Contributed by: Timothy Wyman, CFP®, JD
So where were you in 1985? You may have been in high school or college. You may not have even been born yet. Like our Center founders, you may have been starting your own business or career and sought out a financial planner to help in financing higher education for your kids and planning for a successful retirement. It was in the mid-80s that Center for Financial Planning got started.
Our 3 Secrets to Success
A professional services firm can’t survive, let alone thrive, over 30 years without at least three key ingredients:
- The loyalty and support of clients. Many of The Center’s clients have been with us from the start. Our success is based of their continued relationships and the introductions they’ve made to others we can help.
- The loyalty and hard work of our staff. It has been said that great performance can never come without great people and culture. Our current staff is filled with a deep bench of top-notch technicians.
- The hard work, vision and generosity of founding partners Estelle Wade (retired 2003), Marilyn Gunther (retired 2014), and Dan Boyce (retiring at the end of 2015).
Building a sustainable business requires lots of hours. Not 9-5 and no weekends kind of hours. There were sacrifices, and rewards, and I am sure our founders would agree that their success was in large part due to the support of at least 3 special people - their spouses: Gene Wade, Ron Gunther, and Sue Boyce.
Building a Foundation
Estelle, Marilyn and Dan didn’t set out to create a company. Financial planning was more like a calling. You see, in 1985, much like today, financial advice was often the pretense to selling a high commissioned investment or insurance product. Our founders saw a new & better way to help people achieve their financial goals. The new (back then) process was called financial planning – and they quickly experienced that the financial planning process had the power to improve lives and make a difference for people. So, The Center really started with a purpose – a calling – to make a difference in people’s lives.
Estelle, Marilyn and Dan also lead by example. They always put clients’ interests first. They were always first to lend a hand around the office, no matter the task. And they were always committed to lifetime learning and personal growth. Our founders also invested in people and relationships – both clients and team members. The three are some of the most generous folks I have ever met with their time, talent, and financially. Over the years they have mentored folks both inside The Center as well as outside. They had the foresight to begin transitioning leadership to others such as current partners Matt Chope, Sandy Adams, Laurie Renchik, Melissa Joy and me as long as 10 years ago. The foundation they provided has given our current team a platform to take The Center to new heights and further strengthen the firm for the next 30 years.
Timothy Wyman, CFP®, JD is the Managing Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and is a contributor to national media and publications such as Forbes and The Wall Street Journal and has appeared on Good Morning America Weekend Edition and WDIV Channel 4. A leader in his profession, Tim served on the National Board of Directors for the 28,000 member Financial Planning Association™ (FPA®), mentored many CFP® practitioners and is a frequent speaker to organizations and businesses on various financial planning topics.
Any opinions are those of Timothy Wyman, CFP® and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Investing involves risk and investors may incur a profit or a loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.