There’s one investment firm in Houston County that’s made up of “regular folks” who just love helping people. You’ve probably heard the old saying that if you find a job that you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Well, if that maxim holds any truth, then Billy Griggers hasn’t worked for the better half of 40 years-or at least he’s one of the lucky few who found a vocation that he truly loves. If you speak to him for more than five minutes, you’ll find the latter to be more accurate.

As founder and owner of Griggers Wealth Management, Billy says his clients have always come first, something that was instilled in him by his father years ago. “My dad repaired plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems for a living, and he shared some wisdom with me a long time ago that still rings true: if you take care of the people, the money will take care of itself. That’s what life has always been about for me–helping people.’

Born and raised in the Macon area, Billy says that his father, Willis (Bubba), played an integral role in determining his ultimate path in life. “My upbringing was your typical middleclass one, but I was the first of the Griggers to attend college. This was a huge deal for my dad since he was not college educated, and he worked extremely hard to see my dream fulfilled.”

Unfortunately, there were no student loans back then to help Billy with his schooling; instead he had to work alongside his father in order to pay for college. “40 years ago, you didn’t borrow money for school, so I spent my summers repairing plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems with my dad. During that time, I really learned so much from him, mainly by watching how he interacted with people. My dad would always help anyone in need, and I saw that time and time again. For instance, we’d frequently get home late because he’d stop by someone’s home to give them a hand, free of charge, after we were already done for the day.’

Ironically, Willis wouldn’t allow his son to follow in his footsteps and join him in the family business. In 1964, Willis attended a workshop at Purdue University to learn about boilers, which were a component of heating systems at the time. It was during this fateful trip to Purdue that the elder Griggers had a revelation: his son was going to attend college-end of story. “At Purdue he saw the opportunities that were possible for college graduates,” says Billy, “and although he was very successful at his job, he wanted a better life for me.’

After graduating from Mercer in 1983 with a Master’s in Business Administration, Billy began working for Prudential. “Although I had a degree, I was only 23 and didn’t know as much as my dad gave me credit for,” he laughs. “Even though he grew up on a farm, my dad was a successful businessman for over 50 years. He always seemed to have a pearl of wisdom to share, and listened intently to what he had to say. My dad put me on his shoulders so that I could succeed and then do the same for my kids’

Utilizing his father’s pearls of wisdom, Billy quickly climbed the corporate ladder, becoming the youngest manager in the Southeast. However, after a decade, he felt it was time for a change. “At that time, Prudential closed down many of its offices, so I began working out of my basement,” he recalls. “I knew it was time for me to move on’.

Thus, Billy began a short stint in the banking business before ultimately deciding to follow his heart. “I’ve always been a Georgia boy who never fit in with big city banking; I’m about as home grown as you can get. In fact, my wife Deana and I ultimately built our home in Byron,down the street from where I grew up.”

After 16 yearsofworking for other investment firms and two banks, Billy decided to strikeout on his own, becoming an independent advisor in 2000. It wasn’t smooth sailing at first; Billysays that there were some pretty big hurdles he had to overcome. “I was frankly scared to death. Ihad three kids at home, and I knew that failure was not an option.”

Bravely opting to give up the safety of a salary and benefits, Billy rolled up his sleeves andbegan the process of starting from scratch. “It was a big leap offaith; we started at ground zerowithout any customers. In fact, the company that we now use as our broker/dealer, LPLFinancial, turned me down at first because of my lack of clients. Luckily, two friends from mybanking days joined me, bringing their client base into the fold; we were soon up and running.”Over the next 20 years, the firm has helped more than 700 households with $200,000,000invested. “Most people who see our little building on the website don’t realize that we’re nowbigger than the bankprogram I managed.”

Billy’s youngest son,James, a financial planner himself, began working for his father as ateen. “My dad is very intuitive about solving problems for his clients, much like he did for uswhen we were kids. Whether it involved helping with homework or coaching my T-ball team, heapplies himself 100% to everything he does.” James’ siblings,Daniel and Hannah,also workedfor their father during their high school years but chose to pursue other avenues after college.“

Billy reallyhas always had a passion for his work, and that’s contagious throughout ouroffice,” explainsHillary Mathews, the firm’s Operations Manager. “I’ve been working with himfor the past 16years, and I think we’ve learned a lot about the needs of the community. Forexample, we sponsor workshops to help folks with their federal benefits and work with many ofour contacts in the community to help our clients.” True to form, the company routinelyparticipates in many of the charitable events around the region. From the Robins RegionalChamber of Commerce and the Methodist Home to its involvement with theRun 2 EndAlzheimer’s, Billy’s firm is deeply entrenched in its community.

Billy says he wouldn’t have it any other way.“I turn 63 this year, and people askme when I’mgoing to retire. I don’t know if I ever will because the fun part is being able to help others whenthey need you. Whether it’s helping someone through a family crisis or just lending an ear, Ienjoy what I do.’

Over two decades after it opened its doors, Billy’s firm still operates on the principles of hard work, loyalty, and personalized service. “I think what sets us apart from other firms is we’re just regular folks; we don’t put on any airs,” he says. “We have people coming through our doors because I grew up here and because I put into practice what my dad instilled in me. I’ve learned that he was right; if you take care of the people, the rest will take care of itself, so that’s what I’ll keep doing.”

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