About Me

Greetings!  My name is Michael Cole.  I grew up in Lexington, SC and graduated from the University of South Carolina.  After a twenty-year career in the Navy, my family and I made Charleston, SC home.  As part of my transition journey, my business partner and I founded and still own the Daniel Island Barbershop.  We are not barbers, but we felt it would bring tremendous value to the community.  You may wonder how we knew how to open a barbershop.  Well, there’s a book for everything. :-)

Because of my experience with the barbershop and passion for helping small business owners, I built a financial planning practice specifically designed to serve the beauty industry.  My team and I are passionate about educating the industry on how to build tax-efficient wealth and mitigate risk both personally and in the business.  We educate at beauty industry shows throughout the country, to include the International Beauty Show, Bronner Bros. Beauty Show, Data Driven Summit, and MPulse Summit. 

My wonderful and supportive wife, Elizabeth, is my best friend and biggest supporter. We are blessed to have two wonderful boys who are active Boy Scouts.  I am also actively involved in the Rotary Club of Daniel Island and have served on numerous boards, to include the USC myCarolina Veterans Alumni Council and Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy Board of Directors.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to learn a little more about me.  I look forward to learning more about you. God Bless.

Here are my areas of expertise

Business Planning

Business Risk Management

Tax-Efficient Strategies

Financial Planning

Life Insurance Strategies

Retirement Planning & Income Strategies

Disability Planning

Estate Planning

Reach your new level of financial confidence.

I approach financial planning differently. Not only can I help you grow your money, but also protect everything you've worked so hard for-so your finances can take you further.

Growth and protection together can take you further. Growing wealth. Protecting what matters.

I'll look at where you are now, and where you want to go, tailoring your plan from a range of financial options designed to reinforce each other to get you there. Giving you the confidence to live the way you want now, and down the road. Here's what I can help you with:

Protection strategies

Wealth accumulation

Managing tax advantages

Optimizing retirement

Leaving a legacy

Charitable planning

Get a financial plan that prioritizes your priorities.

I'll guide you through each step so you'll feel confident that you can do the things you've always wanted to—without having to worry if you can. See how we'll get it done below:

Infographic of a pyramid divided into 4 parts surrounded by circular arrows

  • Look at where you are today

    Your plan will help you make the most of what you already have, no matter where you're starting from, and give you a snapshot of your financial big picture.

  • Identify where you want to go

    Whether it's shorter-term goals like managing your debt, or longer-term ones like saving for a new home, or retirement, your financial plan will show you how you're tracking, help you understand what's working, and point out any gaps you might have.

  • Put together range of options to get you there

    Looking across all your goals, you'll get personalized recommendations and strategies to grow your wealth while making sure everything's protected. And I'll help you determine the right moves to make today and later on. Your financial plan is based on your priorities. As those priorities change throughout your life, we'll shift the financial strategies in your plan, too-so your plan stays flexible, and you stay on track to consistently meet goal after goal.