February Networker of the Month: Brad Johnson

Brad is not new to Ohio, but he's just getting re-acquainted with Columbus. He grew up in Delaware, Ohio and moved back to central Ohio in 2008 (from Chicago) to work in financial consulting. He graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in economics and American history, and has a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Brad is licensed as an attorney in Illinois and is also seeking his law license in Ohio. "That will happen sometime in 2009, hopefully," he says. In Chicago, Brad practiced business law, banking and real estate, so his legal background and experience reviewing contracts could be helpful to clients who own a business or may be buying a house.

Occupation: Financial Consultant, GLS Financial Consultants, Inc.
What I do: I partner with individuals and couples to help them build a financial plan that addresses all aspects of their lives, including their current financial situation, their expectations for the future and their goals, both financial and otherwise. I meet with clients and gather information concerning their existing investments, career and family, any major purchases they anticipate (house, car), retirement goals and anything else that might come up. I use that information to make some calculations and suggestions to help the client decide on a course of action that is realistic and achievable. If a person is new to investing or just starting out (in their career), the plan may be to establish a routine of setting aside small monthly amounts, just to begin the process. Everything depends on the client.

Location: 937 High Street, Worthington, Ohio 43085
How to contact me: By email at or by phone at (614) 888-2888

I can help fellow young professionals by...
sharing what I know about investments, IRAs and the various strategies that can help people prepare for retirement and the unexpected – events that could strain a person's finances and potentially drain their savings if they are not prepared. I can also help through taking part in networking – the CYP CLUB offers a great opportunity to meet other people who provide services your clients might need.

Fellow young professionals can help me by...
introducing themselves and letting me (and everyone else) know what they do for a living.

When I am not working...
I am playing golf (but that's not easy in Ohio these days). I try to play anytime the temperature gets above 50 degrees (people in Chicago tend to break out the shorts and put away their parkas when that happens), but I've adapted my winter routine to include indoor soccer, bowling, and the gym. I also like to travel.

If I won the lottery I would...
One of the things I'd do is establish a winter office somewhere warm like California or Arizona – so I can escape from frigid weather.

My favorite place in Columbus is:
The Short North and the Arena District. The Short North is "pretty close" to what you get in Chicago, and I really like the atmosphere of the Arena District – and the fact that everything there is centered around the NHL franchise and the different activities that come to Nationwide Arena. I went to the rodeo there last month and pro beach volleyball is coming soon – very interesting.

My favorite CYP CLUB activity:
The CYP CLUB Bowling League.

Another CYP CLUB member you should get to know is...
Gina Wilt, with the Wagenbrenner Company. Gina was the first person I met when I returned to the Columbus area and she's a great networker.

A great question to ask me in person is...
What should I do with my 401(k) from my last job?