For 40 years, Yeomans Consulting Group has enriched the lives and futures of Cobb families.
By Jennifer Morrell Todd
In 2024, an average of 11,000 Americans per day will turn 65 years old, according to the non-profit Alliance for Lifetime Income. That means a considerable number of people will need — and likely already need — retirement coaching. Planning for your golden years is not just for the wealthiest among us. In all actuality, financial planning is a service for any family that wants to protect and grow their assets, no matter the size and quantity of those assets.
Randy Yeomans is CEO of Yeomans Consulting Group, Inc., a financial advisory firm, who has just celebrated his 40th year in practice. Yeomans Consulting Group, Inc. will be celebrating 30 years in 2025 as a small business in Cobb County. The firm’s mission is to help investors create sound financial strategies and to achieve desired outcomes under the moniker of YourRetirementCoach™. The term represents the commitment of both Randy and his son and partner, Nicholas (Nic) Yeomans, to guiding clients toward success.
Sure, Yeomans implements personalized strategies to help clients achieve financial security, but the firm has a greater focus: community. Randy’s journey toward helping Cobb residents fulfill their lifestyle goals and navigate the complexities of retirement planning came after attending Georgia State University and serving the community as a firefighter. Today, he has a passion for personal and community education.
Nic joined the firm in 2002, but his pathway into the business was not what you’d expect. Having studied public relations, advertising, business and Bible in college, he needed a couple of internships — one of which happened to be in marketing for a financial planner. There, he had an experience that changed everything.
“I was at an office, and the owner of the firm, Kevin, walked out of the conference room with his client — a widow who had just lost her husband,” Nic says. “She looked up at Kevin, squeezed him, and said, ‘I really need you,’ and she left. For the first time in my adult life, I had a sleepless night.”
Nic could not get the powerful exchange out of his head. The next day, the same client reappeared with tons of freshly baked goodies for the firm. She’d been up all night, baking, and told Nic and the staff, “I couldn’t think of any better way to thank you.”
“I call it a ‘God moment,’ when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to serve people like her,” Nic said.
Nic called Randy after this exchange to talk about his future in the financial planning industry. Randy was about to attend an industry conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, and invited Nic to join him. “He was already my wrestling coach, so I decided to look at him like a coach,” Nic says. “I was going to be coachable.”
More than a business
The owners and staff at Yeomans see themselves as more than just a business. They take a team approach to everything they do. “In my more than 22 years, we have never had a better team of professionals that serve our clients,” Nic says. “We believe in team and we have an incredible one that understands what it means to care for our clients with a servant’s heart.
“What we do is a calling,” Nic continues. “Our mission is to serve people with financial, tax, and estate advice, but really, we’re trying to serve them in a way that’s meaningful and impactful for generations.”
Nic asserts that two concepts come to mind: The Bible talks about a good man leaving an inheritance for his children and his children’s children. “The importance of legacy is about your values and your family name, and leaving them in a better place, not a worse place — not a world of chaos and confusion. So, if we can help people accomplish that, we feel we’re living out our mission and purpose.”
The second concept captures this idea: Whatever one does, it should be done all for the glory of God, serving people in a way that is God-honoring.
Do you need a retirement coach?
The short answer is yes. “You can start wherever you are, you know, because anyone can get traction, learn principles, and consume education,” Nic says. “We teach a lot of adult education classes at KSU that might be applicable to somebody in that scenario. As an example, reducing your taxes, basics of estate planning, and estate planning for second marriages.”
In fact, both Randy and Nic are passionate about teaching and educating the Cobb community. Nic is an instructor and teaches at KSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), providing continuing education for adults. Attendees have described his classes as “exciting, enjoyable, and information-packed.”
For 26 years, Randy had taught at Enrichment Life Movement (ELM), unfortunately a victim of COVID. Now he is a teacher at SEL, in Roswell, an eight-week program that explores strategic approaches for minimizing tax liability estate planning concepts and strategies for increasing income for retirement. He teaches techniques such as reducing capital gains taxes; optimizing retirement account distributions; passing assets generationally with tax advantages; and asset protection.
