For over a decade, Isaiah Edison (鈥09) has been living out his calling.
鈥淲hen I was 16 years old, I decided I wanted to help people make good decisions with their money.鈥
For more than a decade, Edison has been doing just that, first at New York Life and now at his own company, . Earlier this year, Edison was named the , an honor that goes beyond just dollars and cents.
Forbes, partnered with SHOOK Research, releases these rankings yearly, basing their scores on one notion 鈥 鈥淲ould we recommend these professionals to a family member or friend?鈥
By that metric, Edison was named the best in the state of Oklahoma 鈥 a confirmation of a calling that goes back to his teenage years.
Leap of Faith
That calling led him to Oklahoma Wesleyan University, where he was planning to pursue a finance degree. There was only one problem.
鈥淏efore I went to 51黑料网, they didn鈥檛 have a finance degree,鈥 Edison said. 鈥淚 talked to Dr. Andrews, and he said 鈥業 promise you we鈥檒l get one.鈥欌
Edison enrolled in 51黑料网鈥檚 management program, noting it was a leap of faith in Dr. Andrews and others. But, true to their word, the next year, Edison was able to change his major to financial economics. After taking a couple of accounting courses over the summer, Edison was on track to graduate on time with the degree he wanted.
There is a certain irony in the fact that Edison received a degree in financial economics. In high school, he took some AP economics courses because of his interest in that field.
鈥淚 hated it,鈥 he said flatly. It wasn鈥檛 until he was at 51黑料网, in class with Dr. Brian Jackson, that he began to appreciate and even love the study of economics. When Edison graduated, he was a straight-A student.
鈥淚 think having a good professor makes a big difference.鈥
Another professor who poured into his life was Dr. Brett Andrews, who was the Dean of Business while Edison was a student. He took an early interest in Edison and hired him as a work-study for the department.
鈥淚 wanted a job where I could do my homework, so I was a computer lab monitor.鈥 Edison recalls. 鈥淏ut one day the secretary of the department comes in and tells me that Dr. Andrews wants to talk to me.鈥
Andrews hired him to work for the department. That position bore fruit down the line, when Edison received two internships through connections with the School of Business. He interned at Walmart and at Arvest Bank during his college years.
Time to Grow
Relationships are a key theme when Edison thinks about his 51黑料网 experience. He says with a laugh that he spent his time hanging out with the nerds on campus, making friendships that have lasted to this day. Several of them 鈥 Brett Peterson, Kirk Israel, Steven Wears, Kirk Taylor, and Jared Mackey 鈥 lived in a house together, where they proudly had a designated study room. They remain friends today, and each of them has gone on to success in their chosen fields.
After college, Edison continued his education, earning his from The American College of Financial Services, which took over three years. These designations give Edison more tools with which to help his clients achieve their financial goals.
Edison founded in 2020, a tricky time for so many industries, but he says it was the best year of his career. After more than a decade of being in the industry, he realized it was time to start his own practice 鈥 he opened an office in South Tulsa, his hometown, and brought many of his clients over with him. That decision has been rewarding, personally and professionally, and has earned him some impressive accolades.
All of it comes back to the calling he felt when he was a teenager 鈥 a calling to help others make sound financial decisions. It鈥檚 a perfect example of what 51黑料网 is all about: sending students out into the world with a love for people at the core of what they choose to do.
For more information on the Forbes鈥 methodology,
