Benjamin Patrick Shepherd

Skyler Stokes is a financial advisor with Aloha Wealth Partners in Encinitas, CA, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at several firms, including Retirement Wealth Advisors and Independent Financial Group. Outside of financial advising, he is the CEO of Pair It!, a food and wine pairing app for restaurants. Aloha Wealth Partners provides financial planning, consulting, and retirement plan services to high-net-worth individuals, businesses, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm typically recommends third-party advisers to manage client portfolios while overseeing goals, risk tolerance, and adviser selection.

> I got my start in money the strange way. I was a bank teller at 15 in Spring Hill, Kansas, and I'm told the age requirement went up after me. > Since then: eight years at Fidelity learning how big firms care for clients, a wealth management chapter, a CFO seat at a startup. And in 2025 I went advice-only, because I kept meeting families who'd been offered plenty of products and percentages, when all they really wanted was someone on their side of the table to hand them the plan. > That's what advice-only means. You pay one flat fee for advice. I don't sell products, I don't take a percentage of your money, and nothing I recommend pays me a commission. The advice is the whole business. > I work with couples and families like my own, people who love what they do and want to know their family is taken care of. We map the whole picture, cash flow, investments, taxes, protection, and you leave with a plan you actually understand and own. > Away from the desk I'm a husband and a dad of three. Whatever time is left goes to guitar, piano, and singing and a long audiobook queue. > If you've been wanting real advice without wondering who's earning what off the recommendation, message me here. That's the easiest way to start!

Thanks for checking out my profile! Here's a little about me: I'm happily married to the love of my life who somehow hasn't realized how far out of my league she is (so please don't tell her). When not working, I’m probably chasing after our two amazing kids who keep life loud and full in the best ways, or experimenting with new vegan curry recipes, or injuring myself trying to get back into a workout routine since I refuse to accept that I’m no longer a 20-something Marine. I'm often asked how I got into financial planning. After the military, I headed to San Diego State University not knowing what my next steps would be, but knowing that I 1) wanted to do meaningful work that could genuinely help people, 2) had a strong interest in finance, and 3) was compelled to continue my lifelong string of side projects and small businesses I kept finding myself in. Smashing those together led to becoming a CFP® and founding Next Gen Financial Planning to serve clients often overlooked by our profession, giving me the chance to help hundreds of people navigate their financial and life journeys. Along the way, I did my best to learn from every financial planner in San Diego or elsewhere who would answer my calls or emails. Jim taught me the importance of truly listening to clients before offering solutions. Michael showed me how to think like a business owner, not just an advisor. Nancy taught me that sales can be ethical and fun. Taylor showed me the power of community and supporting each other as we grow. I'm deeply grateful to them, and to the many others who helped me get here. Next Gen grew up to be bigger than just me, and I passed the torch over to the team in 2024. Now I'm excited to set my sights on a new mission with AdviceOnly because it's time for change, not just for me but in how our profession treats both financial advisors and the clients we serve. I’m building a new model to help advisors focus on giving advice, not sales pitches. Too many are overwhelmed by compliance/tech/admin, or feel lonely, or pressured to put the firm's financial performance over their sense of what’s right. Quick note: I'm not currently taking on new ongoing financial planning clients while focusing on building the AdviceOnly platform to support other advisors, so please consider checking out www.adviceonly.com or another credible place. I do still take on an occasional small hourly projects.

Frederick Pearson is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He operates as a self-employed advisor through his independent firm, Pearson, Frederick, Norman Jr., based in Poway, CA. His firm provides discretionary portfolio management primarily for individual investors, focusing on IRA accounts. The investment strategy centers on income through dividend-paying stocks and ETFs, with a smaller allocation to growth equities managed under a strict money-management framework.

Kyle Tweet is a financial advisor with Tweet Management Services, Inc. in La Mesa, CA. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license, and has 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Tweet Management Services since 2011. Tweet Management Services is a small registered investment adviser serving individuals, families—including some high-net-worth clients—as well as businesses, charities, and small pension plans. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management using a non-discretionary approach that combines fundamental and technical analysis.

Clair Leedom is the principal of Leedom Asset Management, Inc., an independent firm based in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 20 years of industry experience. Prior to founding Leedom Asset Management in 2007, he has been involved with California Equity Research since 2003, where he also serves as chairman of the board. Leedom Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management for individual investors, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans. The firm manages equity and fixed-income portfolios, operates a private pooled investment vehicle, and employs a growth-oriented strategy focused on small- to mid-cap emerging-growth stocks using a proprietary strength indicator and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.