Jeff Shigehiro’s penchant for setting goals is directly related to his enthusiasm for sports. He picked up his first hockey stick at the age of five, and still plays. When he was seven years old, he knew how many pins he
needed to win at bowling. He’s an avid golfer who plays with clients and takes part in charity tournaments like Tee off for Kids, a fundraiser for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

At 25, Jeff is hitting his stride in an industry where the average age of advisors is 55. In fact, he’s one of the youngest Certified Financial Planners in the country. His professional attitude, self-confidence and fresh approach are contributing to growth of Shigehiro Financial Planning. He studied business management at NAIT and achieved his certification last November.

Jeff advises individuals between the ages of 30 and 50 on how to pay off debts, save for their children’s futures and build retirement nest eggs. He has seen families devastated financially and emotionally by job loss, illness or death. He also assists small business owners with risk and wealth management. His goal is to prevent his clients from being blind-sided when the unexpected occurs.
Jeff credits much of his advancement in the industry to a mentor at Total Financial Solutions who recognized his potential. He admits that it hasn’t always been easy. “You deal with a lot of rejection, especially at the beginning; there’s always obstacles in your way,” he says, alluding to a time when building that first
wave of clientele with no base salary and having no income seemed a daunting task. “This industry loses a lot of people right away because of the immediate obstacles.”

Perseverance is prevalent in all Jeff’s endeavours. He was a player in the World’s Longest Hockey Game in 2005, a 240-hour non-stop event that raised $250,000 for the Cross Cancer Institute. He fondly remembers children showing up with jars full of pennies, contributing to the $9,000 in coins that were donated.

Participating in the longest game changed his life—beyond getting his name in the Guiness Book of
World Records. During a break from play, he made a point of chatting with the referee who hadn’t penalized his backchecks. Luckily, she gave Jeff her phone number.

The wedding is in November.