When I walked away from my first interview with Wymer Brownlee Wealth Strategies, I knew one thing: I wanted to be a part of whatever it was that was going on here.
As someone who has worked in marketing across higher education, sports, and nonprofits, financial services wasn’t exactly on my radar. But one conversation changed all of that.
A Conversation with the CEO
My first sit-down with Kyle Brownlee shocked me. Not because he was friendly or a great listener (though he is), but because of what he said when I asked about their marketing goals.
I expected the usual: increase website traffic, generate leads, promote services. But what Kyle told me stopped me in my tracks.
"We don’t want to add to the noise," he said. "We want to provide genuine value to people’s lives. To take every opportunity to impact them for the better. To make every person we come into contact with feel seen, heard, and valued."
I wasn’t expecting that. In an industry often driven by numbers and transactions, 'taking every opportunity to impact people for the better' isn't exactly typical marketing language. The question was: did they actually mean it?
What "Untraditional" Actually Looks Like
Before I joined Wymer Brownlee, I thought I understood what a financial services firm did: spreadsheets, quarterly reports, tax forms. But even after six months here, I still get surprised.
Yes, I could point to their integrated tax and financial services as being untraditional. But the thing that sticks out most to me, as someone who has seen it from the inside out?
What they say and what they do line up.
From their marketing approach to their community outreach with initiatives like Grants for Gratitude, I've gotten to see firsthand that the values they talk about aren't just talking points. They're how business actually gets done here.
The People Tell the Story
Take it from the people who choose to be here every day. People like Josh, who moved from Texas because he believed in the vision here, or Crystal, who’s been committed to this company for 25 years. There is something different happening at Wymer Brownlee.
And I'm not talking about perks or benefits or office culture. I'm talking about the way Kyle tears up when clients are going through difficult seasons. The way Kass makes a personalized welcome sign for every client that walks through the door. The way Aaron lights up when he talks about helping clients reach their goals. This work matters.
Not in an abstract, someday kind of way. In real, tangible ways that show up not just in the big moments like retirement plans, legacy building, and helping families navigate life's biggest transitions, but in the everyday conversations, connections, and experiences that make our lives meaningful.
And maybe that's what surprised me most of all. I came here thinking I'd be marketing financial services. Instead, I'm helping tell the story of a team that genuinely cares about being a home base for the people they serve. And that makes all the difference.