Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Lee Geiger has a reputation as one of the Firm’s three most reluctant spenders. What separates him from the other two is his appreciation for air conditioning.

His compass is set on “frugal.” It’s a trait he gleaned from his parents. It was more important to them, for example, that he and his sister attend parochial school than they drive stylish automobiles. Lee says his mom drove cars until they died. He remembers her driving a Dodge Omni for 10 years. When the trunk dropped to the back axle, she had it welded back. She kept driving it until the mechanic told her that, by any measurement, it was no longer safe.

“I’m cost-conscious for myself, and I’m cost-conscious for my clients. I try to get things done in a way that won’t run up the bill. I don’t have a problem telling a client, ‘Hey, we can do this if you really want to, but it’s penny wise and pound foolish.’ I think that makes the difference between long-term client relationships and those that aren’t.”

Lee grew up in Finneytown, the first of two children. His father is secretary-treasurer of The Cincinnati Air Conditioning Co., and his mother does conference planning for P&G.

He worked summers at Paramount King’s Island, 60 to 70 hours a week. He was the guy who tried to get park-goers to break a plate or put a ring around the Coke bottle. The following summers, he supervised those guys. He has a natural, easy sense of humor – one where he makes fun of himself, not others. He considers himself a bit of a nerd, but he’s convinced nerds will eventually inherit the Earth.

Among his major influences are his parents. “I think the goal of each generation is to give their kids a better life than they had. My goal is to do as good or even half as good a job as my parents did. That’s what great parents they are.”

Another influence was St. Xavier High School. “You were expected to do your work. At other places, it’s expected but nothing happens if you don’t. At St. X, you’d get ‘Justice under God.’ Also, at St. X, you were expected to give back. So I got to go on the first of several mission trips to Appalachia. At our church now, they do something similar. I’m eagerly awaiting the time when my son and I can go on a father-son mission trip.”

The third, and most important to him, is his family. He met his wife, Karen, at King’s Island, where she ran a ride called Skycoaster. They have three awesome children – Sam, Anna and Claire. Lee’s idea of a good time is going to the kids' sporting events and hanging out with family and friends. He’s working hard to do as well by his family as his parents did by him. His colleagues joke about his tendency to be cautious with a dollar, but above and beyond that, they think of him as family-focused.

As a Graydon partner, he dedicates himself to helping clients achieve their goals – and more than that, to helping them define their highest goals.

“They may not always know what the best goal is. For me, helping a client find that clear focus and then start moving toward it is one of the most important functions I can serve.”