Meet the Team

Meet Stephen Weatherby

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Name: Stephen Weatherby

Title: Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: September, 2012

 

Having grown up in Texas, what prompted you to move to Colorado? Have you carried any specific Texas traditions out here with you?

My family was one of those “Texas Families” that clogged the roads in Colorado during the summer. We would vacation here every year. I always said that one day I would live here. After graduating college, and working in Austin for a while, I just decided to make the move. I love everything about Colorado, but miss the BBQ and Tex-Mex food from my home state.

Being someone who loves the outdoors, what are some of the activities you enjoy most? Do you have a favorite memory or specific moment that stands out for you?

I love to camp and go fly fishing. Some of my favorite memories are doing both of these with my son, Jack. One of my favorite memories is when Jack caught his first fish on a fly rod outside of Silverton, CO a few summers ago.

What do you love most about living in Colorado Springs?

I like the small town feel with the convenience of a larger city. There are also a lot of parks, trails, and beautiful scenery to enjoy on the weekends.

Living in Colorado Springs, and commuting to Denver every day for work means you spend quite a bit of time in your car. What helps you pass the time?

Audio books! I listen to a lot of books. Some of them are educational, but admittedly, most are for entertainment.

You have an extensive background in financial planning. Tell us a bit about your career path, including your work with the military, and how that ultimately led you to Sharkey, Howes & Javer.

I graduated with a very specific degree from Texas Tech University. The degree was in Family Financial Planning. While it had the traditional Finance, Economics, and Accounting classes, it really focused on the people aspect of financial planning. We really dug deep into trying to understand people and their relationships with money, and how that affected all aspects of their lives. I knew I wanted to be on the Fee Only side of the business before I began my career.

One of my previous stops was with a government contractor that provided financial education and training for all branches of the military. This was appealing to me for several reasons. It allowed me to provide education and financial planning services to a group that traditionally may not have had access to financial planning that wasn’t geared around a product sale. It also allowed me to travel to places that I would most likely have never been able to travel to on my own. I loved every minute of the work during this job, but I was hardly ever home. I made the choice to start looking for a more traditional position with a fee only firm in Colorado. I looked for over 2 years before I found Sharkey, Howes, and Javer. After interviewing with SH&J, and hearing about their client relationships and how they approached financial planning, I was sold.

Meet Melissa Baldwin

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Name: Melissa Baldwin

Title: Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: January, 2011

 

 

My favorite thing about working at Sharkey, Howes & Javer is…

TEAMWORK! We all come from different backgrounds and have different views and insight on various topics and it is great to be able to use each other as a sounding board. Teamwork and collaboration opens the door for more perspective in problem solving and options for clients to reach their goals.

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Meet Kay Sinclair

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Name:  Kay Sinclair     

Title:  Client Service

SH&J team member since:  2004  

 

You just welcomed your first grandchild into the world, a beautiful baby boy. Congratulations, Grandma! What are you most excited to do with your grandson?

Love him.  My husband and I have been so blessed with our sons that we are so looking forward to all the stages of our grandson’s life.  I want to cuddle with him, read to him, then play on the floor with him and his toys, bake with him.  Pinterest has a whole page on science ideas that I want to try with him, soccer and bicycle riding, I am looking forward to all of it.   The only thing I am NOT looking forward to is adolescent boy humor.   

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Meet Karlton Childress

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Name: Karlton Childress

Title: Shareholder and Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: September, 2000

 

What do you find most inspiring about being a financial planner?

What I find most inspiring is having the opportunity to help people fully understand and take control of their financial picture so that they can confidently concentrate on other non-financial aspects of their lives and reach their full potential.

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Meet Julie Fletcher

sharkeyhowesandjaver Julie Fletcher, SH&J Team , , ,

Meet_JulieName: Julie Fletcher

Title: Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: October, 2013

 

You have been a financial planner at Sharkey, Howes & Javer for over a year. What do you enjoy most about working here?

This firm truly acts in the best interest of our clients. There is no such thing as “sales” in this office, which minimizes the stress level and frees up time to spend on problem solving instead.

