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Inside Business: Top 40 Under 40 2023
Leland was honored as a Top 40 Under 40 Honoree by Inside Business! The article requires a subscription to read. Here we have added Leland’s excerpt:
Age: 32
Job: Owner/founder of PeaceLink Financial Planning LLC
At work: I started PeaceLink Financial Planning in 2021 after working six years in a large financial advising and insurance company. I grew sick of the transactional relationships and conflicts of interest that came with being paid based off of the financial products I would sell. Doctors don’t get paid commissions for the prescriptions they write. They are paid for their expertise and service that are in the best interest of their patients. I think of financial planning as being a financial doctor for the people I get to serve. I believe there is immense value to be provided through truly comprehensive, multidisciplinary financial planning that looks at someone’s whole picture. I spend my time working with self-employed professionals and growing families, helping them optimize all areas of their financial life, so they can foster the freedom and life they really desire.
Home and family: I grew up in Roswell, Georgia, just north of Atlanta, but have called Virginia Beach home since 2015. My wife, Lindy, and I are blessed to have our 19-month-old son, Levi, and our pup, Sutton.
Volunteer activities: I currently serve on the board of VB Fellows program, a faith-based nonprofit with the mission of equipping college graduates for maturity in all areas of life. I also serve on the board of Hampton Roads’ Financial Planning Association, which provides pro bono services to community members who may not be able to afford access to a certified financial planner. Additionally, I serve with a group of men who organize and facilitate a men’s weekend every fall in North Carolina with the vision of bringing young men together to grow in leadership, friendship, reconciliation and faith.
Motivating factor: I am motivated by my faith and relationships. I believe we live in a society that is crippled by scarcity (financially, emotionally, relationally and spiritually). I love the chance to invest in others and help them foster abundance, growth and confidence in themselves and their life. If that can be the impact I can leave as a legacy, then all the hard work is worth it.
Advice to young people: Never stop growing. To grow requires remaining open and curious to new possibilities, taking risks and being willing to be wrong or “unlearn” things.
Professional goal in five years: For the PeaceLink team to have grown to be a well-oiled machine and to have fostered long-term, successful relationships with the people we serve. I hope to grow and develop leaders within PeaceLink to 10 times its size and deliver massive value to its clientele.
The one thing I’d change about Hampton Roads: I wish there was more unity between the cities. If we were truly “regionalized” or even one city instead of seven, we’d increase and optimize our economic impact, which would make us significantly more attractive to diverse businesses, tourists, sports teams, etc.
Region’s biggest asset: The water! It is what separates us from being just another suburban area. We rely on the port, military and tourism. It also provides unique and diverse pastimes such as fishing, boating, swimming, surfing, etc.
Downtime: You can find me spending time with family and friends, playing pickleball, working out or doing anything involving water.
What really gets under my skin: Lack of humility and arrogance.