“At the end of the day, we know people need what we do,” Nic explains. “Just spending time in our community and providing education helps people understand that we are here to serve them — providing life-changing education and knowledge.”
The education and expertise are paying off for Cobb residents. “About three years ago, we were considering retirement and had saved some money to invest,” says Marietta resident Kaye (last name withheld). She and her husband, Bob, partner with Yeomans to ensure their financial future remains in check. “We had managed our finances, and while we had been successful, we decided a professional would be more effective. I was planning to leave a career in marketing, and my husband was hoping to retire from teaching.
“Our goal was not simply to retire comfortably,” Kaye continues. “We wanted to donate more to ministries and leave our children and grandchildren money for their futures. Yeomans’ approach moved us forward, helping us to invest wisely and creating a detailed financial plan. When we got ready to retire, we were confident we would be able to enjoy hosting family vacations, help with grandchildren’s expenses, give to nonprofits we support, and continue to live without the anxiety of daily financial pressure.”
Community is key
The importance of the role Yeomans plays in Marietta and the Cobb community cannot be over-emphasized. To be sure, the proximity to metro Atlanta is of value, but it’s about more than that. For example, Yeomans Consulting Group’s previous office location right on the Marietta Square meant a historic building, but no elevators for a more matured clientele. So, they relocated (for about 10 years) just off the square, one mile down near the Marietta Conference Center.
“God has great kindness,” Nic says. “We continued to grow and needed a bigger space. We found a place that we could grow into, and we’re back right off the square — look for the blue door! We feel like this area is home.”
The location near neighboring businesses provides a win-win benefit for all. “Marietta has a deep sense of community that you don’t find other places, says Nicole Eastwood, Yeomans’ director of marketing and events. “There is just an energy here; people who want to help each other. When I go to events, I meet neighbors who are some of the nicest people I’ve ever come across.”
The closely knit vibe radiating from Marietta and other amazing Cobb communities is palpable. “It feels like there’s some type of higher power here, a community vibe that isn’t coming from just individuals,” Nicole says. “It seems inherent, because of the way the square is positioned. We are in the day-to-day place where residents live and work with others who live here, bringing life to a smaller scale.”
To be sure, Yeomans strive to project a family feel to clients when they walk through the door, a warm and inviting environment. The location is central and not too far from anywhere in Cobb County. Visiting clients often will enjoy surrounding restaurants, retail, and other attractions.
“Atlanta is a hub to many large firms, such as Lockheed, Delta, Home Depot, and Coca-Cola, which workers who, after twenty to thirty years, are often ready to retire,” Nic says. “Many times, their retirement eggs are all in this one company’s basket. As you evaluate retirement, this is when a Retirement Coach can guide them to their best options for retirement success.
A wealth of strategy
Yeomans serves clients that would largely be considered “the millionaire next door.” Many of them even refer to themselves as middle-class millionaires. They saved well and made good decisions. They work with Yeomans to determine the next steps in their retirement journey.
Yeomans believes the concept of “wealth” tends to be subjective and highly personal, with perceptions about what it means to be wealthy varying greatly. “For this reason, we seek to understand how our clients perceive their wealth,” Randy said. “Then, we share our perspective, which is defined by the Eight Dimensions of Wealth™. This unique map allows us to explore eight separate areas — dimensions — that can affect a family’s wealth in a positive or negative way.”
“When a client says, ‘This is the kind of life I want, these are the things I’m concerned about, and this is how I want my retirement life to be,’ and then I see them doing things that would conflict with that, I can address those things in a Coaching relationship,” Randy continued.
Randy says the Yeomans approach, which heavily involves education, may take longer, with a more laborious amount of their team’s involvement in collaboration with clients’ CPAs, attorneys, and custodians. However, the longevity of maintaining a client relationship, investing heavily on the front end and learning about their circumstances as well as their opportunities, always proves beneficial.
