Bryan Bradford had a plan after high school: he wanted to work in public safety as a police officer, but back in the 1980s, the police academy wouldn’t take any candidates until they turned 21. The job market and the economy were bad, but Bradford found a viable option – he joined the army.
As a military police officer, he was able to work side by side with members of the secret service and had aspirations to work in this field, however, his dream abruptly ended when Bradford lost his right knee in what he describes as a freak accident, forcing an honorable discharge from the army in 1987.
For the next few years, he bounced aimlessly from job to job, getting fired from most. He felt lost; adapting to civilian life was far more challenging than he expected. “We run at a different pace in the military,” he says, and he didn’t seem to fit as a civilian. “I was trying to find myself and my confidence again,” as he struggled with this new, unexpected direction in his life.
Bradford felt returning to school might be the answer, so he began a higher education journey, but after a couple of years, he decided college was not the right path for him.
Finally, in 1993, he accepted an internship at a company that turned into a subsidiary of Citigroup and worked his way up the ranks to Regional Vice President, but “something was missing,” he felt. “I enjoyed working with clients and wanted to offer more options and solutions to help them with their financial planning needs, and work for the clients’ best interest, not shareholders,” so he opened his own financial advising company. In 2007, Bradford Financial Advisors, LLC, opened its doors on Main Street in downtown Brighton. Last year, the company was named the #1 financial advisor in Livingston County.
Through this transition into the world of financial planning, it finally began “to sink in the depth, breadth and value of an education,” Bradford reflects.
He chose to go back to school and finish his degree at Cleary University. The school offered a major in corporate finance, however, Bradford remained a bit skeptical. “What is Cleary going to teach me that I don’t already know?”
He learned quickly that Cleary was a wise choice. “The school had a different learning style,” and it aligned perfectly with Bradford’s. “I’m an auditory learner, and the in-person classes were ideal. I liked the collaboration with other students, and I enjoyed building relationships with students and faculty, and feeding ideas off each other. Cleary gave me an opportunity I don’t think I would have found at another university, and I learned a lot that I could incorporate into my business,” he asserts. “Critical thinking and problem solving are two key attributes of successful people,” and Bradford honed these as a student a Cleary. He also found learning from professors who work in their field of study extremely beneficial. “They shared real-world examples that I wouldn’t have found from instructors who never stepped out of academia,” he feels.
“In my field of financial planning and advising, we are competing with everyone else; we need to find our competitive advantage. It certainly helps when our team can back up their experience with a degree.
“Cleary has produced some great talent, and I have hired two!” he is proud to report.
Cathryn Porter, a financial planner and partner at Bradford Financial Advisors; and Jennifer Stevens, former operations manager for the company; both obtained their bachelor’s degrees from Cleary.
While building a successful financial advising business, Bradford never lost focus on his military experience that meant so much to him. “About 27 percent of veterans are not getting the financial help they need,” he learned. He chose to advocate for these veterans who fall through the cracks by founding Veterans Connected in 2019.
“Our goal is to leave no veteran, member of the military or family member behind,” Bradford notes. Services include making car payments or mortgage payments, helping with utility bills, providing food and gas cards, assisting with auto repairs, and even performing tasks like yard clean ups and home repairs. All money provided by Veterans Connected is raised through fundraising activities conducted throughout the year as well as generous donations from the community. Bradford has found his education and business connections have helped him raise millions of dollars for various charities in the county.
“This year, Veterans Connected will hit the $1 million mark in veteran support,” he is proud to report.
This is another reason why Bradford is grateful for Cleary University. The college’s Veterans Resource Center provides a wealth of services for veterans as well as active members of the military to ensure they can obtain their degree quickly, easily, conveniently and affordably. The Cleary center also offers career assistance and benefits services.
“I wake up every single day blessed for the life I have,” Bradford reflects.
To learn more about Veterans Connected and how you can get involved, visit www.veteransconnected.org
To learn more about the Cleary Veterans Resource Center, visit: www.cleary.edu/student-life/veterans-resource-center/
Cleary University has received these military designations:
- MVAA Gold-Level Veteran-Friendly School
- Military Times – Best College for Vets
- Victory Media Military Friendly® School
- Top College for Military Advanced Education & Transition
- Military Friendly® Employer
