It was the winter of 2009. Financial markets globally were floundering. Banks were receiving unprecedented government bailouts, and the S&P 500 recorded its worst start to a year in history. As the economic pulse of a nation flatlined, a young financial advisor was on the cusp of cutting free from the moorings of regularity to launch toward uncharted seas. Taylor Easley, then 36, intrepidly opened the doors of Easley & Associates (now Easley Wealth Management). He was determined to meet market volatility with equanimity, poising himself to win the confidence of clients and forge an indelible reputation in the Kona Community.
As a child, hunting pheasants with his uncle and dad in the brush of the Big Island, Taylor already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. Watching his dad own and run a chain of gas stations on the islands, Taylor was cut from an entrepreneurial cloth at a young age.
“I've wanted to be in this field since I was a kid,” Taylor explains, “I have an uncle (Harland Cadinha) that I used to hunt with. I would always tag along with him and ask him questions about what he did as a financial advisor. He has always been a wonderful mentor to me.”
Taylor continued riding up the swell of his interest and sound mentorship, attending the University of Mississippi, where he majored in finance. Upon graduating, Taylor moved back to the islands, set on pursuing a career in wealth management. Finding no prospects on Oahu, he toyed with the idea of making money outside the area of his pursuit, as a valet or waiting tables. Taylor, true to his character and drive, however, shunned the idea of making some quick cash and decided to press in.
Over the next year, he volunteered for no pay at the Republican National Committee and also worked as a legislative aide. Finally, at the age of 23, Easley was serendipitously offered a position to work at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, one of the largest wealth management firms in the world at the time. Looking at the long game, he ardently took the position. The following 13 years were marked by Taylor learning and working tirelessly to not only build his own family but also a clientele base, worth nearly 160 million.
As 2008 came to a close, Taylor, and his wife Felicia, found themselves sitting on a lease commitment for a struggling clothing shop they owned, in addition to Taylor's day job as an advisor. There, despite the crumbling financial atmosphere, Taylor decided to seize this unlikely opportunity. Utilizing the closure of their boutique, Easley & Associates was birthed in the same office space. His patience was rewarded and his dream was realized.
It has been 15 years now of running Easley Wealth Management, and it is clear, talking with Taylor, that much of his success is thanks to the culture of community he has fostered in an industry that prioritizes financial gain. This, according to him, it’s what makes all the difference.
Looking forward to the sets rolling in, Taylor forecasts a bright future. His eldest son, Esai, is a large part of that future. “He is the perfect fit,” Taylor boasts. “He is very hardworking, driven, and honest. He has all the right traits to fill the position.” Esai is currently working to obtain his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) certification. Taylor is determined to surround himself and the future of his company with those who exemplify aloha and perpetuate hospitality as a common practice.
Continuing to mentor young clientele and participate in community events and charities, including the Andy Irons Foundation, the Hawai’i Surf Team, and the Kona Crush Soccer Academy, Taylor never shies away from the emotional aspect of serving clients and continues to live by the mantra, “Do good first and the money will follow.”
Learn more about the Easley Ohana at RaymondJames.com/EasleyWealthManagement.