“Having worked with Yeomans for over 15 years, I am consistently impressed with the level of care they take with their clients,” says Ritu V. Gordon, partner, KPPB Law. “They work hard to earn their clients’ trust and, as a result, work with many generations of families to address their financial planning and security needs. I refer my clients to them often and without hesitation.”
Put me in, Coach
From the CPA to the attorney and the financial person, everyone should be communicating on behalf of the client. Yeomans proactively ensures that happens, and that’s where Randy’s coaching prowess comes into play. “The top athletes in the world have a coach,” he says. “The top business leaders in the world have coaches. Nic and I are versed in multiple disciplines of coaching, including entrepreneurship coaching, financial service industry coaching, personal development and business coaching.”
In fact, coaching is in the Yeomans’ DNA. For years, Randy was as a youth wrestling coach for both McEachern and Harrison high schools. Now, Nic is going on his fourth season as the Head Middle School Wrestling Coach for Harrison. Of course, sports leadership may be slightly different from business management and client relationships, but some of the same principles apply.
Randy says that while the financial coaching process is different from salesmanship, accounting, or evaluation, the educational element is at the heart of an entrepreneur. “The great majority of our clients are still accumulating wealth or are right at that place where they’re about to now count on their wealth as providing them the necessary economics for their retirement life,” Randy says. “Coaching them on how to make that conversion or how to do something for the first time …We put the client in a position of knowledge.”
Humans have an inherent desire to be coached and guided to a winning outcome, the Yeomans say. With a coach, an element of accountability exists to keep you on track and motivated. Your trusted retirement coach can give you the game plan to win and achieve success.
The long run
Whether it’s wealth, health or both, the Yeomans’ jobs as retirement coaches are to help clients optimize and maximize the great things that they’ve accomplished. The education-based approach works well because we live in what Randy describes as a “microwave life.”
“Everybody wants everything instantaneously,” he says. “We use the term ‘farmer’ to describe our mindset. Real success involves a farming mentality, not a microwave mentality. We want to work with people who want to make an impact in society, enjoy their own retirement, and leave a legacy to their children and grandchildren, and the organizations and causes they care about.”
Additionally, Yeomans has a tax focus. If clients pay less tax, they have more real return on their money. It has nothing to do with financial markets, and clients keep more of their hard-earned money.
Retaining clients through high-trust relationships can lead to multiple generations of services to Cobb families. “I’m working in the third-generation in some circumstances with some clients,” Randy says. “That’s a wonderful feeling, because I think that’s how affluent people maintain the success of their money. It isn’t just Mom and Dad; it’s multiple generations.”
Nic points to the value of a good, solid checklist: “People like to know what’s expected of them, and they like the feeling of ‘checking the box.’ A Financial Action Checklist is almost like your personal financial playbook. We identify opportunities and strengths, as well as landmines and dangers.
Yeomans helps clients to check each box, until the very last box is checked. It’s all about helping people gain traction and see results. Says Nic, “I believe people would rather get stuff done than get a financial plan in a nice, 100-page, hardbound book that only sits on a shelf.”
Yeomans Consulting Group, Inc.
61 Atlanta Street Southeast
Marietta, GA 30060
770.427.5227
yourretirementcoach.com
Coffee With Your Retirement Coach
Yeomans hosts a bi-weekly podcast where they delve into the intricate world of financial wealth management. Join them as they demystify the complex topics that financial advisors navigate daily, guiding their clients towards prosperity and securing their financial future. coffeewithyourretirementcoach.libsyn.com.
Coffee With The Coach (CWTC)
Multiple times a year, Yeomans hosts virtual “Coffee With The Coach” events. At each CWTC, they share a market update, facts around financial news that can affect you, and are joined by a local guest who is an expert in their field. Past guests have included representatives from industries such as travel, personal safety, tax planning, estate planning, elder law, and elder care. Learn more about upcoming events at yourretirementcoach.com/coffee-with-the-coach.
