Alec Sessing

I’ve always been fascinated by money, but I never planned on working in finance. Fresh out of college I moved to Columbus, Ohio to live with my wife while she finished up grad school. I needed a job, and I stumbled my way into a role at Morgan Stanley by responding to a sketchy Craigslist ad. I was about 70% certain it was a scam. Luckily it wasn’t, and I got the job! It was a great learning experience, and I got my feet wet while learning the industry fundamentals there. After a few years though my dad recruited me to return to my hometown in Charlotte, NC to help run the family business in the natural gas industry. I loved working with family, but ultimately decided my heart wasn’t in it. Discussing thread counts on screws and the viscosity of silicone didn’t get my intellectual juices flowing. Meanwhile I was spending countless hours of my free time researching personal finance and finally had the realization “why don’t I make a career out of this?” So I made the difficult decision (sorry, dad) to transition back into finance with a job at Vanguard. I was right. This was finally scratching that intellectual itch. But I wanted to make a more personal impact on people’s lives, and I couldn’t accomplish that as a tiny cog in a giant machine. So I took jobs at a few smaller firms where I was able to develop personal relationships with clients, get their finances on track, and help them accomplish their goals. Now this was my jam! During my time there I worked with clients in tech and realized how much complexity there was in managing their finances. Managing their company equity was complicated! Managing their stock options was extra complicated! But I loved the complexity, I loved the people, and I loved the look on their face when it all finally came together. Soon though, I began to get the entrepreneurial itch (thanks, dad) to start my own firm. I knew exactly who I wanted to work with – tech professionals. I saw first hand the impact I could have in their lives. That was my inspiration for founding Tech Financial Planning. Now I get to put it all together: intellectual fulfillment, meaningful relationships, and personal impact, all while working with awesome folk in tech solving their complex problems. Now that’s what I call a dream job! As for a bit about my personal life, in 2022 I celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary with my amazing wife, Allie. We met in high school and survived a 4-year long distance relationship during college while she attended school in Ohio and I attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. We have two amazing kids, Elliot and Reya, and an adorable, yet clingy Australian Shepherd named Cassie. I value experiences over things, so my wife and I love traveling domestically and internationally to explore new places and cultures. I’m also a firm believer that you don’t need to spend money to have fun, so I’m always exploring my current hometown, Nashville, for fun, free activities. I love board games, I’m an avid podcast listener, and I’m always on the lookout for a great show to binge.

My name is Shaun Melby and I am the founder of Melby Wealth Management, LLC. At the time of my certification, I was one of the youngest CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioners in the country. I have over a decade of experience in the financial industry while working closely with some of the biggest names in music. I believe the financial planning process is the best way to create and maintain wealth, so I formed Melby Wealth Management to help as many people as possible work towards achieving their dreams and obtaining financial peace of mind. I grew up in Onalaska, Wisconsin and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2005 to earn a BBA in Finance as well as Music Business from Belmont University. My wife and I call Nashville, Tennessee home and in 2019 we welcomed our daughter into the world and in 2022 our son. During my spare time, I enjoy going to Nashville Predators and Nashville SC games, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, checking out the local dining scene, traveling, playing with our dogs Hank and Bo, and spending time with family and friends.

Tim brings over 15 years of industry experience. He graduated from Miami University with a Finance Degree from the Business Honors Program. He spent most of his first 9 years in the industry directly supporting individuals as a financial advisor with Fidelity Investments where he grew his practice to over $500 million. He transitioned to Charles Schwab where he spent the last few years leading a team of advisors where he was responsible for the retail branches for most of Tennessee. He helped grow his team from 17 to over 30 representatives with responsibility for over 80,000 families and households. Tim has always been interested in the FIRE movement (Financial Independence/Retire Early). However, as he reached the mid-point of his career he decided that he really enjoys working, helping people achieve their goals, and that he could have the most valuable impact working with a small group of people. He left Charles Schwab to found Nashville Finacial Planning in August of 2023 as it would be the perfect time to bring his 15+ years of experience to helping people for the next 15-20 years. Given his experience at two of the largest firms in the industry he has seen how much money people can pay in fees, and how a lot of advisors are incentivized to continue growing while neglecting a portion of their clients. Nashville Financial Planning was not only founded to help solve these two challenges (fixed fee and limited client base), but the true independent model gives a lot more flexibility to help people in areas of their financial life where they need it most in an unbiased way.

A fee-only, fiduciary firm located in Nashville, TN, our firm focuses on bringing confidence and clarity to financial decisions facing individuals and families as they navigate their journey through life. Our ideal clients are overwhelmed families who are busy juggling the demands of success at home and in the office and are looking to partner with a trusted resource to regain control over their financial lives. Our firm offers low-cost, passive investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and has a specialized focus in tax-efficient retirement planning. In addition to our planning service, we have a specialized knowledge in late-stage college funding so that we can help be a resource to the families we serve in the area of college selection, financial aid, scholarship search, and tax-smart college funding strategies. - How much do we need to be saving? - Are we on track for the goals we've set out to accomplish? - How are we going to pay for college for our kids? - Are there things we should be thinking about that we may not even be aware of? - Should our focus be paying down debt or maximizing contributions to our retirement plans? - Family and work take all our time....how do we partner with someone to help bring control to the financial aspects of our lives? These are questions we help families address regularly. Our planning process is designed intentionally to help families proactively navigate life's changes. We revisit different areas of your plan three times per year to make sure every aspect of your financial life stays in balance at all times. Our mission is to bring the highest level of service to the families we work with and to go the extra mile to add value. Let's schedule some time and let's find out if we'd make a great partnership!

Jason Patrick is the Resident Director and a Senior Vice President of Merrill's Franklin, Tennessee office, specializing in wealth management advisory services. He has been a financial advisor since 2001 and has worked in the financial services industry since 1995. Jason joined Merrill Lynch in 2009 after eight years with UBS. He employs a disciplined and comprehensive wealth management process, conducting thorough reviews of clients' financial situations to identify key planning priorities such as retirement planning, estate planning, and insurance considerations. His areas of focus include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, employee financial health, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, tax minimization, and retirement income. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Finance from Lipscomb University. He has earned the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™) designation, the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®) certification, and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He has been recognized on the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list from 2019 to 2025 and as part of The Patrick and Carter Group on the Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams" list for 2024 to 2026. Jason has also served in public roles for the town of Nolensville, Tennessee, including Vice Mayor, Planning Commission member, and Chairman of the Budget Committee. Outside of his professional life, Jason enjoys running, music, visiting national parks, outdoor adventures such as biking, boating, and hiking, and spending time with his family at the lake. He and his wife, Amy, reside in Brentwood, Tennessee, and have three children.

Brent Davenport is the Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2013. He has been with Fidelity Investments since 2010, progressing through roles including Investment Consultant, Retirement Relationship Manager, and working in Retirement Solutions. His career has been focused on financial consulting and retirement planning within the company. Brent's professional approach is centered around his clients' financial goals, emphasizing a process and set of business beliefs aligned with client objectives. His experience spans various aspects of financial advising, particularly in retirement solutions and investment consulting.