Bucking the trend can often make others feel uncomfortable … sometimes seriously bothered. But that’s just fine by Jacky Petit-Homme. He finds peace in challenging the norm, and if it ends up troubling some folks, then so be it.
In a world defined by societal conformity, Jacky’s life story reads like a symphony of defiance against the status quo. Whether it’s challenging the elitism of traditional Greek university fraternities, questioning negative stereotypes associated with Haitian culture, or competing head-to-head with financial industry giants, one thing is certain … Jacky will unapologetically be himself.
A Black Forrest Gump?
Jacky is a founding partner of Liberty One Wealth Advisors, a boutique financial planning and wealth management firm located in Center City, Philadelphia. But his path to this point was largely unpredictable – filled with a series of differing interests, passions, and ventures. Some successful, many not. In fact, it was not dissimilar to that of one of his most beloved movie characters.
“My low-key favorite movie is Forrest Gump,” Jacky says with a smile. “Seriously, this guy does whatever he thinks is the right thing to do in the moment, focuses on supporting the people immediately around him, and success just finds him. That’s basically how my career has developed.”
At 6 feet 6 inches tall, with an athletic build, and a full afro … I’m thinking that’s about all he has in common with Forrest Gump.
Jacky tried his hand at several different things before finding his niche. The list includes waking up at 4:00 a.m. for the opening shift at Wingstop, acting as a patient for training medical professionals, serving as a reporter for the Miami Herald, building office chairs in a furniture warehouse, editing photos and videos for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, selling health insurance, and of course, learning to be a banker.
I’m convinced there are many more.
“It’s funny because I probably got the entrepreneurial bug from my father, now that I’m thinking about it,” explains Jacky. “He was the consummate entrepreneur, always had a business idea. He would have a flavor of the month, and then six or seven months later it would be something else.”
As Jacky reflects on his father’s entrepreneurial endeavors, he finds a connection to his Haitian heritage that heavily influences his own journey of self-discovery and success.
Claiming Haitian Roots
“My parents were immigrants from Haiti,” Jacky shares, his voice tinged with pride as he reflects on his roots. But embracing his heritage isn’t just a matter of pride, it’s a defiant stance against the negative stereotypes that often shroud Haitian culture.
The stereotyping is ironic because Haiti boasts the only successful slave revolt which led to independence. Many believed achieving independence is where problems would end, but it’s where Haiti’s problems actually began.
The country continues to be characterized as one plagued by poverty, political corruption, instability, and disease. But for Jacky, and many others, these stereotypes are based on ignorance, prejudice, and a lack of understanding of Haiti’s complex history and culture. They fail to acknowledge the creativity and strength of Haitian people.
“I have a special affinity for the country because there’s a resilience Haitian people have that is hard to find anywhere else,” he asserts, challenging the misconceptions that have long defined Haiti’s reputation. “I’ve also seen that reflected in the values demonstrated by my own parents.”
It is clear that Jacky had a close relationship with his parents who taught him three important lessons that continue to serve him in his own pursuits: 1) loyalty to heritage, 2) open mindedness, and 3) dedication to truth.
“My father was extremely passionate about Haiti. He worked in Haiti, he believed in rebuilding Haiti, and for as long as I can remember, he committed his resources and whatever he could provide for the betterment of Haiti.”
“My father passed in 2018, but our family still carries on his passion for giving back. Our chosen impact is giving directly to the people of Haiti.”
“I remember my dad also being very smart and fair with everything. Academic, calm, cool, and collected. He was able to see every point of view possible on a certain topic, which is why almost nothing outraged him. I try to do that myself now, especially with my son.”
“My mom was the opposite. She was like the chaos … but not in a bad way. She was the life of the party. Mom had the biggest heart and wouldn’t hesitate to give you the clothes off of her back if you needed them. She had that captivating personality, but she was also the kind of person who would curse somebody out. She would eat someone’s soul if she had to,” Jacky chuckles.
“My mom used to work at a school supply store. So, all of those [motivational] posters you used to see in any school was probably hanging around my house.”
“I distinctly remember one that said, ‘If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.’ That really stuck with me. So, for better or worse, I’m pretty transparent about everything. I’m just going to tell you how it is.”
Reimagining Greek Life at the University of Florida
Like many Haitians do, Jacky’s parents came to the U.S. in the 1980’s via New York … Brooklyn. There was a short stint where they lived back in Haiti, but the family eventually moved to South Florida, which is where Jacky spent most of his younger years.
After graduating from high school, Jacky was accepted into the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Jacky loved being a Gator and studying television production, but there was something that really bugged him about university life – Greek fraternities.
“I was not a ‘cool’ guy at the University of Florida,” Jacky reflects, his voice hinting at defiance. “I wasn’t an athlete or a frat dude. I was just like a regular guy who went there.”
