We recently connected with Wesley Fenner and have shared our conversation below.

Wesley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

A lot of the passion that I put into FFG comes from my desire to help others. I have always said that I wanted to be fulfilled in the work that I do knowing that I am making a positive impact on the lives of others. You know doing work that really matters if that makes sense! As a black man that has grown up in Memphis, having the opportunity to experience life through a variety of lenses, I know when it comes to financial literacy there is a great population that has gone underserved due to a myriad of factors be it systemic, socioeconomic, or just plain ignorance. Often this population of underserved are people of color living in the inner city, people that look like me and come from places like where I come from. There are so many things working against people that come from underserved communities and sometimes all it takes is one conversation to begin the process of turning someone’s entire situation around. I mean that’s all it took to lead me on this journey, so I know it’s possible. I get the most enjoyment from being out in the community helping to bridge the gap. In many instances, I’m doing a great deal of things for free. Although I do need to make a living, I genuinely want to see people win. I can’t tell you how many “consultations” I have given just in the barbershop alone and so many other places just because it puts a smile on my face to see the light bulb go off for the other person when they start to get it. That is what serving the underserved is all about and something that FFG will always stand for because that’s who I am.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Memphis native born and raised and proud graduate of The University of Tennessee – Knoxville. As for how I got started in the industry, it was one conversation with my mother as a child when I first learned the concept of money. You know the whole “money don’t grow on trees”, I’m sure we all have been there at some point or another.

Little did I know this one conversation would be the catalyst to me becoming a financial professional and businessman. I have always been an avid reader by nature; especially once something had my attention. I began to devote countless hours reading Money, Forbes, and Fortune magazines and other books or articles I could get my hands on. Learning how money worked was fascinating to me within itself because there seemed to be to be an infinite amount of information and concepts that all connected. From reading I learned working for money is the hardest to earn and most heavily taxed. In other words, getting a good job and saving is a solid first step but definitely not wear the journey should end. The concept I was being introduced to was investing, earning money passively, which was a consistent point of emphasis throughout all the different articles I was reading. I understood if you wanted to be successful you had to do what successful people do. All the people I read about had a great understanding of the money system, tax codes, credit, and often were business owners.
I ended up going back to my mom later and telling her one day I was going to start my own financial services business.

So, I took it upon myself to be intentional in sharing what I was learning with my friends thinking to myself; if I could successfully make an impact on them then just maybe I had what it took to help others.

Post college I eventually started a career in banking and set a goal to transition directly into financial services within three years. And, I did just that! I excelled throughout my time there and was able to help a lot of people. Then in fall of 2021, Fenner Financial Group was launched!

Presently, I offer life insurance, retirement planning, personal finance budgeting, and small business consultations. It’s quite common to catch me presenting financial literacy workshops or doing a pop-up table with various groups and organizations around the city. I believe what sets me apart from other people in my industry is my ability to meet people where they are regardless of the amount of money they make and their level of financial literacy. I pride myself on doing what’s best for my clients and going the extra mile to educate them.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I learned early on that people do business with people that they like and that they trust. So, I knew the best way to grow my brand and my business would be a result of me being my genuine self and being as relatable as possible. Luckily for me I’ve never had a problem being myself which has worked out in my favor. People can tell whether someone is being genuine and passionate about what you do, and I have had numerous clients tell me how much they appreciate that about me. I also knew that in financial services the trust factor would be the most critical of the two because let’s just be honest, when you deal with people’s finances and futures you must be trustworthy. I believe that it was easy for people that had some level of familiarity with me to buy into me once I launched FFG because I already had a track record for having a strong work ethic, a commitment to learning, and being business oriented. Not to mention, many people close to me were already accustomed to me stirring up thought provoking conversations centered around financial and economic topics over the years. I was also intentional about my path of going into banking prior to starting FFG. Those years assisted me in establishing myself as a financial professional at a cornerstone bank in my community. Forecasting forward, to build up my professional reputation, I knew I had to become memorable. So, I started going by the moniker the “Millennial Economist” which is so fitting because I am a millennial. While I work with all people of all ages millennials are my targeted market. I also have a background in economics and know most people probably haven’t had a conversation with an economist. Therefore, I thought it would be a great way to help people remember me and my business.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I was very intentional about how I went about funding my business and getting it ready to launch. I began planning a couple years ago ensuring that not only was I saving money but even paying off things like my car to free up money. I was able to put those funds towards opening my business. In 2021, once I had solidified my office space, I began taking a portion of every paycheck I got to put towards things like furniture, decorations, my website, etc. By the time I left my job my office space was paid up for months in advance and my office space was fully furnished. I also made sure I had a few months’ worth of income set aside to make sure I would have a cushion as I began to build my clientele. I was glad that I was so thorough in my planning because right around the time I was prepping to launch my business I ended up having to get a new car after I had just recently paid my old one off, but it didn’t affect my plans to move forward with my business because I had properly planned ahead. Moving forward I have always been keen to reinvest my profits back into my business which has allowed me to continually grow and improve my practice. I think this is sound advice for anyone that is potentially looking to transition from a 9-5 to entrepreneurship, especially without outside funding.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fennerfinancialgroup.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fennerfinancialgroup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fennerfinancialgroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleyfenner/

Image Credits
Angelo Williams