Mike Milligan

I began my “career” at 11 years old, sitting around the dining room table with my grandmother. She would ask me to count her money at the end of each long workday after she picked me up from school. She didn’t have a bank account. So at that young age, I took charge as her “CFO”; looking back, I got my entrepreneurial spirit and reasoning from my Granny.  See, she didn’t start her “Collard Sandwich” business until late in life and out of necessity.  It’s an amazing story!

Essentially, she was my first client—my innovative grandmother with an incredible work ethic, who sold collard sandwiches for a living. (In case you are wondering, my grandmother’s collard sandwiches were made from homemade cornbread stuffed with collard greens, vinegar and spices, then pan-fried. She sold them at lunchtime to local workmen and eventually at festivals in our hometown of Laurinburg, NC.) I guess you can say running a business with unique ways of operating runs in the family.

I believe my financial planning philosophy began with my Granny’s business and through experience has evolved to a modern financial planning firm that wants to make an Impact.  I learned to count every penny, count every nickel, count every dime, count every quarter. And when you add them up at the end of each day, put a purpose to them. You need a purpose in order to plan and care for every dollar that you make.  And with purpose, you can have an Impact.

With over 24 years of experience in helping folks through the world of finances and life as an advisor, friend and coach, I know we all need help. Personally, I’ve received tremendous help in life—from getting in shape and achieving weight loss and fitness goals, to growing a great business. I have also gotten great counsel in how to use my mind to control my choices and decisions.

I am a lifelong learner looking to use my practiced skills to help others just as folks have helped me. I am licensed in life and health insurance. I attained my CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designations in order to help my clients. I have worked for major banks and small investment firms to learn the ropes before starting my own firm almost a decade ago. Professionally, my goal is to be well known as the trusted advisor who always has every client’s best interest in mind. Personally, my goal is to be a great father to my three children—Zach, Grace and Paige–and husband to my wife, Leigh Ana.  We also have two amazing dogs in Lady Goos and Lady Luna.  

Let’s share stories and dreams and help each other reach them.

Getting Wealthy and Being Healthy

There is a clear connection between health and wealth. If you don’t have your health, you won’t enjoy wealth, and of course it won’t last long either. It was at a low point in my life after some personal relationship failures that I decided to reach for a higher level of health in life. Through a decade of poor choices in overeating and lack of working out, I found myself up to 350 pounds. I wasn’t living my best life.

I decided to make a big change. It took me two years to get down to 230 pounds, but I did it. I became a vegetarian and worked out at Orangetheory Fitness in Norfolk five times per week. Along the way, I started achieving more success while enjoying the “little successes”—and the big victories—things along the way.

I decided to add health assessments into the financial planning process and partnered with two companies; Lumiant, the creator of HALO for health assessments in financial planning, and Stevyn Guinnip with Grow WELLthy to provide quarterly webinars to our clients.

I am here to make an Impact; in the folks who help me grow the business who you will meet below, our clients and the community we live in.  How can I impact your life?