Nicole Carson, CFP®, MBA

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About Nicole Carson, CFP®, MBA

Nicole C. Carson, CFP®, MBA is the Owner and Wealth Advisor of 2nd Story Wealth Planners. As an Advisor for over twenty years, she has partnered with professionals and business owners to share their own money stories and design a personalized plan to help achieve their goals.

2nd Story Wealth Planners was created to provide an opportunity for everyday people (not just the 1%) to have access to quality and holistic financial planning. Many of us have not had access to partner with Financial Advisors and we are changing that one client at a time. Nicole is on a mission to make financial guidance and education available for all.

Nicole earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance from DeSales University, and went on to earn her Masters in Business Administration at Holy Family University, graduating with Honors. She also holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. Some of her memberships include Financial Planning Association (FPA) and Association for African American Financial Advisors.

When she is not spending time with her clients, she is spending quality time with her husband Tarif, daughters Karessa and Kennedy, and sons Chris and Michael.

Becky Walsh, CFP®

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About Becky Walsh, CFP®

I have always loved a challenge. As a child, I enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series for its pioneering spirit and “we can do hard things” embrace of life. Founding my own financial firm, with the goal of raising others while building a business, reflects my entrepreneurial background. As the daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and even great-great-granddaughter of business-founders dedicated to serving the communities where they lived, I carry on a family tradition of service oriented entrepreneurship, working with causes close to my heart, such as the Vermont Food Bank, All Brains Belong, and the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association.

My background as a classically trained musician informs my financial planning approach. My academic research and analysis skills transfer from notes and music theory to financial planning and portfolio management. Whether serving clients or playing piano, I bring joy, creativity and a healing energy to my work.

Rachel Lawrence, CFP®, MSFP

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About Rachel Lawrence, CFP®, MSFP

I’ve known that working with money was my calling since senior year of high school. As it turns out, I’ve poured my entire career (20+ years) into financial planning and coaching, starting with data entry and paperwork, then building financial plans and implementing the recommendations for other advisors. I started taking my own planning clients in 2007, got my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification, an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation, and a few years later, a Masters degree in Personal Financial Planning from my alma mater Bentley University.

In 2012 I made the leap from traditional firms with high minimums to a new way of working with regular Americans: fintech (aka financial technology). Since then, my mission has been to find scalable ways using technology to bring financial planning to those who need it the most – in particular, women and their allies. Now I get to accomplish some of this through my work with clients at Reverie Wealth, and also through my consulting firm, Plan Ventures, where I do projects for fintech and coaching companies on topics like scaling mass market financial services or coaching and automating financial planning advice.

These days, I’m passionate about money ideas that work in the real world for real people, using your core values and your body’s intelligence (head/heart/gut) to guide financial and other life decisions, backing up financial planning principles with research and evidence, tackling systemic issues in ways that can be good for both the world and our bottom lines, and like a true Enneagram 7, finding ways to have fun while doing it all!

When I’m not working to bring good money to the masses, you can find me reading sci-fi and psychology books, watching reruns of New Girl and Parks & Rec, skiing or surfing with my partner and kids, traveling the world on a budget, and fighting the patriarchy.

Christina Empedocles, CFP®

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About Christina Empedocles, CFP®

THE INSIGHT METHOD

If you want to drop off a some documents, and in return get a few pie charts with hundreds of pages of confusing filler — this is not for you.

If you want to take control of your finances, learn the tools to grow assets, and be an active collaborator in your financial future — then you’re in the right place! Insight’s mission is not only to craft the perfect plan to fit your life and goals, but to educate you on the mechanics of how money works so that you’ll no longer be a by-stander in your own financial life.

THERE’S LOTS OF HAND HOLDING,
WITHOUT ANY ACTUAL HAND HOLDING

This program is part education, part rollup-our-sleeves planning, and all collaboration.

1. We’ll talk. I get to know my clients really well and want to understand your motivation, biggest fears, values, and aspirations. This is essential for building an effective plan, because when you add your real life to your money you’ll have a real reason to act.

2. I’ll put you to work, and our time together could feel a little like being back in school (the most relevant, totally empowering, useful school you’ve ever attended!). From our meetings, you’ll be given highly targeted ‘homework’ that will get you digging into your financial data, history, and habits, revealing a clear picture of what’s happening.

3. We’ll look at your goals, and determine timeframes, costs, and assign numbers. So, what was once just a dream, transforms into a detailed blueprint.

This process is hands on. If you want to do something ambitious and start putting the pieces in place for your extraordinary future — the time to start is now, and the most important ingredient is you. This plan will work, because you’ll help create it, you’ll understand it, and you’ll know the steps to take.

