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Shannon James

Advisor Image
Shannon James
Financial Advisor
.
FIC, BFA™, CEPA®
Part of the Riverside Wealth Advisors practice
Women's Markets
Business Planning
Tax Efficient Planning
Healthcare Professionals
Retirement Planning
Business Owners
Helping Faith-Driven Business Owners Build Wealth, Lead with Confidence, and Create Lasting Legacy.
Helping Faith-Driven Business Owners Build Wealth, Lead with Confidence, and Create Lasting Legacy.

If This Sounds Familiar…


Your business is growing. Revenue is up. On the surface, things look successful... but deep down you may be wondering:


  • Am I making the right financial decisions for the future of my business?
  • What would happen if I wanted—or needed—to step away sooner than planned?
  • Is my business truly prepared to support my retirement and the legacy I hope to leave behind?
  • Am I building enterprise value or simply creating another job for myself?


The reality is that many business owners wait too long to create a strategy. By the time they begin thinking about retirement, succession, or an eventual transition, their options may be more limited than they expected.






Financial Planning for Your Life and Business
Financial Planning for Your Life and Business

As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), I help business owners move from uncertainty to clarity by integrating personal, financial, and business planning into one coordinated strategy.


You weren't called to build a business that only serves today's needs. You were called to build something meaningful—something that creates opportunities for your family, supports your retirement goals, and leaves a lasting impact long after you're gone.


The question isn't whether you'll eventually exit your business. The question is whether you'll be prepared when that day comes.


Let's start building a plan that aligns your business success with the life and legacy you envision.

Who I Serve: Business Owners Ready for What’s Next
Who I Serve: Business Owners Ready for What’s Next

As a Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA) and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), I help accomplished women business owners turn today's success into lasting wealth, freedom, and legacy.


I serve women who have achieved meaningful success through hard work, perseverance, and purpose. Women who are:

  • Leading businesses, teams, and families
  • Generating income but seeking greater financial confidence
  • Committed to continuous growth and learning
  • Building something meaningful and wanting a strategy that supports both their purpose and their future
  • Wondering if their business is truly prepared to fund the retirement, lifestyle, and legacy they've envisioned


The truth is, many successful business owners spend years building revenue but never take the time to create a coordinated plan for wealth, succession, or an eventual transition. As a result, they may be working harder than necessary while leaving opportunities—and future value—on the table.


I believe that true success is built on more than financial results alone. It is grounded in integrity, fueled by education, strengthened through excellence, guided by faith, and measured by the impact we make on the people and causes we care about most.


You have spent years being the strong one. The leader. The provider. The problem solver.


Now it's time to make sure all that hard work is building a future that's just as strong as the business you've created.


Together, we'll create clarity around your financial life, align your business and personal goals, and develop a strategy that helps ensure what you're building today serves you, your family, and your legacy tomorrow.

The Decisions You Delay Today Can Shape the Opportunities Available to You Tomorrow.
The Decisions You Delay Today Can Shape the Opportunities Available to You Tomorrow.

Schedule a Conversation Today

Clarity doesn't come from waiting—it comes from intentional action.


Because the future you're working so hard to create deserves a strategy that supports it.

As Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

Meaningful financial decisions are built through wisdom, alignment, and partnership—not pressure.

My qualifications
  • Fraternal Insurance Counselor
  • Behavioral Financial Advisor™
  • Certified Exit Planning Advisor®
  • Series 7 - General Securities Representative
  • Series 63 - Licensed Securities Agent
  • Securities Industry Essentials
My state licenses
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas(Insurance Lic. #20092315)
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Wisconsin

Insights

Wealth transfer strategies: How to leave assets to your loved ones
Wealth transfer strategies: How to leave assets to your loved onesPassing on assets is more than drafting a will—it’s an opportunity to share the beliefs and goals that shape your legacy. By planning now, your legacy is shaped by intention, not left to chance. Let’s schedule time to connect and help ensure your values carry forward in a lasting way.
Insight image
If you own a home, investments, life insurance or other valuable assets, it might be time to consider a revocable or irrevocable trust. Depending on the structure you choose, a trust can offer a variety of benefits—including privacy, tax advantages and greater control over how your assets are distributed. In some cases, it may even protect your assets from creditors or Medicaid inclusion. Learn more about your options: https://bit.ly/3VZ6FNl
Investing in volatile markets: Smart strategies for confident investing
Investing in volatile markets: Smart strategies for confident investingMarket fluctuation is normal. Understanding your risk tolerance and sticking to a long-term plan can help you navigate uncertainty. Discover smart strategies to stay on course no matter what the market does next.
Office location
Maplewood Location
3008 Sutton Boulevard
Maplewood, MO 63143
Phone314-325-7808Fax833-610-2405Hours

By Appointment Only

Licensing is available through your State Insurance Department’s website, which can be located through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website.

Thrivent and its financial advisors and professionals do not provide legal, accounting or tax advice. Consult your attorney or tax professional.

Thrivent financial advisors and professionals have general knowledge of the Social Security tenets. For complete details on your situation, contact the Social Security Administration.

Thrivent provides advice and guidance through its Financial Planning Framework that generally includes a review and analysis of a client’s financial situation. A client may choose to further their planning engagement with Thrivent through its Dedicated Planning Services (an investment advisory service) that results in written recommendations for a fee.

Designations
For additional information on professional designations and the requirements to earn them, visit https://www.thrivent.com/designations