Jacqueline (Jacquie) Proffit is a financial advisor and marketing expert dedicated to making a difference in her community.

Getting Started

Proffit built her early career in marketing but decided after a decade that it was time for a change. That’s when she found her calling in financial services. She knew she needed to get her finances in order, so she attended a financial literacy seminar that taught financial skills from budgeting to planning for retirement. The experience made her realize the need for more financial education. “If more people only knew how to do money, the world would be such a different place,” she says.

As luck would have it, Proffit's marketing experience helped her carve out her niche in financial services, and she quickly earned a reputation as a “financial unicorn." Soon after becoming a financial advisor with Mutual of Omaha, she was asked to volunteer with the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, offering her expertise in both marketing and finance, and has been volunteering with the center for over four years.

Move Slow to Go Fast

With her clients, Proffit starts with the basics. “Move slow to go fast” is her mantra. She discusses each client’s goals, then builds a plan for managing their money on a monthly basis. After building a solid foundation, the rest of the financial plan follows. “That's how you change the world and change legacies within families," she begins. “Changing the mind, not just simply selling products.”

Proffit works with a variety of clients, but she specializes in helping small business owners, giving guidance on both marketing and finance. She’s been completely referral-based since she started in the industry and helped 170 main street Americans in her first six months. She recounts a particularly fulfilling experience, working with a 64-year-old woman who received a significant inheritance from her parents. She knew that her husband and son wouldn’t be able to manage the funds responsibly, so she came to Proffit for help. Proffit says, while she could have sold her client one product, they worked together for the next six months, coming up with a comprehensive financial plan—not only to protect her but also to grow wealth for her and her family.

Finding NAIFA

When Proffit was introduced to NAIFA, she was hesitant at first; she wasn’t sure what value membership could offer her. However, after an invitation from Cheryl Canzanella, Past President of NAIFA-Northeast Florida, Proffit finally understood the value of NAIFA. As she recalls, her thought was, “If I'm not supporting people that are helping me keep my job, I'm doing it all wrong.”

Outside of the Office

When she’s not working, Proffit enjoys spending time with her spouse, children, and grandchildren. A self-described thrill-seeker, she loves rollercoasters and spent Valentine’s Day this year skydiving at the Kennedy Space Center with her spouse.

Proffit is also dedicated to helping victims of child sex trafficking. In January 2020, she was asked to join the board of Sarah’s Home, which runs a residential home in Colorado for teenage girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. She lends her financial and marketing expertise to the organization and is working to set up a similar home for boys in Colorado. There is currently only one boys’ residential home for victims of trafficking in the United States, and Proffit is helping to start homes in 100 cities in the next five years.

Thank you, Jacquie, for your service to our industry and association. We’re #NAIFAproud to call you one of our own.