Our work will be formatted for easy ‘project management’ that reads with the intrigue and clarity of an illustrated travel guide. Contrast that with the thick, impenetrable plans that are output from ‘Big Finance’ and you’ll know instantly, why my strategies work: Because I’ll take you from Point A to Point Z highlighting all the manageable steps in between. Big Finance offers plans that will leave you confused and dependent. Which feels better to you?

Insight will be your ongoing mentor, to make sure your action items get done. We’ll be your partner in monitoring and adjusting your course of action, to make sure you don’t fall behind.

Read Christina’s blog here: https://www.insightpersonalfinance.com/blog

Dawn Mabery Chestnut, CFP®, MSPFP

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About Dawn Mabery Chestnut, CFP®, MSPFP, MPAS™, CFEI

Financial advice can be intimidating and complex, but I’m not your average financial advisor. I strive to make managing money simpler by speaking plainly (no jargon!) and offering genuine help instead of hard sales tactics. I prefer a more informal approach – without the stuffy suit.

When I’m not crunching numbers, you might find me tending to my backyard garden with my ducks waddling around, jogging (though trotting is more accurate), or biking with friends – an activity made even better at night thanks to colorful glow-in-the-dark lights we put on our wheels. My recent fascination is learning to sew clothes. I also have an amazing and supportive husband.

I am a natural planner and numbers lover, so it’s no surprise that I became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with a master’s degree in personal financial planning. I actually enjoy pouring over document details and making sense of the data. To me, it’s like putting together a puzzle. My favorite class in school was accounting – numbers don’t scare me. Beyond that, my work allows me to get to know people – their values, goals, and challenges, beyond their paperwork.

My brief behind the facts and figures journey is this. Growing up in a large family where money was tight inspired me to teach basic financial literacy voluntarily. My adult students wanted advice on retirement or social security (more info than the basic curriculum provided). This lit the spark for me to start my financial planning business! I still teach financial empowerment in underserved communities by contracting with local non-profits. I’ve had my own business for over ten years.

These experiences taught me that many people can find money talk difficult and sensitive. I’m here to provide honest, objective, and judgment-free advice for your money questions (big or small). No question is too embarrassing for me – I’ve made my share of money missteps too and I also just didn’t know a lot about money because it was not taught to me.

As a fiduciary, I’m committed to putting your needs first. With your commitment, follow-through, and patience, I can help guide you through the confusing world of money so that you can make informed decisions in reaching your idea of success.

Thank you for considering me as your advisor. Call me for a free discovery call where you can share with me about your financial needs, and I’ll share with you about my services.

Read Dawn’s blog here: https://www.maberyconsulting.com/blog

Ariadne Horstman, CFP®, RLP®

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About Ariadne Horstman, CFP®, RLP®

I have been practicing financial planning since 2008 and came to this profession out of a desire to help others and work in a meaningful profession where I can impact lives positively. A graduate of Smith College, I worked in consulting and marketing earlier in my career and came to financial planning later. My broad experience and liberal arts education have been helpful in understanding a range of different clients in various life situations. Having lived in France, India and the UK, I have international skills to bring to those with cross border situations. I founded my own firm in 2015 and merged with Emilie Goldman’s firm, Tamarind Financial Planning, in October of 2022. George Kinder’s Life Planning training allowed me to delve deeper into the part of client’s lives that focuses on what they want to get out of their time on this earth so we can direct their finances towards that. I love the outdoors, yoga, Pilates, reading, creative writing and meditation. Married to an academic working in Climate Finance means at times spending significant time in other countries and travelling. Our two children are now pursuing their studies so we are fresh empty nesters!

Kelly Nilsson, CFP®, JD

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About Kelly Nilsson, CFP®, JD

Money is not complicated – our relationship with money is. As an industry, financial services has traditionally put the spotlight on money, failing to center the human in the story. Money is a human construct – it is an extension, a reflection, and a record of us and how we live. Money is important, but not as important as you.

As a financial planner, my role is to support, guide, inform, and empower my clients to integrate money and finance into their lives in a way that is deeply personal and affirming. If you want to connect to money and finance in a new and positive way, we should talk!

My journey in finance began in 1992, and since then I have worked with thousands of professionals and clients in the industry. Working with companies large and small and people from all walks of life, I have amassed deep expertise and empathy available to anyone who wants to create better outcomes and a healthier relationship with money.

Family, curiosity, and trust are my highest values. There is nothing I love more than hiking the Northern California mountains with my husband Martin and son Sebastian or laughing wildly with my sisters and mom over something silly.

I am a proud graduate of Mount Holyoke College, receiving a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations. I have held the Certified Financial Planner designation since 2003 and in 2018 I received a Juris Doctor from St. Francis School of Law.

