Rick Dupuis with his wife, Gale, and their dog Cappuccino.
Rick was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and moved
to Florida more than 40 years ago. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
If there’s a pattern to Rick DuPuis’ life, it’s that he always tries to do things a little differently, a little better. Rather than simply following the status quo, he strives to improve upon it.
You see the evidence in DuPuis’ business life: He’s a financial adviser whose company was named No. 2 in Florida last year in percentage growth of assets per client. You see it in his volunteer life: as president of his homeowner’s association at the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, he’s making valuable improvements.
At an age when most people are thinking of retiring, DuPuis is showing no signs of slowing down.
He began his career with Dean Witter in San Francisco. But he found out soon that being a broker didn’t suit his personality. The emphasis was always on selling, “and that didn’t work so well for me,” he says.
“So I very quickly got into being a certified financial planner before most people even knew what it was,” DuPuis says. “As a CFP, you’re not just selling anymore, you’re working with people, consulting with them about their insurance, their estate plan, their future. It’s a long-term relationship.”
In the early 1990s, DuPuis got the idea to do something “a little different, a little better” by sharing his investment knowledge on television. He developed and starred in a TV talk show called Inside Money, which ran on public television from 1991 to 1996. He is the author of five investment books, including Money Matters: What Stockbrokers Don’t Always Tell You.
Since opening his own Boca-based company, Royal Capital Management, in 1997, DuPuis has applied his “do it better” mantra in several other ways. He was one of the first in his industry to work on a fee basis rather than a commission basis, which he believes is fairer to the client. In addition, he acts as an independent fiduciary, holding himself to a higher legal standard of putting his clients’ interests first.
And, as a gift to visual learners everywhere, DuPuis developed and trademarked a diagram called the Four Component Portfolio Plan. It helps clients understand how and why their investments are diversified.
“It’s too easy to do the ordinary thing, the average thing,” DuPuis says. “I find that boring. So for me, the key is to always be tweaking things to be a little bit better.”
— Paula Detwiller
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school?
A. On top of Michigan. In Sault Ste. Marie on the Canadian side of the border. (I am now an American citizen as well.) When it came time to go to college, my brother and I pooled our money and bought a red GTO and drove down to the University of Florida. Keep in mind, I-75 was only partially built and I had never been south of Detroit. I still remember the snow flying off the car as we made our way down.
Q. What are some highlights of your life?
A. [When I was] a very young boy, my sister bought me a camera for Christmas and that started me taking pictures, which led to working for the city newspaper, which opened up so many doors. Other highlights: Meeting my wife, Gale, because she influenced everything afterward; walking in Town Center mall and seeing the book I wrote on finances featured in the window of the bookstore; developing the TV show Inside Money to help people with their finances, and seeing it aired on public television for years across the country; and most recently, having my firm ranked in the top 50 fastest-growing registered investment adviser firms in the country.
Q. How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton?
A. It was the late ’70s and we were living in south Broward. Real estate was booming and we decided to drive way up to Boca Raton where we heard about a different kind of developer (Arvida) building whole communities with models that had a California look. As soon as we got here, we knew this was the place.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club?
A. That’s easy. The people are the best. Everyone is so friendly and happy. I think they all know what a great place we live in and how lucky we are and appreciate it. There is a real neighborhood feeling. And with everything you want so close by, a tank of gas lasts at least two weeks.
Q. What’s your biggest challenge as president of the Royal Palm Improvement Association?
A. I feel like I have been handed a treasure and it has been entrusted to me to take care of it. I want to work to improve on things like security, communications, lighting and so on, but do it in a manner that improves but not changes the wonderful feeling everyone has of living here. On a day-to-day basis, the challenge is making sure everyone — our board members, staff and security officers — stays informed and involved so they can perform at their best.
Q. If someone made a movie of your life, who would you like to play you and why?
A. Growing up in the ’60s, I think just about every male wanted to be James Bond. So I’ll pay tribute to my memories and say James Bond, err, that is, Sean Connery. Besides, he really is aging well.
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
A. I love music. I find I can use it to transport myself to almost any mood or any place or time. It’s a little like time traveling. But I suppose my favorite genres are classic rock and smooth jazz like Diana Krall’s Peel Me a Grape.
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. Growing up as the youngest of four children (later a younger brother was born), I seem to have developed the propensity to absorb from everyone around me. I do believe seeing how hard my father and mother always worked to help the family get ahead has rubbed off on me. And one brother in Ottawa has always seemed to have wise things to say when needed.
Q. What’s the last book you read and would you recommend it?
A. I mostly read financial/economic material, but I did just recently read The Precious Present. I am trying to learn how to live more in the present and not always reflect on the past or project into the next days, weeks or future. Again, my work requires me to always be thinking about what’s coming, but my wife keeps telling me away from work I need to be living more in the moment. So I’m trying.
Q. Who or what makes you laugh?
A. I like quick banter back and forth when among friends and family. But I must say, George Carlin was always a favorite. And then at times our little cat, Tiramisu, with our dog, Cappuccino, will just do something so cute or funny. Ú
Comments