 7, 63 and Life and Health license.
Favorite Brew
Pikes Place
Garry’s favorite place to grab his favorite brew is Pete’s Coffee Shop.
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Fresh Brew with Abby Graham
Welcome to our brand new segment, Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“It’s not that hard to be well!”
Abby has been in the insurance, health and wellness industry for over 12 years. Prior to joining Saxon, she spent the last 7 years working for Humana/HumanaVitality. She is passionate about making sure members understand their medical and wellness benefits as well as how to maximize their potential.
An active member and board member of the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild, Abby enjoys sewing and quilting in her spare time. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, Jon and her sons, Carter and Cameron.
Favorite Brew
Coffee
“Coffee! You really can’t go wrong with a solid cup of coffee.”
“Coffee Emporium in Hyde Park is the place to go.”
Favorite Snack
Reese’s Pieces Cookie
Reese’s Pieces Cookies are Abby’s favorite snack to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
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Fresh Brew with Karie Waddell Gallo
Welcome to our brand new segment, Fresh Brew, where we will be exploring the delicious coffees, teas, and snacks of some of our employees! You can look forward to our Fresh Brew blog post on the first Friday of every month.
“Knowing the culture of your client’s employees is key to providing the perfect benefit line up.”
Karie joined Saxon back in April of 2003 as our Office Manager. She is now an Account Executive and works directly with clients to help provide the best solution for their business.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Midway College with her Health and Life Insurance License in Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.
Karie had been working in the financial services industry since 1999.
Favorite Brew
Vanilla Latte
“So simple. So delicious.”
Favorite place?
“I am a Starbuck’s Junkie!”
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