Skip to main content
Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual
Primary Navigation
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us Overview
    • Working With an Advisor
    • Our Financial Strength
    • Sustainability and Impact
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning Overview
    • Retirement Planning
      • Retirement Planning Overview
      • Retirement Calculator Beach chair icon
    • College Savings Plans
    • Private Wealth Management
    • Estate Planning
    • Long-Term Care
    • Business Services
  • Insurance
    • Insurance Overview
    • Life Insurance
      • Life Insurance Overview
      • Whole Life Insurance
      • Universal Life Insurance
      • Variable Universal Life Insurance
      • Term Life Insurance
      • Life Insurance Calculator Shield icon
    • Disability Insurance
      • Disability Insurance Overview
      • Disability Insurance  For Individuals
      • Disability Insurance  For Doctors and Dentists
      • Disability Insurance Calculator Money Parachute icon
    • Long-Term Care
    • Income Annuities
  • Investments
    • Investments Overview
    • Brokerage Accounts & Services
    • Private Wealth Management
    • Investment Advisory Services
    • Fixed & Variable Annuities
    • Market Commentary
  • Life & Money
    • Life & Money Overview
    • Educational Resources About Financial Planning
    • Educational Resources About Investing
    • Educational Resources About Insurance
    • Educational Resources About Everyday Money
    • Educational Resources About Family & Work
    • Market Commentary
    • Podcast
Utility Navigation
  • Find a Financial Advisor
  • Claims
  • Life & Money
  • Financial Planning
  • Planning With Northwestern Mutual

Why This Financial Advisor Believes We All Need Time to Unplug

Part of our Planner Profiles series

  • Julia Chang
  • Oct 03, 2018
Erik Gomez and family on vacation together.
Erik Gomez’s summer sabbatical includes a family vacation as well as a solo trip to reflect. The downtime helps him prep mentally for the coming year. Photo credit: Courtesy of Erik Gomez
share Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Share via Email

Get to know the people behind the financial advice in our Planner Profiles series, where you’ll get the inside scoop on their best money tips.

Erik Gomez is just as serious about taking time off to restore and unplug as he is about working hard. The Newport, California-based financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual is an avid baseball fan and likens the way he works to the baseball season: You play hard for nine innings, five or six days a week, for six or seven months. Then, when the season is over, no matter what happened, you give yourself downtime before you get back in the gym and go at it again.

Gomez presses pause on his hectic life between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when he’s “90 percent unplugged” from daily work activities. He considers that time a summer sabbatical where he can spend time with family, reflect on the past year and think about what needs to change for the upcoming year.

Read on to learn how he makes that happen, the biggest money mistake he sees people make, and how he thinks a shift in mindset can help people reach their goals.

Who first taught you about money?

In my family, money wasn’t ever really talked about. I think that’s common in a lot of cultures. It was one of those taboo topics like sex, religion or politics — it was just something you didn’t discuss. I would say that ended up being one of the motivators to start my own financial planning practice. I wanted to empower myself and my family around money, but I also wanted to empower others who were aiming for the same financial security I was.

The person who taught me about money early on was my grandfather. He built an international manufacturing company on basically a fifth-grade education. From the age of 5 he had me start working with him. I obviously wasn’t doing any major work, it was more the idea of getting up every day and sticking to a routine, putting your work boots on, going out to the machine shop and grabbing some tools for him. From the time I was 5 until I was 18, I was working with my hands. It taught me what it’s like to earn a dollar and how hard they come, so I think that gave me an appreciation for hard work.

What I wish I’d learned more about was the value of saving. While I’ve always known what it was like to work hard, until I became a financial advisor, I was like a lot of people who think financial security comes simply by making more money. But the reality is you have to think through your end game and goals, and plan financially to get there.

What’s the best piece of financial advice you’ve heard?

The one that really comes to mind is the idea of paying yourself first. As responsible adults, most everybody pays their bills — their car payment, house, electric bill and so on. But then what most people try to do is save what's left over every single month, which can be very little or nothing. Then you say you’ll save a little bit next month instead, and the cycle continues. But the concept of paying yourself is that you create a “bill” for saving and just make it a monthly budget line item. I really adopted that philosophy myself, but it’s never easy. It just becomes easier because you're building that savings habit, that discipline.

What’s the biggest mistake you see Americans making with money?

People tend to have limiting beliefs around their money, like thinking, “I don’t make enough to save” or “I'll get around to it tomorrow.” In addition, I find that people do things financially just because they think they should do them. They aren’t clear about what they want to accomplish with their money. But the biggest mistake is that people don’t think they need a guide.