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Meet Joel Javer

sharkeyhowesandjaver Joel Javer, SH&J Team , ,

Joel JaverName: Joel Javer

Title: Partner and Certified Financial Planner™

SH&J team member since: December, 1990

 

As a Partner of Sharkey, Howes & Javer, a financial advisor, marketing director and member of the investment department, you wear many hats around here, and are a role model to your staff. What advice do you have for our younger team members and for people wanting to join the financial planning industry?

Be honest with yourself and clients.  Listen carefully to what clients say and provide non biased advice as to what they should do to achieve their goals.

What was your first job and how old were you?

I had a paper route when I was 10 and then worked in a stationary store when I was 15.

You have traveled all over the world. What was your favorite destination and why?

Italy. The people are fun to be with, the country and cities are beautiful and I can recognize what I am eating.

Looking back, what do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment?

Starting Sharkey, Howes & Javer. The number of clients we have helped with their financial decision making and the generations of planners that we have developed to assure continuity of client needs and the legacy of the firm, when I stop to think about it, is richly rewarding.

Tell us something we would be surprised to learn about you.

As I child, I liked listening to classical music.

Meet Jessica Sare

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Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 9.40.07 AMName: Jessica Sare

Position: Client Service

SH&J Team member since: March 2011

 

All of us at SH&J know how much you love to bake, and we have been lucky enough to try some of your delicious desserts. Is there anything in particular that you’ve made that you are most proud of?

I do enjoy baking; however I also enjoy decorating what I bake. I made a beach themed cake last year for my daughter’s Luau birthday party and a princess castle for my niece. As with everything else practice is key, however I don’t particularly need to eat all of those baked good so I offer to bake for others so they can have the calories!

Your four year old daughter, Payton, is such a character. We love hearing about the cute things she says and does. Anything we’ve missed recently that you could share?

It is hard to say the office has missed anything because my favorite thing to do is talk about all the funny things she does. She loves singing, dancing and of course, like most little girls, mimicking mommy. So the funny stories tend to revolve around her trying to act a little old for her age.

Describe what an ideal Saturday looks like for you and Payton?

Typically we are getting together with family and friends. She enjoys her cousins and my friend’s children and I enjoy watching them play. We also frequent the Denver Zoo. My husband and I enjoy taking Payton to experience new things, so we should have a fun filled summer since she is now at the age she can do things like hike without being carried.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?

I just want to travel. There are so many beautiful places in this world that I would love to see! I have not yet had the opportunity to do much traveling so it is hard for me to pick just one place.

What is the best thing you have ever purchased?

My husband and I purchased our first home together this past year. It was an interesting experience trying to sell my townhome and purchase a home at the same time. There was quite a bit of stress, but we were able to find what we hope to be our forever home. We are looking forward to putting our own personal stamp on it over the next 30 years!

Meet Amy Geist

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AmyName: Amy Geist

Title: Client Service

SH&J team member since: November, 2014

 

As the newest team member of SH&J, what have you enjoyed most about working here so far?

I’ve enjoyed getting to know the team and everyone’s diverse backgrounds and knowledge.   I’ve been impressed with SH&J’s culture and everything we stand for. It’s been rewarding to be a part of something so grand.

We hear you love to cook. What’s your favorite meal to make?

I enjoy cooking almost anything as long as it’s for great company. I believe food brings people together and forces them to interact and communicate. My favorite meal to make is Thanksgiving dinner with my mom. I usually go to her house in the morning and we watch the parade while we make stuffing, spaetzles, and the usual traditional family recipes. Having people enjoy something you made is so rewarding.

If you could have any super power what would it be?

I would have the power to create a soundtrack based off of what was happening at the time. I think the ability to have a certain song play that corresponds with an occurrence would highlight and deepen it. Just like it does during a movie, but it would be for life in general.

What’s the best thing you have ever gifted to someone?

I think the best gift you can give someone else is the gift they wouldn’t think of or buy themselves. The thought and meaning behind the gift is ultimately what it’s about. Every year I used to buy my dad a gift but would always feel like I could do better, so a few years ago I baked him cookies and mailed them to him. He was so excited and surprised and now he asks for them every year instead of me buying him something else. Sometimes the littlest things have the biggest impact.

If you could do anything, and money wasn’t a factor but you still had to work, what would you do?

I would assist local animal shelters and organizations. I am a huge animal lover and believe you should help those who do not have a voice to help themselves.