Two named consultants, one kind of client — the business owner.

Ben's path into business coaching isn't the typical one — he spent fourteen years as a professional chef before making the switch. What drew him in was a long-running fascination with how people build things: how they take what they have, put the pieces together, and create something bigger. A business is exactly that kind of thing, and helping owners protect what they've built is the work he finds most worth doing.

Ben works almost entirely with business owners — a natural fit given his own background watching his mother leave a career in engineering to launch her own company. Seeing what it actually takes to run a business, and how much of an owner's financial life is tied up in it, gave him an early appreciation for how high the stakes are when continuity, buy-sell funding, and key-person risk go unaddressed. His approach is comprehensive and deeply committed; he's upfront that his level of service isn't right for everyone, but for owners who want a true partner on the planning their attorney and CPA can't do alone, he goes all in.

Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Ben still calls the region home. Outside of work, he spends his time with his wife and two kids, cooks whenever he gets the chance, and can usually be found at the gym.

Stanislav joined Altus Financial to do what drew him to this profession in the first place: help people build something durable and protect it. The son of first-generation immigrants, Stas grew up watching the consequences of a financial education gap that too many quietly navigate on their own — an experience that shaped his belief that thoughtful guidance, delivered with genuine care, can change the trajectory of a business and the family behind it for generations.

Stas works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and the experienced professionals who run closely-held companies. His approach is deliberately personal: rather than leading with a product, he starts with the people behind the business — what they've built, who depends on it, and what happens to all of it if an owner dies, is disabled, or steps away. Those are the succession and key-person conversations owners tend to avoid, and they're the ones he's built his practice around.

A graduate of Westfield State University, Stas has called Western Massachusetts home for 20 years. He's passionate about financial education and is active in his community. Outside of work, he's an avid traveler, a dedicated fitness enthusiast, and a lifelong reader and film lover.