Jacky and his friends didn’t appreciate that the dominant culture on campus seemed to exclude the average student. In a sea of conformity, and against the advice of others, they decided to challenge the elitism of traditional Greek life with their own brand—a fraternity born not out of privilege, but out of a shared desire to create something different, something inclusive.
“Yeah, so we started our own little fraternity,” Jacky recounts, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Gamma Delta Kappa, black and gold.”
“We had shirts made and would wear our letters on Wednesdays. I knew people were going to get mad about us wearing our letters, but I kind of wanted to bother people.”
“We got mixed reactions from other people,” Jacky admits, recalling the skepticism and resistance they encountered. “But how was us creating something new different from other fraternities’ beginnings?”
Despite the backlash, Gamma Delta Kappa slowly grew to 15 members. It created a charter and elected a President and Vice President. It even started a second chapter at the University of Tennessee, where one of Jacky’s good friends went to school.
In the name of inclusivity, it was open to anyone willing to give $12 to cover the cost of the shirt. That was the only requirement.
“It wasn’t too serious … all we did was meet to play video games or basketball,” laughs Jacky. “I did try to make it a legitimate fraternity which was a 4-year application process. For that reason, it never became an officially sanctioned fraternity. But you couldn’t tell us that.”
Recession Road to Rocky Steps
As Jacky bid farewell to the University of Florida and the unconventional fraternity he helped establish, little did he know that the road ahead would be fraught with unexpected challenges, testing his resilience and determination.
Jacky grappled with setbacks in television production, and found jobs were scarce in Florida. “I graduated into a recession in 2008. I didn’t even know what recession meant back then. I had a job lined up with the Miami Herald, but everyone eventually got laid off.”
“I later started working in health insurance with my brother. After doing that, I realized I had two limitations being in Florida. I didn’t have enough money to start anything substantive on my own, and I didn’t know anyone who could help me do that. I felt this weird feeling of … you can’t really bootstrap it in South Florida.”
So, Jacky married his girlfriend at the time (Ashley), and the pair decided to take their chances in Philadelphia, where a close cousin of Jacky resided. He flew to Philly to interview for jobs and discovered that Philly was much better than he had anticipated.
“Before I came to Philly, I thought the phrase ‘City of Brotherly Love’ was all bullshit,” laughs Jacky. “I remember I was looking for a coffee shop and was visibly lost. At least four people stopped and asked me if I needed help or directions. I wasn’t used to that. I could be bleeding on the side of the road in South Florida and people would just look the other way.”
“To me, everything about Philly is better than my experience in Florida. I’ve been here since 2014 and have had an incredible experience.”
Jacky and his family live in Strawberry Mansion now, but they stayed in the Fairmount and Philadelphia Art Museum area for the first few years. It would be the magical Rocky Steps to eventually seal the deal.
“I like the [Ben Franklin] Parkway because it’s open, and you can sit and experience beautiful views of the city. It was actually on the Rocky Steps where I planted the seed of moving to Philly. In 2012, I was hanging out with my cousin near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We were at the Rocky Steps and I remember thinking … wow, this is so nice … I want to live here. A few years later I was living in the Parkway House, just a few yards from where I made that decision.”
Colorless Cash Flow: Diversity Deficit in Philadelphia Finance
Once in Philadelphia, Jacky accepted a brokerage associate position with Wells Fargo. He was promised that he would be responsible for finding investment opportunities and referring them to financial advisors, while he studied to get his Series 7 and accompanying brokerage licenses.
Unfortunately, that never came to fruition. “My training was mostly banking products and loans … not the role I wanted. I wanted to be on the investment side of the business. I fought to change roles but was consistently blocked.”
A friend that worked a Merrill Lynch suggested Jacky interview there as they were looking for people to support their financial advisors. Jacky jumped at the chance, and unlike Wells Fargo, he was able to obtain his brokerage licenses. But there was something that subtly bothered him. He was one of very few Black people at the firm.
“Merrill was great, and I really enjoyed the people I worked with. But it wasn’t the most diverse office you would expect in a city that’s as Black and Brown as Philly,” states Jacky.
Despite the lack of diversity, Jacky decided to give it his best effort and started to build his practice by cold calling, soliciting business from potential customers who had no prior contact with the firm or Jacky. It wasn’t easy, but he found he was good at it.
“One of the good things about being Haitian is that I’m incredibly stubborn … too stubborn to stop or quit, which works really well in sales. I wasn’t afraid to call people. I didn’t care about hearing a ‘no’ on the phone. This mindset helped me start a strong practice, build credibility, and develop a solid network in Philly.”
Yet, amidst his successes, a disquiet began to gnaw at Jacky’s conscience. The pressures to prioritize the firm’s interests over his clients’ preferences became increasingly uncomfortable.
