In 2007, three friends approached Anchor Point Wealth Advisors founder and co-partner, Chad Harlan, with the idea of climbing Mount Rainier, the third highest peak in the U.S. and one of the largest glacier systems in North America. He had never done any serious mountaineering in his life, but four months later, there he was with crampons on his feet and a 40-pound pack on his back, well into a grueling 17-hour climb in the dead of night. There were moments of self-doubt: when the terrain got steep, the air got thin, and dehydration set in. But three days and 14,409 feet later, Chad and his climbing companions made it to the summit of Mount Rainier. This was one of the proudest moments of his life.

Ten years later, in 2017, Chad finally talked Blake Young, founder and co-partner, into joining his climbing adventures. Their first climb together was a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado: South Maroon Peak. Since then, they have climbed other fourteeners in Colorado including Mt. Sneffles, Wilson Peak, and Crestone Needle. They have also climbed Siyeh Pass and Highline Trail in Glacier National Park in Montana. Chad and Blake, along with a group of ten to fifteen other climbers, try to make a trip every year to experience a new climb.

Blake and Chad have been financial advisors with Northwestern Mutual for over 20 years. They met and quickly became friends through Northwestern Mutual. As they built their individual careers, their growing families also became close and began spending time together outside of the office. More recently, they saw that joining their professional practices was a natural progression of the work they had already been doing, as it allowed for a more comprehensive planning opportunity for their clients. Anchor Point Wealth Advisors is a result of this collaboration.