Nicholas Andrew Clay

Larry Grogan is the sole advisor at GROGAN Advisory Services, LLC, an independent firm based in Johnson City, TN. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 27 years of industry experience, including 23 years leading his own advisory firm. Outside of his advisory work, he is an author, public speaker, and founder of a mental-health nonprofit organization. GROGAN Advisory Services primarily serves individual clients, including many high-net-worth individuals, as well as businesses, charities, and small pension plans. The firm offers wealth management services tailored to clients' specific circumstances, using a conservative investment approach focused on fundamental security analysis and third-party research.

Benjamin Edwards is a financial advisor at W.B. Edwards & Co. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been with the firm since 2026. Prior to this, he has managed the Tennessee Lawn Company since 2015. W.B. Edwards & Co. is an independent investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses with portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm combines fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis across various investment strategies and also provides corporate advisory, public finance, treasury management, and research/valuation work.

Matthew Albritton is a financial advisor with Valor Financial Planning in Johnson City, TN. He holds a Series 65 designation and has three years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at American Values Investments and Ferguson Wealth Management, and he also serves as an adjunct instructor at Milligan University. Valor Financial Planning provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm emphasizes a predominantly passive, long-term investment approach using low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, alongside services such as individual tax preparation and limited-scope ERISA fiduciary advice.

Roy Castillo is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Frontsight Wealth Advisors, LLC since 2014 and also operates RLC Financial Services, providing tax services and insurance sales through his sole proprietorship. Frontsight Wealth Advisors, LLC offers portfolio management and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $27.9 million across about 52 accounts. The firm creates client-specific investment plans using a combination of fundamental, technical, charting, and quantitative analysis, with strategies ranging from long-term buy-and-hold to short-term trading.

Justin Lester is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as the sole advisor at Allied Investments of Tennessee, LLC. He previously spent 19 years at Aldebaran Financial Inc. In addition to investment advisory, he provides professional trustee and executor services, managing assets within trusts and estates. Allied Investments is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth households, retirement plans, and corporate clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management using ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and derivatives, alongside financial planning, tax preparation, and trustee-related services.

For 20 years, I built a career in banking — 17 of those at Eastman Credit Union in East Tennessee, where I helped families with lending, banking, and their first steps toward investing. In 2018, I discovered Financial Independence, and it changed everything. I restructured our finances, optimized our tax strategy, and built toward FI while still working full time. When we got there, I left banking to build the advisory firm I wish I'd had along the way. I earned my CFP® and became an IRS Enrolled Agent because I wanted to bring financial planning and tax expertise together under one roof. I built OptimalPath Advisors as a fee-only, flat-fee firm because I believe your advisor's cost should reflect the work — not the size of your portfolio. My approach is advice-first and fiduciary. Every client starts with a comprehensive financial plan that includes a Financial Independence Score — a single, clear number (inspired by pension-style funded ratios) that tells you exactly how on track you are. No abstract Monte Carlo probabilities. Just a real number you can act on. From there, you choose the level of ongoing support that fits. Navigator clients get year-round planning, quarterly check-ins, and tax preparation included — while keeping control of their own investments. Summit clients get everything in Navigator plus hands-on investment management, rebalancing, and tax-loss harvesting. Both tiers include tax prep at no extra cost. I work best with FI-minded professionals — DIY investors, early retirees, equity comp recipients, and busy families who want clear direction without product sales, commissions, or percentage-of-assets fees. I live in East Tennessee with my wife, Amanda, and our two dogs, Molly and Peach. We spend as much time as possible outdoors — in the mountains, on trails, and visiting National Parks across the country. Whether you're building toward FI, navigating an early retirement transition, or figuring out what comes next after hitting your number, I'm here to help you move forward — intentionally and in control.