Content paid for by Pillar Wealth Management
Pillar Wealth was founded with a singular vision: to offer a more personalized and comprehensive wealth management experience than what was available in the market.
Seth Shepherd, a former advisor at Charles Schwab, realized that Franklin and surrounding areas lacked financial advisory services that catered specifically to high earners with complex financial needs. Driven by a desire to serve his clients better, he approached his good friend and fellow advisor, Kevin Good, with an idea to build a firm that didn’t just focus on investment portfolios, but also provided deep strategic advice about business, real estate and long-term financial planning. They recruited child prodigy (as Good calls him) Wyatt McCullough to round out the team, and together they created Pillar Wealth – an advisory firm that integrates all aspects of wealth management into a cohesive strategy for their clients.
The Pillar Wealth team is diverse and talented. Shepherd leads the team as the certified financial planner. He graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and was managing a large book of high-net-worth clients before co-founding Pillar Wealth. In his free time, Shepherd enjoys guitar, tennis, and spending time outdoors with his wife, two children and dog.
Good’s love for his clients is evident in the care and attention he provides. He values depth in his relationships with his clients. He graduated from University of Indianapolis in 2007 and is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold several successful companies. He also owns over 30 residential and commercial real estate units in Franklin and serves as an elder at Franklin City Church. In his free time, Good enjoys investing in his family, which includes spending time with his wife regularly, spending time at dance competitions with his three daughters, and playing all sorts of sports with his son.
McCullough leads market and financial planning research, and oversees the implementation of client planning and investment objectives at Pillar Wealth. The Pillar team thinks of him as an investment accountant because he enjoys spreadsheets almost as much as he enjoys finding tax savings for Pillar’s clients. He graduated with a dual major in finance and accounting, interned with UBS Private Wealth Management and Process Alliance, and has always had a heart for personal finance, tax planning, and entrepreneurship. He has special ties to Franklin, as he ran cross-country and track for Franklin College and served as captain on their esports team, winning their first conference championship. In his free time, McCullough enjoys playing spikeball, running, swimming and biking. He also spends time exploring new technology and is exceptionally curious.
Each brings a unique set of skills and expertise, and together they offer a dynamic and diversified approach to managing complex financial situations.
The decision to establish Pillar Wealth in Franklin wasn’t just a business choice; it was a personal one. All three team members live in the Franklin area and are committed to serving the community they call home. Good, who has worked with clients in downtown Franklin for years, emphasized the importance of being a part of the local fabric – of being a “pillar” in the community. This value is reflected in the firm’s name, which symbolizes their dedication to supporting the people around them in meaningful ways. Located in the historic Jessen building in the heart of downtown, even their brick-and-mortar location exemplifies the “pillar” structure they are founded on.
Pillar Wealth focuses on high-performing business owners, high-net-worth individuals, and families who recognize the complexity of their financial lives. The firm works with clients who understand the challenges of managing wealth on a large scale – clients who may be losing money due to inefficient strategies or lack of coordination across their financial landscape. Pillar Wealth’s integrated approach to investment management, business advisory service and real estate planning ensures that clients’ financial resources are working together in the most efficient and effective way possible.
Getting started with Pillar Wealth begins with a conversation. The team takes a thoughtful, client-centered approach to ensure that each prospect is a good fit. The process starts by uncovering the core purpose and goals that drive the client’s life, then aligning financial strategies to support those aspirations. “We don’t want our clients to serve their money,” says Shepherd. “We want money to serve their purposes in life.” This philosophy underscores every decision Pillar Wealth makes in managing their clients’ financial futures.
One of the unique features of Pillar Wealth is their commitment to maintaining a high level of service for their clients. To ensure that each client receives the personalized care they deserve, the firm has capped the number of clients at 111. This exclusive group of clients, known as the 111, will receive the highest level of financial care possible, tailored to meet the complex needs of high-income individuals and business owners. With plans to reach this cap by 2026, Pillar Wealth only takes on three new clients per month, ensuring that each relationship gets the attention it deserves – and although they’ll be in the 111, they’re never just a number. Prospective clients who recognize the need for a more sophisticated approach to managing wealth are encouraged to visit pillarw.com and reach out for an initial consultation.
While the team is not new to the industry, their firm was created with a clear focus: to provide a bespoke, industry-leading wealth management service that’s truly customized to the unique needs of Franklin’s high earners. With a distinctive fee structure and comprehensive approach, Pillar Wealth is reshaping how financial advisory services are delivered to the area’s most successful families and business owners.
