Trent Bryson has been a loyal NAIFA member since 2002 and manages his own firm, Bryson Wealth Management, in Long Beach, California. 

In 2000, Bryson was training for the Olympic trials in track & field for the Nike Farm Team in Palo Alto when Merrill Lynch recruited him through their development program.  Although Bryson was new to the industry himself, he grew up admiring his father’s career as a general agent for Mass Mutual. He explains, “I kind of grew up in the business and got an appreciation for him [and] the agents that surrounded him, so I grew up looking to my dad as a mentor.” It was also his dad who encouraged him to join NAIFA and eventually into leadership roles.

Daniel Irizarry has been a loyal member of NAIFA since 2012. He currently practices in Manasquan, NJ, with Allied Wealth Partners.

Although Irizarry was referred to the industry by another professional who mentioned he would be “perfect for this line of work.” The ability to control his own scheduling and operate autonomously in order to “maximize efficiency in [his] life and spend as much time with [his] family as possible while earning a modest living” is what appealed to him most.

Mark Acre, LUTCF, is a Missouri State Alumni and has been a member of NAIFA since 2009. Acre owns his own company in Missouri, One Insurance Group, which he describes as a “one-stop shop” for all your financial planning needs. Housing 23 advisors under one roof with each specializing in a different field truly is an anomaly in the industry.

Dave Skutnik has been a loyal NAIFA member since 1984 and today is eagerly helping his clients prepare for retirement while simultaneously enjoying the freedom that being your own boss has enabled him to have. Working from his lake-side home in Grand Island, NE, Dave credits this solely to his career as a financial advisor.

Carol Rappaport, CLU^®, ChFC^®, CLTC, is a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual and a loyal NAIFA member since 1983.

Carol began working in the clothing sales business at an early age. She enjoyed providing a customized service for her clients and helping them select items based on their style preferences. Her clients and friends recognized her talents and recommended that she consider outside sales opportunities, and more specifically, financial services. Initially, Carol thought, “I am more of a creative type of person, not a math person. Will I be able to do this well?” However, she remained open-minded and decided to give it a shot. After all, she had experience listening to clients and making recommendations and customizations based on their best interests.

Thomas Yannetti is a Financial Services Professional at thinkWealth, LLC, and a new NAIFA member.

A 2020 graduate of Ramapo College in New Jersey, Yannetti earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Accounting. When Thomas received the discouraging news that classes were transitioning online due to COVID-19, Yannetti saw this minor setback as an opportunity. While finishing up his coursework online, Thomas decided to transition from part-time to full-time to jumpstart his career in financial services.

Joseph Cammayo, our newest NAIFA member, is an independent financial advisor at Calton & Associates, Inc., and a Registered Investment Advisor (IAR) with Grantvest Financial.

Joseph has 25 years of experience ranging from various Senior Level positions in some of the most prestigious firms in the industry. He was previously a Senior Director of Branch Operations at Oppenheimer, an Operations Manager at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and an Admin Manager for Bank of America Investments. He has extensive knowledge of Risk Management, Compliance, and Operations.

Bryan Smith is a financial services representative at Capstone Financial, LLC, and a new NAIFA member. After spending just a few minutes with Bryan, you’ll quickly find that he is in this business to serve.

Marc Sigmon is the CEO of Marc Sigmon Insurance Agency and a new NAIFA member.

After retiring from 20 years of military service, Sigmon decided to enter the civilian sector. During this transition, he spent time self-reflecting and considering what career opportunities would be a good fit for him. In 2016, after attending a job fair where an insurance company spoke about Medicare, Sigmon entered the financial services industry. He was highly attracted to the idea of running his own company and said, “Setting my own schedule paired with helping people brought together many of my traits.”

Grace Staten, recently named the Women in Financial Services (WIFS) 2020 Woman of the Year, is the Vice President of Marketing for Coastal Wealth, and a loyal NAIFA member since 2013.

Staten says, “I was first introduced to the financial services business as an undergraduate by a volunteer at my college. She was a part-time career counselor who worked professionally as a financial advisor. Knowing that I wanted to major in business, she steered me toward finance and allowed me to be an assistant in her financial services office.”