Hailing from a family of entrepreneurs, Jake Raska wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after he graduated. The consulting path was unfamiliar to him, but he thought, what better place to go when you lack certainty in long-term career desires? The opportunity for project variety and professional exposure appealed to him. “It can take 20 years to get this kind of exposure elsewhere,” he said.

Jake credits the manager of his first project for helping him acclimate to consulting, teaching him how to network, and ultimately changing the trajectory of his career. As his confidence grew, he dove headfirst into consulting, and before long he was running workstreams and expanding his professional network with projects in the consumer-packaged goods/food space. “Your network is one of your most important assets,” he said. “Begin building it now.” He still recalls how supportive and important the leaders in the practice and across the firm were to him.

After a few years with Kearney, Jake left the firm to have ownership over a function and spend less time away from home. Capitalizing on his knowledge and his consulting experience, Jake pivoted to an “internal consultant” role, focused on cost reduction in the steel and auto industry. This role transformed into a finance role supporting the COO of Delphi, focusing on global manufacturing financial performance tracking and transparency. Jake loved the experience diving into P&Ls, but still felt the need for further ownership and accountability in his career.

When considering what to do next, Jake “took a bet on himself” and decided to merge his corporate finance experience and entrepreneurial spirit to establish Carrera Capital Advisors alongside a former business school classmate and friend. Backed by Northwestern Mutual, Carrera Capital Advisors has enjoyed considerable success, including many prestigious accolades, and being honored as one of the fast growing asset management and financial planning firms in the country. With a team of 13, and obsession with client experience and continuous improvement, they have been able to build a multigenerational firm that has already significantly surpassed anything Jake anticipated.

Reflecting on his professional experiences, Jake has a few tips to share with people who are new to the firm: “Get over the fear of rejection. It takes courage to be successful,” he says. “Be confident in yourself, in your skills, and understand that effort and hard work trumps all.”

Thank you, Jake, for sharing your story!

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