Mary Lacey Gibson, CFP®

Mary began her career as a business owner in 1981. With a life long passion for horses she opened a tack shop, The Light Horse in the small town of San Juan Bautista. The store was moved three times as it out grew its locations and finally, not wanting to move again, Mary added a mail order department to satisfy customer needs. Over the years she owned her store, Mary helped several people start businesses by educating them on many aspects of entrepreneurship. In 1992, in recognition of her work helping business owners in her community, Mary was asked by the Gavilan College Small Business Development Center to join them as a consultant working with start-up businesses.

Closing her store in 1993 due to a change in lifestyle that demanded more flexibility of time than is available in a retail store, Mary began her full time independent small business coaching business. Over the years she has worked with business owners and start-ups in virtually every industry. Because of her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING™ certificate, Mary has created a specialty niche for fee-only personal financial advisors wishing to start an independent firm or to transition from other compensation models.

Along with one-on-one coaching programs, which utilize business plan development and implementation for decision making and problem solving, Mary has taught seminars for local colleges, Chambers of Commerce, small business incubators and government agencies in Starting a Small Business, Customer Service, Marketing, Business Planning, Bookkeeping, Mail Order, Retirement Plans and Employee Motivation and Retention.

Speaking engagements at local, regional and national business organization conferences and trainings and writing for local newsletters and a newspaper have also kept Mary busy during her career.

In 2001, Mary earned the CFP® designation and now provides personal financial planning on an hourly fee-only basis for her business and individual clients. As a member of the Garrett Planning Network and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, she offers a complete range of comprehensive financial advice or works on single question projects for her clients.

Mary graduated from California State University Stanislaus with a degree in Political Science. She was hired by the University of California Cooperative Extension Service and served as a Farm Advisor in Santa Cruz County with responsibilities for 4-H Youth Development and Public Service Livestock education.

With her husband and pets, Mary lives in the beautiful central coast area of California where she pursues her love of gardening, horses and community work.