Lisa Mesquit, CFP®, CFA

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About Lisa Mesquit, CFP®, CFA

I am the Founder and CEO of Soaring Investment Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisory firm based in Portland Oregon. In my 15 years of corporate and individual finance experience, I have managed portfolios from $250 million to over $1 billion. After graduating Oklahoma Christian University cum laude with a BS in Finance, I earned my CFA and have been a Charterholder since 1998 and I added the CFP® designation in 2022.

My salt-of-the-earth upbringing in North Texas has certainly influenced my drive to bring professional money management to individual investors in an accessible and affordable way. My childhood took me from the suburbs of Dallas to the small town of Sanger where I learned to appreciate the beauty of a cow pasture, the majesty of a thunder storm and the fun of a good football game. I also learned that things aren’t always what they seem. Modest people might surreptitiously have substantial wealth, while flashy people might be “all hat and no horse.”

In addition to my upbringing, I have held a variety of positions that have helped shaped me into the advocate for financial prudence that I am today. It began with my first job post high school at a law office. It’s there that I observed the ramifications of a national real estate collapse, the savings and loan crisis, an oil bust, and bankrupt partnerships. Vacant office space propagated the landscape throughout my college years imprinting caution and warning of boom and bust business cycles in my mind.

My long-time internship with Stifel, Nicholas brokerage firm during college introduced me to the workings of a broker/dealer, the investment banking side of municipal bonds and the training of advisors. I learned how big an impact a good advisor can have.

Upon graduation, the exemplary team at MidFirst Bank welcomed me into their Treasury Department. I am forever grateful for the disciplined approach they ingrained in me. I learned about benchmark rates of return, asset pricing, interest rate risk, corporate budgeting, and mortgage-backed securities. Eventually, I was appointed the lead analyst of the bank’s bond portfolio and maintained the Wall Street relationships there.

Arriving at Gap, Inc during a time of a fashion-miss and in the midst of the dot com boom, I kept busy securing funding in the bond market as part of their International Treasury Department. I saw up close the affects of the business cycle and strategic decisions on the shareholders and employees. I also learned, although fun at times, Corporate America was not where I wanted to be. I opt for something more personal and relational.

These business cycles and money decisions affect us all. My childhood roots coupled with valuable professional experiences helped spark my desire for families and communities to experience the blessings of financial prudence. I love being able to provide accessible and affordable professional money management through Soaring Investment Management

Rosario Chacón, CFP®, FBS®

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About Rosario Chacon, CFP®, FBS®, CSLP®, MBA, CLC, EA

Hi! I am Rosario Chacón. I founded Wealth-Source Financial in 2019 to help professionals like me and my close friends and their families: Often first generation – graduating from college and/or immigrants -, with school debt and/or starting a business, while building a career and a family. In my years at multinational and boutique firms, I learned that one size does not fit all. To better serve my community and clients, I became a fiduciary (CFP®) to work for your best interest, a Financial Behavior Specialist (FBS®) to understand your values and respect your decisions, a Student Loan Planner (CSLP®) because I know first-hand that we must invest in ourselves to make changes in our journeys. I am also an Enrolled Agent, which gives me the opportunity to better serve my clients in a holistic and cost-efficient manner.

Melissa Walsh, CFP®, CFA

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About Melissa Walsh, CFP®, CFA, AIF

Hello there, I’m Melissa!

My mission in everything I do is to make a positive difference in the lives of the people I serve. I aim to enthusiastically help my clients to achieve their goals and to be a trusted partner every step of the way.

I see each day as a new opportunity to enhance the lives of those I serve- my clients, my family, and my community. This intrinsic feel for what’s truly important in life helps to fuel my drive for the work I do both here at Clarity Financial Design and beyond.

I am most satisfied in life by finding injustices and righting them. I think this is why a career in finance initially appealed to me; the industry has widespread and systemic problems related to conflicts of interest, gender inequality, and lack of transparency. I’ve made a commitment to improving our industry as well as our clients’ individual lives by providing fiduciary, fee-only, transparent advice.

Today, my path is working with my clients to help them find financial clarity. I seek to listen, understand, and thoughtfully consider each client’s unique story in order to help her plan for the next step on her path. My goal is to build life-long relationships with my clients as their trusted financial partner.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy volunteering in my community. I’ve made a commitment to spend 10% of my time supporting organizations that are meaningfully impacting the well-being of local girls, women, and families.

I am married to my husband, Steve, and am the mother of two smart, brave, and determined daughters. Willow is 4 and enjoys swimming, dancing, and practicing her detective skills. Lila is 3 and loves to sing, dance, and pretend to be a teacher. My hobbies are running, cooking, and reading, and I pursue these hobbies during this season of life by running after my daughters, cooking for my family and friends, and reading up on all things financial. On a typical Saturday, you’ll find me out at the beach, farmer’s market, or cheering on the Michigan Wolverines (Go Blue!).

I look forward to learning your story and helping you plan for your next step.