One of my favorite parts of my job is talking to our clients about their goals. Sometimes their objectives are specifically related to money; at other times, not as much. Either way, understanding where clients want to go (their goals) allows us to help them get there (through careful planning).

In my family’s case, one goal we have set is to see our hometown St. Louis Cardinals play in a different city each summer. This is usually my favorite yearly trip. A few weeks ago, we had an opportunity to go to Chicago to see the Cardinals play the White Sox. We spent time on Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, and other “tourist” spots. We were also fortunate to see our Cardinals pull out a 3-0 victory.

This year’s trip was especially memorable because we combined it with visiting some of our favorite long-time clients, Larry Baumann and Dana Brehm. While not from Chicago, Larry and Dana made it their goal years ago to have a place in Chicago. After they both retired, they realized that goal and have a beautiful home there.

Numerous studies have shown that making your goals known to others increases your odds of achieving them. We love doing our part in helping clients achieve their goals. And if you aren’t tracking your goals, please let us know. We’d be happy to help.

This past Saturday, along with 100+ clients, we celebrated one of our team members Malissia Johnson. After 25 remarkable years, Malissia will be retiring as founder of Emerald Spectrum Advisory at the end of this year. Julia Humphrey, her long-term team member, will be the lead advisor in HIG’s Nashville office. 

Malissia established her firm in 1998 with a vision to provide an extraordinary planning experience while making each client feel like family. Over the past quarter century, she has succeeded by exceeding clients’ expectations and putting their interests first. Her legacy will live on through the many clients whose financial lives she has impacted and through the exceptional team she has cultivated. 

While we will miss her wisdom and caring nature, we know she has more than earned this next chapter. Malissia’s retirement party was a time for friends, family, team members, and clients to come together to reminisce, express gratitude, and wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement. The night was filled with good food, music, and many stories that exemplify her incredible 25-year journey. We had a blast this special evening honoring an extraordinary woman, her career, and, most importantly, the relationships she’s built.

Cheers, Malissia! 

Hill has a long history of successful interns. For example, one of our former summer stars now runs a company valued at over three billion dollars. Fun fact, Hill is a client of the company our former intern created (a web-based people management tool)!

This summer, we have the privilege of working with not one but three impressive interns. They assist the team in various capacities, and we are so happy to have them support us. Please read below to learn about each one and their focus for the summer.

*from left to right*

BEN
I am a rising junior at WashU studying Economics & Strategy, and Finance, with a minor in Biology. I like to run and recently ran a half marathon. I enjoy listening to new music, especially electronic music, and going to concerts.

During the summer, I’m working on analyzing our minimum fee policy, preparing for our risk assessment, and updating compliance records.

JACK
I’m currently studying Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at Mizzou. I’m excited to put my studies to practice this summer at HIG. Other than Finance, my hobbies include most outdoor activities. However, one of my more meaningful interests is participating in the annual collection drives for Friends of Kids with Cancer, where I am a member of their young professionals’ program.

This summer, I’m focusing on supporting the Client Service team by assisting with meeting prep, reporting, and helping the team research better tools to support our clients.

CHARLIE
I’m a rising senior at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. This past year, I had the unique opportunity to participate in an I-CORE Case Competition, which is a semester-long class divided into four sections: Marketing, Operations, Leadership, and Finance. I am very grateful for this experience, as it prepared me for my internship with HIG.

This summer, I’m working on evaluating reporting software, creating post-meeting summary reports, and supporting the Business Development and Marketing team with data cleanup and research.