“The firm wanted me to convince clients to move all their business to the company, which I understood philosophically. But many of my clients had longstanding relationships with other banks and were reluctant to change. When I said no, they would get other bankers to call my clients. I wasn’t comfortable with that.”
Compounding his unease was a glaring lack of diversity within the firm’s most successful teams.
“I noticed that the best teams at Merrill were mostly white,” explains Jacky. “I wanted to be on a winning team, but one that reflected diversity, and with people that looked like me,” Jacky explains.
“There was also this expectation to conform to a certain appearance. We were told to shave and be ‘clean cut’. So, I grew out an afro and a beard. I felt I had to do this because I wanted to flip things on their head. It became a personal statement.”
In a bold move, Jacky resolved to forge his own path.
The Birth of Liberty One Wealth Advisors
Drawing inspiration from a colleague who had gone independent, Jacky embarked on a professional journey to create something meaningful and authentic.
He teamed up with a close colleague, Guilian, whose skill set perfectly complemented his own. “We were a good team because he liked doing all the things I didn’t, and vice versa. For example, I’m big on business development and building relationships. Guilian prefers to be behind the scenes … business management, data analysis, and compliance. It was a perfect match.”
With the addition of Fan Feng, a powerhouse broker with a remarkable story of her own, the trio set about laying the foundations for their own financial planning firm.
The three pondered over a long list of potential names for their new venture. They needed something that was easy enough to understand, relatable to Philadelphia, and that would resonate with their vision of financial freedom for their clients. Liberty One Wealth Advisors seemed like an appropriate choice.
“The original launch date was slated for April of 2022,” Jacky reveals, “but circumstances at Merrill forced us to accelerate our plans. A huge lawsuit over cold calling practices had shut prospecting down, and a new policy threatened viability of the broker protocol which allowed us to take contact information of our personal clients with us.”
“So, we seized the moment and launched Liberty One Wealth Advisors in September of 2021.”
“I’ll admit, the day we launched was nerve-wracking … probably the closest I ever came to a panic attack,” Jacky confesses. “We decided to launch at 1:00pm, send our resignations, and start calling all of our clients.”
“At 12:50pm, I was short of breath and freaking out. I just bought a house, I was the only breadwinner, it was frightening. I excused myself from the room, took a walk around the block, put the headphones on, and listened to some of my favorite songs.”
“When I came back, we did it. And our clients were overwhelmingly supportive.”
Two years later, things seem to be thriving for Liberty One as the company has about $100 million in assets under management and serves roughly 160 households.
They’ve brought on another partner, Chris Klein, and according to Jacky, are building a great culture together. “Everything takes time, but I don’t think I would have changed anything. There isn’t anyone telling us what to do. We establish the directives. My name isn’t on the door … but my name is on the door,” Jacky beams.
As Jacky looks to the future, his goal remains clear – to serve as the trusted financial steward for families, offering comprehensive guidance across a spectrum of financial matters.
“I tell people, my goal is to be the CFO [Chief Financial Officer] of their family,” says Jacky. “Allow me and my team help you with the financial piece. Big or small. We advise on investments, estate planning, tax planning, retirement planning, cash flow. Basically, anything that has to do with a dollar sign … except actually doing your taxes.”
Reimagining the Financial Landscape
Embracing diversity as a cornerstone of their ethos, Jacky and his team are not only transforming the landscape of financial planning but also spearheading initiatives to promote diversity within the industry.
In the nonprofit arena, Jacky is pioneering a curriculum for financial literacy that transcends mere tokenism, aiming to equip individuals with practical skills they can use to navigate issues and circumstances they’re dealing with. The work will include pro-bono financial advice from Certified Financial Planners.
Meanwhile, in the corporate arena, he seeks to cultivate a diverse cohort of financial planners. “I want to build an army,” claims Jacky. “There are very few Black financial planners that have a CFP license in my industry. Sometimes I feel like a unicorn. I’m working with others now to train and retain more.”
Jacky recently started a podcast for Liberty One called Inevitable Wealth. The firm believes that anyone’s financial success is virtually inevitable if they develop a saving mentality and enact discipline. The podcast focuses on the basics of finance providing tips and market analysis.
As Jacky’s journey continues to unfold, it serves as a poignant reminder that success often lies in defying expectations, embracing one’s roots, and rewriting the narratives that seek to confine us.
Awards & Information
Liberty One Wealth Advisors was voted Philadelphia’s favorite wealth management firm in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2024 Philly Favorites Awards.
Jacky Petit-Homme was named 2022 Financial Advisor of the Year by RIA Intel, and one of the University of Florida’s 40 Gators Under 40 in 2023.
You can find more information about Jacky and Liberty One Wealth Advisors on Instagram at @jackyp_cfp and @libertyonewealth, respectively. Or you can visit www.libertyonewealth.com.
