By: Jaymon Meikle
Over the years I have been able to listen to some remarkable lectures from some very inspiring people. One of my all-time favorites is Simon Sinek. If you do not know who he is, you should look him up. Mr. Sinek talks about the importance of why we do things, his book in fact is called “Start with Why”. As I sat there listening to Mr. Sinek, I thought about why I became a financial advisor, and the truth is there are many reasons but there are a few that impacted me more than all the others. Two of those main reasons were two of my heroes, my Grandpa Bill Meikle and Grandpa Ray McKnight.
So why is it that these great men motivated me to become a financial advisor? Well that will take a little bit of background information on them for you to know.
My Grandpa Bill Meikle is one of my all-time idols. He grew up in Winslow, AZ and had a great passion for flying even though he grew up surrounded by railroaders. He got his pilots license at the age of 16 and joined the Air Force as soon as he could. In the Air Force he flew F86 and F100 fighter jets and B47 bombers (he was one of the rare few who flew both a fighter jet and bomber) until he retired as a Major in 1969.
In 1969 is when he started Meikle Financial Group, though it was known as William D Meikle & Associates at that time and has gone through a few name changes over the years. He loved being able to help people with their money and truly cared for all his clients. My Dad, Dail Meikle, joined the firm in 1982 and they worked together for almost two decades before my Dad bought the firm from him.
Growing up we would visit the office occasionally, and always loved seeing my Grandpa, but there is one time in particular that stands out to me. I must have been 6 or 7 years old and my Mom and I had stopped by quick to drop something off for my Dad. I was standing by the reception desk talking to Roberta, the receptionist at the time, because she always had candy and that’s when I noticed a lady sitting on the couch holding a shoe box and was visibly nervous. A moment later my Grandpa and Dad came around the corner, greeted her and when she saw them it looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and I remember my Grandpa saying “don’t worry, we’re going to take care of you”. I later found out that she was there because she was wanting to retire and wasn’t sure if she was able to or not, and that shoe box had statements of all her various savings accounts that she had worked so hard for.
It took years for me to fully understand that moment that I had witnessed at a young age, but it’s one that has been with me ever since.
My Grandpa Ray McKnight is also one of my all-time idols. Born and raised in West Virginia, he ran away from an abusive home and hitchhiked his way to Florida where he enlisted in the Navy. He was only 16 when he enlisted but was so big that nobody questioned him when he lied about his age. He would go on to marry my Grandma and together they had 12 kids, 8 of which were biological and 4 adopted.
After his time in the Navy, he bounced around for a few years before landing here in the valley, working as a civil employee on the jet engines at Luke Air Force Base.
He was loved by everyone who met him and was lovingly known as “Papa Bear” by his grandkids. To me as a kid he was such a big strong man, and I thought that nothing could hurt him, and he would live forever. But I was wrong.
Three days before Christmas in 2001, we got a call that my Grandpa had a severe heart attack and was being rushed to the hospital, where a few hours later he would pass away. I still remember that night very well, it’s never easy losing a hero at such a young age, I was 12 at the time.
My Grandpa was one of those guys who thought they would always be around to take care of his family, so even though he had been advised by people like my Dad to get some, he did not have any life insurance or any savings for an occasion like this. So not only was my Grandma left with no income, but they were in processing of buying a new home and were expected to move within a few weeks.
Just as vividly as I can remember the night my Grandpa passed away, I can also remember the stress on my Mom and her siblings’ faces as they had to figure out how to pay for his funeral and how they were going to take care of their mom. Fortunately, everything worked out fine, but it took its toll.
So why am I a financial advisor? I’m a financial advisor because I want to be able to help people like my Grandpa Meikle did and to make sure families don’t have to go through what mine did after my Grandpa McKnight passed away. I want to help people strive for their goals and dreams, while making sure they are aware of any dangers along the way.
So, let me help you and your family, by giving us a call today.