With over thirty years of industry experience, we provide unparalleled service to our clients. Our comprehensive road map ensures your vision aligns with your financial goals. This process eliminates stress and has helped us become the successful advisors we are today.
Your Team
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Doug Jolley
CEO
doug@sharp.sc
A mentor is not someone who walks ahead of us to show us how they did it. A mentor walks alongside us to show us what we can do.” – Simon Sinek
In 2020, a VP of a large bank with their own financial investment department, was approaching retirement age and facing several major decisions. He chose Doug Jolley to be his retirement planner. When Doug asked him why, he simply said, “After getting to know you, I trust and choose you.”
That sums up what Doug is all about – earning your trust to walk alongside as you make some of the most important decisions of your life – how to structure your life savings at retirement in a way they last.
Doug just completed 31 years in his chosen profession. His passion for financial planning began in 1989 at American Republic Insurance, where he was recognized as one of the top agents, and later as one of the top five managers in the nation, ultimately becoming a Vice President with the company. In 2001 he decided to branch off and form his own firm. Today he is the CEO and managing partner of Retiring Sharp.
Every day, he searches out new ways to better serve his clients. Surrounding himself with a team that shares the same values and vision, Retiring Sharp continues to grow and make a real difference in the community. The Columbia International University School of Business conducts retirement seminars in which Doug is one of two featured speakers, along with the Dean of the business school, Dr. Scott Adams.
He majored in Journalism at the University of South Carolina and is an accredited journalist, having published newspaper, magazine and online articles. Doug has served as a featured guest on talk radio shows across the country.
Outside of work, Doug served two terms as the President of the Midlands chapter of NAIFA – the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Doug currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the non-profit Tri-County Veterans Support Network. TCVSN serves as a liaison to provide comprehensive support services for our veterans.
Doug and his wife, Jan of thirty-nine years enjoy spending time with their son, Jonathan his wife, Lila and their granddaughter Fiona. They happily await the arrival of their grandson Judah this spring. Doug and Jan are active members of 12 Springs Community Church.
Learn More About Me
If you had a million dollars to spend, what would be the first three things you would buy?
I would buy a vacation house and embark on a year-long tour of Europe and Asia.
What’s the most likely place people could find you on a Saturday night?
At my sister and brother-in-law’s place with my wife, playing scrabble and enjoying a cold beer.
Which would you pick: Living on the beach or living near the mountains?
Live on the beach in the summer and near the mountains in the winter.
Imagine being approached by a genie who offers you three wishes. What might those wishes be?
I’d wish for a rocket-fast metabolism, an amazing memory and perfect health.
If you had the ability to travel back in time, what’s something you would tell your 18-year-old self?
Slow down — the faster you go, the more you miss out on.
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Peter LaHatte
Financial Advisor
Peter is an Insurance and Income Specialist concentrating on making sure that individuals both young and mature, will get comfortably to their retirement. Peter is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he received a BS Degree in Marketing and Economics, and later an MBA in Finance and Economics.
Peter’s experience includes a position in the Investment Division of First National Bank of South Carolina which is now a part of the Wells Fargo Family of Companies. He was responsible for the short-term portfolio where he managed over $400 billion during some of the most tumultuous times in monetary history.
After his experience in banking, he was the Director of Marketing for Financial Services for BellSouth Corporation where he was responsible for a revenue stream of $4.6 billion dollars.
After BellSouth Peter founded The Solutions Group, LLC where he built, managed and grew a local telephone company for the City of Marietta, Georgia, called Marietta FiberNet, which was absorbed by American FiberNet in 2003.
From consulting in the Telecommunications industry, Peter moved into financial services, in that his experience in banking and running a small company brought a unique combination of skills, which could be useful to others, especially as they relate to risk mitigation, wealth accumulation and income planning.
Peter has two children, Michael, a fireman and first responder in St. Augustine, Florida and a daughter, Alicia who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Peter is an active member of St. Peter’s Church in Columbia, SC and St. Mary’s Church in Aiken, SC
Peter is a proud grandfather of two beautiful grands Avie Grace in Jacksonville, FL and Asher Flynn in St. Augustine, FL.
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Stacey Gurley
Marketing & Events Director
stacey@sharp.sc
Stacey brings a passion to the industry that is unparalleled. With over thirty-five years of marketing, retail and consultative sales she is experienced as a manager, directing key account relationships and large-scale projects. Prior to joining Retiring Sharp Stacey has served as an Account Manager in the broadcast media industry, and holds a SC Real Estate license. She is the Founder and President of Women of Passion Ministry Events located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where she hosts women's ministry events and serves as one of the speakers.
Stacey executes marketing plans and programs both short and long range to ensure the profit growth and expansion of products and services. She uses those strategies to determine which recommendations will best fit the Retiring Sharp mission and increase market share.
She is a visionary and creative at heart. She utilizes all aspects of her career whether building an event, hosting a family gathering or working on a new product. Stacey is a mother of two beautiful daughters; a son-in-love and four amazing grand-pups. Stacey resides in gorgeous Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!
When she is not wearing the creative hat at Retiring Sharp Stacey enjoys learning how fueling our bodies with the right foods connects to health, exploring new restaurants, trying new coffees and all things "sunny". Her greatest joy in life other than her children is sharing the love of Jesus' with the broken-hearted and watching HIM turn it into HIS glory story!
Learn More About Me
If you had a million dollars to spend, what would be the first three things you would buy?
I would build a restoration home for women and children in crisis, travel the world and shop of course!
What’s the most likely place people could find you on a Saturday night?
Either at home or trying a new restaurant with friends.
Which would you pick: Living on the beach or living near the mountains?
Living on the beach!
Imagine being approached by a genie who offers you three wishes. What might those wishes be?
wisdom, what I know now when I was younger, live in divine health (Hint...Jesus paid the price for this!)
If you had the ability to travel back in time, what’s something you would tell your 18-year-old self?
Live life full of love, give myself the same kindness I do others, enjoy the small things and go for your dreams!
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Jan Jolley
Customer Service
Jan Jolley has spent 31 years as Doug Jolley’s “most important business partner.” Business doesn’t happen unless all the details are completed and the customers are taken care of. Jan is responsible for both customer service and the more complex details in our business that require her years of expertise to handle.
Her father, a naval commander, said “Jan could be a captain of industry.” In her first job after college and intensive scrutiny was the executive assistant to John Manning, the National Distribution Manager for Georgia Pacific.
Jan’s life story became one of caring rather than climbing career ladders. She prefers it that way. Jan is best known for her loving heart with many calling her “Momma Jan.” She has learned to balance her responsibilities in the family business utilizing those same gifts serving our clients needs while staying true to her best self caring for the needs of her family members.
Jan is not only a loving wife and business partner to Doug, and Mom but was a caregiver for her mother with Alzheimer’s, and helped with the care of Doug’s birth mother as well his father and stepmother in their final years. She does all with a smile and genuine love in her heart. You’re in good hands if Momma Jan is on the job.
Jan attended Columbia International and later Multnomah University. Today her joys include spending time with grandchildren and with their two pups, Champ and Nico.
Donna Lollis
Office Manager
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Andrew Victor
Director of Planning Strategies
Andrew Auchincloss Victor has more than 24 years of experience in financial services. He specializes in strategies for Tax-efficient Income Planning, Wealth Transfer, Estate Planning, Business Succession and Insurance Planning. Victor supports advisors by presenting to their clients (and clients’ attorneys and accountants) complex and comprehensive solutions through succinct yet actionable guidance.
- Harvard graduate
- 24 years of experience in financial services
- Consults on risk and tax mitigation strategies with a focus on lifetime income
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Jennifer Surmacz
Chief Counsel
In her role, Jennifer uses her experience in Estate Planning, Probate, Contracts, and other legal disciplines to review each eStatePlan™ file and collaborate with the eStatePlan™ team to ensure compliance with the client’s goals, objectives, and wishes. She works with client's to review finished documents for approving their efficacy, suitability, and accuracy.
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Ciara Lister, Esq.
Network Attorney
As a network attorney for eStatePlan™ Ciara Lister believes in three key pillars: planning, preparation, and prevention. A full-scholarship graduate of Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Fla., Lister began her law career as a Commercial Insurance Litigator in Boca Raton. She began seeing clients and her close friends struggle with the negative effects of probate proceedings, from dwindling inheritances to families destroyed by battles over money. This motivated her to change her focus to Estate Planning so she could help people avoid these issues before it was too late, rather than perform legal triage when the damage to families and their legacies had already been done.