Worker Mindset
Trading time for a paycheck
I was moving through life as a worker. That was my dominant mindset, so my lifestyle and money habits simply followed.
Modern wealth management, built for the way professionals earn today.
Hello, and thank you for visiting. I've been advising clients for over two decades and have witnessed several changes over the past 20 years. But the change happening right now is the most significant. It's a fundamental shift that's going to have a tremendous impact on your success.
What's changing? You, the Professional.
Gone are the days of working for the same company for 30 years, receiving a large pension, and living off social security. For the professionals I advise, the pension has been replaced by something far more powerful, and far more misunderstood: the equity they earn at the companies they help build.
Here's what I kept seeing. Brilliant, hard-working people whose biggest asset was quietly slipping through their fingers. They were earning more than they ever imagined, yet nothing was working for them outside their paycheck. Year after year, real opportunity was being left on the table. Not because these people weren't smart, but because no one had ever shown them a better way.
That's the gap I founded Augustus Wealth to close. The industry gives you two options: figure it all out alone, or hand everything to someone who doesn't truly understand your situation. Neither works. So we built something different. A practice and a platform designed around the way today's professionals actually earn and build wealth.
We founded Augustus Wealth with a single purpose: to help clients level up to financial freedom.
The path that shaped how I advise today. One hard-won lesson at a time.
I was moving through life as a worker. That was my dominant mindset, so my lifestyle and money habits simply followed.
I hit rock bottom when I realized the future security of the people I cared about could be at risk. Earning well wasn't the same as building wealth.
So I set out to find a new way to move forward, and I did. It was impactful, and it changed how I saw money entirely.
I knew there were others going through the same struggle. Hard-working, high earners who needed help and simply had never been shown a better path.
So I built a framework and a firm around it, to help others level up to the same freedom, and overcome their own unique hurdles.
That journey became the foundation of everything we do at Augustus Wealth.
See the Worker to Investor story
Derek is the Founder and Managing Partner of Augustus Wealth. His primary goal is to help clients build wealth and reduce taxes.
Always striving to evolve, Derek recognized that the planning industry was failing to adapt to the changing needs of today's professionals. By building a technology platform, he is modernizing wealth management through proprietary fintech solutions. He believes that with the right platform and advisory team, clients with equity compensation will no longer have to struggle to make informed decisions with their money.
Prior to founding Augustus Wealth, Derek was a franchise owner at a large financial services firm, where he provided strategic planning solutions to individuals, families, and small business owners.
It's not easy to find a career that drives you both personally and professionally. Luckily, that's not the case for Srdjan Nastasic, Co-Founder at Augustus Wealth.
Srdjan's interest in numbers, paired with his drive to solve problems, led him to pursue degrees in economics and quantitative finance. Since finishing his studies, he has worked for a variety of companies across the United States and Europe, developing deep expertise in business planning, accounting, and data analytics. Though he spent much of his career in telecom, his true passion is investing.
Michele runs the show at Augustus Wealth. She keeps the practice organized and on track, which frees the team to spend quality time with the firm's clients.
Previously Assistant City Clerk for the City of Buena Park, where she spent 11 years managing services and activities in the City Clerk's Office, supporting department budgeting and City Council meetings.
Lisa is the person behind the scenes who makes sure the details are taken care of. With experience helping local businesses run smoothly, she brings a professional and dependable approach to her role. As a firm that values strong relationships and thoughtful service, Lisa will be helping create a positive experience at every step. She’s happy to be the one making lists, solving little problems, and quietly asking, “Did we remember that thing?” when everyone else is busy.
Great planning is rarely a solo act. A jack of all trades is a master of none, so we don't pretend to do everything in-house. We know our limits, and we'd rather your affairs be handled by true experts in their respective fields.
That's why we've built a vetted network of CPAs, tax strategists, and attorneys. We coordinate directly with them so your strategy is streamlined and executed without the usual gaps. No conflicting advice, no dropped handoffs. We quarterback the relationships and make sure the right resources are in place at the right time.
We align your planning with your tax picture year-round, not just in April, so strategy and filing always move in the same direction.
From trusts to entity structuring, we coordinate with legal counsel so the documents match the plan and nothing falls through the cracks.
For situations that demand niche expertise, we bring in trusted consultants, so you get the right specialist, not a generalist guess.
This is a Level 3 capability. Outside coordination and execution with the Augustus network. One point of contact, a full bench behind it: the depth of a large firm with the focus of a dedicated advisor.
If your equity is doing less than it should, let's change that. A focused conversation is the first step from Worker to Investor.
Ready to talk? →