Name: Mimi Hackley
Title: Shareholder and Certified Financial Planner™
SH&J team member since: 1998
You are admired for the way you are with clients. What advice do you have for building and maintaining strong client relationships?
Listen first. Be honest, yet compassionate. Do what comes naturally and is best for the client. Focus on practical and applicable solutions while keeping it as simple as possible.
What does your ideal weekend look like?
- Family time with our children,
- Unstructured as often as we can manage it,
- Unplugged for much of it,
- Plain-old fun playtime with cooking, laundry and administrative stuff thrown in on the sidelines.
We try to keep it simple and always manage to find things to laugh about even when we’re arguing (which happens a lot with two boys close in age – the laughter typically diffuses the spite!).
As a child, what did you dream of being when you grew up?
First, I wasn’t aware I’d grown up. As a child, I dreamed of always being a child, a la “Peter Pan”. My brothers and I had more fun as children than anyone I know – except my mom who still has more fun than the rest of the world.
Also, if I had to grow up, I wanted to be a teacher. My mom practically forbade my “Teacher” aspirations because, back then, teachers were not well paid nor well-enough respected for the great service they impart. It’s interesting that while I didn’t become a “teacher” I teach clients every day how to make wise financial decisions and thoroughly enjoyed teaching CFP students for several years.
You have been with Sharkey, Howes & Javer for over 15 years. What do you love most about your job?
The fulfillment that comes from helping people help themselves.
Finish this sentence: As a mother of two boys…
…I’m busier than I’d ever imagined was possible and am having more fun now than I did as a child… Wow! That’s really something!
