Founding Partners
Joe’s Story
I graduated from Princeton University more than 45 years ago, with wonderful memories of four years as a Princeton Tiger linebacker, and a political science degree. I was too small to be an NFL prospect, and after briefly toying with the idea of going to law school, I found myself on the path to becoming a Certified Financial Planner™. I started as an insurance agent and expanded into the securities business. I thought starting a business in my hometown where I was well-known as an All-State football player at Easton H.S. would be easy. But for every one person who agreed to meet with me, twenty said no. And for every five I met with, maybe one became a client.
But the practice grew steadily, and I joined my uncle as a partner in a Broker Dealer he formed. Over the next 27 years, we built a firm with more than 215 advisors and $1.5 billion in assets under advisement. I take great pride knowing we helped thousands of families meet their financial goals.
My daughter Holly, who has been working with me since 2004, always pushed me to break away from the Broker Dealer world with a small group of like-minded advisors and move into the Registered Investment Advisor world. In 2019 it seemed like the right time. I wanted a trusted partner to help build, and ultimately take over, this business, and Holly is perfect for that role. The seven advisors who came with us have a wealth of experience and expertise. We provide financial planning and fee-based advisory service to more than 1900 client accounts with over $400 million in assets under management. I love what I do, I love the people I work with, and I look forward to many more years in this wonderful business with Holly and our team by my side!
Holly’s Story
As a young girl, I loved spending Saturday mornings playing “secretary” at my Dad’s office. I tapped on the typewriter, made a mess of all the office supplies, and pretended I worked there. In school I always gravitated toward business classes, and in my last year at Lehigh University, I worked part-time at the office as an admin, driving back and forth between work and class twice a day. After graduation I started working full time, answering phones and opening mail. I remember asking my dad “What should I call you? Joe … Mr. Parsons … Dad?” He assured me “Dad is fine!”
Since then, I feel I have grown with an incredible team around me, and I was honored in 2019 when Dad asked me to be his partner as he started IAM Advisory, LLC. I am thankful every day to work with such a wonderful group of people. And the absolute best part of my career is building, growing, and achieving alongside my mentor and my hero — my Dad!
