By Jonathan Harner, CFP®
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. While we may start off in one career, our experiences might show us other areas we want to pursue or open doors to new opportunities. That’s exactly how I found my way into my career as a financial advisor.
Getting Started
I wish I could say I became an advisor for some grand reason, such as “Being an advisor allows me to change the world one person at a time” or “Since I was young, I’ve always had a burning passion to help people.” However, the reality is far more mundane.
I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in food science and a minor in agricultural economics. I moved to California with my wife, Annie, to pursue a career in food production with Leprino Foods, the world’s largest producer of mozzarella cheese. But after a while, Annie and I found ourselves missing our family back in Kansas. As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.”
Annie’s father, Jeff Stukey, was the founder and owner of Wichita Wealth Management back in Kansas. Hearing his stories about clients who would enter the office anxious and leave with a newfound sense of comfort and confidence about their financial future inspired me to consider a career as a financial advisor.
After many conversations, we decided to partner up. In 2016, Annie and I moved back to Kansas and I started at Wichita Wealth as an Associate Financial Planner.
Branching Out
In 2018, I earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification after completing the rigorous education, exam, and experience requirements, and in 2022, I became the official owner of Wichita Wealth Management after Jeff stepped away from the day-to-day operations of the firm.
As is often the case, what you think you want and what you actually need are very different. I never expected to become a financial advisor when I graduated from college with a degree in food science, but I have found a meaningful passion in helping clients plan for the future.
Why I Love What I Do
I became an advisor because of what I needed at that moment in my life. Then in the process of building my career, I experienced a shift, as now I spend every day considering what my clients need. Taking a job as a financial advisor may have been opportunistic at first, but now I have fallen in love with looking for opportunities and advocating for my clients, helping them make money, save money, and avoid financial pitfalls.
I am especially passionate about proactive tax planning and have even helped my clients save thousands of dollars. In one case I had a client who, in preparing their own tax return, had entered a number incorrectly and owed several thousand in taxes. I caught the mistake and they were able to amend the return and ultimately received thousands back in a tax refund. It’s moments like these where I feel truly blessed to provide such a tangible benefit to my clients, and I like to believe that I actually am making the world a little bit better, one person at a time.
Personalized Attention And Care
One of the reasons I work with a select number of clients is so I can provide personalized attention and care to each client as well as their loved ones—and take these financial matters off their already full plate! When you have questions about your goals or strategies, I’m here to help. When you experience a new milestone in life, I’m here to help. And if you know anyone else who has questions or needs unbiased advice, I’m never too busy to help.
If you’re a client of mine and you’ve enjoyed working with me, please consider referring a friend, colleague, or family member who may benefit from my services.
If you are not a current client, I would love to meet you, get to know you, and hear about your goals, your worries, and the opportunities and challenges you face in your financial life. If you are ready to see what holistic wealth management and proactive tax planning can do for you, schedule an introductory phone call by contacting me at 316-722-1010 or jonathan@wichitawealth.com.
About Jonathan
Jonathan Harner is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner at Wichita Wealth Management, a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisory firm dedicated to helping their clients thoroughly prepare for retirement. Jonathan’s goal is to simplify the complex so his clients can experience confidence and peace of mind as they work toward and live out their retirement dreams. He specializes in developing and implementing tax strategies that maximize his clients’ money and builds a tax-efficient withdrawal plan for retirement. Jonathan loves finding opportunities for his clients to save money and is dedicated to continual learning and growing in his profession so he can provide solutions for his clients’ financial needs. When he’s not working, you can find Jonathan spending time with his wife, Annie, and their daughter, staying active in his church community, and participating in his two favorite (but vastly different) hobbies: CrossFit and Dungeons & Dragons. To learn more about Jonathan and how he can help you, connect with him on LinkedIn.