James Anthony Mellon

Aloha! I'm Skyler Stokes, CEPA®, AIF®, and founder of Aloha Wealth Partners, based right here on the coast in Cardiff, CA. With over a decade in the industry, I built my practice around a simple idea: financial advice should feel like a conversation with someone who actually has your back, not a sales pitch. I work closely with real estate professionals, high income business owners, and accredited investors, helping them think through 1031 exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investments, pre-IPO access, and private credit opportunities. Much of my work is planning and consulting focused, built around your goals rather than a product. Outside the office, you'll find me experimenting with wood-fired pizza, chasing down a good Calabrian wine, or just enjoying the surf, which makes this part of San Diego home. If you're looking for a partner who brings clarity, honesty, and a little bit of aloha to your financial life, I'd love to talk story.

> 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.

Garrett Imeson is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently associated with LPL Financial since 2024. He spent 15 years at Edward Jones prior to joining LPL. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in coaching youth baseball and hosts a podcast titled "Grounded in Love." LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, supported by a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Grant Knox has been a Financial Advisor since 1994 and holds the following registrations and licenses: General Securities, California Life and Health Insurance, and California Real Estate and Mortgage Lending. A Southern California native, Grant excels at strategies for financial health and wealth that are attainable and effective. He is passionate about helping others achieve financial success and exceed their goals. He is a certified Kingdom Advisor, able to offer counsel on the integration of a Biblical worldview into financial practices. He holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Designation (CPFA), designating expertise in company retirement plans. He holds a Bachelors degree from Evangel University and a D.Min. from Summit Bible College. Grant lives in La Mesa with his wife, Nicole and their son Noah. He loves to travel, active in his church, is a voracious reader and an avid soccer fan, having played on and managed recreational soccer teams for over 30 years.

Scott Smith is the sole advisor at Conscious Investment Services, LLC in San Diego, CA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 28 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial from 2011 to 2018 before founding his current independent advisory firm in 2018. Smith is also a licensed insurance agent. Conscious Investment Services, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and other advisers. The firm provides non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and participant account management using a third-party platform, applying a combination of fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and technical strategies across various time horizons.