CRAWFORD “MICKEY” MCGILL, CFP, CRPC, AAMS, APMA

Private Wealth Advisor/NFLPA Registered Player
Ameriprise Financial
Crawford.m.mcgill@ampf.com

Interview

• Where are you originally from?

  Columbia, MD

• Where do you currently reside?

  Houston, TX

• What prompted you to get into the sports/entertainment industry?

  Growing up, my dad was a VP at a major network and I always thought I would be president of that organization. Unfortunately, I saw firsthand how the lack of diversity can lead to a limit in reaching the top levels. I decided to make a change and focus on making people more financially savvy, so they don’t have to depend on others' opinions of them. Once I found out that a professional basketball player I knew was robbed by their financial professional, I made another pivot to work with professional athletes and entertainers to help protect them.

• Please outline the services you provide for clients and any specialties.

  We provide comprehensive financial planning advice that includes tax and investment strategies. We specialize in helping clients think differently about money and how to take advantage of the opportunity that the sports and entertainment industry provides.

• What type of clients do you typically represent? What factors do you consider when deciding which clients to take on?

  My typical clients are NFL players but in the last few years, I have been receiving referrals for NBA players, artists, and screenwriters. I’m at a point in my career that I only take on new clients that align with my values of empowering our community. I do have an asset minimum but have five other advisors on my team that will service most client needs.

• What is one thing people would be surprised to know about your profession? What is one of the biggest misconceptions?

  The biggest misconception about my profession is that my job is all about numbers. Most of the time I’m convincing my clients to pay the price of success now so they can afford any price in the future. Being a Private Wealth Advisor is about building a powerful relationship with my clients so they will listen to the advice given.

• What are some challenges or obstacles you have faced as an African-American in this profession?

  Like most other careers, the lack of African-Americans in the role makes it harder to be the one sought out to work with. There are only 1.5% of Certified Financial Planners (CFP) in America that are African-American. Sometimes I need to go above and beyond just to prove that I know what I’m talking about.

• What do you think can be done to improve diversity with regards to representation?

  Two things, letting more people know about the profession to build up the number of available advisors. Secondly, creating a list of successful advisors so people in the community can easily find an advisor to work with. Over 70% of my millionaire clients look like me, I actively seek out people from my community to help make a difference. A lot of other African-American advisors will do the same.

• What advice would you have for other African-Americans looking to enter this profession?

  Don’t try to do this by yourself. Try to join a team or form one if there isn’t one available. Just like the old African Proverb says: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

• What is the best way for people to get in touch with you?

  Email: Crawford.m.mcgill@ampf.com or social media Instagram or Twitter: @mickeymcgill