I compare it to climbing Mount Everest. Someone who decides to climb Mount Everest is likely very clear about why they’re doing it. And when they go, they’re going to get a guide. Who would do that on their own? The guide is going to help them climb the mountain and get back down it. When it comes to financial planning, so many people think they don’t need a guide. Or maybe they just think they need one to get to retirement, which is like climbing the mountain. They forget about getting through retirement, which is like going back down.

What’s been your most satisfying moment as a financial advisor?

I love meeting new people, especially when they're open, because most people initially aren't super excited to talk to financial advisors. But I love hearing their stories and what makes them tick, what they're trying to accomplish, what their goals are and the dreams they have for their kids. Then what I enjoy most is giving them a degree of hope — that hey, this doesn't have to be the end of the story. We're actually in the middle of the story. So many people beat themselves up. The “woulda, shoulda, couldas” aren't going to change your trajectory. What is going to change your future is the realization that you want something different and you need some help.

I'm really focused on working hard and planning from a business standpoint so that I’m in a position to work because I want to, not because I have to.

How do you plan for the summer sabbaticals, and what do you do?

When I’m working, I’m 100 percent locked in. I try to eliminate distractions and things that encroach on my time. Then when I’m not working, I unplug; I let my team handle things and I take my time off. I truly believe that your staff can handle 98 percent of things if you empower them. Last year when we let our clients know via email that I was getting ready to take time off, we got great responses back. Some even asked how I could do it, saying that they couldn’t even take a week off. And I’m like, you can do this. I hope I inspire them to think differently.

Generally, as the summer begins, I’ll take a short trip alone to reflect on what’s working well, what we could do differently to improve our clients’ experiences and to recalibrate my team’s vision. This year I ended up going to Newport, Rhode Island.

When I get back, I try to get into a routine and catch up on things around the house, like reorganizing my closet or cleaning the garage. I do everyday stuff like taking my kids to school. I also make time for each person in my family individually. This summer I took a trip with just my 15-year-old son. Then we always take a trip with the family.

I go to Northwestern Mutual’s annual meeting, then I start what I like to consider spring training, as I get back into my work routine in August. Then come Labor Day, I’m back with the intensity of the regular season.

What’s your personal financial goal?

I don't know if I ever see myself retiring, but I'd say I'm really focused on working hard and planning from a business standpoint so that I’m in a position to work because I want to, not because I have to. I want to be in a position where I’m spending time with the people and activities that matter most. I’d like to get to that point by the time I’m 50.

Social Security is an important part of your financial plan.

Your financial advisor can show you how Social Security will work to reinforce your retirement savings. And they’ll show you how it can help you live the life you want in retirement.

Let's get started
Left Dotted Pattern
Right Dotted Pattern

Want more? Get financial tips, tools, and more with our monthly newsletter.

Related Articles

article
Suneel Garg with his family on the beach.

What This Financial Planner Thinks You Can Learn From Lottery Winners

Learn more
article
Andrea Williams, financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Chicago

What This Advisor Thinks You Need to Feel Financially Empowered

Learn more
article
Financial planner and his grandfather sharing the best money advice

My Granddad Gave Me the Best Money Advice I Ever Got — Now He’s My Client

Learn more

Find What You're Looking for at Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual General Disclaimer

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries. Life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with longterm care benefits are issued by The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM). Longterm care insurance is issued by Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, (NLTC) a subsidiary of NM. Investment brokerage services are offered through Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) a subsidiary of NM, brokerdealer, registered investment advisor, and member FINRA and SIPC. Investment advisory and trust services are offered through Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC), Milwaukee, WI, a subsidiary of NM and a federal savings bank. Products and services referenced are offered and sold only by appropriately appointed and licensed entities and financial advisors and professionals. Not all products and services are available in all states. Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with Advisor in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual

Footer Navigation

  • About Us
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Information Protection
  • Business Services
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs
  • Legal Notice
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Notices

Connect with us

  • Facebook iconConnect with us on Facebook
  • X iconFollow Northwestern Mutual on X
  • LinkedIn iconVisit Northwestern Mutual on LinkedIn
  • Instagram iconFollow Northwestern Mutual on Instagram
  • YouTube iconConnect with Northwestern Mutual on YouTube

Over 8,000+ Financial Advisors and Professionals Nationwide*

Find an Advisor

Footer Copyright

*Based on Northwestern Mutual internal data, not applicable exclusively to disability insurance products.

Copyright © 2025 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI. All Rights Reserved. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries.