Welcoming Elise Wealth Partners, Little Lions Club’s First Member of the Pack Sponsor!
Welcoming Elise Wealth Partners, Little Lions Club’s First Member of the Pack Sponsor!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie Crago, founder of Elise Wealth Partners and long-time Northwestern Mutual agent, this past week, and learned all about her experience in wealth management and her participation in and love for the community of Williamsburg. EWP is our first official Member of the Pack Sponsor, and we are thrilled to work with them to elevate both brands. The following is a paraphrased excerpt from the interview.
Chris: Tell us about how you got started with Northwestern Mutual – how did your background and life experience shape your career choice?
Stephanie: After studying business at UVA, I started at Northwestern Mutual as an intern in 2010. Even back then, I knew I didn’t want to do something corporate; I wanted to work with people. I stumbled into this path, test-drove the career through the internship, and fell in love with the work and the people, particularly the self-employed aspect.
My dad had a big impact—he always said if you have the skills to be self-employed, you can be in control of your destiny, and that’s the best deal out there. This was the best fit for me. Growing up in Williamsburg, I played a lot of sports, and we even won the state championship in high school when I played basketball. Lessons learned from sports are critical: being coachable, taking leadership cues from more experienced and successful people, and developing the work ethic needed to build a client base. It’s like what you guys teach! about focusing on the positive and seeking to improve. At NM, we look to hire former athletes because they have those transferrable skills for building a business.
Chris: What prompted you to start Elise Wealth Partners, and can you tell us about the business?
Stephanie: The plan for Elise Wealth Partners (EWP) as a multi-generational practice has been in the works for at least the last five years. It’s a continuation of the work I’ve been doing at Northwestern Mutual, with Elise serving as a sub-brand of NW. This allows us to do things like sponsorships, client gifting, and client events. Our goal is to deliver unparalleled financial planning, confidence, and clarity to our clients. I see my role as financial coaching—like a personal trainer for finances. If you’re serious about making financial progress, EWP is for you, bringing clients exceptional peace of mind through long-term planning, retirement strategies, legacy planning, and using money efficiently. The name Elise is my middle name and the name of one of my daughters. The ultimate dream is for one, two, or three of my daughters to join the business at some point, allowing this practice to be passed down to the next generation.
Chris: What are the biggest challenges for you as a business owner?
Stephanie: The biggest challenge is time management, prioritizing work and task management. We have done a lot of work on the team to delineate roles and responsibilities and maintain compliant communication, minimizing interruptions. As a female financial advisor, I want to help everybody, but I realize that certain clients are our sweet spot. I focus on connecting clients who aren’t the right fit for us to better-suited advisors. Overall, flexibility is key, as long as the work gets done, and maintaining open lines of communication is crucial.
Chris: What do you want the community of Williamsburg to know about your work?
Stephanie: We want the community to know that we deliver state-of-the-art financial solutions and customized planning, but most importantly, peace of mind through confidence and clarity. We are here to help simplify their financial lives and streamline their finances so they can live their best lives in the short term, taking vacations and living charitably, while being protected in the long term. We provide bulletproof planning!
Chris: What are your plans for 2026 in terms of community engagement?
Stephanie: With the new brand, the network office in RVA is rolling out a new marketing program. We will be working with the marketing director in RVA on our marketing strategy and events. We plan to do something special for local clients and develop a gifting strategy that includes swag for existing clients, like YETIs and hats.
Chris: At Little Lions Club, we work with the youngest little minds. How can parents of our toddlers set their little ones up for future financial success, starting now?
Stephanie: My oldest daughter is four, so we aren’t doing everything yet, but some clients will employ their children to do tasks around the house like raking leaves or pulling weeds to earn money. This teaches children the simple rules of saving, spending, and tithing using a simple percentage rule. When you take kids to the store, they can bring their own money and make choices, teaching them that hard work earns them money. When the children become adults, an important step to consider is to open a Roth IRA.
Chris: Is there anything we didn’t cover yet that you want the community to know?
Stephanie: I want everyone to know that we are a resource, and the doors are always open at Elise Wealth Partners. If anyone is interested in learning about what we do and how we can help at an individual or business level, I am always open to talking!
For more information about Stephanie and her team at Elise Wealth Partners, visit their website here www.elisewealthpartners.com. It’s never too early – or too late – to begin building wealth and planning for the future!