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A native of Orlando and fourth-generation Floridian, Katie Miller Witter is a Principal and Wealth Advisor of Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors in Winter Park, Florida. Katie is a Certified Succession Planner™.
Katie and her husband, David Witter, are wealth strategists who have co-owned the firm together since 2009.
Katie began her career in the investment and financial services industry in 2002 as a Partner and Vice President of a boutique wealth advisory firm. Katie then joined forces with David after nearly eight years to better align her holistic planning philosophy and approach to how she helps clients.
The powerful partnership enables Katie and David to develop superior wealth management solutions for Financial Harvest clients and produce strategic partnerships with other professionals to help clients preserve their wealth, mitigate taxes, transfer wealth to loved ones efficiently, and enhance asset protection and charitable gifting.
“When exploring career paths, I knew I wanted to build relationships with people, and I knew I liked marketing and learning about finance and investments,” Katie said. “My father was a businessman and my mentor throughout college regarding ‘what I was going to do with my life’ upon graduation.
“The first week I was home from the University of Florida, he scheduled time for me to meet with his stockbroker. During that meeting, I learned about the significance of saving and the power of compounding. He went through the Wall Street Journal with me and taught me how to read the investment section.
“I was intrigued, and my passion for helping people with money ensued. While working for three years in marketing, my free time was dedicated to studying for the GMAT to prepare for business school, where I focused on Finance and Investment Management.
“There’s an old cliché that you’re not supposed to mix business and pleasure, but David and I strongly disagree.”
The duo entered the Financial Planning industry in 2002 but didn’t meet until 2008. And it wasn’t long after their first jog together that they fell in love.
When they were engaged to be married, they sketched out their life dreams, including building a wealth management firm together as a husband and wife team. Yes, partners in life AND in business.
“The commonality of our core values has really allowed us to work incredibly well together. Everything boils down to your belief system; if that is aligned, your relationship and business will thrive.
“We’ve also found our skill sets and strengths complement each other. While they are very different, it allows us the autonomy to excel in our individual areas of expertise and then come together, working as a team.”
The two share not only love for each other but also highly respect each other’s work.
“We have a tremendous amount of mutual support and confidence in each other. Having a shared vision is key to any relationship’s success, but it is especially important in a business relationship. Working together to build a company means having clear expectations of one another and sharing the same vision of success.
“Working with your spouse provides the added benefit of having your biggest fan by your side daily,” Katie said. “This becomes especially important when navigating difficult seasons in business but is also made sweeter when you get to celebrate a success. It’s exciting in any business to have something to celebrate, but it’s even greater to enjoy it with your significant other.”
Client Philosophy
“At Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors, we understand that financial planning is about more than finances; it’s about helping our clients preserve and grow their assets in a way that meets their personal goals.
“Each client is unique, and our work is tailored to address each client’s individual situation. We work daily to ensure our clients have the confidence that comes from knowing they have a trusted advisor committed to working with them to help them achieve their long- and short-term goals and live a good life.
“I always strive to provide compassion and care for our clients and our team. Keeping in tune with others’ emotional and psychological needs is extremely important, and I believe this leads to more successful, long-lasting relationships.
“It matters who you surround yourself with. Mentorship and collaboration of the people who surround me have teed me up for success in more ways than I can count. I cannot emphasize enough how paramount that has been on my journey to becoming co-leader of our firm.
“As a finance industry professional, wife, and mother, I understand the complexities and challenges that lie in these roles and acknowledge the unique needs faced by women today. This allows me to understand the concerns of today’s women better and bring an added level of relatability and comfort to my female clients.
I’m able to build strong, caring relationships with clients, all the while helping them execute smart financial decisions. When I think about my job, I feel good about what I do, knowing we’re helping clients live a richer life every day.
Humans tend to fear and stress about things they don’t understand or don’t know, but working with an advisor serving as your advocate can make a huge difference in making long-term decisions that positively impact financial outcomes.
Just like going to see your doctor can ease your worries about that questionable spot on your arm, so too can meeting with a financial advisor to determine the pros and cons of investment vehicles or whether your estate plan is up to date. Those individuals will likely know more about your finances and family dynamics than anyone else.
I think that your health and your financial well-being are the two most important things that any person has in their life, and without one or the other, your life gets very unstable.
Whether you realize it or not, there is a significant overlap between the two areas. Most of us know what it means to have good health, or at least we think we do, but financial wellness is a term that is much less common. While definitions vary, financial wellness is essentially the effective management of financial stresses in an individual’s life by constructing strong financial foundations, setting goals, and lifestyle management.
Ensuring assets are diversified and protected, continuity of planning for your loved ones, and optimizing your tax strategies are some of the broad topics that can fall under that umbrella. Similar to an approach to good health, good financial wellness takes planning, discipline, and often guidance from specialists to help ensure individuals are held accountable and goals are achieved.
Gaining knowledge, utilizing professional networks, and staying disciplined throughout all seasons of planning, growing, distributing, and preserving your wealth produces the best opportunity for freedom: freedom to care for, be with and experience life with those you love.
Education
- Rollins College, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Winter Park, Florida, MBA Finance, 2002
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, B.S. Finance and Marketing, 1998
Employment
- Financial Harvest, Winter Park, Florida, 2009 to Present
- Ferrell Wealth Management, Winter Park, Florida, 2002-09
- M2 Enterprises, Winter Park, Florida, 1999-2000
- Trammell Crow, Orlando, 1998-99
Certifications
- Certified Succession Planner™, awarded by the International Succession Planning Association, having satisfied the knowledge, examination, and experience requirements for CSP®
- FINRA Series 65 Fiduciary Investment Advisor License
Memberships / Community Involvement
- Elder, First Presbyterian Church of Orlando
- Winter Park YMCA Board Chair
- Metro YMCA Board of Directors
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes Board of Directors
- Lifework Leadership Alumni and Coach
- Graduate of Leadership Orlando and Leadership Winter Park
- Co-leader for Marriage and Family Ministry at FPCO
- Winter Park Chamber of Commerce
Personal
“I enjoy being outdoors, exercising, biking, boating, fishing, traveling with my family, and cheering for our son, Will, on the golf course, football field, or basketball court, and Kate at Stone Dance Academy and dance competitions!
“I never want to look back on my life with regret, so I joyfully spend as much time with my children as I can. I am a co-leader for our daughter’s Girl Scout troop and coach many of her sports teams. In turn, I love watching David coach Will in football and basketball and caddy for him at golf tournaments throughout Florida and North Carolina.
“David and I are actively involved in our children’s school and our First Presbyterian Church of Orlando faith community. Nothing makes me happier than a full, noisy house, so whether it’s friends, family, or kids, we love hosting and fellowship.”
